Breastfeeding After Exclusive Pumping

A few months ago, we sent out a Call for Breastfeeding Stories.  Our desire was to flood the Internet with beautiful breastfeeding and pumping stories of triumph, overcoming challenges and struggles, and positive outcomes, regardless of the total amount of milk a mom was producing.  We are thrilled to share these stories with you, our readers, and hope that they offer support and inspiration for you, wherever you are in your breastfeeding or pumping journey. 

Thank you to all of the mothers who submitted their stories!  If after you read these memoirs you are inspired to submit your story, feel free to send it to RobinKaplan@sdbfc.com.    

This memoir is from Amanda, from https://exclusivepumping.com/

When I was pregnant with my second child, I was planning to breastfeed her. I was also really nervous about it because of my experience with my first child.

After my son was born, we struggled with nursing while we were in the hospital. Each nurse suggested that I hold him a different way, and it always worked when they were standing right there. However, after they left and I tried to nurse again on my own, I could never get him to latch. I remember being so sleep deprived from labor that I couldn't really listen to what they were telling me and have it sink in.

Additionally, the hospital had a lactation consultant, but there had a been a huge snowstorm a few days earlier, and she "hadn't been seen since the blizzard." So that form of assistance wasn't available, unfortunately.

(After my nurse told me that, I had this mental image of the lactation consultant getting lost on her way to the hospital in a sleigh or something. Hopefully, she eventually made it back.)

After three weeks of struggling and my son still not being back up to his birth weight, I ended up deciding to exclusively pump for him. I had a lot of complicated emotions around this - guilt for not trying harder to nurse, inadequacy for not being able to make nursing work, pride in myself for managing to breastfeed by pumping only. As a Type A person, I became pretty obsessed with it - how much I was pumping, how much he was eating, how much my stash was, etc. Exclusively pumping became such a big part of my identity as a new mom that I started an entire website about it. 

So, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I wanted to make sure that she got breast milk, too, just like my son did. At the same time, I knew how hard it was to exclusively pump, and I was already terrified of having two kids under two years old. Exclusively pumping with a toddler and baby seemed impossible to me, and I wasn't sure if I could manage it again.

As soon as she was born, though, it was obvious that this baby had a completely different temperament than my son. While he had screamed for his entire first hour of life outside the womb, she just cried a little and then latched on like a champ.

There were definitely some bumps in the road over the first few days - again, I struggled a bit with latch in the hospital - but we moved past them pretty quickly, and she was back up to her birth weight after a little over week.

I have such great memories of nursing my daughter while on maternity leave. Some days (instead of going to Stroller Strides or trying to run errands) I would just decide to be lazy and spend the whole day on the couch with her - snuggling, switching to the other breast from time to time, and watching entire seasons of Game of Thrones.

I ended up nursing my daughter until she was 18 months old. I don't think I had much milk left at that point, and it was just part of her bedtime routine. When I ended up needing to go on a trip without her, my husband to put her to bed, and that was the end. I was sad to be done with nursing her, but it also felt like it was time.

Being able to nurse my daughter really helped me heal from the feelings of guilt and inadequacy I had felt after not being able to with my son. I'm so grateful for both breastfeeding relationships, though, because they taught me different things - my son taught me that I could figure things out as a mom even when things didn't go the way I'd planned, while my daughter taught me the importance of being in the moment and savoring time together.

Tips for Mothers Who Exclusively Pump

Article written by guest blogger, Misti Ryan

Whether exclusive pumping is a decision or a necessity due to surrounding circumstances, there are several things you can do to make your efforts more successful.

Start early 

We know that the earlier after birth you begin expressing, milk production is set up for long-term success.  Hand expression of colostrum is often more effective than pumping in the early days and can increase your milk supply even when you begin using a pump.  You may not reach full production until around 10 days, so be patient as amounts in the early days may be very small. Here’s a fantastic video from Jane Morton at Stanford University, demonstrating Hand Expression

Pump often 

In the beginning, plan to pump about 8 times in 24 hours, for anywhere from 15-20 minutes per session.  Once you have reached full production, you can generally decrease your number of pumping sessions to 6 or 7 times a day.  You may also find you can express for 10-15 minutes and be done.

Plan to rent a multi-user hospital grade pump and later purchase a single user double-electric pump to establish and maintain your milk supply

Initially, a hospital grade pump is key to reaching full milk production.  Let’s put it this way…. The hospital-grade pump is like the Ferrari and the double-electric you can purchase is similar to a Toyota.  The motor is far superior in the hospital-grade pump, but it is too expensive to purchase, therefore we recommend renting one.  The double-electric is much more affordable, yet is best for maintaining a supply, rather than bringing one in.

Ensure a good flange fit and consider having more than one flange size available. 

A poor flange fit can cause breast and/or nipple damage and pain.  It can also decrease the amount of milk you are able to pump.  Check out this article about finding the correct pump flange size.

Pump hands-free

Purchase a hands-free bra or make one out of an old sports bra but cutting small slits where the flanges would fit.  Your hands will now be free to massage that ‘hard-to-get-out’ milk that pools in the periphery of the breast.

Use hands-on pumping

You can maximize your pump output by using breast massage as you pump hands free.

Learn some relaxation techniques to promote milk let-down

Take some deep breaths after you turn on your pump.  Put on some relaxing music.  Think about how amazing your body is as it provides warmth and nourishment to your baby.  If you need a mental break, dive into one of your favorite magazines.  This will help the time fly by!

Focus on your baby 

Whether you have your baby near or you have to be away, you can focus on your baby by thinking about him and listening to a recording of him cooing or making sweet baby noises.  Have an item nearby that smells like your baby and place a picture in your pump bag (or on your phone).

Prepare to store your milk 

There are a variety of bags and containers to safely store your milk in.  Bags made specifically for milk storage take up the least amount of room and will lay flat in your freezer.  Click here for current milk storage guidelines

Set up a pump station at home and/or at work

Have everything you need for pumping within arms’ reach.  Also have some water available to sip on, the TV remote or a book if that is how you choose to relax, a snack, and perhaps your headphones.

And finally, keep up the great work! 

Remember, whether you baby is going to the breast or not, every drop counts!  You are providing a life-long gift to your baby.  And every minute you spend providing breastmilk to your baby is worth it.

Misti Ryan, BSN, RN, CCE, IBCLC, RLC

Misti has been working with moms and babies for over 12 years as an L & D nurse, childbirth educator and LLL leader.  She is married and a mom of 5 breastfed children.  Misti certified as an IBCLC in 2011 and is co-owner of Bay Area Breastfeeding and Education, a private practice lactation consulting business in Houston, Texas and surrounding suburbs.  She can also be found on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/bayareabreastfeeding and blogging at: www.bayareabreastfeeding.wordpress.com