Anyone exclusively pump?

[SeekerMage]

Well so far I have been pretty much exclusevely pumping...though finally tonight we had successful latch and feeding YEAH! ( though only after finishing a bottle and then throwing it all up!) Any how...things are going well, we are still working on the breastfeeding and having some success....but bottle feeding with breast milk is going very well....and I know she is getting enough and with our hectic lives its working out to almost be better. However, what do you all think....how long does only pumping really work? So far I have a good supply....I get 6/8 oz in the morning and then about 4oz each time I pump during the day...and she eats 2/3oz per feeding every three hours....so I have enough for the day and enough to start freezing. But I worry about my supply not lasting, or getting an infection or something along those lines.....anyone successfully pump for a long period of time?

Thanks all

Kathryn
Mommy to Angela (3-22-00) and Lil'bitty Kathryn (11/24/03)

[AngelaS]

A good friend of mine started exclusively pumping when her son was about a month old and kept her supply up thru his first birthday. She had TONS of milk. I know she ate very well, and drank TONS of water and she made PLENTY of milk. :D So, it CAN be done!

[Rachels]

It definitely can be done, but some women do have supply issues after a few months. The pump is not as efficient as the baby at getting milk out or stimulating production. In the long run, I PROMISE it will be easier for you to nurse. It's very clear that you need the support of a good LC. Can I help you find one? I'm happy to give you my phone number or just to research some local contacts for you.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[egoldber]

I would also urge you to seek out the help of an LC. Even 2 or 3 if necessary. While some women are able to exclusively pump, for many women it gets to be very draining. While breastfeeding is exhausting now, remember that your baby is very young. As she gets older, she will become a much more efficient nurser. I promise that it will be much less trouble to nurse than to pump and give bottles.

If a private LC seems prohibitively expensive, then look for an LLL meeting or for a breastfeeding support group. The hospital I delivered at had a support group with a licensed LC who lead the group.

HTH,

[jec2]

I have a friend who had similar latch problems with her baby. She did have to move to bottles of EBM, but was persistant about getting DS back on the boob. After every bottle she would try to latch him on and eventually (after about 4 weeks) he was successfully taking the breast only! So, if you are truly committed to BF rather than pumping, maybe my friend's experience is something that is good to hear.
Good luck.

[nitaghei]

Kathryn,

Like the others, I would strongly urge you to see a LC or go to a LLL meeting. Nursing, in the long run, is a lot easier than exlcusive pumping. Neel was in NICU soon after he was born, and had nipple confusion. I exclusively pumped for about 8 weeks, while trying to get him to nurse. I was never able to pump enough, and had to supplement with 1 or 2 formula feedings while I was pumping. And I was sore all the time, even though I was using a hospital grade pump. Once he started nursing, all the soreness disappeared within the week.

The 4th LC (and my amazing, wonderful mother) finally got us over the hump, and Neel started nursing when he was 8 weeks old. I haven't needed to supplement since, even though I work full time. And we're still nursing.

Nursing sessions typically last less than 10 minutes now - which is less than the time I need for pumping (not to mention the clean up and other associated stuff with pumping). I think, even by the time he was 3 months old, he would nurse for 15-20 minutes, which is quicker than pumping. Honestly, I just had so much more time to enjoy him when I didn't have to pump all the time.

I know there are women who have successfully pumped exclusively, and I have nothing but admiration for their dedication. For me, exclusive pumping was the worst of all possible worlds - you needed the time to pump, feed the baby, and clean up - it doubles the work, and leaves that much less time to spend with the baby. I have been able to deal with pumping 2-3 times daily, but I doubt I would have continued this long with BF'g if I had to pump exclusively.

Just wanted to give you a perspective of someone who was forced into exclusive pumping!

Nita
mom to Neel 01/05/03
dog mom to a cocker and a PWD

[Momof3Labs]

It can definitely be done - I've known people who have done it (and seriously considered it myself). But my LC pointed out how much more work it is to pump and bottle feed - and she was right. You have to constantly clean pump parts AND bottles, take the time to pump, AND take the time to bottle feed baby. Although it might not seem like it now, this is a ton more work than just nursing.

Also, if you do this, you should rent a hospital grade pump. None of the other pumps are good enough to maintain your supply for exclusive pumping.

Please see a LC in the area - you will be glad that you did!!

[ehmom]

i have been exclusively pumping for ds who has a cleft lip and palateand is unable to latsh on or suck. he is about 4 and a half months old and so far i do not have any supply problems. i have been diligent about pumping at least every four hours (except at night when sometimes go as long as 7 hours). when he wakes at night to eat, i am up an additional 25 minutes to pump, and clean up. i keep the milk i get at night in an ice bucket, so i don't have to make trips down to the kitchen in the middle of the night.
it seems to me that you can adjust to whatever you need to do and fit it all into the day. becausei won't ever have the option of breastfeding ds, i have just gotten used to working it all out. and, honestly, it is not that bad once you get a system down. i usually just pump while he is asleep or playing on his playmat. i hope this helps!

[sntm]

kathryn,
we thought we were going to have to exclusively pump and we did for a few weeks, trying once or twice a day to get him to BF. seeing an LC (our 3rd) was key. we used nipple shields for a few weeks until jack could learn to latch correctly and he soon BFed like a champ.

it can definitely be done (check out the parentsplace message boards) but you don't have to give up on trying to BF!

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[kaismom]

Hi Kathryn,

I've been out of town for Thanksgiving so I'm not sure what your reason for pumping is, but anyway my DD developed reflux at around 2 months, and I ended up exclusively pumping for about 7 months after that. It was not exactly fun but I felt it was worth the effort. I had a PiS and luckily no problems with my milk supply. DD outgrew the reflux around age 1 year but mostly had to drink EBM out of bottles as she had to be positioned exactly "so", was very distractable, etc. Sometimes she nursed at night but more for comfort. Good luck,

[marinkitty]

You've gotten great advice already but I wanted to chime in as a former exclusive pumper (5.5 months) to say it is doable but such hard work. If you can breastfeed that is definitely the way to go. I could not get DD to latch after weeks of trying so I pumped. I had no supply problems - well, I did, but it was oversupply! I could have fed three babies with the milk I produced (about 70 oz. a day). I ate oatmeal, drank tons of water and took soy lecithin to avoid plugged ducts. But, it was a huge emotional drain, sleep drain and time drain on me and packing away the pump was the only good thing about DD having to go onto Nutramigen for severe reflux and dairy/soy sensitivity at about 5 months (though it was so painful to toss out the 2000+ oz. of breastmilk in my freezer that no milk bank would take b/c I'd had thrush early on). Either way you will be able to give your baby breastmilk and if you are committed pumping can and does work, but it is by far a harder route in the long run! Best of luck to you whatever happens.

Holly
Mom to Mia (3.17.03)