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I pumped exclusively for a year with DS1 and about 14 mo exclusively with DS2 because we just couldn't make breast feeding work. I was so heartbroken the first time I couldn't even talk about it for that whole first year without boohooing! I so with I could go back and tell myself that BFing is so not a measure of my worth as a mother! I was lucky because I had a strong supply and pumping (in its nature) didn't bother me. I also has to go back to work quickly with both kiddos so it was easy to set a pumping routine early on and keep it. I did miss socializing at lunch and they didn't have a battery pack yet when DS1 was a baby so I'd find myself in strange places just to get an outlet. When I was home I had figured out a way to sit crisscross and pump and bottle feed at the same time so the time demand wasn't so awful, or have someone else bottle feed while I pumped. I got a lot of reading those years.
When DD was born and actually latched and got enough I struggled and considered pumping exclusively again, especially in the early days. With pumping I chose when and where and had a routine early on. BFing was an on-demand, unpredictable, time consuming thing. As she got stronger at breast feeding and I got more confident, I decided to stick with the traditional mode and by 18mo I was so sad she had decided to wean. I will say, however, that once my hormone feedback loop understood that there was a baby feeding and it felt and looked different than a pump, pumping became harder. I got less pumping then I had with either of the boys.
I'm preggo with #4. My goal is at least a year at the breast, but my big take-away from the experience is that how my child is fed is not what makes me a good mom
. If you are up for more pumping go for it! It gets easier as you go because solids come into the picture and you can cut a pumping here or there. If you are done and ready to move to formula only, you will still have a healthy, beautiful baby
When DD was born and actually latched and got enough I struggled and considered pumping exclusively again, especially in the early days. With pumping I chose when and where and had a routine early on. BFing was an on-demand, unpredictable, time consuming thing. As she got stronger at breast feeding and I got more confident, I decided to stick with the traditional mode and by 18mo I was so sad she had decided to wean. I will say, however, that once my hormone feedback loop understood that there was a baby feeding and it felt and looked different than a pump, pumping became harder. I got less pumping then I had with either of the boys.
I'm preggo with #4. My goal is at least a year at the breast, but my big take-away from the experience is that how my child is fed is not what makes me a good mom
. If you are up for more pumping go for it! It gets easier as you go because solids come into the picture and you can cut a pumping here or there. If you are done and ready to move to formula only, you will still have a healthy, beautiful baby
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