Since a lot of women in my family told me they failed at breastfeeding, I told myself that I wouldn’t be discouraged if breastfeeding didn’t work out for me, even if I faced judgment. I needed to do what I thought was best. At first, exclusive pumping seemed like the best of both worlds. You are feeding your child breastmilk, but you don’t have bleeding nipples. Score! After a few attempts of breastfeeding and one bloody nipple, I decided that I was going to pump exclusively and give the baby formula until my milk came in.
There seems to be no one right answer for anyone when it comes to breastfeeding, formula feeding or pumping. I had no idea what I was getting into when I decided to exclusively pump. Here were some realizations:
– It still hurts. I had to go see a lactation consultant and she winced when she saw my nipples! They were blistered, swollen and beat up from all that pumping. Some people’s nipple skin is more fragile than others and there’s not much I can do about it but try some ointments. I’ve tried all those nifty little ice packs, heat packs, and soothing whatevers but it still hurts to put on clothes!
– I’m permanently attached to the pump. It’s only been 7 weeks for me and I already feel like I have a more intimate relationship with my pump than my husband. 15-20 minutes every 3 hours, 8x a day = 14+ hours a week. (Do I have mommy brain or is my math right?) I can barely do one or two things before it’s time to pump again. I hate how in the middle of the night, my pump parts fall apart randomly because I assembled them in my sleepiness.
– I need a lot of stuff and the stuff is getting expensive. I am the opposite of a hoarder. I throw everything away! So when we couldn’t find counter space to put all of the pumping parts, bottle cleaning supplies, drying rack, sanitizing bags, and so on… it drove me crazy! My life was being drowned in plastic and my Amazon orders were always something related to pumping parts.
– I’m always washing and boiling stuff. I hate waking up in the mornings and seeing a pile of plastic that need to be washed and sanitized. I understand that people don’t believe we need to sanitize as much anymore, but I personally still like to do it everyday. This part sucks because I particularly hate doing dishes!
– Poo or Pump or Pick up baby!? I’m always in a bind because I don’t know what to do first when I’m alone. Sometimes the baby could be fussing for hours and I couldn’t put him down, but I was 1-2 hours behind my pump schedule. My breasts were turning into rocks and I would be forced to put down a crying baby to quickly pump for 5-10 minutes before Baby Pencil turned another shade of purple. And of course, there would be times when you desperately needed to do something as simple as wipe your nose or use the bathroom. I eventually learned to put the baby in the rocker and rock him with my foot while pumping and shushing him. Moms are definitely multi-taskers! (Breastfeeding would be so much better in this situation because at least you are soothing the baby and emptying your breasts at the same time!)
No breastshields fit. I purchased every single flange size there is and nothing fit me. The beginning of my pumping was a nightmare because I was using breastshields that were too small. I had to pick up and place the breastshield on different parts of my nipple. This meant I was hunched over, super focused, squeezing and basically draining myself physically as well as emotionally. I finally realized this and went up a size… then another size, then another size until there was no option left! I even rented the Medela glass shields because they are 40mm, but even those were painful and milk was flying everywhere. My boobs aren’t even that big! (I was barely a 34B, so boob size really has nothing to do with nipple size.) The least painful ones were from Pumpin Pals, and I highly recommend them for people who are having a hard time finding the correct size. To this day, I’m still not sure if I’m using the right shield correctly but I have no other choice! (Do I? Please comment if you know of something else!)
After realizing how hard it can be to exclusively pump, I began to look lovingly at breastfeeding. Perhaps I made too rash of a decision? Perhaps I should have tried harder to breastfeed and bear with the pain?
So one day, I felt a little adventurous and popped the baby on the boob just to see what would happen… and what the heck, he took my boob! What a nice baby to take my boob again after so many weeks of exclusively pumping! After that, I tried breastfeeding every now and then but this messed up my pumping schedule. Nursing would only work if all the stars aligned and he happened to be hungry (not too hungry) and when I was about to pump so I had a lot of milk. When the stars did not align, he refused the boob until he got his bottle.
There really isn’t that much information on the internet about exclusively pumping moms that suddenly decided to go back to breastfeeding. But I knew I had to make a decision and just stick to it. As much as I love bonding with him and watching him fall asleep latched onto my breast, I decided to stick with exclusive pumping. I had already spent 6 weeks figuring everything out and since I plan to go back to work soon, I need him to get used to being fed mostly by other people anyway.
I hope that I can stick this out and during the process I won’t turn into a hunchback from all that leaning over. I’ve tried the pumping bras but I really have to massage my weird shaped boobs in order to squeeze all the milk out, so the bra gets in the way.
Right now at 7 weeks I still only make about 3-4 oz on a good pump. I feel like I’ve tried every single breastfeeding tactic out there, including inhaling all those supplements round the clock and eating anything covered with oatmeal. I’m determined to make this work! (And since I rented the fancy pants Medela pump for 3 months, I guess I should use it!)
So… I’m still pumping and learning as I go, but at least it’s getting better!
hostess / cantaloupe / 6486 posts
Kudos mama! That’s a lot of work! FWIW, at 7 weeks we still did not have a spectacular handle on breastfeeding…I’m sure in a few weeks it will feel more sensical!
cantaloupe / 6885 posts
I EPed for 6 months and I will tell you it does get easier!! By 3 months I was down to 5x a day, by 4.5 months 3x a day which was very manageable. Good luck!
kiwi / 511 posts
My guy couldn’t or wouldn’t latch (really who knows who cares the end result was the same). I met with some lactation consultants and I liked them but the one I clicked with was honest and said sometimes is just doesn’t work and laid out my options. What I went with was I pumped for 9 months, I really wanted to go for a 12 but it was affecting my sanity and baby (and older brother) needed a sane Mom so I stopped.
I pumped every 4ish hours and yes I felt I was tied to the thing and I could never get anything done because it was to borrow an ad campaign, “time to make the donuts”, I felt like that baker more often than not. I would “stay up” and by this I mean fall asleep on the couch with my phone alarm set to go off at 11 PM so I could pump (I had this assembled and ready to go) and then I would sleep until 5 and then get up and pump again, and then pump twice at work and then get home and pump around dinner. Rinse and repeat. In some ways it was demoralizing because my production was so low (I ate lactation cookies too) but it was something. I supplemented with formula.
My sleep was so very fragmented but fortunately since we supplemented with formula that was used exclusively for night feedings so either I or my DH could do it. Honestly I was pumping so much that I hardly ever actually fed my baby somebody else was because I was pumping or actually getting something done.
In the end it was worth it, but it was so time consuming. What helped me was I had the full support of my DH and we both recognized just because it was our ideal to breastfeed for minimum of 12 months and sometimes we cannot meet our ideal goal. It was a game of ups and downs and I will still occasionally go down the path of did I do enough, and it was hard to accept that I wasn’t a failure because I couldn’t breastfeed.
What my DH I decide was we would do it for 3 months and then re-evaluate, with my opinion being weighted more than his because while I took the physical brunt of our decision, he had to pull up the slack with housekeeping, child play etc because I was tied to a machine. This decision affected both of us. When we hit 3 months we decided to go another 2 and then re-evaluate and so on and so forth until it made sense for me to stop.
guest
My LO was in the NICU for his first month and I started off as an exclusive pumping momma. It is hard work and for the first month the most I ever got at one time was 2 ounces from each side. It the beginning it was just a few drops, then maybe half an ounce per side, then most of the time it was 1 ounce from one side and 2 from the other. The NICU nurses helped me transition him to breastfeeding, which we then did from 4 weeks to 12 weeks when I went back to work and then I became a half pumping, half nursing momma. I would say it wasn’t until he was about 4-5 months that we had breastfeeding down pat (might have been earlier but as a preemie I think it took him a little while because his development was a little behind).
If you are up for it, I’d encourage you to still try nursing. It helped my supply so much to have my LO breastfeeding even just a few times a day. I never fully emptied with the pump alone. Also, once my LO got a little older, I was able to pump one side while he nursed the other and that helped with my letdowns and up my supply. He is 10 months now and still breastfeeding and taking a bottle well.
Good luck momma. Breastfeeding and pumping are the hardest things I’ve done as a parent but they also were both worth it.
pomelo / 5524 posts
Congratulations and thanks so much for posting this. After 3 weeks of total delirium where I had to pump even after I breast fed LO for over an hour, I needed to exclusively pump for my own sanity. I wasn’t getting any sleep, and it wasn’t doing LO any good to have an unhappy mama. I was criticized by a few people, but I had to do what was best for me. Congratulations on doing the same!
clementine / 944 posts
I am an EP’er – but started liberally supplementing with formula around 3 months old. I just couldn’t keep up with his appetite despite my around the clock pumping. It is SO much less stressful now that I have broken the formula barrier. So much. At 6 months, I’m now just pumping twice a day (about a total of 18 oz/day) and just thinking this is all bonus. Twice a day is so doable – sooo much better than at 2 months old.
Bc pumping f’in sucks and it’s ideal to minimize your time hooked up. I’m totally trying to making BFing work for LO2. Good job though!
guest
I had a NICU baby who never got the hang of breast feeding and she just turned one yesterday. I have pumped exclusively for the past year! Whew! It has been and continues to be a lot of work but i feel so good giving my baby breast milk. I’ve weaned down to 3x a day and make 26 oz, which is enough to keep up with her. Good luck and reach out if you have any advice.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
I started pumping with Olive because she had a an extended stay in the hospital. I also ep’d with Charlie. But then I started nursing Olive once a day, then more and more until I was exclusively nursing by about 3 months. and then I nursed until 26 months… i never thought i could do it since i ep’d with Charlie.
It is an option for you to nurse morning and night and pump the day feedings if you can make that work. That will be a lot less work for you. I just couldn’t ep with two kids though I made it work for 9 months with my first kid.
good luck! i know your pain but it’ll get better!
blogger / grapefruit / 4836 posts
Oh momma, I feel you! I pumped almost exclusively for 9 months! The one thing that honestly saved my sanity was NOT washing parts during the day. I would put all of my parts in a ziplock bag, put them in the fridge, and reuse the rest of the day. I would either wash them that night, or if I was too tired, I would wash them in the morning after my first pump session. I also never ever boiled a bottle, and we got by the first 6 months with just ONE bottle (just wash after each use). I hate the abundance of junk all over my counters too, and to me it was SO much easier to just take the 30 seconds and wash it when I was done with it instead of waiting until there were 10 and having to spend longer all at once.
Good luck momma! Just remember you are important too! Remember to take care of yourself too!
cherry / 248 posts
I pumped for a year for my twins who wouldn’t latch and am now still breastfeeding my 19 month old daughter and it is all hard. I started off with not a great supply but it did greatly improve. I too had trouble with the flanges at 1st even though I have tiny breast though once my milk came in they were huge. I went up a few sizes in flanges but after my supply regulated I actually found that the regular size worked well. I also would use the medela hand pump flange which is softer silicone. I pumped after having fed my boys so they would be sitting in their bouncer seats digesting or back to sleep at night and I would pump the next bottles. This way I was always a step ahead. I also would supplement with formula occasionally to catch up my milk stash. Since breast milk can sit out at room temp for several hours I just would pump and leave the bottle out for the next feeding. Pumping a lot of work so you need to do whatever works for you. Good luck.
blogger / pomegranate / 3491 posts
Kudos to you mama – good luck in your breastfeeding journey!
cantaloupe / 6669 posts
EPing is hard work – hats off to you! For the first 5 weeks I nursed, then supplemented with formula, then pumped in attempts to increase my supply. It made me crazy. I considered EPing because the whole charade was so much work but ultimately decided to stop pumping altogether & try to make nursing work. I am so glad to say at 7 months we are still nursing & it has gotten better & better. I would roll my eyes at people who say “it gets easier” and “stick it out!” but it’s really true!
coconut / 8079 posts
LO is 4 weeks old & in the nicu. I’m EP for the moment & I’m so glad to see a post about EP! It is hard!!
blogger / persimmon / 1398 posts
This sounds really, really rough! Good job working through it!! (I’m not sure I could… So I really mean that!)
pear / 1639 posts
Good job momma! I EP’d for almost a year and it is hard work but it does get easier.
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
Oh my goodness, I dreaded pumping. I pumped every morning from day 1 and then every couple hours when I went back to work. I dreaded pumping so much because it never felt right. Even the pumpin pal flanges didn’t feel good. Ugh. I hope you figure out what works for you. Seven weeks seems like a long time right now, but it’s not very long in the grand scheme of things. So if you feel like doing something else, you shouldn’t feel like you can’t because you’re used to what you’re doing now. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, nothing lasts for very long at all – the good stuff and the bad (thankfully!)
blogger / apricot / 335 posts
@Mrs. Sunshine: Isn’t it weird how 7 weeks feels like years to me? I can’t believe that time moves at a snail’s pace sometimes! haha
@Charm54: I dream of the day I can pump only 3x a day!!
@Mrs.Maven: I’m totally right there with you… we are going to evaluate after 3 months and then keep taking it one month at a time. The longer I can endure, the better but if we decide not to go further that’s OK too!
@2PeasinaPod: Seriously, one of my biggest fears in becoming a parent was the crazy judgement you get from every direction. Every person is different and we all should respect each other because we’re all in the same boat… just trying to survive!
@ChitownRo: This is definitely one option I am considering.. just pump what you can on a somewhat more sane schedule and then supplement the rest with formula. Glad to hear it works for you!
@Mrs. Bee: I totally read your post about EPing!! Man you went through so much too, so I know you feel my pain. I am planning to pop him on and just supplement with a bottle afterwards because I don’t have enough juice, but I’m confused about how to tell when he’s had enough? Isn’t it very easy to overfeed by bottle feeding? Then I would be feeding him one boob + an entire bottle… which is too much. Should I give him one bottle’s worth minus what I am guessing is in my one boob? (Sorry that’s a confusing question.)
@Mrs. Lion: Wow one bottle huh? That sounds kind of awesome, haha. I’m a little traumatized because once I kept the same pumping supplies in the fridge for about a day and he got really fussy/gassy and I jumped to conclusions and thought that he got a taste of bad milk or something. So now I only keep them in the fridge for every 3-4 pumps. Still helps!
@threeplusme: I’m definitely considering the soft medela flanges if they’re softer… anything to help my soreness!
@daniellemybelle: I hear those things all the time too! Haha, but it can’t possibly get worse so of course it should get better!
@jhd: Oh no… hope your LO gets out of nicu soon!
@Mrs. Paintbrush: it ISSSS… and if I could go back in time and change my decision, I totally would! haha
@Mrs. Taco: wow! 1 year!! Good for you!
@Mrs. Stroller: Yeah I don’t get why there are basically only a handful of companies that make flanges! Women are shaped so differently and I still can’t find a good match. They should have a company that can design some perfectly for you!
blogger / clementine / 998 posts
Ouch good luck, you are a strong woman! Maybe try rubbing a bit of coconut oil on your aerola so the ill fitting flanges dont rub and hurt as much?
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
Seriously, I do not know how anyone who exclusively pumps does it. Hats off to you! You sound like you know what works for you, and have a good rhythm in place though!
apricot / 423 posts
at 7 weeks, it sounds like you have pretty good production and a really good attitude about it. i’ve been EPing since the beginning and i’ve got only a few weeks left until my LO turns 1. it’s totally doable, and it does get better.
around this time, for my sanity, i dropped from 8 to 7 pumps and my total daily production actually went up. after a week of 7 pumps, i dropped to 6 pumps and my production stayed about the same. after 2 weeks of that, i dropped to 5 pumps (kept that up for about 2.5 months). so i definitely recommend trying to drop a pump if you’re feeling up for it. i think i may have added a few minutes to each pump to make up for the lost minutes from the dropped pump.
and oh, have you tried power pumping? i usually did this during the pump session right before my bedtime, for 3 or 4 nights in a row. pump for 15-20 minutes, rest for 10 minutes, pump again, rest again, pump for a 3rd time. (you can play around with the times.) it’s supposed to mimic cluster feeding and totally helped increase my production.
and i also massaged while pumping up until just recently. the pumping bra got in my way too, but a sports bra with slits cut in the front for the flanges works for me. it lets me get my hands in while still holding the flanges in place.
and one last thing. sorry, i live and breathe EPing, so i have lots to say. have you tried manually expressing after each pump? maybe with the symphony, it’s not so necessary. but once i went back to a regular non-hospital grade pump, manually expression would typically get me another 1/2-ounce or so.
sounds like you’ve figured out a lot already, but feel free to hit me up with any questions!
pea / 16 posts
I was an EP mom (not by choice, my daughter wouldn’t latch) who went back to breastfeeding, at 5 months when she suddenly decided she was into it! Silly baby. Anyways, I can so relate to everything you wrote. Even though we’re well into toddlerhood now, your post brought back lots of memories. Good on you for sticking with this despite the crazy challenges!
pomegranate / 3053 posts
Wow, I give exclusively pumping moms a lot of props! I feel your pain b/c I had to pump and nurse for three months straight with my oldest just to build up my supply and absolutely hated it. It was so hard to go out b/c I had to pump right after I nursed to help up my supply. I cried every day for three months. So having to do it exclusively and caring for a newborn all by yourself takes a lot! I was fortunate enough to be able to switch to exclusively breastfeeding with my oldest at 3 months and only had to do the nurse and pump with my youngest for two weeks before exclusively nursing him too. It’s so much easier b/c all you have to do is cover, pull open, and as they get older they search for it!
Have you tried finding a really big plastic mixing bowl and just rinsing all the bottles and throwing them in there as you use them and then wash every other day? I didn’t nurse my oldest for as long as I did with my youngest b/c of food allergies so I started using formula at 8 months. That means, LOTS of bottles. I bought enough so I only had to wash bottles every other day versus every night. Eventually when he was down to three bottles a day I washed every two days. All I had to do was squeeze some bottle detergent in there and fill it up with hot water and start washing. If your sink is big enough you can put the already soaped bottles into another big bowl. Then rinse rinse rinse! It really helped with my sanity!
You have such a great attitude for someone for all that you have to go through. It sounds like EPing and EBing both do get better. It definitely got better for me and I hope for you soon too! The things we do for our babies!
cherry / 115 posts
I think 3-4 oz a pump session is exactly right. Thats about what a 7 week old can take in. You could talk to a LC more about it, but I think you are right on track. To encourage a bit more I would pump a few extra minutes after the milk stops flowing, that will send signal to your ta-tas that “hey this baby is still hungry, lets make more”. I’ve also found that if I give my breast a gentle squeeze a lot more will come out then without. Something I didn’t know first time around (when it would take me almost a week to pump 1 bottle, I was bf’ing exclusively but trying to get a stash up so I could leave baby from time to time). You could also try letting baby suckle a little from time to time to help boost production (if you open to that) You certainly don’t have to be 100% one way or the other. I hope none of the suggestions sound aggressive to you, just floating some ‘here’s what worked for us’ thoughts.
blogger / apricot / 335 posts
@Mrs. Chipmunk: I’ve tried rubbing the mothers nipple cream which definitely helps, but I don’t always remember! It’s just one more added step among a million others -_-
@Mrs. High Heels: It sure took a dozen wrong directions to figure out “ok let’s NOT ever do that again”!
@softcream: It sounds like I’m on the exact same track as you! I just recently dropped one pump by making them 3-4 hours apart vs. 2-3 hours apart. It makes SUCH a big difference already! (Wowee, a 3 hour nap?!) I tried power pumping but I started to feel nerve damage…!? There were strings of shooting pain and my nipples went numb. I also felt like my supply got better as I just spread out the pumps and made them a bit longer. I manually express during pumping, but do you think I should continue even after? And I live and breathe EPing too so keep the suggestions comin’!
@Squishy622: I am hoping to forget these memories But thanks for the encouragement!
@erwoo: I know it sounds horrible but misery sure does love company. For some reason it helps to know that other women have cried and been just as miserable as I am right now! Glad to hear of your attitude towards it now.
@beesknees: Right now I definitely want the baby to suckle a bit but I think I might have thrush!? I keep researching it because my nipples are itchy and there’s a lot of pain even after pumping, but other than that I am pretty sure the white tips are just milk. My OB and the lactation consultant observed me and said it was NOT thrush but I am nervous putting him on with those symptoms. As if I’m not nervous enough already with everything else!
guest
There is no shame if EP just is not working for you. I did it for 2 months with my second child and after pumping and pumping for only 1 measly ounce after each 15-20 minute session and feeling totally beat down….i quit. And I feel no shame. I have to do what’s in the best interest of my child and myself. And my child is not going to benefit from an overly exhausted, discouraged, unhappy mommy. We are free from the plastic and that just means we have more time to play!
Good Luck!!
guest
Hellobee is of course a great resource, but I highly recommend checking out the Exclusive Pumpers boards on Babycenter as well.
coffee bean / 26 posts
It’s really, really hard! You’re doing so well for sticking it out. I did it for 5 weeks until LO finally learned how to BF and it nearly killed me as I had serious supply issues also. My doc put me on Domperidone to boost my milk (worked wonders for me!), but we still switched exclusively to formula at 6 months when I went back to work. You’re doing amazing!
cherry / 115 posts
mrs Pencil – I had those exact same feelings too, the “i think i have thrush!” it ended up being nothing, and I was worried to nurse then too. I don’t know what it was, but it went away after a week or so. (shortly after my cycles started again, so maybe for me thats what it was)
blogger / apricot / 335 posts
@ducky: That’s my plan too for now! Pumping till 6 months… seems like forever!
@beesknees: I think I figured out what it was… a rash due to the night sweats and stickiness! WONDERFUL. At least it’s not thrush though! I also think I may be allergic to the lansinoh pads. =(
apple seed / 4 posts
I only make 3 to 4 oz per pumping session and I EP also. However, I also have 300-400oz in my freezer, so I guess I just thought 3-4oz was plenty. I read something the other day that says the breastfed baby eats and average of 30oz between 0-6 months of age. Also, breastfed babies aren’t suppose (according to information I’ve found) increase intake the same way as formula fed babes. Our milk naturally develops the longer we produce.
I’ve been pumping every two hours (usually) except for at night, when I sleep 4-8 hours, depending. I EPed for 10 months with my first child and breastfed the first two months. My second is 5 weeks old and I’m EPing with her. I only breastfed for 5 days with her.
guest
Love your blog!!! So honest, so insightful, so helpful!! And it’s so entertaining to read. Thank u for writing with an earnest heart to help others like me!
guest
My first child was in the NICU for 3 months and during that time I bf once every evening and pumped the remaining time when he would be due to eat. I actually had enough to fill a small deep freezer. When he came home, my body was so used to pumping I continued to do that for a month and then worked exclusively off the freezer filled stash I had. I just had my second one and was determined to bf. Well he was getting milk but I wasn’t emptying and my nipple where getting torn to shreds. The dr. offered to clip under his tongue bc he thought it was the cause of poor suction but I didn’t want to do that so I went back to pumping. Right now at month 1, I pump about 8oz- 10 oz every 4 hours. He only eats 3 oz at a time so I have a running supply which helps to get my husband involved. Pumping is what my body has become accustomed to so I will probably just pump bc although he latches, after a time or two it gets too painful to bear. At the end of the day, I’m just happy he’s getting the breast milk. You really have to do what’s best for you. I do agree that pumping can drive you crazy but once you get a schedule going, it gets better and hand expression is the key to really getting the milk supply.
guest
Totally understand! I thought I was smart when I told my sister in law after watching her nurse that I planned to mostly pump. Turns out that I didnt nurse at all. I purchased a Medela Free Style pump which is horrible (total waste of money). I ended up exclusively manually hand expressing because no matter how much pumping I did (with my pump or a rented Ameda hospital grade pump) i never got much milk out. However, manual hand expressions did the job. Besides pumping really hurt no matter what size flanges i used. This is my first baby. I’ve learned to just go with the flow with the next one. I plan to nurse right away and hand express since it’s going so well.
guest
God bless u and you r doing the best 4 ur baby. I am also e.p. and my boobs are not ONLY huge, but my nips don’t fit the proper largest flange. I am four weeks into this, and determined. The problem I have NOW is itchy nips and very quick, spontaneous let down! Also why can’t they make milk storage bags in various sizes? I mean I usually get 4-6 oz each pump but they only make (or I’ve only seen) larger bags. Well my nips still hurt- but my baby is getting bigger! So I’m proud and u should be too! We will always have troubles, but u must realize: u r giving your baby your all. And that’s the best thing!
guest
Kudos mumma. Breast milk is soo good for your baby and every time you pump you should think of that!!
If you wanted to reattach and direct feed then have you considered a SNS.
Good luck mumma!
guest
I’m EPing with my second child so everything g is new to me but I was just wondering do you get 3-4oz of both breasts or is that a combination? My left breast seems to produce a lot more then my right.
guest
And how long do you pump for to get that amount?
blogger / apricot / 335 posts
@TJ63, it’s been so long since this post I unfortunately don’t really remember the exact details! But I believe I got 3-4 oz on each side and I would pump for about 30-45 minutes. I would have to massage my breasts all throughout to get the maximized amount!
guest
Thank you for sharing! This is spot on! My dilemma every day is poop pump or pick up crying baby! I’m lucky my husband works from home and is able to help me balance my pumping schedule and the baby’s feeding schedule. I’ve been struggling with supply (and yes, have tried everything) and am afraid it will just get worse when I go back to woke.
guest
Ah I would love to get 3-4oz of each side. I would never have to worry about having enough!. I get 3-4 off my left but my supply seems to be dodgy in my right, most the time I get 1.5 Oz or less from my right.
Thanks for posting this even if it was a while ago it has been very handy!
blogger / apricot / 335 posts
@TJ63: no problem! I do remember my right breast was also lazy and I got less. That’s pretty common I heard, so at least you’re part of the club!
guest
This made my day. It made me laugh and cry. You’ve described the last three weeks of my life exactly (except I only get 2 or less oz per pump!) I hope things work out well for you (and me!). We can do it ️
guest
New mom here that has been exclusively pumping now for a couple weeks (baby is 5 weeks old!). How does one cut back on the number of pumps per day?! Right now I am pumping roughly every 3 hours for 20 minutes (and I say roughly because as it was described here on the blog, I get delayed to feed baby or soothe her!!). I feel like I am attached to my pump and I want to take advantage of the fact my baby is sleeping in longer stretches. Help!!
guest
I would encourage everyone to visit the group “sweet drop cafe” on Facebook, it is a breastfeeding support group with thousands of members and is moderated by a IBCLC – board certified lactation consultant (different than a regular LC) there are tons of posts with questions and tips from others and you’ll learn a tremendous amount.
I too am sensitive and I had to change flange sizes until I found the one most comfortable (still not comfortable – lol)
Medela has a visual fit guide on their website for reference on how the flange should fit the breast.
@Erica, I would not focus on cutting back on the number of times you pump a day, but rather focus on pumping the amount of times your baby eats. Pumping is exclusively a supply/demand….2-3 hours for 15 minutes each time is recommended due to the amount of ounces baby should be getting per day around that age. If you focus on cutting back at this time you may get a dip in your supply. This go round I am on week 8 of pumping and I have found that It’s easier to not stress so much about pumping every 3 hours on the dot, if I have something to do, I do it (within reason). Going 4-5 hours between sessions once a day does not affect my supply, but every mother is different. Maybe try giving yourself a longer stretch once a day and see if that helps.
Yes we are “attached” to our pumps in a way, but I can still pump and give the bottle in under a half hour, breastfeeding usually takes more time than that per session, so don’t be discouraged. I take comfort in knowing that since I was unable to breastfeed I am still able to provide my baby with the best milk for him through pumping. 2 months down, 10 to go! the things we do for our kids!
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Omg I loved reading this as I pump right now! You described everything I feel to a t! I always dread the conundrum – do I pump, feed the baby, inhale food in my mouth quickly for sustenance, or pee because I’ve been holding it all day?! I am 3 weeks into EPing (my baby is 4 weeks old though) and I feel like I can barely do a couple of things before it’s time to pump again, let alone dare to do something normal like leave the house and go outside!! Most of all I hate the middle of the night pumping because I can’t seem to sync it with her feeding schedule so even though everyone says why not do a longer stretch like 5-6 hours at night so you can sleep more, but I can’t because in 2-3 hours she’s up hungry again! I feel like I might be losing my mind soon but I am determined to make it work for 3 months until I go back to work. Like you, I only produce less than 2 ounces per session, so we supplement with formula (and happily so too because I swear the baby prefers it over my milk) Everytime I fantasize about how liberated I will feel when I’m done EPing, I feel guilty but I know that some breastmilk is better than none and I know I’m a good mother and being the best I can be for the baby. So many times I’m tempted to quit early but then I know that’s selfish because it would only be so that I could free up my schedule! Ack!