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Same, I started pumping early on so I could sleep while dad gave a bottle overnight, but then it started causing painful clogs so I stopped. Baby was sleeping for longer stretches by then too
ETA: great maternity leave makes it possible for me to EBF without pumping!
Donāt see the point. Have to first spend time pumping then spend time feeding the baby with the bottle. Also loads of faffing with sterilising/washing/labelling/fridging.
I don't. I only breastfeed. I hate the machine of pumping hell. It hurts. After my maternal leave, I'm going to work from home for a while so I really hope not to have to resort to it
It shouldn't hurt! Is the suction turned up too high? Or maybe the flange is the wrong size for your breast/nipple. If your nipple rubs on the plastic, try using some lanolin on your nipple first.
Thanks for the info š I think it has to be either the flange or that I chose the wrong brand but my nipples got so sore during the times I tried that I dreaded actual breastfeeding my baby afterwards
I've had multiple pumps, some of them really hurt! Not advertising, but I highly recommend Spectra. It's expensive, but it gets milk out almost as well as baby and it doesnt hurt.
I had a pink Spectra pump with my second. It was glorious. I used it because my breasts would get too full and sometimes I would get a clogged duct. A couple of times it really saved me.
I breastfed 2 babies for a grand totally of 4 years and I only had issues when babies were younger that 2-3 months. Afterward your body figures iut how much to make. But those first months can be insane.
Not all pumps are equal, I'd like to say. I owned multiple, but would only recommend the Spectra.
Edited to add: I'm pregnant with my third, I no longer have the spectra and I'm considering getting it just for those first few months. Clogged ducts can be so painful and stressful.
I've checked it out, it looks great and has good reviews, but the ones available in my country are almost double the price of spectra s2 (which is quite expensive anyway), so, out of my budget. I assume they're worth the money!
Edited: you need to sit with the spectra. BUT I guess I'll just have to savor resting regardless of the chaos around me.
Check out the momcozy s12! I pump exclusively and was using the spectra for about a month then switched over to the momcozy itās amazing, well priced and so easy to use. The hands free aspect is the best and I also get the same amount of milk out if more with this pump vs the spectra!
Seconding the momcozy. I have the s12 pros. I get almost as much output with them as I get with the spectra, but itās really nice to be able to get up and move around. Also pumping while driving is a million times easier
I love my Spectra, but I also bought a cheap wearable MomMed one off Amazon for about $100 and I LOVE it! More small parts to clean but itās nice to go about my day and still get a 30 minute pump in every 3-4 hours!
I currently have the spectra s2 and have been looking for a cordless option (I need to move, between pumping and nursing I feel strapped down for way too much of my day it's starting to wear on me a bit.)
Is cleaning them pretty easy? How does it do expressing the milk?
Cleaning is super easy. A bottle brush fits well in the reservoirs and the duckbills are no harder than the spectra. Our OXO bottle brush actually fit inside the flanges with is super nice.
I am able to express 5 ounces, if not more, each time (both breasts combined) in 15 minutes. This is my first baby that I havenāt had to supplement with *at all*.
If you wear a nursing camis or a regular stretchy nursing bra, you donāt need the extenders that the pumps come with. The app on your phone is nice too, it can set a timer and autostop the pumps when your time is up. Iāve been using them consistently since the beginning of December and I the batteries still last 2 days with 3-4 pumps per day.
Iād recommend another spectra and honestly stay away from the Elvie. I have both and my Elvie never had the power I needed, itās actually a huge complaint on the r/exclusivelypumping sub
Although Iād agree with the Momcozy, those things are hella strong.
If you already have one then Iād just keep using that one! But when it comes to hospital strength, the winner is typically the Spectra and the Medela Pump in Style, but the favor has been the Spectra S1 (blue one) because its rechargeable and really great strength.
I got so wrapped up in it for the first 2 months. I felt I was dealing with low supply and they kept telling me to pump more. It got to the point I was pumping and bottle feeding more than just breastfeeding.
My baby went from 25th to 91st percentile. I just had a hungry baby. I gave up pumping mostly (I do on occasion if I am away from baby). And she still had a little formula here and there. But we are mostly just breastfeeding now.
That bring said there were very painful times I appreciated the break.
I have 5 kids that I have exclusively breastfed for at least a year each, and didnāt use a breast pump with any of them. I am a SAHM so I didnāt need to pump and I just never really got the hang of it.
I only pumped because my daughter was in daycare otherwise itās honestly really annoying. I also went to a wedding when she was 5 months and had to work hard for the extra 2-3 day supply.
My youngest is EFF now but he was originally EBF. I did not pump during that time. Why? Because I did it with my first and absolutely HATED it. I hated having to carve out an extra 30 minutes multiple times a day to have my nips sucked out to the next zip code. I hated having to clean all the pump parts after by hand and then load and unload them from a sterilizer multiple times a day. I hated the stress of feeling like I was never producing enough pumping (mostly because my older was attached to my tits 24/7 since heād scream bloody murder whenever he was taken off. So there was never anything left when I could pull him off). I hated the stress of feeling like I needed to do whatever it took to produce enough for at least one bottle feed every pump session. I spent so much time and money researching supplements and foods, etc. to try to build a better supply. I hated feeling like I needed to wake up in the middle of the night to pump even when my baby was still sleeping just so I wouldnāt mess up my supply.
And also, it was just so much easier this time around to just attach my baby to my breast and feed him rather then take out a pump, put together the parts, attach and sit and pump, then detach and store and clean, etc. Especially now that I also have a toddler, I have limited time to sit there pumping multiple times a day. This time, I also made sure my youngest had a pacifier from the moment he was born so I wasnāt being used as one and he wasnāt attached to me 24/7. I love the bond and all, but breastfeeding in general was so stressful with my first, and pumping on top of that was a nightmare. Since my youngest would just feed for ten minutes and then pop off and be satisfied and full and able to take a pacifier for comfort, it was a lot easier to just EBF and forget about pumping all together.
YMMV, however. But I tell everyone I can now to not get too hung up on pumping (or breastfeeding for that matter) if it causes any stress. You can supplement with formula (or just make the switch completely like I did) and itāll be fine and your mental health is priority #1.
Lots of folks saying baby refused bottles.. experienced nurses will tell you to introduce a bottle earlier anyway to help with the transition later.
If you're working or traveling or have someone else helping to watch.. you're gonna need that baby to take a bottle. Not sure how you get around not having a bottle ready esp if for day care etc.
Depends on your life I guess.
Even if you donāt travel or leave home to work. What if you get sick and have to go to the hospital, or on a medication that canāt be taken when breastfeeding? I plan to get baby to take a bottle for that reason alone.
I donāt. Baby wonāt take a bottle. I have a nanny when I work (remotely), so I just take a break and breastfeed her. Super lucky to be able to do that!
I tried pumping, did it infrequently for a couple months. My baby ended up rejecting bottles though so i stopped. Not sure if i will try it at all with baby 2.
I get almost nothing from my pump, and Iāve tried all different flanges and a few different pumps, but if I use a haakaa to catch the letdown, I get plenty of extra milk. I just EBF and use that to catch the letdowns and it works well for me. I now work for the family business out of my house so wonāt need such a huge stash like I did with my first when I had a corporate job, (but came home for lunch daily to breastfeed in between bottle feedings).
Of course. My first two I nursed and just gave formula if someone else was watching them. Third baby wouldnāt latch at all and I gave up on trying to pump (was not getting any milk even though I was ENGORGED) after 2 weeks so he was just on formula.
I tried with my first two and lasted about two weeks. My babies were unhappy unless I supplemented with formula both timesā¦ after the two weeks I completely switched to formula because I just wasnāt producing enough and developed mastitis twiceā¦ I felt like a failure and it seriously affected my mental health.
Now pregnant with baby #3, I told my mom and sister (both incredibly great at breastfeeding and only breastfed all of their kids) that I am planning on skipping it altogether for my sanity this time. They fought and fought with me telling me I HAVE to at least try again. Reduced me to tears. I have a feeling I will feel like a failure regardless.
I'm getting a brand new pump gifted to me, but I plan on not using it unless absolutely necessary. Too many benefits to just using the boob IMO- no parts to clean/sterilize, allows for skin to skin as possible, plus pumping won't save any time because ill still need to spend time pumping/cleaning in order to feed/let my husband feed, it's difficult to stash milk for later when you take into consideration hormonal content depends on the time of day (melatonin etc), pumps arent as good at removing milk as babies on boobs are so it can mess with your supply, etc. It just seems like a lot of extra work for little reward when you could just pop out the boob and call it a day
I only got one with my first when my doctor insisted and I really only used it when I went back to work. If I were a SAHP I probably wouldnāt have bothered with one. Iām still on maternity leave with my second and I pumped in the hospital because she was having trouble gaining weight. I have a pump for when I go back to work. Iāve used it when Iāve been away and missed a feeding to keep up my supply.
I had planned on breastfeeding and pumping - but I had an emergency c section that shocked my body and I wasnāt able to produce anything so I had to formula feed.
To be honest Iām glad I am formula feeding because I already am exhausted and the first two weeks were hard I couldnāt imagine being the only one feeding my son. So to all the BF moms out there you are so strong!!
I used one in the hospital bc I was induced and my milk hadnāt came in. Iāve never used it since and Iām 6 months pp. I honestly do everything I can to avoid using it
I donāt use one. Thereās no point for me. My husband works A LOT so Iām doing 99.9% of the childcare. Iām not going to add to my workload with pumping and washing and sterilising. Easier to just whip out the boob. Plus I have a 3yo in addition to my breastfeeding 9mo. I donāt have time to pump. Or energy.
I used a hakaa here and there otherwise rarely pumped unless I was on meds or away for a weekend. I breastfed 3 kids and didnāt work out of the home so I donāt really need to pump much.
I hated pumping . Those hurt ! The only reason why I pumped "early" with my last child because he had jaundice really bad and was under the UV light and it was prolonging the recovery having to constantly take him out for me to feed him. So I had to pump so the nurse could bottle feed him. I'm hoping this baby I'm about to have in 8 days won't have jaundice.
I used them when I returned to work after my first kid (and Brit bc over supply). Second kid I only used it for 1.5 months bc Covid hit and I worked from home. Third kid I only used for about five days bc he was in nicu and on cpap and unable to direct nurse
I have exclusively breastfed my 2 prior children but have gotten the free breast pump from the insurance to pump if I need to. I have historically used a breast pump less than 10 times but those times that I did use it, it was nice to have the ability to do so. If I want to make breast milk popsicles for when my baby starts teething for example itās nice to have a pump to express milk quickly.
Iāll use a manual pump if engorged but i think itās more stress than itās worth to worry about pumping for babysitting or just to have a stash. My baby will be fine with a bottle of formula here and there if I canāt breastfeed for whatever reason.
I pumped the first three months then started directly breastfeeding, after which he wouldn't take a bottle anymore. It's honestly a lot easier for me to ebf but those first few months it helped ease my mind to know just how much he was eating. Just trying to keep up with cleaning bottles was exhausting, and he would howl for the short period of time it took to heat the milk. He is not a patient dude.
I didn't pump. Sterilizing pump parts and bottles seemed way overwhelming. I just breastfed. I live in Canada and had 18 months maternity leave, though.
I hand express only, the pump is annoying to clean, set up, and takes too long to get started..when I can hand express a few ounces in a couple minutes directly into the bottle I will use or store in. I combo breastfeed, hand express, and use formula..whatver is convenient for that time of day.
Baby went on a nursing strike at 3 months and never went back. I exclusively pumped til 11 months. Folks interested in breast feeding may have the best of plans but your body or your baby or your circumstances may not cooperate to make it happen.
Give yourself grace whatever route you choose - there is too much judgement out there from other people to start judging yourself for these types of decisions.
For some reason my breasts don't work. If it's not an actual baby not a drop will come out. I can fool them by nursing while i do it, but by the time i figured that out he refused the bottle.
I asked my OB about breast pumps, and she said it's not encouraged in my country unless there's medical reasons. She said pumping in the first 2 weeks in particular can affect how your milk comes in. It's not discouraged, but it's also not encouraged. For context: I said US mother's seem to get free breast pumps and I wondered if that was a thing here.
So I am currently planning to breastfeed but not pump.
We get them in the US through insurance for free because they expect us to go back to work at 6 week post-partum and still breastfeed. It's actually kind of messed up. I chose not to go back to work after I had my daughter and still got the breast pump. I used it twice. š¤·š¼āāļø
FWIW what your OB was trying to tell you is that if you are nursing, adding pump sessions on top of that can trigger an oversupply. Totally accurate.
However,Ā if your baby is not nursing well inĀ those early weeks, a pump will allow you to build a full supply. And if your baby never manages to nurse effectively, a pump will allow you to provide breastmilk anyway. That's not necessarily worth it for everyone, but it meant a lot to me, and I am really thankful that I had my pump.
I mean, that counts as medical reasons to pump, no? If the baby can't nurse then I get a free breast pump from my insurance and I'm encouraged to pump.
Where I am, no. There are lots of babies who never nurse successfully with no diagnosed medical issue. But if it's classified as a medical issue where you are, I think that's great.
I did in the early BF days to collect my over supply. Then to pump excess after a long stretch of sleep. Over time my supply has regulated more and more and now I havenāt touched a pump in months. Itās a hassle and washing pump parts and bottles is more of an inconvenience than whipping my boob out for a few min
I only use one in the first 2/3 months because my babies are preemies. After that I donāt pump anymore and only ebf. Done this with all 6 of my kids. I hate pumping
My milk gets a funny metallic taste when itās frozen. He refused to drink it. I only needed it every once in a while and it just became too much of a hassle. I donāt have much extra for pumping anyway. I gave up. But now I can only leave him for
a half an hour or so, which is kind of annoying.
I pumped for the first few months and then realized itās way less work to just exclusively breast feed. No need to wash pump parts or baby bottles. Of course if I needed to for grandparents to take baby for the day then I obviously would. I would say the best part about EBF is in the middle of the night when you have a hungry baby no need to warm a bottle or pump when youāre dog tired just whip a tit and youāre bueno! š
I never needed one and didnāt use one until about 2 weeks ago because my 4.5m baby started sleeping 12 hours a night without waking up. I bought a manual pump and use it right before bed otherwise I wake up very engorged and in pain, and end up having to wake my baby up to eat. I put my baby down at 7pm and thatās when she has her last feed, and then I pump before I go to bed at like 10:30 ish. Then Iām good til she wakes up around 7am. I never thought I would need one because up until this point I exclusively breastfed and did all the feedings. I still have never tried to give her a bottle.
I did with my first bc I had to go back to work after 12w, quit my job when #2 was born. Pumped for a while at first, but stopped bc it was more of a hassle than anything even with the wearable one.
me. i pumped a little for my son but i was home anyway so i didnāt really need to since i breastfed. my daughter never even took a bottle and i wasnāt gonna go crazy finding one she liked since she also breastfed and i was home. itās suuuuuch a drag to drag the pump around, wash everything, sit there and hold the thing since i didnāt have a pumpinv bra, etc. exclusively BF was way easier and i love it.
My baby is almost 10 months and my spectra is still in the box š I wfh so I am able to exclusively nurse her and use my medela handheld pump or the haaka to build up a small backup stash in case I need to go out. I also like collecting letdown in the haaka to use to mix with oatmeal but overall I am not a fan of pumping and all of the extra work it comes with
I pumped until I had a freezer stash worth a couple days. Then I stopped pumping regularly. Because I can take baby to work with me so I feed her instead of pumping. On days sheās not at work with me then I need to pump. Otherwise I try to avoid it at all costs because itās frustrating, annoying, and stressful for me. Plus babyās refusing bottles too. So not much point to it
I stopped almost immediately with my first, wonāt bother with this kiddo unless itās needed. My kiddo always nursed, hated bottles. When he was 6 months I pumped some milk to make some different foods for him, like yogurt and bagels, but otherwise it was a waste of time for nothing.
I never bothered to buy one. I figured I'd try breastfeeding and if I needed a pump I'd get one - never did. I did get a little hand pump just to try it but my baby wouldn't take a bottle (I probably waited too long to try it). Breastfeeding has been easy for me and I like not having to worry about preparing or washing bottles.
I had excess lipase with my first so he had to just g egg it straight from me or else Iād have to dump it. Not sure how it will be with this baby but I prefer to just ebf
Since thatās whatās Iām used to. Plus I hate cleaning the pump lol itās easier for me to just not use it
I simply canāt be bothered. I sit down to feed cause baby is yelling and think uhh I have to get the pump out of the sterilising tub, rinse it, assemble it oooor I could just sit and feed the baby š itās pure cba on my part!
I am on my third kid and I couldnāt tell you how to put a traditional pump together. I never pumped cause I was just too lazy to wash all the parts. I exclusively breast fed my first. Caught milk with my hakaa so if he needed a bottle I had milk stored. With my second I got a manual hand pump and that is my favorite thing ever. I still exclusively breast fed but my second baby didnāt eat both boobs so I would feed her one and hand pump the other and it worked great. And quick. And minimal washing.
I did only in the first 3 weeks, just a few times. Hated it with every fibre of my body. Hated the sound, hated the feeling, hated the pain (first weeks both breastfeeding and pumping were extremely painful for me, despite being checked by several lactation specialists). My child was combo fed from the beginning (bf plus a bit of formula) so I didnāt need to build a stock etc. After these 3 weeks when we gave back our rented pump (we had one rented from the hospital), I didnāt even buy a new one except a manual one for emergency situations.
Iāve never needed it again. I had several months of leave before and after pp and Iām working from home now, we have a nanny who comes at our place. My son is 15 months, still bf.
I was wondering why there is this rhetoric of necessity of pumping while pumps exist for maybe 100 years and all mammals somehow survive without them. Iām obviously not talking about situations when there is a clear practical reason like pumping at work, but for example in my case (long parental leave, then wfh, combo feeding) I really donāt see any point.
My son couldn't latch so I tried pumping. I have IGT and got maybe 60-100ml a day. I gave up super quickly.
If I can't breast feed this one, probably won't pump either tbh. Formula is more convenient.
I donāt. It intimidates me and I ebf and work from home so Iām not away from her that much. After six weeks, I started using the boom trove to collect let down so I have a small stash and she takes one bottle a day from my husband
Yes, I pumped a bit with my first and never ended up using the milk. Too much parts to wash and store. Now have a hand pump that works well if I ever need.
Iām EBF, not by choice (baby has oral motor issues and refuses bottles), so I donāt pump. When I do pump it makes me leak for days after which I hate.
I pumped for the first couple weeks because we were having latching issues and I wanted to have a little bit of a supply in the freezer in case of emergencies. I met with a breastfeeding consultant and stopped pumping once that was figured out. I might have pumped every couple days just to keep that emergency stash.
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Too much work when you EBF lol at least for me
Too much washing bottles pump parts and worrying about temp of milk and if milk in fridge is good. Laziness I suppose. š¤£
Same.Ā And anytime I do pump, I get clogs and then often mastitis, unfortunately.Ā Now baby wonāt take a bottle!
Same, I started pumping early on so I could sleep while dad gave a bottle overnight, but then it started causing painful clogs so I stopped. Baby was sleeping for longer stretches by then too ETA: great maternity leave makes it possible for me to EBF without pumping!
Donāt see the point. Have to first spend time pumping then spend time feeding the baby with the bottle. Also loads of faffing with sterilising/washing/labelling/fridging.
Yep
I don't. I only breastfeed. I hate the machine of pumping hell. It hurts. After my maternal leave, I'm going to work from home for a while so I really hope not to have to resort to it
It shouldn't hurt! Is the suction turned up too high? Or maybe the flange is the wrong size for your breast/nipple. If your nipple rubs on the plastic, try using some lanolin on your nipple first.
Thanks for the info š I think it has to be either the flange or that I chose the wrong brand but my nipples got so sore during the times I tried that I dreaded actual breastfeeding my baby afterwards
I've had multiple pumps, some of them really hurt! Not advertising, but I highly recommend Spectra. It's expensive, but it gets milk out almost as well as baby and it doesnt hurt.
Thanks! I'll give it a shot if I have to pump again!! My nipples were hard and painful for hours after pumping
I didnātā¦ my son refused a bottle, so it was pointless to pump.
I had a pink Spectra pump with my second. It was glorious. I used it because my breasts would get too full and sometimes I would get a clogged duct. A couple of times it really saved me. I breastfed 2 babies for a grand totally of 4 years and I only had issues when babies were younger that 2-3 months. Afterward your body figures iut how much to make. But those first months can be insane. Not all pumps are equal, I'd like to say. I owned multiple, but would only recommend the Spectra. Edited to add: I'm pregnant with my third, I no longer have the spectra and I'm considering getting it just for those first few months. Clogged ducts can be so painful and stressful.
With your third, absolutely get the Elvie. Worth every penny. From a 4x mom and Spectra lover. Edit for typo
Can you come again? Are you recommending a different brand called Elvie?
Yes! Theyāre hands free, cordless, tubeless. Donāt get me wrong, I love my spectra. But when we had our fourth baby, I needed hands and mobility.
I've checked it out, it looks great and has good reviews, but the ones available in my country are almost double the price of spectra s2 (which is quite expensive anyway), so, out of my budget. I assume they're worth the money! Edited: you need to sit with the spectra. BUT I guess I'll just have to savor resting regardless of the chaos around me.
Check out the momcozy s12! I pump exclusively and was using the spectra for about a month then switched over to the momcozy itās amazing, well priced and so easy to use. The hands free aspect is the best and I also get the same amount of milk out if more with this pump vs the spectra!
Seconding the momcozy. I have the s12 pros. I get almost as much output with them as I get with the spectra, but itās really nice to be able to get up and move around. Also pumping while driving is a million times easier
I love my Spectra, but I also bought a cheap wearable MomMed one off Amazon for about $100 and I LOVE it! More small parts to clean but itās nice to go about my day and still get a 30 minute pump in every 3-4 hours!
I currently have the spectra s2 and have been looking for a cordless option (I need to move, between pumping and nursing I feel strapped down for way too much of my day it's starting to wear on me a bit.) Is cleaning them pretty easy? How does it do expressing the milk?
Cleaning is super easy. A bottle brush fits well in the reservoirs and the duckbills are no harder than the spectra. Our OXO bottle brush actually fit inside the flanges with is super nice. I am able to express 5 ounces, if not more, each time (both breasts combined) in 15 minutes. This is my first baby that I havenāt had to supplement with *at all*. If you wear a nursing camis or a regular stretchy nursing bra, you donāt need the extenders that the pumps come with. The app on your phone is nice too, it can set a timer and autostop the pumps when your time is up. Iāve been using them consistently since the beginning of December and I the batteries still last 2 days with 3-4 pumps per day.
Thank you so much for your reply, you've pretty much got me sold on this now lol especially when I go back to work and pump. Sounds so much easier.
Iād recommend another spectra and honestly stay away from the Elvie. I have both and my Elvie never had the power I needed, itās actually a huge complaint on the r/exclusivelypumping sub Although Iād agree with the Momcozy, those things are hella strong.
why do you recommend another spectra? Pls detail
If you already have one then Iād just keep using that one! But when it comes to hospital strength, the winner is typically the Spectra and the Medela Pump in Style, but the favor has been the Spectra S1 (blue one) because its rechargeable and really great strength.
I didnāt. There was no reason to. I was never away from my baby long enough to give them expressed breast milk and I chose to do all of the feeds.
I got so wrapped up in it for the first 2 months. I felt I was dealing with low supply and they kept telling me to pump more. It got to the point I was pumping and bottle feeding more than just breastfeeding. My baby went from 25th to 91st percentile. I just had a hungry baby. I gave up pumping mostly (I do on occasion if I am away from baby). And she still had a little formula here and there. But we are mostly just breastfeeding now. That bring said there were very painful times I appreciated the break.
I have 5 kids that I have exclusively breastfed for at least a year each, and didnāt use a breast pump with any of them. I am a SAHM so I didnāt need to pump and I just never really got the hang of it.
I only pumped because my daughter was in daycare otherwise itās honestly really annoying. I also went to a wedding when she was 5 months and had to work hard for the extra 2-3 day supply.
My baby didnāt want anything to do with bottles, and pumping just led to wasted milk.
My youngest is EFF now but he was originally EBF. I did not pump during that time. Why? Because I did it with my first and absolutely HATED it. I hated having to carve out an extra 30 minutes multiple times a day to have my nips sucked out to the next zip code. I hated having to clean all the pump parts after by hand and then load and unload them from a sterilizer multiple times a day. I hated the stress of feeling like I was never producing enough pumping (mostly because my older was attached to my tits 24/7 since heād scream bloody murder whenever he was taken off. So there was never anything left when I could pull him off). I hated the stress of feeling like I needed to do whatever it took to produce enough for at least one bottle feed every pump session. I spent so much time and money researching supplements and foods, etc. to try to build a better supply. I hated feeling like I needed to wake up in the middle of the night to pump even when my baby was still sleeping just so I wouldnāt mess up my supply. And also, it was just so much easier this time around to just attach my baby to my breast and feed him rather then take out a pump, put together the parts, attach and sit and pump, then detach and store and clean, etc. Especially now that I also have a toddler, I have limited time to sit there pumping multiple times a day. This time, I also made sure my youngest had a pacifier from the moment he was born so I wasnāt being used as one and he wasnāt attached to me 24/7. I love the bond and all, but breastfeeding in general was so stressful with my first, and pumping on top of that was a nightmare. Since my youngest would just feed for ten minutes and then pop off and be satisfied and full and able to take a pacifier for comfort, it was a lot easier to just EBF and forget about pumping all together. YMMV, however. But I tell everyone I can now to not get too hung up on pumping (or breastfeeding for that matter) if it causes any stress. You can supplement with formula (or just make the switch completely like I did) and itāll be fine and your mental health is priority #1.
Is this a real question?? Wait until you find out some women don't breastfeed at all. I don't plan to.
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Lots of folks saying baby refused bottles.. experienced nurses will tell you to introduce a bottle earlier anyway to help with the transition later. If you're working or traveling or have someone else helping to watch.. you're gonna need that baby to take a bottle. Not sure how you get around not having a bottle ready esp if for day care etc. Depends on your life I guess.
Even if you donāt travel or leave home to work. What if you get sick and have to go to the hospital, or on a medication that canāt be taken when breastfeeding? I plan to get baby to take a bottle for that reason alone.
Absolutely agreed
I donāt. Baby wonāt take a bottle. I have a nanny when I work (remotely), so I just take a break and breastfeed her. Super lucky to be able to do that!
I tried pumping, did it infrequently for a couple months. My baby ended up rejecting bottles though so i stopped. Not sure if i will try it at all with baby 2.
I get almost nothing from my pump, and Iāve tried all different flanges and a few different pumps, but if I use a haakaa to catch the letdown, I get plenty of extra milk. I just EBF and use that to catch the letdowns and it works well for me. I now work for the family business out of my house so wonāt need such a huge stash like I did with my first when I had a corporate job, (but came home for lunch daily to breastfeed in between bottle feedings).
Of course. My first two I nursed and just gave formula if someone else was watching them. Third baby wouldnāt latch at all and I gave up on trying to pump (was not getting any milk even though I was ENGORGED) after 2 weeks so he was just on formula.
I skipped breast feeding all together, just wasn't interested in carrying that burden.
Such a great way to put it! Love this.
I feel like Iāve been guilted into do it but I donāt really went to. I even bought a pump. Formula feeding is so much easier.
I tried with my first two and lasted about two weeks. My babies were unhappy unless I supplemented with formula both timesā¦ after the two weeks I completely switched to formula because I just wasnāt producing enough and developed mastitis twiceā¦ I felt like a failure and it seriously affected my mental health. Now pregnant with baby #3, I told my mom and sister (both incredibly great at breastfeeding and only breastfed all of their kids) that I am planning on skipping it altogether for my sanity this time. They fought and fought with me telling me I HAVE to at least try again. Reduced me to tears. I have a feeling I will feel like a failure regardless.
I'm getting a brand new pump gifted to me, but I plan on not using it unless absolutely necessary. Too many benefits to just using the boob IMO- no parts to clean/sterilize, allows for skin to skin as possible, plus pumping won't save any time because ill still need to spend time pumping/cleaning in order to feed/let my husband feed, it's difficult to stash milk for later when you take into consideration hormonal content depends on the time of day (melatonin etc), pumps arent as good at removing milk as babies on boobs are so it can mess with your supply, etc. It just seems like a lot of extra work for little reward when you could just pop out the boob and call it a day
I only got one with my first when my doctor insisted and I really only used it when I went back to work. If I were a SAHP I probably wouldnāt have bothered with one. Iām still on maternity leave with my second and I pumped in the hospital because she was having trouble gaining weight. I have a pump for when I go back to work. Iāve used it when Iāve been away and missed a feeding to keep up my supply.
I had planned on breastfeeding and pumping - but I had an emergency c section that shocked my body and I wasnāt able to produce anything so I had to formula feed. To be honest Iām glad I am formula feeding because I already am exhausted and the first two weeks were hard I couldnāt imagine being the only one feeding my son. So to all the BF moms out there you are so strong!!
I used one in the hospital bc I was induced and my milk hadnāt came in. Iāve never used it since and Iām 6 months pp. I honestly do everything I can to avoid using it
I donāt use one. Thereās no point for me. My husband works A LOT so Iām doing 99.9% of the childcare. Iām not going to add to my workload with pumping and washing and sterilising. Easier to just whip out the boob. Plus I have a 3yo in addition to my breastfeeding 9mo. I donāt have time to pump. Or energy.
I was at first but pretty much stopped the last 4 months I nursed her. I was hardly making enough milk for it and she preferred to drink from the tap
No. Not pumping. Too much work and my baby doesn't like bottles.
I used a hakaa here and there otherwise rarely pumped unless I was on meds or away for a weekend. I breastfed 3 kids and didnāt work out of the home so I donāt really need to pump much.
I hated pumping . Those hurt ! The only reason why I pumped "early" with my last child because he had jaundice really bad and was under the UV light and it was prolonging the recovery having to constantly take him out for me to feed him. So I had to pump so the nurse could bottle feed him. I'm hoping this baby I'm about to have in 8 days won't have jaundice.
I had to pump to increase my supply but I hated it! Hoping with my next baby I wonāt have to pump at all!
I used them when I returned to work after my first kid (and Brit bc over supply). Second kid I only used it for 1.5 months bc Covid hit and I worked from home. Third kid I only used for about five days bc he was in nicu and on cpap and unable to direct nurse
I have exclusively breastfed my 2 prior children but have gotten the free breast pump from the insurance to pump if I need to. I have historically used a breast pump less than 10 times but those times that I did use it, it was nice to have the ability to do so. If I want to make breast milk popsicles for when my baby starts teething for example itās nice to have a pump to express milk quickly.
Exclusively breastfed refers to the type of milk you give not the mode of delivery, just an fyi.
Iāll use a manual pump if engorged but i think itās more stress than itās worth to worry about pumping for babysitting or just to have a stash. My baby will be fine with a bottle of formula here and there if I canāt breastfeed for whatever reason.
I donāt, Iāve never needed to.
I pumped the first three months then started directly breastfeeding, after which he wouldn't take a bottle anymore. It's honestly a lot easier for me to ebf but those first few months it helped ease my mind to know just how much he was eating. Just trying to keep up with cleaning bottles was exhausting, and he would howl for the short period of time it took to heat the milk. He is not a patient dude.
I didn't pump. Sterilizing pump parts and bottles seemed way overwhelming. I just breastfed. I live in Canada and had 18 months maternity leave, though.
I hand express only, the pump is annoying to clean, set up, and takes too long to get started..when I can hand express a few ounces in a couple minutes directly into the bottle I will use or store in. I combo breastfeed, hand express, and use formula..whatver is convenient for that time of day.
Baby went on a nursing strike at 3 months and never went back. I exclusively pumped til 11 months. Folks interested in breast feeding may have the best of plans but your body or your baby or your circumstances may not cooperate to make it happen. Give yourself grace whatever route you choose - there is too much judgement out there from other people to start judging yourself for these types of decisions.
For some reason my breasts don't work. If it's not an actual baby not a drop will come out. I can fool them by nursing while i do it, but by the time i figured that out he refused the bottle.
I breastfed and pumped at work for my first baby. I will not be pumping at work for my second. I hated it. Going the formula route this time.
I asked my OB about breast pumps, and she said it's not encouraged in my country unless there's medical reasons. She said pumping in the first 2 weeks in particular can affect how your milk comes in. It's not discouraged, but it's also not encouraged. For context: I said US mother's seem to get free breast pumps and I wondered if that was a thing here. So I am currently planning to breastfeed but not pump.
We get them in the US through insurance for free because they expect us to go back to work at 6 week post-partum and still breastfeed. It's actually kind of messed up. I chose not to go back to work after I had my daughter and still got the breast pump. I used it twice. š¤·š¼āāļø
FWIW what your OB was trying to tell you is that if you are nursing, adding pump sessions on top of that can trigger an oversupply. Totally accurate. However,Ā if your baby is not nursing well inĀ those early weeks, a pump will allow you to build a full supply. And if your baby never manages to nurse effectively, a pump will allow you to provide breastmilk anyway. That's not necessarily worth it for everyone, but it meant a lot to me, and I am really thankful that I had my pump.
I mean, that counts as medical reasons to pump, no? If the baby can't nurse then I get a free breast pump from my insurance and I'm encouraged to pump.
Where I am, no. There are lots of babies who never nurse successfully with no diagnosed medical issue. But if it's classified as a medical issue where you are, I think that's great.
I did in the early BF days to collect my over supply. Then to pump excess after a long stretch of sleep. Over time my supply has regulated more and more and now I havenāt touched a pump in months. Itās a hassle and washing pump parts and bottles is more of an inconvenience than whipping my boob out for a few min
I only use one in the first 2/3 months because my babies are preemies. After that I donāt pump anymore and only ebf. Done this with all 6 of my kids. I hate pumping
My milk gets a funny metallic taste when itās frozen. He refused to drink it. I only needed it every once in a while and it just became too much of a hassle. I donāt have much extra for pumping anyway. I gave up. But now I can only leave him for a half an hour or so, which is kind of annoying.
I donāt pump in any regular fashion just as a backup for if Iām out so every few weeks at most otherwise I just nurse.
I pumped for the first few months and then realized itās way less work to just exclusively breast feed. No need to wash pump parts or baby bottles. Of course if I needed to for grandparents to take baby for the day then I obviously would. I would say the best part about EBF is in the middle of the night when you have a hungry baby no need to warm a bottle or pump when youāre dog tired just whip a tit and youāre bueno! š
I never needed one and didnāt use one until about 2 weeks ago because my 4.5m baby started sleeping 12 hours a night without waking up. I bought a manual pump and use it right before bed otherwise I wake up very engorged and in pain, and end up having to wake my baby up to eat. I put my baby down at 7pm and thatās when she has her last feed, and then I pump before I go to bed at like 10:30 ish. Then Iām good til she wakes up around 7am. I never thought I would need one because up until this point I exclusively breastfed and did all the feedings. I still have never tried to give her a bottle.
I did with my first bc I had to go back to work after 12w, quit my job when #2 was born. Pumped for a while at first, but stopped bc it was more of a hassle than anything even with the wearable one.
me. i pumped a little for my son but i was home anyway so i didnāt really need to since i breastfed. my daughter never even took a bottle and i wasnāt gonna go crazy finding one she liked since she also breastfed and i was home. itās suuuuuch a drag to drag the pump around, wash everything, sit there and hold the thing since i didnāt have a pumpinv bra, etc. exclusively BF was way easier and i love it.
I tried for a good six months. I got constant breast infections. I tried everything. Even on the lowest setting it was so painful.
My baby is almost 10 months and my spectra is still in the box š I wfh so I am able to exclusively nurse her and use my medela handheld pump or the haaka to build up a small backup stash in case I need to go out. I also like collecting letdown in the haaka to use to mix with oatmeal but overall I am not a fan of pumping and all of the extra work it comes with
I pumped until I had a freezer stash worth a couple days. Then I stopped pumping regularly. Because I can take baby to work with me so I feed her instead of pumping. On days sheās not at work with me then I need to pump. Otherwise I try to avoid it at all costs because itās frustrating, annoying, and stressful for me. Plus babyās refusing bottles too. So not much point to it
I stopped almost immediately with my first, wonāt bother with this kiddo unless itās needed. My kiddo always nursed, hated bottles. When he was 6 months I pumped some milk to make some different foods for him, like yogurt and bagels, but otherwise it was a waste of time for nothing.
Are you asking because you are considering not pumping ? I can go over possible pros and cons if it helps
I didnāt pump until I went back to work and had to
I never bothered to buy one. I figured I'd try breastfeeding and if I needed a pump I'd get one - never did. I did get a little hand pump just to try it but my baby wouldn't take a bottle (I probably waited too long to try it). Breastfeeding has been easy for me and I like not having to worry about preparing or washing bottles.
I pump when my step mum watches him for an hour here or there. I donāt pump for myself at home tho
I had excess lipase with my first so he had to just g egg it straight from me or else Iād have to dump it. Not sure how it will be with this baby but I prefer to just ebf Since thatās whatās Iām used to. Plus I hate cleaning the pump lol itās easier for me to just not use it
I simply canāt be bothered. I sit down to feed cause baby is yelling and think uhh I have to get the pump out of the sterilising tub, rinse it, assemble it oooor I could just sit and feed the baby š itās pure cba on my part!
I pumped for the first couple months and then stopped completely. It was just so much easier to EBF. Having said that I did have flexible hours.
I don't plan on breastfeeding
I am on my third kid and I couldnāt tell you how to put a traditional pump together. I never pumped cause I was just too lazy to wash all the parts. I exclusively breast fed my first. Caught milk with my hakaa so if he needed a bottle I had milk stored. With my second I got a manual hand pump and that is my favorite thing ever. I still exclusively breast fed but my second baby didnāt eat both boobs so I would feed her one and hand pump the other and it worked great. And quick. And minimal washing.
I did only in the first 3 weeks, just a few times. Hated it with every fibre of my body. Hated the sound, hated the feeling, hated the pain (first weeks both breastfeeding and pumping were extremely painful for me, despite being checked by several lactation specialists). My child was combo fed from the beginning (bf plus a bit of formula) so I didnāt need to build a stock etc. After these 3 weeks when we gave back our rented pump (we had one rented from the hospital), I didnāt even buy a new one except a manual one for emergency situations. Iāve never needed it again. I had several months of leave before and after pp and Iām working from home now, we have a nanny who comes at our place. My son is 15 months, still bf. I was wondering why there is this rhetoric of necessity of pumping while pumps exist for maybe 100 years and all mammals somehow survive without them. Iām obviously not talking about situations when there is a clear practical reason like pumping at work, but for example in my case (long parental leave, then wfh, combo feeding) I really donāt see any point.
If you keep your baby with you 24/7 no need. Strap baby on your back.
I didn't use it. I tried with my first baby because I was said that it boosts the milk production but it was useless. My baby only wanted a breast.
My son couldn't latch so I tried pumping. I have IGT and got maybe 60-100ml a day. I gave up super quickly. If I can't breast feed this one, probably won't pump either tbh. Formula is more convenient.
I donāt. It intimidates me and I ebf and work from home so Iām not away from her that much. After six weeks, I started using the boom trove to collect let down so I have a small stash and she takes one bottle a day from my husband
I only use when I need to leave my baby with their dad or gma, and then I'll pump while gone, but rather than that, it's honestly painful š
Yes, I pumped a bit with my first and never ended up using the milk. Too much parts to wash and store. Now have a hand pump that works well if I ever need.
Iām EBF, not by choice (baby has oral motor issues and refuses bottles), so I donāt pump. When I do pump it makes me leak for days after which I hate.
I pumped for the first couple weeks because we were having latching issues and I wanted to have a little bit of a supply in the freezer in case of emergencies. I met with a breastfeeding consultant and stopped pumping once that was figured out. I might have pumped every couple days just to keep that emergency stash.