Maybe your breastfeeding journey is going swimmingly. Your baby latched perfectly in the hospital and you have been basking in the serene peace of nursing your little one 8-12 times a day... Or maybe not. Maybe your breastfeeding journey looks very different. Maybe you're not sure if you can keep going.
You have options, mama!
Let's first take a second to thank modern technology for the fact that exclusive pumping is even a possibility for us. Exclusive pumping moms provide their babies with ALL the benefits of breastmilk, just in a non-traditional way. Please know that I am not trying to convince you that exclusive pumping is the best way to feed your baby, that's only for each mom to decide what's best for her and her baby! It is simply something that has helped me have success in my own breastfeeding journey.
Whether you're considering this route or just curious, here are some reasons to choose exclusive pumping and why it might be the an option for you and your baby to find success within your breastfeeding journey.
What Exactly Is Exclusive Pumping?
I know of so many moms who have given up on breastfeeding completely after days, weeks, or even months of frustration with feeding directly at the breast. But let me be the first to tell you that this isn't the only way. Exclusive pumping means that instead of feeding your baby directly from the breast, you pump breastmilk and feed it to your baby with a bottle.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies consume breastmilk for the first six months. So, if traditional nursing isn't in the cards for you, exclusive pumping is a fantastic way to still meet your baby's nutritional needs with breastmilk.
If you don't know much about electric breast pumps on the market, you should first understand that pumping exclusively nowadays will NOT have you stuck near an outlet all day. Pumps today are quite portable and non-restrictive. I pump while I wash dishes, do laundry, drive, eat dinner, and even while I bottle feed my baby!
6 Reasons You May Decide to Pump Exclusively
There are various reasons to choose exclusive pumping, some of which may resonate with your lifestyle, so keep reading!
#1: Medical Reasons
Sometimes the unthinkable can happen...you take all the lactation courses offered, you do lots of research, or perhaps you've even nursed a previous child. Then, your newborn baby needs a NICU stay or possibly a Gastrostomy Tube (g-tube).
In these situations, exclusive pumping is a wonderful option that will allow you to provide your baby with the benefits of breastmilk though you can't feed directly at the breast for the time being.
This is a great time to mention that exclusive pumping doesn't have to be forever. It is possible that you and your baby can learn how to nurse in the traditional sense after your baby leaves the NICU or his or her g-tube is removed. Exclusive pumping assures that you are continuing to move milk and keep up your breastmilk supply in the meantime.
2018 NICU stay for one of my multiples, which lead me to Exclusively Pump
#2: Poor Latch
Poor latch is one of the main causes of pain and nipple trauma in the early days of breastfeeding, and pain is one of the most common reasons moms stop breastfeeding altogether. When you are living the newborn mom life, any bump in the road, especially when it comes to feeding, can take a big toll on your emotions.
You're sleep deprived, your baby is hungry and crying, and your nipples are on fire, possibly even cracked and bleeding. Maybe you've even tried meeting with a skilled lactation consultant to find a solution. But, while you're working on improving baby's latch, your milk supply is decreasing because baby isn't able to empty you effectively. Cue the stress!!!
There are many things that can cause a poor latch, including, but not limited to:
- tongue tie
- lip tie
- shallow latch
- inverted or flat nipples
- body tension
While there are ways to resolve some of the issues causing the poor latch - think oral tie release, chiropractic bodywork, and meetings with lactation consultants for improper form - not all moms are willing to trek down those paths, reasonably so. Or, perhaps they need an option for sustaining their milk supply without nursing while they resolve the issue. Inability to feed directly at the breast does NOT mean that breastfeeding is impossible!
Exclusive pumping allows you to comfortably keep your milk production going strong. By removing milk with a pump, you are telling your body to continue producing milk. Whether you and your baby figure out the latch or not, your breastfeeding journey can be saved by short periods or long periods of exclusive pumping.
#3: Exhaustion
Nursing isn't always the blissful experience it's made out to be on nursing bra ads. It can be downright exhausting for many reasons.
Let me tell you a little story...
A new mom on my team was hopeful about being able to nurse her baby from the get-go and got off to a seemingly good start in the hospital. But once she got home, the nipple pain started and quickly became excruciating. Her baby wanted to eat constantly and never seemed satisfied. She knew something was wrong.
Anxiety started to rise as every feeding session approached and this new mom was ready to throw in the towel. She showed up to her first pediatrician appointment with her beautiful new baby only to hear that he was not returning to birth weight quickly enough.
The doctor's recommendation: supplement with formula.
That only brought on more stress as this was 2022, right in the midst of the formula shortage. Thankfully, she had purchased a pump through her insurance company, though she had never tried setting it up or using it. She did some googling and realized that exclusively pumping was a possibility...she tried one pumping session, had zero pain, fed her baby his first bottle with no issues, and the rest is history! She knew that exclusive pumping was the perfect solution to help her sustain her breastfeeding journey while also eliminating much of her exhaustion and freeing up a ton of time. For her, using a fixed pumping schedule and bottle feeding on demand was a much more peaceful experience that allowed her to continue exclusive breastfeeding.
Especially for brand new moms, nursing can be not only painful, but exhausting. You are often the only person who can give baby what he or she needs (even in the middle of the night), you are in the thick of figuring out what positions work for you to nurse in, and you stress about having to nurse outside of your familiar space when you're in public.
For some moms, the best way to offer breastmilk without the hassle and stress is to pump. This way, you are still giving your baby the nutrients needed without enduring much of the physical and mental strain. Plus, you can easily have someone else take over a feeding whenever you need.
#4: Anxiety Over Milk Intake
Let's be honest, when you are nursing, figuring out how much milk your baby is actually getting is a guessing game unless you have a pretty high-tech scale.
*Note* if you are exclusively nursing and worried about your newborn's weight gain during the first couple of weeks following birth, you can usually set up a meeting with a certified lactation consultant from the hospital where you delivered. They will be able to weigh your baby before and after a feeding to assess intake as well as monitor latch, positioning, etc. Exclusive pumping is simply a solution if you decide you wish to discontinue nursing but still want to provide breastmilk for your baby.
Maybe you're someone who would simply be more comfortable knowing exactly how many ounces your baby is taking in throughout the day. That's OKAY! Exclusive pumping might be your jam!
#5: Professional Commitments
Balancing breastfeeding and working outside of the home can feel like a juggling act. Some women decide to pursue exclusive pumping because they know that when they go back to work, most of their baby's meals will pumped breastmilk anyway, so why not start from the beginning?
An exclusively pumping mom may find that sticking to an exclusive pumping schedule is much easier than trying to switch back and forth between nursing and bottle feeding. With a double electric pump at the ready in your office, your car, or wherever else you spend your time during the workday, you can keep up your milk supply without missing a single meeting!
And, if you're a busy career mama, time management is everything for your mental health. You want to do whatever you can to take care of yourself while also being present for your family members. While exclusive pumping is a major time commitment, it can also be a major time saver. This is especially true if your baby seems to take their time to feed at the breast on a regular basis or seems prone to prolonged periods of cluster feeding.
Picture this: You get home from work at around 6pm after pumping in your car on the way home. Instead of having to sit with your fussy, cluster-feeding baby off and on for the next few hours, you, your partner, or one of your older children can use your freshly pumped milk (which can sit at room temperature for up to 4 hours!) to offer feeds and keep baby happy without so much pressure on mom! Perhaps you can even catch some zzz's before it's time to prep dinner!
#6: Multiples
My last reason to choose exclusive pumping is when you are trying to feed breastmilk to multiples. I know from firsthand experience that when you are caring for more than one newborn at a time, you'll do anything to streamline processes. While tandem nursing is an option and may work for some moms, pumping and bottle-feeding might fit your family's needs better.
Not only can you keep track of how much each baby is eating, but you can also share the feeding responsibilities with family members. Plus, when I was finally able to figure out how to pump and bottle feed my twins simultaneously, that freed up a lot of time in my schedule!
December 2018 Pumping while feeding my multiples with the Table For Two and my husband playfully using the same feeding table!
Not producing enough milk for your multiples? An electric breast pump allows you the benefits of power pumping (pumping breastmilk in short, frequent sessions over the course of a longer period of time) for the purpose of increasing your milk supply to an amount that first your unique feeding plan.
No matter your reasons to choose exclusive pumping, you can be assured that your baby's needs will be met with all of the health benefits of breastmilk. It's okay if the best thing for you and your baby ends up being different from the way you pictured things before he or she was born!
The Overwhelm is Real
When you're in the thick of new mom life, pretty much any small thing that goes awry can make you feel extremely overwhelmed. Thanks a lot, hormones and sleep deprivation! I won't promise that exclusive pumping is going to take all of the overwhelm away, but I do promise that there are lots of resources and tips out there to help you navigate the journey long term. Here are a few more to help you determine if it's right for you and have success with exclusive pumping you should decide to head down that path.
For more on why exclusive pumping might be right for you, check out this episode of the Tired Moms Club podcast:
Curious about how to get started? Check out my "Breastfeeding Beyond the Boob" printable guide! It's full of information from an experienced pumping mama and certified lactation consultant. I hope it helps you find a routine that fits the goals of your breastfeeding/pumping journey!
And to hear more about the practices that I find to make me the most successful, visit my favorite Exclusive Pumping Tips blog post here.
Just remember... You are not alone in this - plenty of mamas have come before you and have likely experienced the same hardships and through their perseverance, their own successes!
You can do this - here's to successful breastfeeding journeys that lead to healthy babies! You got this, Mama!
