Breastfeeding by pump only. Has anyone tried this?

veevee

I do plan to breastfeed but it will be through pumping. I am going to feed from the breast at the hospital but when I get home I'm just going to use a pump. Mainly because I'm afraid the baby might not latch on to my nipple and when I get frustrated I end up quitting so I figured the pump will work best for me. It'll be easier on my mom when she watches the baby when I return to work. Also for S/O too.

My question is have any of you moms had success only pumping without their supply running low? Or do I need baby on breast to help out with my supply?

I will continue to take my prenatal vitamins along with Fenugreek and Mothers Milk Tea.

Jessibear

I did for five months since my son was premature and would not latch. He eventually latched during the night time hours and I would pump during the day and bottle feed but he was on 50 % formula due to lack of supply. Pumping isn't as efficient as the baby feeding dirrectly from the breast. I took prenatals, fenugreek anf mothers milk tea with little success. The fives months was very frustrating which is why I stopped after five months. If you can its best to just feed from tbe breast instead of pumping and bottle feeding. You can always pump after feedings to up supply and store it so your so or mother could bottle feed. So if you can I would do both and not just pump, I have heard of very little success with exclusively pumping. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

veevee

@Jessibear: I am going to try the breast and the bottle, but if he doesn't latch on I'll just pump only until I'm all out. I was thinking maybe using breast in the mornings and at nights then the bottle throughout the day or switch it up. I want him to get used to the bottle as my mom wants to have him when I return to work and for S/O when he wants to feed him or days when he's off and I work. I really do want to nurse from the breast and I pray he latches on, but if not I want to pump before I try formula.

Jessibear

Yeah definitely try both than and the best things to do is pump after each feeding, try for 20 mins every 2/3 hrs and store it. Than you can bottle feed as well. But pump during the bottle feed, they produce on supply and demand so you don't want to go long periods of time without nursing or pumping as your supply will dwindle. I had to get nipple shields to help with getting ny son to latch and they work.

adriens_mommy

I tried this with my first and it was unsuccessful. He was premature and would not latch. I used the pump and my milk supply started decreasing severely. When my son was 18 days old I pumped for the last time because I would pump every 2 hours all day and night and only get 3 oz within 24hrs. Using only a pump can result in not enough stimulation for your breast and therefore low milk supply. Now with my second she was full term (2 days overdue to be exact) and she is strictly breast. I only pump now when I need to leave her with a sitter and even then she is having a hard time accepting a bottle so it usually goes to waste BUT because I have her on my breast when she is with me I have an abundance of milk. Just think about it. I would hate for someone to go what I went through with my son if there is the oppurtunity to be successful with breastfeeding. If your baby latches on take advantage of it. Use the breast at every opportunity and you will be able to pump as well. Also I recommend getting a pump with a flexfit soft breast cup like the firstyears mipump or the avent flexfit. It hurts your boob less and helps with stimulating your breast most like a baby's mouth. I didn't use that kind with my first and my boobs always hurt when pumping-another factor I think in decreasing my supply. Hope this advice helps.

jules

I end up pumping because my daughter was soo wiggly and didn't even like being on the left side at all..plus I always had low supply so it was frustrating for her. But there's good article on a blog this girl only pumped and had good schedule and instructions on how to store it best. If u have pintrest you will find it on there im going to follow her schedule this time bc she ended up with great supply her best friends did it..then others who saw her blog have done it and left good reviews..I'm too going to breastfeed at the hospital and hopefully more of this baby latches I better. But will always be pumping on the side and full time if baby doesn't latch. Plus I liked having my daughter being used to the bottle that way if we were busy out and about, or having family visit it was easier for us plus others loved feeding her

Wilsomom

Be sure to use some kind of bottle that it as close to breast as possible. Many babies will start refusing the breast when they realize the bottle is much easier. I tried exclusively pumping once & it didn't work for me, however I had a breast reduction years ago so that may be why. But the amount I was able to pump kept getting lower & lower until I finally couldn't take it anymore & gave up, it just wasn't worth the time & effort. You have to pump 20-30 minutes every 2 hours around the clock, then you have to clean & dry all the little pieces in between each pumping session so by the time you're done it's almost time to pump again! Which leaves little time for the baby. But, if it works then you'll eventually be able to pump less often. I think there's a group for exclusive pumpers at baby center.com & I bet you could find a facebook group too. Good luck!

veevee

@adriens_mommy: If he latches on that would be great. Like I said to @Jessibear I want to do both because my mom will be watching him when I go back to work. Also so S/O won't feel left out. If he latches I'm doing both.

@jules: Do you have her name or page? That's one of the same reasons why I want to pump.

veevee

@Wilsomom: I joined the board on babycener today someone else recommended it.

2girls_2boys

My opinion its that try to put him in your breast assassoon as you can that will help you a lot with your supply at least the first 6 weeks during your first five days your milk will come in and you supply will start establishing as supply on demand .....

Sadly pumps not always work and the don't totally empty your breast wich will cause you supply to diminish and even clogged ducts and mastitis (it hurts like hell it gets you really sick)

When considering pumping put cons and pros

Chose wisely your Breast pump you will need a double electric pump if you are planing to pump more than one feeding a day ... I'm a mother of 4 fully breastfeed kids and believe me its not easy

nameless

My sister...her friend & my cousin all pumped for a yr straight..
And the all stopped after a yr.
It does take just as much dedication ..sometimes more to pump then to bf. See more people giving up sooner because they don't like the results they get w/pumping.
Just make sure you pump on schedule..never skip a pumping session

adriens_mommy

@2girls_2boys is right I did forget to mention with my firstborn that I did get a clogged milk duct the first week while I was still in the hospital it was extremely painful and all you can do if that happens is keep pumping through it till it goes away (that's what I was told) and this time I did wait till about 5 weeks before starting to pump, so even if u do exclusively pump try to wait till after 6 weeks it will help keep your supply up. Good luck I hope u have a better outcome than I did.

perly

I know this is easier said than done, but if you really want to breastfeed i suggest that you try and try until your baby learns to latch and just pump after bf to build up your supply and when you're closer to going back to work, then introduce a bottle.

When i was still pregnant, i had A LOT of milk and it would literally drip. For some reason when i had my baby it dried up. My son would latch just fine but he would get frustrated because there was nothing coming out. So i gave up right away and when my milk finally came in again, he wanted nothing to do with. I tried to get him to latch for like 2 weeks straight and he just wasn't having it anymore. I had bought a pump because i was planning on bf and bottle feeding just in case i needed someone to watch him, so that he could eat without problem. I pumped 7-8 times a day and it still wasnt enough. My milk slowly dried up. I ended up just giving up and formula feeding.

My advice is, if bf is what you want to do then try to be as patient as you can and just keep trying. I'll be honest, its hard as hell especially for first time moms but its not impossible.
Whatever you decide to do, i hope it works out for you

NylasMommy

Yes, I did it for 11 months bc nyla wouldnt latch on.

jules

@mylasmommy did it work out all good you?

PregnantELF

I did exclusive pumping with my son because he never learned to latch. I had a great supply but didn't continue when I went back to work because of my job and the type of schedule. I was on maternity leave two months and was able to feed my baby and freeze three months worth of milk. So he got a total of five months of breast milk. But im really hoping this new little one will feed easier from Breast. Cleaning the pump parts and bottles constantly was a lot of work. Regular breastfeeding seems way more convenient.

NylasMommy

@jules I dont get wat ur trying to say

RockiesPurple

http://happyhomefairy.com/2013/06/07/extreme-pumping-tips-and-tricks/

this article is great! Hope it helps

veevee

@Jessibear, @Wilsomom @2girls_2boys, @nameless, @adriens_mommy, @perly, @NylasMommy, @jules, Pregnant_Elf, @RockiesPurple: That's what I plan to do. If he latches on. I will mainly feed from breast but I will also pump and try to get him used to the bottle. I have read about some FTMs doing the breast and bottle with lots of success. Some BTDT moms did the same.

As for breastfeeding in general. I'm ready for it, and I am glad you mommies are encouraging breastfeeding. I have some family members that are not helpful at all. Pretty much most of my cousins have tried it and gave up within days or a week or two or didn't try it at all. The ones who tried it said it hurt and wasn't worth it and went straight to formula. I had one cousin who did try to pump, because her daughter wouldn't latch, but her supply was low.

@NylasMommy: I think @jules was asking did you have any success exclusively pumping.

2girls_2boys

Yeah it does hurt but your boobs hurt anyway after birth and there's so much benefits for you and your baby that you can't go wrong! Don't let nobody put you down or decided fotm r you feeling forced its not fine!

I wished you all the luck and you could contact me anytime for breastfeeding help :X

jules

@nalysmommy lol sorry thats what happens with lo around and Swype. But yes I was trying to say if u had success, meaning good supply and worked well with ur lo schedule?

jules

@veevee yes thats what im planning on doing I'm hoping breastfeeding goes well this time but if there are latching problems I want to have good back up plan with my pump before turning to formula.

NylasMommy

@jules my supply kicked in when nyla was two months. I was pumping 40 to 50oz a day. N I had 50 5oz bags frozen up but end up throwing them away bc I rather give her fresh milk and I wasnt taking anything. I just pumped every 2 to 3 hrs. At night I pumped at least 3 times n get at least 8oz to 12oz. The only reason y I stopped pumping was that I started traveling state to state n hate pumping in hotels. My double pump doesnt make noise but I travel with my single n it makes a loud buzzing noise lol.

jules

@nalysmommy wow that's great! Glad u had such great experience thank u for sharing I hope I get that lucky this time around.

NylasMommy

@jules ur welcome, I hope ur second baby latch on. I hope mines does also bc pumping is tiring it takes dedication

jules

@nylasmommy yes best luck to us both! And it was dedication that's why I only lasted 6 months but I'm glad I at least did it that long better then nothing right.:)

NylasMommy

@jules ur right

starrxoxo9

Please don't take this the wrong way, but you already kind of have a defeatist attitude about the whole thing. Don't assume your baby might not latch and give up ahead of time. You haven't even tried yet.

veevee

@starrxoxo9: No offense taken. I'm not assuming he won't latch on. That's just one of my fears. If he doesn't latch on at least I can prepared to know what needs to be done to provide my baby with breastmilk.

I look at it as 50/50. There is a 50% chance he won't latch on and there is a 50% chance he will latch on. Which I pray he does.

Still even if he does latch on I will still pump because after my maternity leave is up I have to go back to work and my mom will be watching him on days we have to work.

@2girls_2boys: Thanks.

@jules: Exactly.

@NylasMommy: Glad you had success. That is encouragement to me.

adriens_mommy

In my opinion it's the formula that isn't worth the trouble. Its sticky its smelly its messy you have to clean that stuff out of bottles and once formula is in a bottle the smell never goes away even after boiling. You have to prepare bottles whenever u go anywhere and the stains don't come out easily when baby spits up. I hated dealing with formula. When your breastfeeding its so much easier. Th milk is ready to serve, perfect temperature for baby and unless u do pump and serve there are no bottles to wash right away. I'm sorry your family isn't as supportive about breastfeeding as they should be. I was at my aunts last night for dinner and we were talking about how closeminded people can be when breastfeeding in public. I had to whip my boob out at the dinner table and I was kind of nervous about what the reaction would be especially with two young boys there but It started another discussion about how beautiful breastfeeding is and what a miracle a woman's body is. I felt so proud and accepted I hope so much u get to feel that way when your baby is here. But no matter what decision u make or what God dishes out for you, your still giving your child life and doing whatever u have to in order to help your baby grow and flourish and that's a miracle. Nothing horrible will come from formula feeding my first is two now and a completely healthy toddler and even though I couldn't breastfeed him we still bonded just fine. You will figure out what rhythm works best for you just don't exclude any options until you've tried it all and everyone will be fine

veevee

@adriens_mommy: Thank you. My mom is actually encouraging. She wanted to breastfeed me but I wouldn't latch on for anything. She tried for a few weeks then gave up, she never used a pump. Back in the 80's they didn't have most of the resources we have now. She said if she knew then what she knows now she would've tried other methods or at least pumped. I had to drink a certain type of formula because Enfamil & Similac made me puke like the Exorcist.