I was only 24 when I was pregnant with our oldest daughter, Charlotte. But, I knew even then that I wanted to try to breastfeed. It's hard to avoid hearing about all of the benefits of breastfeeding even when you're not pregnant, but it becomes especially amplified when you are. I was one of those people who knew exactly what kind of parent I wanted to be even before I had kids (LOL!), so along with my typed and signed birth plan, I had dreams of breastfeeding for at least a year.
When my birthday plan went out the window, I was even more determined to make breastfeeding work. And, surprise! I did successfully nurse Charlotte for 13 months. When I say successfully, I mean she was attached to me and only me, refused to take a bottle, cluster fed every night from 4-9pm, and didn't sleep through the night until she was a year old. But, I achieved by goal of nursing her for an entire year, so I felt pretty successful.
Fast forward 6 years to when Audrey was born and I felt absolutely confident that nursing was going to go well. It didn't even cross my mind that we would have any issues. The only thing I really prepared for was finding the perfect bottle for breastfed babies, because Charlotte never took one and I wanted the freedom that came with pumping. And, ohhh, did I get that freedom.
The first few days in the hospital, Audrey nursed like a champ. Actually, she always nursed really well. But by the time we got home from the hospital, I was in tears every time she was hungry. I dreaded having to feed her. I was in so much pain that I began to resent her, and I knew the situation was going to get worse. We had a few samples of formula and my husband, Dan, took it upon himself to mix one up and give it to her one time when the pain was unbearable. Nipple cream became my new best friend, and once I felt a little better, Dan would feed Audrey bottles while I pumped.
The plan was never to pump exclusively. It was to pump to give myself some relief, but still nurse as often as I could. Then, Audrey started wanting to nurse for hours in the middle of the night. No sleep was bad enough, but no sleep + excruciating pain is enough to break a person. So, when she was 3 weeks old, I picked up a new pump and never nursed again. I learned a lot along the way. Mostly I learned that there is something in between nursing and formula feeding, and it's not as hard as it sounds if you have the right tools and mindset.
I want to make sure I add in here that I wholeheartedly believe fed is best and the most important thing you can give your baby is love. This post in no way intends to put down those who choose to formula feed. Formula is literally a lifesaver for many, many families. This is simply to help those who are interested in exclusively pumping! So, here are my tips to help you succeed:
1. Cut yourself some slack. When I first made the decision to exclusively pump my goal
was to make it through the end of that week. Once I became more comfortable, I decided on 6 months. But if it had become too much before then, I would have switched to formula. If I didn't produce enough, we'd supplement. I wanted to give pumping a try, but I was never afraid to buy a can of formula if needed. My baby needed to be fed and loved. I was giving her both, that was all that mattered.
2. Invest in a good pump. When I first decided to pump exclusively, I had a pump that was intended for occasional pumping in between breastfeeding. I needed something that could keep up a little better and also help keep my supply up. I've heard so many things about a lot of different brands, but the one I ended up buying was the Spectra s1. It is powerful and was able to help keep my supply from dwindling. The s2 is the one that is usually covered by insurance, and it is just as good! From what I understand, the only difference is the s1 can be charged and used cordlessly, while the s2 requires a cord at all times. A good pump can make or break your supply, so it's really important to invest in a good one with a powerful motor.
3. One word: Freemies. Freemies aren't for everyone, but I don't think I would have made it beyond the first month without them. The Freemie brand does make their own pumps, but the cups can be purchased and used with other brands as well. I used them flawlessly with my Spectra. I went from removing my shirt and changing into a pumping bra every and a
half to wearing whatever bra I wanted to and simply slipping these inside. They gave me the freedom to comfortably pump pretty much anywhere. I pumped in the car, on the beach, at Charlotte's t-ball games, and while I was grocery shopping. When Audrey was just over 2 months old I spent the day in NYC and pumped in various places there, too. If I could recommend only one thing to you as you start your exclusive pumping journey, it would be to purchase a set of these. They really made my life easier and made pumping sustainable for me.
4. Find a support system and don't be afraid to ask them for help. For me, my husband was my biggest supporter. He'd bring me water and a snack while I pumped, washed all of the parts and bottles, and in the very beginning was always ready to mix a bottle of formula if pumping became too much. He also did nightly feedings so I could get my middle-of-the-night pump in and go back to sleep. He really loved being able to feed Audrey, because it was never something he could do with Charlotte.
I was also a member of a few exclusive pumping Facebook pages and followed several exclusive pumping Instagram profiles. I could ask questions and receive support from other mom who were going through the same thing and that helped immensely! Sometimes just knowing someone else is in the same boat can get you through the hardest times.
5. Figure out a storage system that works for you. When I was pregnant with Audrey I purchased small mason jars with plastic lids that were intended to be used for baby food. I was trying to cut down on the plastic waste from breastmilk storage bags and thought they would be a good solution. We ended up using them to store a day's worth of bottles in, and anything extra I would freeze in a storage bag. This worked really well for us. Audrey usually had about 8 bottles each day, so I would always make sure there were 8 jars of breastmilk in the fridge. The jars were perfect to stick in a bottle warmer or even just under some warm tap water. They also traveled really well and kept breastmilk cold when we were out for longer periods of time. We bought a steam sanitizer early on and ended up using it to sanitize the jars between each use.
As far as storing frozen milk, we mostly used our deep freezer. My husband cleaned it out and we ate what we could from it so that it could be used entirely for frozen milk. Eventually we had to have my in-laws store some milk in the deep freezer at their house, too. If you are close with someone who has one, check and see if they can spare a shelf or two. If you don't have one it might be worth the investment if you're able to swing it. We have a friend who found one on Facebook Marketplace for a decent price!
There are many methods of breastmilk storage, and finding what works for you will make life easier. Some people I know would pump right into the bottles and put them into the fridge as is. Others use the pitcher method, where they dump all of their pumped milk into a pitcher and pour bottles straight from it as needed. This is a personal choice, and there really isn't a right or wrong way to do it. Pumping is hard enough, so finding the easiest storage solution will prevent a lot of headaches.
So, there it is! My exclusive pumping tips. I am not expert, and I only speak from personal experience, but these are the things that allowed me to pump for 7 months. I hope it helps some of you on your EP journey.
If I missed anything, please feel free to add your own tips in the comments!