Exclusive Pumping - By Angie!
I just wanted to share about my exclusive pumping journey. The ups, downs, ins, and outs. I was blessed and afforded the opportunity to exclusively pump breastmilk for a total of 14 months, in that time I connected to my pump approximately 1,503 times making a total of 65.5 gallons (8,386 ounces) - there were more times but this is what I tracked (will get to that later). Why I wanted to breastfeed:
My mom or sister did not breastfeed, so I knew that was something I wanted to
I felt like it would be a badge of honor to be able to say I fed my baby something my body made.
Truth moment - I was not buying diapers AND formula...it was going to be either or. Cloth diapers or Breastmilk lol and who wants to scrub diapers? not I!
And giving my baby all of me because the plan is for her to be the only one. What is Exclusive pumping:
When you feed your baby pumped breastmilk opposed to direct breastfeeding. What led to my exclusive pumping Journey: -- MANY THINGS!
#1 Reason was my sanity, I went down latching rabbit holes – My baby was never a good latcher despite every effort (nipple shields, every imaginable position, every pillow and etc.). I felt like I lived in her doctor’s office for weight checks and lactation consultations. She always latched good in the office but once we were home it went out the door.
I dealt with everything, cracked nipples, bleeding nipples, pain, being over touched, being uncomfortable, I had to deal with pains in other areas of my body due to my c-section so I was saying there was no way my whole body was going to struggle, so I made a choice and said while my body physically heals (so I can be an amazing mommy) I will still provide my baby mommy's milk Because giving my baby breastmilk was so important to me "I did what I had to do" and made the decision to try this pumping thing out. It’s no easy road, I would be lying if I said I took the "easy road."
I literally pumped all day long; in the beginning, it was every 2 hours around the clock! mimicking a baby nursing on demand. Every time she was hungry and got a bottle I had to pump Pin, having a supportive partner is a plus when I pumped he, bottle-fed - like a well-oiled machine.
Some people are blessed to just whip their boob out and baby latches like a champ, I was not that fortunate. I had to wear a pumping bra, hook up the parts, position them properly, get the right suction for a letdown and then pump my life away - which then led to having to clean pump parts and bottles. I was a "just enougher" so I only made "just enough" for my baby to have every day; we did have to supplement a little with formula but it was minimal! We only gave her formula if I did not have enough milk. We ended up just making her “middle of the night” bottle formula so we could shake, roll over and go back to sleep. Thoughts, Tips & Tricks (THESE ARE THINGS THAT WORKED FOR ME, I cannot say they will work for you):
If you plan to EP and want to track, the app Pump Log is really good to keep track of your ounces (freezer stash if you are that blessed). When tracking always look at what you pump in a 24-hour period vs. what you pump per session.
HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!!!! I cannot stress this enough. You need to make sure your body is hydrated for many reasons during this time. Dehydration while breastfeeding is a thing and it can impact your supply, so make sure you are staying hydrated. I stayed with my gallon jug on my hip, but if that is not your life, at least make sure you are drinking a glass of water every time you pump. I also drank Body Armors which has coconut water in them. Coconut water = galactagogue = substance that promotes lactation. I drank Gatorade as well. Both drinks have sugar-free options if that is a concern.
OATMEAL!! The fibers, iron, and nutrients in oatmeal help with lactation. I ate oatmeal, oat bars, granola bars with oatmeal, oatmeal pies, smoothies with oat milk, YOU NAME IT! I now make overnight oats for my postpartum friends.
Supplements, I did try some but I did not see much change so I did not continue them. What I did was make my own lactation brownies and cookies (another blog post lol), Oh and I drank Homemade “Starbucks Pink Drinks” which have coconut milk in them.
The one plus side to making just enough, I did not have to worry about freezing my milk, rotating the dates, potentially losing milk due to power outages (I have heard horror stories)
Purchase extra pump bottles and storage solutions it will help you in the long run with pumping.
Power pumping!! – What is it, how do I do it, why do I do it?
It is a technique where you mimic the frequent feeding of a baby experiencing a growth spurt / cluster feeding. Essentially, the longer suckling tells your body to 'make more milk!' Message.
How I did it: Pump for 20 minutes; rest 10 minutes, Pump another 10 minutes; rest for 10 minutes, Pump again for 10 minutes; finish (continue if you like, but be warned only do this if your baby is not getting enough, oversupply is a whole different ball game.
I would normally see a slight increase in a day or two
Current Milk storage guidelines: CDC Breast Milk Handling Guidelines
This site was extremely helpful during my journey: Exclusive Pumping I also joined a lot of Facebook groups for Exclusive Pumping
Which pump to choose? This is based on your desire. I will forever praise my Spectra S2; it was great for me. During your research you will be faced with figuring out the difference between the Spectra S1 and S2; it is quite simple. The S1 has a built-in rechargeable battery, and the S2 does not. I simply took Command strip Velcro and attached a rechargeable battery to the bottom of my free (with insurance) S2 (Battery pack: [Amazon Battery Pack](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ME3ZH7C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1))
If you are going to be mobile or returning to work, invest in a good Pump Bag or put it on your registry. I was gifted a Sarah Wells Pump bag Amazon Pump Bag (available on Amazon as well) I could go on and on about my journey and will probably update this post at some time but for now, I will say do what works best for you and do what makes you the best you can be for you and your little.
“A FED baby is the BEST baby.”