Any exclusive pumpers?

StayingFocused

I'd really like to know how this compares to EBF in terms of time consumption and difficultly.  I'll be going back to work full time within 8-10 weeks and will also want to have DH helping with more than just a night time feeding from the beginning.  So maybe some combo of the two?  Pointers welcome.  Currently 40+2, just waiting!

karlimonster

My understanding is exclusively pumping is A LOT more work. Hell, pumping at work 4 times and nursing when not working was a lot of work to me. (It mostly takes up a lot of time). My bf would always offer to feed a bottle at night, but there was no point since I still had to wake to pump. I personally would rather feed the baby when I can as there is no set up or clean up, but everyone is different. It is also recommended to nurse in the beginning as it is more efficient and establishes supply. I would think you would be nursing and pumping in the beginning to get things going in terms of producing for the baby and building a stash for bottle feeding. Good luck with whatever you decide on.

dandyleah

Lo is 6 weeks old and I am attempting to EP. We were nursing but she was having weight gain issues do to a weak latch. This article from kellymom has some really great tips that I'm putting into practice. 

https://kellymom.com/mother2mother/exclusive-pumping/

kaylaj89

@dandyleah did you ever get your LO to latch? I am EP because my baby was born at 37 weeks and was too small to latch she's almost two weeks old but no latch yet, AND this EP thing is hard!! Any tips? 

TayTayRN

I EPed for 8 weeks before I got my baby to breastfeed without a fight. He may have done it after about 6 weeks but I was moving then and decided to wait until after the move to go cold turkey on the bottle. By then he was entirely capable of doing it, but he got frustrated with the breast and screamed for the bottle after a minute or two of nursing. One long hard day of putting up with the fuss and him realizing the breast was the way to get food was enough. Ever since he has switched back and forth from breast to bottle as needed. 

krissyberb

My son was tongue tied and I EPed for 8 weeks. It is WAY more work than just nursing. Feedings take twice as long because you have to pump and give a bottle and clean up all the pump parts and bottles. Also, if you are going to be away from the house for more than 3 hours you have to make a plan for pumping, which can be awkward.  As a new mom I felt really confined. I have so much respect for mamas who can EP long term!

dandyleah

@kaylaj89 she will latch but it's still very weak and she just pacifies herself so she's burning more calories sucking than she is taking in. I've gone pretty much to formula and I'm only able to pump enough for about 2 breast milk bottles a day.

dandyleah

@krissyberb ep is way harder than nursing! Especially since I have 2 other daughters. My days go by in a blur and before I know it, I've forgotten multiple pumping sessions and my breasts never feel full or engorged so there is no physical reminder for me to pump. I give lots of kudos to moms who can keep up with pumping!

psherman42wwsa

I exclusively pumped for over a month while I had ductal thrush. It is way more time consuming. The 15 minutes I pumped every couple hours was terrible. I had a very needy newborn and I had to try to hold him while pumping.. I hated it. A hands free bra was life changing though.  Plus there so many bottles and pump parts to wash. I had 3 sets of pump parts and over a dozen storage bottles and I was still constantly washing. As soon as the thrush went away I went back to BF. I still pump in the morning after his morning feeding and in the evening before I go to bed. This way I still have bottles for DH to feed and I was able to build up a nice freezer stash. LO is almost one and I'm just now starting to use my freezer stash now that my supply has dropped.

rklinge0

I ep for 10 months, baby was born with a weak latch and chd. In the beginning it may have been easier because it took only 15 min to pump compared to an hr of bf but after the first few months it was a lot of work. I felt like I was attached to a machine. Luckily I was a decent producer and because I ep I had a stockpile to feed my baby past a year and she still gets bm.
If you are going to ep I recommend 2 pumps just in case one breaks or if you are out and about. I had a battery operated one too.

mbyoung

My LO is 8 1/2 months and I have been eping for about 7 1/2 months due to a latching and weight gain issues. It is a struggle at times because it is so time consuming. I actually have a pretty decent supply and a pretty large stock pile in my freeze so I have been able to cut down to 3 times a day for about 30 mins each time. My pump goes everywhere with me, just like my diaper bag.  There have been days where I have wanted to quit, but so far it has been worth it.

My best advice is to start with small goals. I started with the goal of 2 weeks, then a month, then 2 months, and kept setting reasonable goals. Once I accomplished a goal, I would set another, but again make sure you set realistic goals. Good luck!!