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July 2011 Moms
cburitz
member
BF question for 2nd time moms
cburitz
member
The post below got me thinking. I am planning to BF and also pump. Is pumping really necessary? I was going to pump so I could feed LO out in public without having to be embarassed. Now I wonder if it's just going to be extra work on me? Should I skip the pumping?
Thoughts?
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Re: BF question for 2nd time moms
If you are planning to SAH, then you might not need a pump. However, I have friends that were SAHM and had supply issues and were told to use a pump (hospital grade in one instance) in order to increase their supply (both pumping after nursing session and at different times during the day when not nursing).
If you plan to give a pumped bottle instead of BF in public, keep in mind that it is best to pump *while* the baby is taking the bottle (to mimic how often the baby is eating)- if you do it in advance by quite a bit of time, you can mess with your supply. I've done it where I pumped in advance but I was really lucky with keeping up my supply and sometimes just did an extra or power pumping session later that day to keep it up.
Pumping is NOT necessary, and heating up breastmilk in public is annoying, because you need hot water to soak it in. It's just a pain in the butt! I exclusively pumped for 6 months until my son could learn to BF, and I'd say the only benefit is that I didn't have to give my baby formula for DH to feed him once or twice a day so I could sleep every now and then.
Also, there are great covers for nursing, like udder covers https://www.uddercovers.com/! Cute patterns to keep you modest are kinda fun, and I didn't have a problem BFing in public once DS was able to. You'll get used to it fast, and the covers really help!
Are you going to be working at some point after the baby is born? If so, pumping is an absolute must if you plan to continue breastfeeding.
I began pumping when DD was about 4-5 weeks old to build a freezer supply for when I went back to work (I took 8 weeks off). However, I was able to work from home after physically going back for 3 weeks, which was unexpected yet amazing.
I pumped during DD's normal feeding hours at work, which ended up being twice during working hours.
Another thing to think about is how much your DH is going to want to feed your LO. If you don't pump, he won't have the opportunity to experience feeding your child.
ETA: I continued pumping along with bfing for the entire 14 months. Sometimes bottles were just more convenient. Also, I mixed the breastmilk with her cereal.
This.
And . . .
This. Although a blanket works just as well.
I guess I forgot many of the benefits of pumping. The freezer stash came in super handy when I got preggo again my supply basically cut off (seriously, I didn't know weaning could be painless), and I know if I don't pump at all this time, DH will miss feeding baby. If your baby has any issues BFing, you'll want to pump probably, but if you're going to SAHM, I'd say don't buy a pump, just rent if you need it. The rentals are better and cheaper if you're using it for 4 months or less.
I am a SAHM and I would still recommend pumping. It was nice for DH to be able to feed LO on occasion and leaving him with a babysitter would have been way too hard without a small freezer stash of pumped milk.
If it's just the NIP that bothers you, it is actually much easier to NIP (once you do it a couple times, it become second nature) than trying to find hot water to warm the milk up. Also my DS would not take a bottle from me until he was over 6 months old. He would take bottles from everybody else, but not me.
I am also a SAHM and pumped very little. I wouldn't forgo the pump bc there will be times that you want to go out with your girlfriends or out for date night with your husband.
Also in the beginning you tend to over produce and might want to pump bc you are so dull. Or the opposite you might want to try to increase your supply. I had a medela double pump and really "liked" it.
I echo everyone's sentiments aobut pumping. For me it was a necessity as I returned to work when DS was 4 months old. By being religious about pumping at work and for every "feeding" that DS got I was able to nurse / give bottled BM for DS exclusively for over 12 months (actually still nursing him at night). I also had a freezer stash to use when I made his baby food / cereal. LIke some others, when DS wasn't at daycare I rarely did bottles just because if your give a bottle you need to pump to make sure your supply maintains. When I was pumping three times a day at work, the last thing I wanted to do was pump again to replace a bottle feeding.
I had a lot of fears about BF in public but the reality was that it really wasn't that bad. I wouldn't say that I did it a lot but when I did, I would use a cover or the blanket that I had in the stroller, etc. In addition, there are actually some places where they make it really convenient -- like at a mall with a Nordstroms - they have a very nice area. Finally, I would also nurse DS in the car when we were out, pretty easy to be discrete.
I also agree with the ladies. I on BF but I did pump for the emergencies. They say to introduce the bottle (of breast milk) within 2-4 weeks so the baby will take it and get used to it.
I breast fed in public all the time but always put a blanket over him and no one knew, it is really discrete. When he was 4 weeks I traveled to CA from NY and I wore a baby bjorn and actually fed him while I was walking through the airport with a blanket over his head, no one was the wiser.
Once you get the hang of it you will LOVE it, the bonding, the ease and the lack of expense!
Good luck and enjoy that special time!