Exclusively Pumping

Kiki1115

I had my LO last Friday via last minute planned section. My plan was to breast feed but she wasn't latching. I tried using a shield but the pain was insane. Since being home I've been pumping and giving her a bottle. Is anyone else exclusively pumping and bottle feeding? I had a rough couple days where I felt like a failure but in the end I'm glad I can still give her great milk.  Any tips or suggestions? Thank you!!!

melissajo2011

I am EPing for my twins. They were in the NICU for 8 and 21 days, and they still don't BF very well. Plus, I don't make enough milk for both of them, so I have to supplement with formula. I am just happy I can give them as much BM as I do. EPing is hard, because I sometimes feel like my entire life is dedicated to feeding them. But it's worth it, IMO. Hang in there!

kyethra

My DS is three weeks and I EP since he is a preemie and won't yet BF and got used to bottles in NICU. I am able to put half of what  i pump in the deep freeze, which is a great motivator. I also frequently read about the benefits on sites like la leche lesgue to remind myself why.

jaxlynn

Hi there - 

I EP'ed with my daughter, she was 5 weeks early and I only had 6 weeks off work, so we never worked out BF'ing. So I pumped for a year. It is so hard, but I felt worth it. Here are my tips:

- Make sure you have shields that fit well. I bought Super Shields and they felt so, so much better than what came with the pump.  Check here, for some reason I can't make it clicky - https://www.pumpinpal.com/html/super_shieldsPC.htm

- Since breastmilk is ok in the fridge for a while, don't wash everything after each pumping session. I would wash once a day and just store everything in the fridge between pumping sessions. Excellent time saver.

- Use lube. Sounds funny, but olive oil is safe to use. I put a little on my nipples and ah, sweet relief.

- If you don't have one already, get a hands free bra, or just cut little holes in a sports bra you don't mind sacrificing for the cause.

- A lot of women say that oatmeal helps keep your supply up. I ate oatmeal for breakfast a lot, but also saw it as a great reason to have oatmeal cookies on hand!  

Good luck and hang in there - I found a couple EP'ing forums that were really helpful and made me feel less lonely! This was four years ago so I don't really remember what sites I went to, but you should be able to track some down.

Take care! 

megs68

I did a combo of EBF + then part-time pumping when I went back to work with LO#1 and am EP LO#2 due to her birth defect.  Here's a good way to describe it: EP is easier in the beginning but stays the same in difficulty the entire time.  EBF is harder in the beginning but ends up being a lot easier later on.  If you can, I'd recommend continuing to try BFing - it definitely hurts at the beginning but is so much easier not having to wash pump parts and bottles, lug your pump and a spare bottle around, worry about supply, refrigerating and heating milk, rotating bottles, etc.  For instance, right now DD is STTN but I still have to get up to pump to make sure I keep my supply up.  Ugh.  But if EP is what you're interested in doing, there are a lot of us who do it and great support out there.

EveryNameIWantIsTaken

For tips, be consistent.  In the early days you need to pump as many times as lo eats to make and maintain proper supply.  I'm now able to pump 5 or 6 times a day and have between 4 and 10 oz extra to store each day.  If you aren't consistent early on, it will be hard in the end to make enough whether you would normally have a good supply or not.  If you can, feed baby while you pump.  I either prop dd in the boppy or her  bouncy seat if it's time for her to eat and time for me to pump and kill two birds with one stone.  Even though it sucks, make sure to keep a middle of the night pump for a good long while.  DD still eats in the middle of the night so I pump then while dh feeds and it's been like that since our first day home from the hospital.  It's worked well.  Pump for at least 15 minutes each time.  I read somewhere that anything less isn't enough and your body will begin to make less milk.  Most of all, relax.  It's nothing to get stressed about.  I had to supplement one bottle a day for a week or so.  As soon as I let go of the stress and pressure on myself, everything turned around and it's been great since.  It can be a lot of work if you think that way, but it doesn't have to be.  Good luck!  There are a handful of us on here and there is a facebook group too but I don't have a link to it right now.

alexvause

Check out the breast feeding board, there are quite a few of us that EP!

Definitely do whatever you need to do to make it easier on yourself if you plan I EP for the long haul. Hands free bras, multiple sets of pump parts, Good pump, etc.  

Also, set small goals for your self.

My first goal was three days so she would get colostrum. Then two weeks. Then six weeks. Now my goal is 3 months. After that will be 6 months.

EPing is hard but worth it. I told my husband today that it's like working out. I sort of dread having to do it but once it's done I'm so glad I did it because the results are great (; 

love22

Breastfeeding is extremely difficult especially in the first few days when you are so tired and never getting more than an hour or two of sleep at a time.  I know there are a few people on the breastfeeding board that talk about exclusively pumping.  

Also, even though BFing isn't working right now doesn't mean it won't work later. I know a few women who started off exclusively pumping and ended up BFing.  I am one of them although with DS I was using an SNS not a bottle for the first month and then one day he was able to latch with a shield and the very next day after that he didn't even need the shield.  He just needed time to mature and get stronger.  I recommend even if you are going to exclusively pump to get in contact with a lactation consultant.  They can help with latch issues and make sure you are fitted correctly to your pump. 

Big hugs!  You can do it! 

Liz10/04

I've been EP'ing for 10 weeks and at times I hate it because of the time demand. It's always in the back of my head that I have to pump. But the money we are saving plus all of the benefits to LO and I make it worth the effort. If you can't pump while feeding your LO try to bring a magazine or something else to help distract you. I do most of my Facebooking or Bumping when I pump.

Hang in there! 

KandT0919

I've been exclusively pumping for almost 9 months now. I have just started weaning myself and have been slowly introducing formula... My DD is too active now for me to pump as often as I'd like and I am a "single" mom (hubby is deployed) so I don't have anyone to help out while I pump

kmz885

I've been EPing for almost three months now. LO was born a few weeks early and we had problems with her sucking. I've come up with a schedule and have more or less kept up with it since week 1. She has gained lots of weight and seems happy with a bottle. Plus, my husband could help me with feedings during the evening while I was making dinner and I didn't have to worry about having her get used to a bottle before she started daycare. 

melszum

EP gets easier! I have been doing it since 2 weeks and now I can pump enough in the AM to get him through 2 feedings and don't have to pump during the night anymore.  I also take Fenugreek twice a day and it has increased my supply so much!