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Breastfeeding
Pumping exclusivley
Im pregnant with my second child and am considering breast feeding. I did not breast feed my first child bc I was very young and knew nothing about it. I think i want to breast feed but only via bottle by just pumping. I want my baby to get all the good stuff that goes with it but physically breast feeding is just not for me. Has anyone ever just pumped and if so how did it work out? Im still sort of on the fence...
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Re: Pumping exclusivley
You're up for A LOT of work if this is the route you choose.
I don't understand anyone who would choose to EP over BF.
exclusively pumping is extremely hard work so i wouldn't use that as a first choice. i had to do it for one month & it's extremely hard b/c you basically have double the time- you have to pump & then you have to feed the baby & then clean all the parts & bottles. it's a lot of work.
if you do decide to do it, one tip that helps a lot is to refrigerate the pump parts in between uses so that you don't have to wash them every single time. i wish i had known about this sooner, it really helped!
you could always breastfeed when you are home & then pump bottles for when you are out.
My Colton...Growing up so fast!
And Coralee, his baby sister...On the way!
I've done both. With DS, he wouldn't swallow enough at the breast. So I pumped for 11+ months. It worked, but it was a ton of work and I had supply issues the first few months and the last few months. Production is based on supply and demand, and a pump is just not as effective as a baby.
With EPing, you have to pump every 2-3 hours around the clock for the first 12 weeks to make it work. You're constantly cleaning pump parts and bottles. And, you have to think about what you do with both kids if you're trying to pump in the middle of it. It's a lot of work, but it *can* work. I seriously thought about EPing for DD because I loved the control with pumping- I knew exactly how much DS got, and DH could feed him too.
That said, with DD, she latched fantastically. She took to it so easily that I haven't pumped a ton. And as much as I thought I would prefer to EP, I don't. I love the fact that I always have a bottle ready. I don't have to worry about pumping. I don't have to clean bottles. I don't have to warm up bottles. When I pack a diaper bag, I put in there diapers, wipes, a burp cloth, and a blanket to cover up. It's lovely.
I always thought bottle fed babies slept longer when they were younger. DD proved that wrong too. She's slept 8 hours/night followed by another 3 hours most nights since she was 2.5 weeks old or so. (While that is rare for any baby, it certainly proves that theory wrong)
At the end of the day, you have to do what is best for you and your family. Breast milk has a ton of benefits for you and for baby. I too thought it would be easier to pump... but having done both, I was wrong. I'd encourage you to try nursing, and if that doesn't work, then pump. Or, if it's not for you, FF. This is a decision between you and your family. But if you do want to BF, do your homework- take a class, bring your DH, and decide if it's something you want to do. GL!
I EP'ed for 13 months w/DD#1. I am BF'ing this time around w/DD#2.
BF'ing is 100x easier. Ep'ing takes double the time in the beginning but eventually you can drop pumps but you will have to plan your day around pumps and take it around with you if you will be gone all day. You also might end up with oversupply. I had a clogged ducts almost every week and mastitis 3x. This time with BF'ing my supply has perfectly regulated to what DD needs.
If you are interested in learning more about EP'ing, I would check out the EP'ing board on iVillage.
I chose to EP for both of my boys and I have no regrets whatsoever. Both DH and I agree that it's the best of both worlds and it's the best decision for our family.
Yes, it can be annoying sometimes but, personally, I'd rather pump for 15 minutes 5 times a day than have a baby attached to me for hours at a time. I love my kids but I also have to be realistic....I work, I have a house to take care of, etc.
Oh, and washing bottles and pump parts takes all of 5-10 minutes a day. I always laugh when I see that as being a downside to pumping!
love is for every her, love is for every him, love is for everyone
It's just like everything else - it works for some, and not for others. It is a lot of work, in the beginning. You have to pump, and then feed a baby, so it's like double the work. However, once you're past that point and if you can keep going, it can be great!
I've been EPing now for over 7 months, and have been lucky. I responded very well to the pump (my son refused to latch), built a great supply (oversupply at one point, which only added to my stash), ended up buying a separate freezer for my stash because I ran out of room in our fridge-freezer, and my son has exclusively gotten BM. I've never had to supplement, never had to take Fenugreek, eat oatmeal, etc. I know how much milk he is drinking, we had an easy daycare transition because he was already used to the bottle, my husband could help with night feedings, family can babysit if needed, and it's easy to go out to dinner, run errands, etc.
Negatives? It was really hard in the beginning. When I was on maternity leave, as soon as I would sit down to pump, he would wake up, or cry, or be hungry, or need changed, etc. It was hard to pump every few hours like I needed to. Also, some people don't respond well to the pump. I never had a single issue. I use an Avent Dual Electric, and love it.
Why not try it?
It's a great thing that you never had issues, I just wanted to warn the OP to keep a very close eye on your supply if you do things this way. Some women get very lucky and never have a problem with supply. Other women discover that their supply is very finicky and responds to every change that is made very quickly. Some women find themselves in holes that are very difficult to get out of. That's not meant to be negative at all. Just realistic. Definitely make the choices that are right for your family, just be aware of the benefits and risks of the choice and have a back up plan.