Exclusively Pumping?

I was thinking about breadtfeeding for the first two months and then Exclusively pumping until one year when I go back to work. Anyone else doing this or have done this? I need some info and how it all works. I was thinking about buying the [name]Medea[/name] pump and using the Playtex pump kit.

Honestly, I have used a pump for extended periods of time to try and build my supply and if you can avoid pumping I would.
It’s the constant cleaning of bottles that made it a pain for me. Especially when you already have so much to do with a baby.
Sure it’s great to have a bottle or two of pumped milk in the freezer so you can get a break every now (eg plan a good nights sleep!) but not much beats the simplicty of avoiding all that cleaning and just breastfeeding as nature intended. You will find feeding is a chance to take some time out, relax and bond with the baby in the busy whirl of new motherhood.
Some woman need to pump as they are returning to work, but if you’re taking time off then I recommend minimise pumping.

I definitely think pumping is worth the effort. The Medela pump is the best! (I have an older Medela Pump in Style) I used it when I was working and it was very efficient. pump once a day when I can to have some freezer storage. My favorite pump (lol - yes, I have two) is the Ameda brand manual pump… it’s perfect for me for my once a day use. If I was working and pumping though, I’d go with an electric one for sure!

I don’t have alot of info because when I was working/pumping, it was not full time. It’s definitely do-able though and many women do it everyday. The pumping kits are great because they come with storage, keep things cool, etc. Talk to your boss or HR department about finding a place to pump. Workplaces (as long as you have more than 10 or so people) are required to provide a place (other than a bathroom) for you to do this and there is no timeframe / cutoff for when they have to stop providing that accomodation.

As always with breastfeeding topics, www.kellymom.com is my favorite site. I’m not completely sure, but I’d be willing to bet that site has a some great reading about pumping/working moms. Also, your local LLL (La Leche League) can provide some support. Finally, some hospitals and LLL’s rent breastpumps (this is sanitary- there are some parts that are removeable and those would be the ones you get to keep things sanitary) and they are often very good quality and efficient. It might be a good option to look into if you don’t wan to buy something right now or until you try it a few months.

I exclusively pumped for about 8 weeks with my first 2 and the Medela Pump in Style is great. I am hoping to stretch it longer with this one but it depends on how much travel I need to do for work. As long as u are prepared it is completely doable. I think it does take a lot if dedication after you go back to work since there are so many distractions, good luck!

I think it’s a completely personal decision, and mine was to mix breastfeeding, pumping, and formula feeding. In my profession, it just wasn’t realistic to think I could pump exclusively, and breastfeeding exclusively was out of the question, so I decided to supplement with formula beginning around 5 months. It worked out fine, and my son continued to breastfeed twice a day until he was a year old.

I think pumping exclusively is doable, depending on your job, but if it’s not, cut yourself some slack and consider supplementing with formula. In my opinion, there is far too much pressure on working moms to breastfeed/pump exclusively.

I work full time (on lunch now :wink: and I BF each of my 2 children for over a year. I pumped at work and fed by breast when I was with them. It worked great. If your child is able to nurse you will probably want to BF him/her when you are together rather than pumping. As another poster said, feeding the baby by breast is very comforting and soothing to the child and a great way for you to bond. It is a good way to calm a baby to sleep at night and ease him/her into the morning upon awakening. Pumping on the other hand, is not all that enjoyable. I would much rather hold my baby than a couple of cups to my chest, but maybe that is just me.

Lynae

I pumped exclusively for 14 months for my daughter. She was unable to breastfeed due to medical issues. It is very tough, I won’t kid you. You have to be very motivated to do it.

If you bf exclusively the first 2 months, once your baby can latch on well and nurse well, try to pump for a couple of feedings a day and give her that milk in a bottle. Your body will get accustomed to pumping some and your baby will need to learn to take a bottle. I wouldn’t do this before your baby is 4 weeks old to really establish your supply. I would do 2 pumpings/bottle feedings a day for a week, then you could increase to 4 pumpings/feedings a day from their.

You’ll find it’s an incredible amount of work to pump and then bottle feed while you are at home. This was my situation with my daughter. I would do it again, but she had very significant needs and the breastmilkj was very important for her.

I’ve since had twin boys ([name]March[/name] 11) and formula fed them. My body simply wasn’t up to that daunting task. I tried for a couple of weeks to pump (they were early and in the NICU) but my body said no. Took me a while to listen to it.

Good luck and do whatever works for you. BF is wonderful (my oldest BF for the first year, but I was home fulll time), but kids do wonderfully on a hybrid of both bf and formula, and also do great on just formula. [name]Do[/name] what works for you and your precious baby!
[name]Sallie[/name]

I would also second the suggestions of www.kellymom.com. It is great!

If it were me, I’d plan to nurse in the morning before leaving for work/daycare, pump 2 or 3 x at work, then nurse at dinnertime and again at bedtime. I had to pump 7 times (my max I could handle) for many months before I cut back to 6. It was really really hard.

Being able to nurse 3 times with your daughter will be such a wonderful close time for you both. Enjoy it!

I just don’t want nipple confusion if I do pump and nurse. I also want my husband to enjoy the feeding time, as well. So I am stuck in the middle of both sides.

Nipple confusion is not considered much of an issue past 6 weeks. Most babies are perfectly capable of going back and forth between the breast and bottle. As for your husband enjoying the feedings - I’d also love for my husband to know what it’s like to carry a child, but that’s not what nature intended. Sometimes we have to put the baby’s best interest before our own desires. [name]Even[/name] though breast milk from a bottle is 1,000 times better than formula, it’s still not as good as milk straight from the breast. If you have the opportunity and ability to nurse without pumping, you should do it. Your husband will have many other opportunities to bond with the baby.

I didn’t breastfeed so I don’t have much to add to this conversation but I do want to say if you do end up formula feeding at all, look into the brand [name]Baby[/name]'s Only by Nature’s [name]One[/name]. It is organic and the only formula on the market with absolutely no corn syrup or corn by products. Sorry if I sound like a paid spokesperson or something, I just like to spread the word. :smiley: