Expecting a Baby in 7 Weeks and Planning to Pump Exclusively

I would check with a lactation consultant to get an idea of your chances of success. It seems like in the reading I have done about breast feeding it might be hard to keep up your supply if the baby never nurses. I pumped during the day for my first son when I went back to work and started getting less and less milk as time went on. I hope it works for you and an curious to read what others have said.

I had to pump exclusively with my daughter because she never latched on right. So, from 1 week old until a little after a year old I pumped. The most important advice I can give is to invest in a GOOD pump! I bought a Medela double and it worked wonderful and wasn't painful either. Plus, you can pump quicker with it too! I believe it took me about 20 minutes. Also, just like with breastfeedng try to stick to a schedule so that your body can produce enough and all. Good Luck!

I had a very difficult time pumping with my second when i went back to work. After a check up which had her barely on the growth chart i had to suppliment with formula. My doctor told me that its very difficult to pump the ammount of milk a baby needs. I was nursing her when i was home and it seemed like she was wanting it every hour! Good luck and just be carefull...you may need to settle for doing both.

Hi, I gave up on nursing and pumped exclusively with my first because it was so painful. At first I did it every three to four hours during the day but eventually scaled back to four times a day. When I did pump, I would go for 25-30 minutes and was getting 12-16 oz. I was able to not only keep my son happy but I stored up about a months worth of milk in the freezer. I was lucky enough to work for a company that had a lactation room so I could continue pumping when I went back to work. Best of luck!
B.

I can't say I only pumped, but I pumped A LOT. I was home the first three months. At about 6-8 weeks, I started to pump, in order to get ready for returning to work full-time. It's been a long time since I did that (our son is now 11 and I'm home most of the time now), but I seem to remember doing it 3-4 times a day. It gave us plenty to freeze for night feedings by my husband. And it got our son used to using a bottle at various times of the day, in preparation for daycare.

I also breastfed at various times throughout the day--first thing in the morning and in the evening, once I returned from work. That little boy had NO shortage of mommy's milk, that's for sure!

Once I returned to work, I was fortunate to be employed by a company that had a medical room where I could have some privacy for pumping and had a sink right there for cleanup. I also had a boss who was understanding and let me pump during my breaks. So, I pumped mid-morning, at lunchtime, and mid-afternoon while at work. I got to be a pro at doing it and cleaning up in just 15 minutes!

It got to the point where we ran out of freezer space for all of my little milk packs. When the daycare said they had plenty of freezer space there, I brought a paper grocery bag, filled to the top edge, of freezers packs to them for our son to have whenever he needed it. They joked with me that I was producing buttermilk for him!

FYI--Buy the plastic liners for baby bottles (Playtex or whatever), if they still exist. They're a lot cheaper than the Medela ones, they are sturdy, and they won't break. I would just fill them with enough room at the top (4-6 oz?), fold it down a few times, and then tape the top. Then I laid them flat in the freezer so they would stack easily.

Anyway, the point is, pumping worked great for us. I did a mixture of in-person breastfeeding and pumping. It gave us a lot of flexibility. Others were able to feed him and to have the closeness of doing so. If we were at my in-laws, who were a little squeamish about breastfeeding, I had options if I wanted to be part of the conversations and still feed our son. (They subsequently got over some of the squeamishness because I was able to be discreet with a blanket. I'm very comfortable with breastfeeding, but was respectful of those who were a little freaked out with it.)

I even had to go to England for work for a couple weeks and pumped while there to keep my milk flowing. I just dumped it, but at least it helped me to not dry up. Although, I must admit that our son decided to wean himself shortly after that, just shy of being one year old.

I can't say enough good things about the Medela In Style double breast pump that I used. It was a nice leather case, compact, and very easy to use. My only regret it that I didn't have it from the very start when he was born. I was so engorged at the beginning that it would have been a great relief!

Best of luck in your pumping endeavor!

P.S. In the beginning we were so lame about breastfeeding. We had more arguments about the right way to do it...it was actually comical, in retrospect. It was also very painful in the beginning...I thought I'd never get the hang of it. But we figured it out and I learned to like it. I have many fond memories of me sitting in a green leather chair that used to be my husband's grandfather's chair. It rocks and was wide enough to comfortably place a pillow on my lap for our son to lie on as he nursed. I used to do verbal letters on tape to our son while he nursed so that he'd have some fun stories to listen to when he got older. We have him cooing and gurgling at times! Personally, I hope you'll do some regular breastfeeding, too, to build your own special memories. But not everyone is able to, and of course, that is entirely your decision.

Enjoy!

Coming from someone who has pumped out of necessity:

Can I ask why you think pumping will be easier?

Quite honestly, it's a LOT more work. Not only do you have to spend time you could spend doing other things attached to the pump, the pump is just not as efficient as a baby. If you aren't nursing, you are going to have big supply problems. The pump is a poor second to a baby's suckling.

Pumping is absolutely exhausting. I see you work full time. Assuming you plan to return to work, I strongly, strongly, strongly recommend that you plan to breastfeed when you're home, and pump when you're not.

Get a good pump (like a Medela Pump-in-Style) for work. And also a hands free pumping bra!

I pumped almost exclusively when I went back to work and I noticed that my supply started to go down after doing so.... I would do everything possible to keep up a good supply.

Hi, I had to exclusively pump as my son never latched well. I must say it is the hardest thing I've ever done. to estabblish a supply you have to pump every 2 hours and you still obviously have to feed your baby too and wash bottles. I found a great support network on ivillage.com they have a board for mom who are exclusively pumping. make sure you have a good quality double electric pump. you may even want to rent a hospital grade pump from the hospital. It is a big commitment but if your prepared and have a good support network it can be done. good luck!

I wanted to pump with number with my babies for similar reasons, but found I just couldn't. Baby one: the milk won't come and I gave up trying after many tears. I didn't want to give her formula at first and then when I tried she wouldn't take the bottle.

My midwife said I tried to start pumping too late, so with baby two, I started trying on day one, but my milk supply and the baby syncronised so quickly that there wasn't really any excess supply. I tried hospital pumps, looking at the baby, warm towls, etc.,etc. The milk just would not come out, except when he was breast feeding. I was really tired dealing with him, a two year toddler and a husband away from home most of the time and maybe that had something to do with it. midwife said , that's just how it is for some people.

So, start early (earlier than 3 weeks if you can), try all the tricks you can to get your milk to flow, get help from a professional if you can and use the best pump you can afford. But, the moral of the story is: don't feel bad if it doesn't work out the way you want. Sometimes it doesn't and it is not your fault. In that case, breast feed for as long as you are able, then put the baby on formula and DON'T feel guilty about it. My baby two turned out to be allergic to milk, so the 10pm formula feed I gave him to get him used to the bottle (so I could give up breast feeding)turned out to be a disaster. He is still on Soya milk at age 6.

Good luck, what ever happens.

I am a stay at home mom with four children. My last one is now 6 months old. The disicion to stay home came with me finding out I was pregnant. I tried brestfeeding my first and couldn't handle it, I gave up after 3 weeks. With my second two I never gave it a thought and went straight to formula. With this last one I knew money would be tight and if I could breastfeed then why not. I origanally wanted to pump exclusively but thought when it came down to being in the hospital brestfeeding would be easier. This one took to it a lot faster then the first. I would breastfeed and pump in between. When it came down to it, it was easier to pump and bottle feed to that is what I did. To get to answering your question, my advice would be, be dilegent. I had all the mil coming in and I would get tons. As the weeks and months went by I would say oh I don't have time for this pumping I'll catch up later. Well that caught up to me and before I knew it there wasn't much coming. I tried everything for it to come back but couldn't produce enough. But I do know that I have given my son the best for 6 months. The rest formula will have to do. Hope this helps! Good luck.

I think that having practice in sucessful breastfeeding will really help. I exclusivly pumped for seven weeks for my one and only, since he could not / would not latch. It was really hard at first to come up with a rhythm and I felt like I was glued to the house to pump every two to three hours. Everything I read said I needed to pump at least eight times a day to get my supply up. But hopefully you will be able to mimic what you remember from the early days with your daughter. The hospital was great (Womens and Infants). They brought a pump to my room and I pumped there.

Hello,
If you're planning to pump exclusively, you'll definitely need to rent a hospital-grade pump. Even something like the Medela Pump in style doesn't have a strong enough motor. That being said, when I had my daughter all of the lactation consultants told me that without actually breastfeeding, I would not be able to build up or maintain my milk supply. This is by no means an attempt to pressure you to breastfeed -- I think everyone needs to do what is best for them -- but I don't want you to be disappointed if exclusively pumping doesn't work out and you have to go to formula. Ultimately, you have to do whatever is right for you. Best of luck to you, on congratulations on your son!

Hi T.,

I am also expecting my second in about 6 weeks. I plan to pump and breastfeed. I did both with my first since I went back to work. My suggestion is to be flexible with what you can fit into your schedule. Pumping is great but you need to be able to devote some quiet time to it. I believe that may be challenging with two little ones. If you have not already purchased a pump, talk to your doctor. Some insurance plans cover the cost. I mentioned it to my doctor and one was delievered to my room before I checked out. It was great. The Medela Pump in Style is wonderful. You can pump both breasts at one time, a real time saver. Make sure you have electric, again faster and easier if you need a free hand. Keep in mind that you will have a lot of pieces to clean. This part can be a real pain. The Medela steam cleaning bags are a real life saver. I highly recommend them. The
Lansinoh Breast Milk storage bags are also great. Well, I could go on, but my best recommendation is to be flexible. Your experience will depend greatly on your body and your schedule. Good Luck. Feel free to write back if you have any questions.

I have 2 kids my first is almost 3 and the second is almost 10 months. I nursed both of them exclusively for the first 5 months. With the first I returned to work and it worked pumping and nursing I was able to continue until I introduced whole milk at 11 months. With the second I didn't go back to work and nursed more mainly b/c it was so much less time consuming. When he was 6 1/2 months old he got teeth and decided to use them! Ouch! Anyway I had no choice but to switch to pumping, and I have to say that since doing that my milk supply had deminished so much. I was able to produce 6-7 ounces at a time and now struggle to get 3-4 ounces. I think it is definately much better for your supply to be able to have the baby nurse, that way they can establish the amount they need as opposed to you trying to establish it with a pump.

Use a hospital grade pump and begin pumping as soon as you feel up to it. Soon after you deliver if possible. I'm currently pumping (exclusively) and feeding 9 week old twins. I pump for 15-20 min. before or after each feeding to build up and maintain my supply. My girls eat every 3 hours. Doing this, on top of feeding both girls, I've been able to freeze 2-5 5oz bags of breast milk every day.

Hello, Congratulations first and foremost....I am a new mom of 4 month old twins and exclusively pumped for 3 months....well, I had to supplement formula here and there cause it was hard to pump enough at times for 2.

I used the Medela electric pump provided for me at the hospital. Then I rented one from Keene medical supplies in Burlington. You should rent it before you give birth so you are all set. You can buy the packet that goes along with it with all your attachments from them also and bring everything to the hospital with you.I was pretty successful pumping only. I would pump every 2-3 hours for about 10-15 min. and pump enough to feed both most of the time..Just make sure you drink alot of fluids. With one baby you should be fine and may be able to freeze some too. I would check with a lactation consultant and see if you can begin to pump before baby comes..I'm not sure.:o) But just a warning, they will try everything to get you to put them on breast. It was a little overwhelming at times constantly pleading my case.Just stick to what you feel you can do and everything will work out. It was a great decision for me and my family and allowed people to help me feed them during those late night hours. Because I was worried about nipple confusion and them not taking a bottle if I did both. Congratulations again and lots of luck to you.
A. R

Congratulations !

I am a Mom of 2 a 4 year old girl and a 21 month old boy. Both were breastfeed and I pumped but not exclusively. It definitly can be done, I know Mom's who have done it. I personally felt like it was more work for me, adding another step into the feeding process. First pump and then feed. I could never get enough to store up on a regular basis to be ahead of it. I also felt like the pump caused me more pain then the breastfeeding.I went back to work after my 12 week maternity and my comapny has a room for nursing Mom's to pump when needed. It made it possible for me to continue to nurse for the full year. Its such a personal choice and you have to do what is right for you AND your family. Once you establish your routine it will all fall into place no matter how you do it. I commend you for wanting to breastfeed exclusivly even though your first time wasnt easy, a lot of Mom's might not even give it a second chance. So you should be proud.

This is only my story and I know everyones is different. I will say that I was able to rent a pump for free, a hospital grade pump, through a company called Cambridge Medical. My insurance was Blue cross blue sheild of MA. I got a perscription from my OB faxed it to them and gave them my insurance info. I am not sure where your located but you might want to look into that. I only had to buy the kit for the pump with the tubes and bottles etc.

Best of luck to you and your family!!

well, i breastfed both my children exclusively.I went back to work nursed during the day and pumped at work. my son went on a nursing strike for a week, and in that week of just exclusively pumping-to make up at feedings i could not produce the amount he needed after about 7 days. i was only producing about 2-3 oz, he was eating about 6oz and i had the big medela pump. its always worth the try though.