Exclusive Pumpers - come in please

Summer20

DD had been doing great with BFing plus taking 1-2 bottles of milk per day.  However, lately she's made it very clear that she prefers the bottle.  I realize we could fight this, but I'm thinking I may just switch to EP.

If you made this choice voluntarily (ie: not becuase of a physical problem or something)...

Any regrets about pumping only?  How many times per day do you pump?  Do you find it exhausting to have to pump, clean parts, etc on top of everything else?   Do you supplement?  Any other thoughts/advice?  

TIA! 

AmberLeigh77

I haven't done this yet but have been thinking about the same thing.  I have to use a nipple shield each time I nurse and I think that DS gets frustrated with is- plus that is something I have to clean each time anyway (like the pump parts).  Thanks for posting- I'm interested to hear the results!

duchessII81

I pump 3 or 4 times a day, 6-8 hours apart. I can get 2/3+ of her daily intake by pumping and give 1-2 bottles of formula. I wash the pump parts nightly. During the day I rinse between uses and store in a ziploc in the fridge. EPing is easy - it was BFing that I found exhausting.

nwallace

I have been EPing since 24 hours after DD was born.  I pump about 5-6 times a day but have a really good supply as I get about 9 oz total per pump.  I haven't found it very tiring to wash the pumps.  I have been told that you can keep your parts in the fridge between pumps and then wash them once or twice a day.  I am going to try this out I believe.  The feeding goes really well with the bottle and the DH is able to help as well.  Feel free to PM me if you have more questions.  I hope this is helpful.

princesspeach420

duchessII81:

I pump 3 or 4 times a day, 6-8 hours apart. I can get 2/3+ of her daily intake by pumping and give 1-2 bottles of formula. I wash the pump parts nightly. During the day I rinse between uses and store in a ziploc in the fridge. EPing is easy - it was BFing that I found exhausting.

 

this exactly

KaliBali04

I have been EPing for the past week or so because I was getting sore so I decided to pump to let myself heal (I know that's not exactly what you're asking).  I have been pumping after every time DS eats.  I pump the same amount of ounces that he eats (if he eats 4, I pump 4).  

Like I said, I've only been doing this for a week, but I haven't had to supplement.

I find pumping to be exhausting.  If I were going to EP, I would def. find a different way to do it than pump after every feeding.   I hate having to wash the pump parts all day long.  

I was also considering EPing, but I'm going to stick it out a little longer to see if we can get over the hump of breast challenges.  It is just too much to take the pump everywhere so I can pump throughout the day. 

Jolaine83

I switched to EPing on Monday of this week and I'm 99.9% thrilled with this decision.  The only thing I miss is that feeling of looking down at my milk coma baby at the end of a feeding.  But, I feed on my bobby and hold him close afterward and it's very close to the same thing.

Nothing forced me to switch and I could have easily kept breast feeding.  But, it was stressful to me and painful constantly.  DS had a bad latch from the beginning and even though we had weaned somewhat off the nipple shield, it was constantly a painful venture.  That and it took almost an hour every time and he'd eat every two hours or so.  

I now pump almost everytime he eats (every 2-3 hours during the day), although sometimes I end up missing one because he won't go to sleep without being held.  My best advice is to supplement a couple of bottles or pump a few times before switching to EP totally.  It's made all of the difference in the world to have a few extra feedings stored up.  Now, I don't pump for the next feeding, but usually for 2-3 down the way.  It gives you more freedom to adapt to the day.

Since I'm constantly washing bottles anyhow, washing the pump parts aren't a big deal.  I wash them almost everytime, but if I don't feel like it, I just refrigerate it.  It's something I'm willing to do to get away from the pain of BF and still provide BM for my DS.

I do supplement two bottles at night.  One right before bed - it helps him sleep better and he usually eats more than I was able to provide him.  I was supplementing that one before I went to EPing.  He's also gets the one in the middle of the night.  I've skipped that pumping session in favor of sleep.

Good luck and don't let anyone make you feel guilty for making the best decision for yourself.   You are still providing for your LO, no matter if he/she drinks formula or BM.  Breastfeeding isn't right for everyone and if you are a happier mama this way, you've made the right decision.

Ciconrad

I pumped from 4 months - 9 months with DS #1 for the same reason who are considering pumping.  With DS #1 it was a hassle but he was a super hard baby.  He never wanted to be put down, he whined constantly and even at 6-7 months he only napped for 45 min at a time.  Any "me" time I had was spent pumping and cleaning the pump. 

I am now pumping with DS #2 because he is super slow on the breast and with a toddler running around, I can' be tied down BFing for 45 min - hour every 3 hours.  It's way easier this time.  DS #2 is a much easier baby and I can just sit next to DS #1 and flip through a book with him or let him watch 15 min of tv while I pump.  I try to do every 6 hours as I can pull off 8-10 oz if I go that long and he's eating 3-4 oz every 3 hours - so I have enough for 2 feedings and a little extra.

I have supplemented a little the last 2 days because DS is going through a growth spurt and I can't keep up with how much he is eating.  It's only like an ounce every other feeding or so. 

 

 

HopHop

I chose to EP and I have no regrets.  The best part is sharing the feedings with my husband. He gets to be a part of feeding our baby and I get more sleep

I pump every 4 hours during the day and once at night for comfort. My baby eats every 3 hours-ish, but I pump more than enough milk with every 4  hours, and it gives me a bit more freedom. Cleaning the parts isn't bad at all, but I have a ton of bottles in case I get lazy and 2 sets of pumping accessories.  I love having my own schedule but sometimes it can get tricky planning outings.  We just remain flexible to the possibility of pumping or feeding on the go.  Best advice is to set up a station with everything you need (including a hands free bra, can't go without it!) and comfortable seating.

KMom14

I've been exc. pumping since LO was born, so for a month now.  There were many factors that led me to do this, but I'm glad I did.  I pump maybe 8 times a day, 2-3 hours apart during the day, and 4-5 hours apart at night.  Washing the parts is really quick & easy I think.  I only had to supplement with formula for 3 days (I gave 2 bottles at night) because my supply was dwindling with the pump I was using.  When I switched pumps I was able to give all breastmilk again.  I do worry about being able to keep up with him as he starts taking more at his feedings, so I may supplement with formula at night again if that happens.  Otherwise, I'm happy with the decision to pump!

MarriedBestFriends

EPing was my and my family's worst nightmare come true. It's hell. Please don't disregard the opinions of others, but they have no idea how they will feel in 3, 6, 9, 12 months. I EPed for exactly one year and the amount of kudos and praise I got on here reinforced how BSC I was for doing it. EPing NEVER gets any easier- BFing does. I visited a BFing friend whose DS was 6 months old when DD was 5 months old- I was still pumping 7 times/day to keep my supply up and he ate 5X/day for 5-10 minutes each time, while I still pumped 20 mins each time I pumped. H and I Just figured out that I spent over 75 DAYS tied to the pump in total. DAYS!!! Days I didn't spend holding my girl. That does not include the time to wash bottles and pump parts, make bottles, have them always ready, warm them, store the milk, freeze the extra milk, and on and on. I could write a diatribe on here and have before but I will tell you this- I had no idea how much it would suck to EP for a year until I'd done it. And yes- it still hurts. And yes- I still got mastitis and thrush and clogged ducts. I had a severe oversupply and dried up so quickly after I was done that I also realize how preciously fragile supply is and I am thankful that H and my job allowed me to pump as much as I needed. I still feel guilty/sad about DD's refusal to BF, but whether those are your feelings or not- if you want to give your LO BM for a long time, please just know what you are getting into. GL with whatever you decide.

Ciconrad

MarriedBestFriends:

EPing was my and my family's worst nightmare come true. It's hell. Please don't disregard the opinions of others, but they have no idea how they will feel in 3, 6, 9, 12 months. I EPed for exactly one year and the amount of kudos and praise I got on here reinforced how BSC I was for doing it. EPing NEVER gets any easier- BFing does. I visited a BFing friend whose DS was 6 months old when DD was 5 months old- I was still pumping 7 times/day to keep my supply up and he ate 5X/day for 5-10 minutes each time, while I still pumped 20 mins each time I pumped. H and I Just figured out that I spent over 75 DAYS tied to the pump in total. DAYS!!! Days I didn't spend holding my girl. That does not include the time to wash bottles and pump parts, make bottles, have them always ready, warm them, store the milk, freeze the extra milk, and on and on. I could write a diatribe on here and have before but I will tell you this- I had no idea how much it would suck to EP for a year until I'd done it. And yes- it still hurts. And yes- I still got mastitis and thrush and clogged ducts. I had a severe oversupply and dried up so quickly after I was done that I also realize how preciously fragile supply is and I am thankful that H and my job allowed me to pump as much as I needed. I still feel guilty/sad about DD's refusal to BF, but whether those are your feelings or not- if you want to give your LO BM for a long time, please just know what you are getting into. GL with whatever you decide.

I'm sorry you had such a hard time but I did do it for 6 months, until DS was 9 months and I thought it got easier as he got older.  I don't really feel like I missed out holding him because I tried to pump when he napped, which was predictable the older he got.  I would also pump with him in the Bumbo or Jumperoo while interacting with him, which were things he would have done anyways.  I never had mastistis or a clogged duct although we did have thrush - but twice while actually BFing and only once while pumping.  I am not discounting what you went through, I just wanted to say to the OP that from someone who also did it for a long period with an older infant - it wasn't that bad...hence, why I am doing it with #2.

 

Summer20

thank you all soooo much - this is amazing info! so helpful!!!

i heart the bump 

l_elizabeth

I absolutely hated EPing. I did like how it was more stress-free than BFing; I had a particularly hard time BFing so it was nice to not have to worry about it. But pumping is a ton of work.I had to do it every 2-3 hours, which made it impossible to go anywhere. I didnt enjoy the act of it. It's just a TON of work. It's very hard to do if home alone with baby; between feeding LO and then pumping I felt overwhelmed and LO wouldnt always be content enough to allow me to pump. GL in your decision!