[…] Pump extra. Pumping sucks, but adding a pump or two in a day will trick your body into thinking baby needs more milk! By removing more milk, your body will create more milk. I’ve done this either during nap time or as I’m getting ready in the morning. I usually notice I feel fuller after doing it for a few days. Also, pump “hands on!” Massage your boobs while pumping to help release the milk from the ducts. If you need more tips and tricks on pumping, I have you covered here. […]
How to Exclusively Pump Without Killing Anyone October 23, 2013
Before becoming a mom, I always envisioned myself breastfeeding my children. As a nurse, I’m aware of the benefits of breastfeeding and I knew that was the way I wanted to go. However, breastfeeding did not go as planned when I had my son. You can read about our breastfeeding struggles here and here.
As a result of our issues, I began to exclusively pump. If you asked me at week 2 if I thought I would continue to do this at week 17, I would tell you you’re insane and I would rather die. Well it’s week 17. I’m not dead. And while pumping is for sure a struggle, I have found ways to make the most of it without completely driving myself crazy. (Update: I made it to 13 months!)
I consider myself somewhat of a pumping expert at this point, so I thought I’d share my exclusively pumping tips and tricks with you in case you are a mom who has to pump. Warning, this is an insanely long post. But I felt it necessary to include everything on here for your knowledge instead of breaking it up into smaller posts. So to the exclusive pumper, I hope this finds you well!
PUMPING SUPPLIES:
Before you start, you need to make sure you have the correct supplies to make your pumping life a little easier. It can become overwhelming and frustrating very easily, so it’s crucial that you do everything you can to make it better!
- Buy a good pump. There are many different types of pumps out there, all with pros and cons. My pump of choice is the Medela Pump in Style Advanced, which is one of the top of the line non-hospital grade pumps. If you can get your hands on a hospital grade pump, do it. They are more efficient! You can rent them from your local medical supplier or hospital. However, my PISA has been a champ. It’s a little bulky to bring out and about and it’s also an open system (closed system pumps can be shared, open systems are not supposed to be shared because milk can get in the tubing and pump mechanism), but from the pumping support group I’m apart of on Facebook, the PISA triumphs all closed system pumps. I also love that it comes with a mini cooler to store milk on the go. I pump in my car a lot because of my job, so this is helpful! Also, insurance companies cover the costs of certain pumps, so definitely check that out before making your breast pump purchase.
- Get a supportive pumping bra. I registered for this one and it gets the job done, but when I was introduced to the Simple Wishes bra, my life and pumping experience changed. My nipples are hidden and don’t look like one of those fembots from Austin Powers, plus it’s adjustable and SUPER supportive, especially when the bottles are full. It’s worth the $40, I promise.
- Buy multiple pump parts. I was using the same parts and washing them all day long, and basically wanted to rip my hair out. Then I got smart and purchased a second set. And I may even buy a third because they aren’t expensive and are totally worth my sanity. Also, make sure you are using the appropriate size flange. That makes a huge difference in comfort! A lactation consultant can help you with sizing.
- A second set of tubing. I purchased a second set, one for my travel bag and one for home. I also had a fear of something happening to one set and not being able to pump, so I feel better having a backup set.
- Pumpin’ Pals can be your best friend. These flanges fit most breast pumps and are angled down so you can lean back while pumping. This saves you major back pain!
CLEANING:
- Like I said before, buy multiple pump parts. This will make cleaning much more manageable!
- For the first couple of months I thought I needed to clean my pump parts every time I pumped. Oh my GOSH, was I stupid. That was so much work, there’s no way I would’ve lasted this long! My lactation consultant told me to put my pump parts in a plastic bag in the fridge. By doing this, you only have to wash your parts once a day!
- When I wash my pump parts, I keep a bowl of hot soapy water in my sink so my pump parts could soak overnight. I used to not let them soak and would just wash them and call it a day. I found that milk residue builds up in the little nooks and crannies of the parts which can mess with their performance. By soaking them overnight, it loosens up any built up residue and ensures a thorough clean. Also, the dishwasher makes them super easy to clean!
- Buy a drying rack, or keep a dish towel on the counter (this is what I did because I had no room for excessive drying racks) for your parts to dry. They need to be completely dry before use or they won’t work as well!
- For pumping on the go, I use these Medela Quick Clean Breast Pump and Accessory wipes. They sanitize everything super quick which is great when you’re in the car or out somewhere! I was a hermit for the first two months of pumping until I found ways to make pumping OTG work!
- For quick sterilizing, I use these Medela Quick Steam bags. These bags are amazing for sterilizing bottle nipples, pacifiers, or anything of that nature. Plus you get 20 uses out of one, so they last a long time!
DIET:
- DRINK. LOTS. OF. WATER. This is so crucial. I find that on days I’m insanely busy or forget to fill my water bottle in the morning, I end up with a significant drop in supply. Buy yourself a cute water bottle, use fun straws, WHATEVER, just make sure you’re keeping hydrated. I promise you it’s so so important.
- Eat a healthy diet. And keep up your calorie intake. I’ve always been a healthy eater, but I found it’s even more important that I stay on top of this while pumping. There have been multiple times where I just didn’t find the time to eat, or I pumped BEFORE eating, and I ended up severly light headed and almost passing out. So I try to make sure I’m taking in enough calories, and especially enough protein, and I always have a snack while I’m pumping. Larabars have become my best friend because they’re high in good fat and filling.
- Eat milk producing foods. Oatmeal is known for this, so I’ll eat a cup of oatmeal in the morning if I didn’t put out as much as I usually do with my morning pump. At the same time, you want to avoid foods that decrease supply. Large amount of peppermint, sage, thyme, and parsley can cause a drop in supply. I was significantly overproducing at one point and my LC told me to drink peppermint tea every day. I woke up one morning after a few days and literally had like NO milk. Not fun.
PUMPING TIPS:
- Use your pumping time wisely. Pumping can take up to 30 minutes, so I try to make the most of this time. I prefer to not feed my son while pumping because I want that bonding time by holding him. So I will grocery shop online, blog, finish work, respond to e-mails, or even play with the baby in his bouncer while pumping. Multitasking is great because it takes your mind off how much you’re producing, which results in you producing more. It’s a win-win!
- That being said, it’s OKAY to disconnect from the pump if you need to. Don’t feel tied down. You can always go back to pumping later. If 15 minutes is all you got, there’s nothing wrong with that!
- Don’t use the highest setting on your pump. You want to pump at the lowest possible setting to get a flow going. This will protect your nipples and makes pumping painless. Pumping on the highest setting runs the risk of a blood blister on your nipples. And ain’t nobody got time for that.
- MASSAGE. MASSAGE. MASSAGE. Massage before pumping for about 10-15 seconds. This homogenizes your foremilk and hindmilk (my lactation consultant called it the “milk shake”) and helps loosen up those milk ducts. And massage during pumping. You will notice you empty a LOT quicker when massaging! And the less time it takes, the better for us busy moms!
- When you’re finished pumping, it’s good to massage and hand express to make sure all the milk has emptied. If not, you run the risk of a clogged duct which can lead to mastitis. This video has a great tutorial on hand expression.
- Lube up your flanges or areolas with coconut oil. This feels SO much better when pumping. There’s less tugging which results in a more comfortable pump session. Plus, coconut oil is a natural antibacterial!
- YOU DO NOT NEED TO PUMP OVERNIGHT IF YOUR BABY IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT (after 12 weeks). You can if you are worried about supply, or have trouble keeping your supply up. But the day my son started STTN was the day I started skipping that nighttime pump. Yes, my boobs were the size of bowling balls at first, but eventually my body adjusted and now my tatas are used to not emptying for 7-8 hours overnight. If you were nursing, and your little one started STTN, you wouldn’t be waking up to pump or nurse, right? Right. So it’s not necessary. Praise Jesus, Hallelujah. As a result, your first morning pump will be HUGE (mine is 12-14oz!) and it may take you a while to empty. But you’ll be well-rested. 🙂
- Change the membranes of your pump every 6 weeks (at least with the PISA). This helps with the suction, and makes the pump work more efficiently.
TIPS TO BOOST MILK SUPPLY:
- To build a good supply, you need to pump every 2-3 hours for the first 12 weeks. I know, this sucks. There’s no other explanation for it. But this is how often your baby would be nursing anyway. As I got closer to 12 weeks, I would pump every 3 hours, and after the 12 week mark, I extended my pumping time to every 4 hours. Once you hit that 4 hour mark, pumping gets sooooooo much easier. I promise. I am thoroughly looking forward to dropping to 4 pumps per day.
- Hand express after pumping. This helps get every last bit of milk out of the ducts. This video has a great explanation and demonstration on how to hand express.
- Kelly Mom has some great recommendations here (http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/pumping_decrease/) on how to boost supply, and also what’s normal and not normal as far at pumping goes.
- Power pump. Here are some easy instructions on how to do this. It’s a pain, but works.
BREAST MILK STORAGE AND HANDLING:
- Do not shake breastmilk. It’s normal for the milk to separate and for cream (fat) to form a layer on top and stick to the bottle. Shaking breast milk can damage it! More on that here. Gently swirl the milk in the bottle until the fat comes off and the milk homogenizes again.
- Breast milk storage guidelines – check out this link . I find it easiest to keep fresh milk out to give at the next feeding since freshly pumped milk is good at room temperature for at least 4-6 hours. My lactation consultant actually says it’s good for 24 hours because breast milk contains antimicrobial properties. That kind of creeped me out, so I stick to the 4-6 hour rule. I freeze any extra milk I have left over. I usually have 3 bottles (2 in the fridge, one fresh) at all times, and the rest goes in my freezer. I recently purchased a deep freezer so my milk would last longer.
- If you’re unsure about how long the milk as been sitting out for, smell the breast milk. Actually, just always smell it if it’s been sitting out. It shouldn’t smell at all, so if it does, TOSS IT. Nobody likes spoiled milk.
- These are my absolute favorite breast milk storage bags. I’ve dealt with one too many leaks with another brand, and found these bags the best for the job. When thawing milk, I put the bag of frozen milk into a ziploc bag and then into a bowl of warm water. The ziploc bag is a precautionary measure for leaks! Also, when freezing milk, lay the bags FLAT in the freezer. Once they are frozen, you can then store them in an ice bin or freezer bag and it saves on freezer space. Keep the oldest bags towards the front and the newest bags towards the back so you use the oldest milk first! Just a tip 🙂
- We use Playtex Nursers for our little one, and they have a really amazing breast milk storage kit that I’ve come to love. I can pump and store milk directly into the liners which helps make sure every drop of breast milk is accounted for! I’m sure other bottles have similar storage kits, so do some research!
Other products I love:
- These breast pump bags by Sarah Wells have my heart. I own FOUR and they’re a must have for any EPing mom who wants to EP in style. They’re so well made, and her customer service is impeccable. I cannot speak highly enough about this woman, and she EPed for her daughter so she gets it!
- Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter is great for healing the nips, AND for lubing them up prior to pumping! But I also love just regular old coconut oil as well.
Some extra information:
- If you are trying to wean from exclusively pumping, check out this link. I have yet to do so, so I’ll be referring back to it!
- Do not be afraid to pump out in public. I was, and for too long. I was literally a hermit for 12 weeks! But now I pump away from home, and I actually find it easier because I can multitask (yes, I totally pump and drive all the time!). So don’t be afraid! Medela makes a car adaptor for their breast pumps that is just what you need to pump in your car! 🙂
- Join a support group. It will save you from going insane. I don’t even know the ladies in mine, and I love all of them to pieces. They have heard some crazy rants and been there for some major tears, and have encouraged me to keep up my hard work all while letting me know it’s okay if I can’t do it anymore. If you’re an exclusive pumper and are interested in joining my group on Facebook, let me know and I’ll send you an invite.
- Try to relax. Stress can affect your milk supply, and believe me, I KNOW pumping is stressful. Which is why you should join a support group even more!
- Set short term goals for yourself. Personally, I plan on making it to 6 months of pumping and re-evaluating my quality of life. If I’m too stressed, too miserable, unhappy, and it’s affecting my marriage and mothering ability, then it’s probably not good to continue. But if not, I plan to extend my goal to one year. I take it one day at a time because every day is different.
I know that is TON of information, but I hope that is helpful to you if you need it! Pumping is a huge commitment, but very doable if you decide this is best for you, baby, and your family. The biggest point to take home is to NOT let this affect your family life. You need to be happy and enjoy your time as a mom, and I doubt you want to look back on your feeding experiences as negative. So if pumping isn’t for you, THAT’S OKAY. What matters is that your family is happy and healthy.
If you’re an EPer like me and need encouragement, never hesitate to shoot me an e-mail or comment. I will cheer you on, cry with you, help you through difficult days, and remind you that YOU ARE AN AMAZING MOM all at once. 🙂 Happy pumping!
***UPDATE 9/10/14: I do respond to every and all comments on this post with links to the support groups! I will personally e-mail you back if you leave me a comment requesting the information.***
Other pumping related posts:
A Guide to Weaning from Exclusively Pumping
How to Multitask While Pumping
A Day in the Life of a Full-Time Working, Exclusively Pumping Mom
Hi! Can you send me your link on FB? I pumped exclusively for a year with my twins, and am now pumping with my six week old, as well. With the twins I kept thinking, “just one more day.” And I made it a full year. Craziness. My goal with this one is six months! And yes, it got so much easier when I learned the tricks – especially the not washing parts except once a day!
I’m a first time mom with a 2 week old little girl. From day 1 she did not want to breast feed despite what I tried. Now she will intermittently try but I have found that it is less stressful for the both of us if I just pump and feed her via bottle. This post was very helpful for me. I live in a rural community so support groups are not nearby. I would love to be able to have the support from other moms in this same position.
Hi Katelyn, my baby was the exact same when he was born. i had a forcep birth so his head was sore & swollen from that which made latching very painful for him … & me. I was also so stressed out & scared about the pain, that BF simply did not work out for us. 6.5 months later, I’ve pumped ever since. I also supplemented with formula as i didn’t make a ton of milk. I started pumping 8x a day for the first 3-4 months then each month or so dropped a pump. i’m just went down to 2 pumps a day now since he’s starting solids. 3 formula bottles, 2 BM & some food & he’s ok. hard not too feel guilty but i gave myself a goal of 4 months so am happy to have made it to 6.5. will re-evaluate at 8 months & see If I can make it the year, if not, that’s ok! I did my best & his chubby little thighs let me know he’s ok too! good luck with everything.
Thank you for this post! It’s fantastic to know I am not the only one out there pumping like a mad-man! My son was early, wouldn’t latch, had jaundice pretty bad, so bottle feeding became the go-to from day two in the hospital. I nursed a bit when I got him home, but he would get fussy and I just felt like it was easier to pump and bottle feed. So we are on week 4 of pumping and feeding. I have started a fantastic supply in my freezer, he is up to drinking about 3-3.5 oz per feeding, and I am pumping easy 9-14 oz each pump so I freeze a lot. I am piping between 6-7 times a day, I read I should do 8, but I feel like I am getting enough milk right now. I hope to pump through Christmas or up to 6 months. Got my fingers crossed I can! Please send me a Facebook link. I would love to have some support for pumping!
This post is exactly what I needed as I am currently exclusively pumping for my 3 week old, and pumping now. 🙂 We went through a rough patch the first 10 days where she only gained a few ounces and had not returned to her birth weight. I was advised by my pedi to provide her with expressed breast milk. She has packed on the weight (ounces) after that. We even met with a lactation consultant to see how much she was eating when at the breast and it was only 1 oz in 30 minutes. She stated she was a slow eater. Keep in mind, she is 6 lbs and and was born 3.5 weeks early. Because of that, I have decided that breast milk through the bottle will be best. I am not sure I can go through another scare like that with her not gaining weight. Thank you for this post. Now my qiestion related to placing the pump parts in the refrigerator. Do you rinse them out before doing that or do you place them directly into bag, milk still on them all?
Also, you were pumping 2-3 hrs at night even if the little ones were doing a 4 hour sleep stretch at night?
I am pregnant with my third child now. My first was a bottle fed baby because I was still in high school and there was no way I could breast feed. My second I tried to breast feed, but she was preemie and never learned how to latch, but I attempted to pump. I was semi-successful, but again I was young and didn’t know what I was doing. This one I want to exclusively pump and this page is wonderful. My main question is about storage. What do you store the milk in? Bottles or bags? And do the bags attach directly to the pump? My pump that I borrowed before had bottles and I used those, but I’m planning on asking for a pump but don’t know what one to get or what we will need for storage. Please help!
the best pumps i have found is medela and spectra s1 and s2 i no your post is old but maybe this could help some other mama out im a mom times 7 and im a ep my self since my baby is lip tie tonuge tied good luck to all the mamas
This is SO great! I know you went through alot getting to this point, but there are so many moms who are going to be blessed and benefit from this post! Thank you for sharing your experience to help other mamas out 🙂
Hi Lauren,
I came across your blog a few months ago and have pretty much looked through most of your archives. I love your home decorating style and your personal fashion style as well. Furthermore, I am currently expecting my first baby and so it was really neat to read about your experience. I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your breastfeeding adventure and hurdles and also for this awesome Pumping Tip blog. My baby isn’t due until Feb. and the idea is to exclusively breastfeed for the first 3 months — until I have to go back to work (I plan to introduce the bottle before i go back so that she can get used to it) then I will need to pump and knowing about all this parts and tips it’s AWESOME! Thank you and thank you for sharing them…so I can refer back to them. I do have one question, do you prefer to store and freeze the milk in plastic bottles (can you even freeze them in bottles?) or plastic bags? What is your preference, if any? Thanks again!
Can you send me the link for your support group please?
Hi there! LOVED this info and SO helpful. I would love to join the support group on FB, this is just what I am needing!
Hello! Can you send me the link to your support group on FB, please?
Thanks for the info, by the way!!
I’d love a link to your Facebook! None of my mommy friends EP so I feel like I’m all alone out here tied to my pump! 🙂
I’m a first time new mom to a week and a half year old and I too am an exclusive pumper. He was jaundice when he was born and was in the hospital for 5 days. They kept telling me that in order for him to rid his body of it he needed to eat and breast feeding was a struggle. I tried multiple positions, nipple shield, tube to my boob to help feed, finger feeding and finally feeding him via syringe until I broke down in the hospital and told them to give me a bottle I was feeding my son my breast milk from the bottle. I’ve been pumping exclusively since the 4th day and he’s eating great. Thank you for these posts they are very helpful and informative. I have already gone out and purchased the hands free simply wishes bra (life saver) 🙂
I would love to see a post regarding pumping and driving since my commute when I go back to work is 40 mins each way!
Hi Lauren-
I really liked this blog post. My baby is almost 2 weeks old and I’m exclusively pumping also. It’s been a little rough. I was hoping for a little advice. It seems like most of the blogs and stuff I have been reading about says to pump every 2-3 hours but honestly I feel like I can’t even make it an hour and my boobs are killing me. Do you think this is normal? It’s so hard to get out I the house to do stuff when I need to pump every hour. Also I keep getting these small lumps under my armpits that are super sore. I would love to join your group on Facebook. I hope you have some advice!!
I would love to be part of your fb group…thanks for the tips!
My baby boy is a month old today. I’m frantic 90% of my day that I’m already not making enough for him! let alone to stock up for the dreaded day I go back to work. Your post really had a lot of great tips. I’d love to be apart of your Facebook group for additional support.
Another EPee here. My son is going on 4 months. Love this blog and would love support and also the ability to support others on the EP decision. I BFd my daughter for 26 months. Choosing EP for my son was due to a large similarity we have. I refuse to give him formula when his sister never had it.
This has got to be the besr pumping article I have found. Im having a hard time with pumping. I started I. The hospital pumping for my preemie who was in the nicu. I was producing so much. Then all of a sudden, as if overnight, my supply fell off. I started eith a lansinoh pump and last week bought the medela pump in style advance. The medela is far more comfortable and does a more effiicent pumping job for me, but im still having supply issues and have had to supplement with formula (about half of the feedings).
This post made me realize that im not nuts, pumping is hard, and getting small amounts is apparentky nor.al. its nice to know im not the only one struggling.
Can you please email me the link to your facebook support group.
I could so use that facebook support group! I’m EP for my 7 wk old who was born early and in the NICU for a while. I’m back at work and having such a hard time but I don’t want to give up!
I’d love the link to the facebook group also. A support system sounds amazing. Way to go mama and thanks for all the info.
I’m a pumper as well and would love to join the support group! Thank you for the great tips!
Just started EPing for my 4 day old. She wasn’t getting latched on and I am big chested to begin with and my boobs got very engorged and hurt tremendously! My husband and I discussed it and decided EPing would be the best for our family! I would like to join the facebook group!
Hi! I would love a FB group invite! Great tips!
Can you send the link to your FB support group please? This is just what I’ve been needing!
So my son and I have had breastfeeding problems from the get go. I did not produce ever one drop of milk until 3 days after having him. After that my supply hasn’t been very big. He was tongue tied, and has a week latch. We got the tongue tie fixed and now he won’t latch at all! He has a milk protein allergy, so I am now trying to re-lactate by exclusively pumping. My biggest problem is by the time I get him to lay down and start pumping during the day he wakes up and starts crying, or he just won’t let me put him down at all. I am wondering if anyone has had this same problem and if so how do you fix it. How can I soothe/hold/or occupy him long enough to pump?
I would also like a Facebook invite.
Can you send me an invite for your FB group? Thanks
Really quite a lot of awesome info!
Hello, I would love the link to your support page. I have been an EPer for a month now with my daughter. She was in the NICU with a collapsed lung for the first 10 days of her life on a feeding tube and since has refused to nurse. 🙁
Hi! Thanks for this post! I would love to be a part of your Facebook group for EP-ers! I am due with #3 in a week in a half and EP-ed with my first two. Thanks again!
Can you please send me your FB link? I exclusively pumped with my daughter, now 3, for 12 months and am now exclusively pumping with my son who is 4 weeks. I would love some support from other pumping Moms
Hi 🙂 can you add me to your Facebook support group please? I’m definitely in need of support!! Lol
Great information! Thank you so much. I would love the link to your Facebook page as well please!
I would love to be part of your Facebook support group. I ex mystics pumped from 5 months on with my first one and now on my second one I am thinking about starting even earlier because I am in so much pain. Would love to talk with other moms about it. Feeling very overwhelmed and guilty.
Thank you for sharing. My daughter is 4 months old and she is only taking breast milk for less than a minute and taking more formula. She was 11.4 lbs when she was born and it’s hard for me to produce enough milk for her. I am going to start pumping and hopefully if I pump more she will eat more! Thank you for all the comments as well, it’s nice to know I’m not alone!
Such an awesome blog and so much really helpful information! I posted a link to this on some of my mommy boards – hope that’s ok.
Hello
Would love to be apart of the face group support group. Can you please send link?
Thank you!
So great to know IIm not alone! Exclusively pumping is so much work and at the beginning, i thought “there is no way i can keep up”. So i set the goal of three months, and here i am at 6.5 months going strong with a month’s supply in the freezer. Love seeing artciles like yours online! Keep it up, mama!
thank you so much! I found this amazingly helpful, i am exclusively pumping for my 3 1/2 month old twins. i would love to become a member on your fb page. please share with me your link 🙂
would love your FB link.
bawled my eyes out through this article and your BFing parts 1 and 2. I felt like you were wiring my biography on BFing. how encouraging to know I’m not alone in EPing. looking forward to learning more through the support group.
I love this. It was very helpful and encouraging. I didn’t realize how common it was to EP. I would also love the FB link, I don’t have any support groups in my area =/
Oh I wish I found this 1 year ago. I didn’t enjoy breastfeeding at all and was on the brink of pnd because of it so I started to bring in ebm feeds so I could have a break while my husband or other children could feed baby, but I really had no idea when to pump or how often to keep a stash of ebm so I stopped pumping & combined formula & bf-ing. I was still not enjoying breastfeeding (baby was a perfect feeder too, unlike my other children) so I stopped & put baby on formula. My milk literally dried up in 3 days.
I wish I had to pumped so he could still have breastmilk, then maybe down the track breastfeed again, but it was too late 🙁
This would have helped me so much, I will pass it on to others
Hi! Can you send me the link please?
Hi. Please send me the link to your FB group. This was just what I needed to read for today. 🙂
This is great! I’ve been pumping for weeks and looks like I should replace my medela PISA membranes here soon! Could you send me the Facebook group link? I’d love to have more wonderful pumping mommas to connect with!
Sent you an e-mail 🙂
Terrific article! I didn’t even think to change the membranes. And you are so right about the extra pump accessories being awesome. It’s great knowing your world isn’t ending if you forget a piece. I’d love to join your facebook group.
I’ll e-mail you the FB links for the groups 🙂 Now that you mention it, it’s time to change my membranes too! ha!
Thank you for this! I gave birth to my nephew through a surrogate pregnancy 7 weeks ago, and am exclusively pumping for him. I breast fed my two daughters, and pumped during the day when I returned to work, but this business of exclusively pumping has been much harder than I ever expected. I am settling into a workable routine, but I so appreciate this blog! I’ve been taking it a day at a time. My first goal was to make it a month. Currently my goal is to make it until the end of summer (I’m a teacher), but now I could see myself possibly making it to 6 months or a year. Several of your tips are time-saving, which has been my biggest concern with back to school time quickly approaching. Thanks for your help and encouragement!
Oh my gosh, you are superwoman! What an inspiration you are! YOU CAN DO THIS! I believe in you! I’m so glad you found this helpful. Feel free to email me with any questions! <3
Can you please send me the link TO YOUR fACEBOOK SUPPORT GROUP?
Absolutely! I’ll email it to you 🙂
Oh my gosh! The tip about not having to wash your parts after every pumping session is the greatest tip I could have ever gotten! I felt like a slave to my sink! This is such a great post. Thanks so much for all the advice!!
You are so welcome! That tip is LIFE CHANGING! Lol.
I loved the title of this article. It actually made me laugh out loud lol
Would love your FB link. My son is 4 weeks old and I have been exclusively pumping for the last week or so. I will take all the tips I can get!
Love your website. I would love to join your Facebook group for some support! Thanks!!
Please send me the link to Your fb page? My second is now 3.5 weeks old and im eP, Determined to avoid formula as long as i can. This post helped so much today, thank you.
Hi there! I would really appreciate an invite to your facebook support group. Thank you!
Could you please send me the invite for your FB page?! Thx
I came across your website when i googled “exclusively pumping.” Thank you so much for all the InformAtion. It’s been a real help!
I’ve been exclusively pumping now for almost two weeks (my lo is 3 weeks old) and have not seen an inCrease in supply. Some days, i see significantly less! I’m pumping every 2 to 3 hours, eating oatmeal, drinking Mother’s milk tea, malta and GATORADE (i had friends who said these Have helped them) but i do not see any difference. I just ordered fenugreek and blesseD thistle. Is there any other advice you can give me?
Thank you in adVance!
Oh girl, I’m so sorry you’re struggling. It sounds like you’re doing everything right, too! I know some of my pump moms swear by fenugreek (although it makes you smell like maple syrup!!), and I know some also use an actual prescription drug called domperidone. I don’t know anything about it, so I would suggest talking to your doctor for some insight if you think it’s something you may want to try. I’m sure there are side effects and what not, I just don’t know first hand. Obviously I’m sure you want to go the natural root before trying any of that. I also heard coconut water is fantastic, I know it may not be the best tasting, but try the Vita Coco brand (just the plain one!) and mix it with some cranberry juice if you can. It took the weird taste away and helped me adjust to it. Now I drink it without anything! Let me know if you want an invite to the FB group, some of the moms there may have some better suggestions! 🙂
I would love an invite to the group.
I would be interested in the fb link for the support group. I cUrrently am breastfeeding my 1 week year Old, and it has been the toughest week of my Life, not exaggerating. I will be returning to work in 4 weeks, and at that time i plan to pump exclusively.
Portuguese Mom here =D
Loved your article! My pump is like the one in the image and my experience is exactly the same. Especially when it comes to the express pumping after pumping. <3
I have been exclusively pumping for my son For 4 weeks now. It is so much work! I did this with my last child as well but saw a rapid increase in supply which made continuing much easier. My supply is much lower this time (ave pump 1 1/2-3 oz) and nothing seems to be helping it increase. I have noticed an increase at the 1sT morning pump (5 oz) oNly!! I dont know what to do anymore. Can we correspond via email for support? Thank you…your info is wonderful!!
Oh i also supplement with formula at each feeding…he usually gets 1/2 and 1/2 or 2/3 and a 1/3.
I cant thank you enough for all your helpful info. Love the membrane change jnfo and the nipple cups that incline down. I have a 3 week old and I am ep. So glad to know that others are too. Again thank you and may I have your fb link please.
Awesome tips! Not washing parts is going to help me tremendously. Do you rinse the parts before placing in the fridge? Thanks.
Yes! I would rinse them with hot water to prevent any buildup. 🙂
Ive been struggling to exclusively pump for my 8 week old and notbing seems to boost my supply. I would love a link to your fb support group!
Hello! Thank you so much for posting this! I actually currently live in korea which is a ver breastfeeding society and i found it so hard to cope with the fact that i needed to pump and had no support. Even from my lactation consultants! I would love to be part of your facebook group to learn more about pumping! My baby is one only 12 days old and tongue tied and it has been a real struggle for her to latch on after the clipping of her tongue so i have been exclusively pumping 🙂 thank you so much for the tips and also for the words of encouragement!!!!
I have a 9 year old girl and a 6 year old boy, my boyfriend and I want to try to have a baby. I breastfed both my babies but for only 6-8 weeks because my milk supply went down to nothing. I was super bummed out and am terrified that it will happen with the new baby. I need all the support I can get and would love to be added to your group. Also any suggestions on how to keep my milk supply up would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I have a 9 year old girl and a 6 year old boy, my boyfriend and I want to try to have a baby. I breastfed both my babies but for only 6-8 weeks because my milk supply went down to nothing. I was super bummed out and am terrified that it will happen with the new baby. I need all the support I can get and would love to be added to your group. Also any suggestions on how to keep my milk supply up would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Hi..i am an ExcLusive pumper too for my son. I would love for you to send me thE link for your fb. Your tios and tricks have been a lifesaver!! 🙂
I pumPed exclusively for 7 months with my daughter. I am once again exclusively pumping for my son. It is challenging but Worth it in the end. I recently learned about a SNS device that may help Babies that won’t latch or are too impatient like mine! I’m going to give it a try but continue to pump. Best of luck to you!
I heard of an SNS too, but sadly it was too late by the time I heard of it! Definitely keeping that in the knowledge vault for the next time! I give you credit for pumping for a second time! I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do it again. I suppose I’ll cross that bridge when I get there! 🙂 Good luck!
Thank you so much for sharing. I have a 3 week old baby and although he’s my third I feel like a first time mom. My 2 girls are 17 and 13 so that big gap has me feeling like a newbie.
My goal is to breastfeed for 6 months however the baby has been fussy. Which has me feeling stressed. I feel like I may not be producing enough milk. Therefore I want to pump so I know exactly how much he’s eating.
I’m also concerned with my diet. I haven’t been eating too healthy so I would appreciate advice on meals as well.
Lastly please send me a FB invitation I love the idea of having a support group.
Once again thank you for the helpful information.
Kindly,
Fabiola
I’d love a link to your FB sUpport group, exclUsively pumping for my 7 month old, hoping to get to 1 yR mark!
i would love to be invited into the facebook pumping support group. my 3 week old son is having a difficult time getting enough from breast feeding… thanks so much.
more info please, as well as support group info.
Thank you so much for this post! I have a six month old and exclusively pump. Would love to ask you a few questions! Thank you 🙂
I would love the link to a Facebook support group! I’m excusively pumping for my 5 week old and I go back to work next week so I could use all the support I can get! 🙂 my older daughter was a champ at breastfeeding but this one wasn’t really having it so I decided to go the pumping route! Thanks so much for this post!
Thank you for your information. I would like to have the link to the facebook group, as i am the only one that i know that is ep.
I would love more info on the FB support group. I have a 10 week old I’ve been exclusively pumping for. Thanks so much!
SO GLAD I FOUND THIS POST. COULD YOU PLEASE SEND ME THE FB SUPPORT GROUP LINK? I AM EP’ING MY 3 WEEK OLD DUE TO LATCH AND WEIGHT ISSUES (SHE’S FINALLY REGAINING NOW THAT I AM EP’ING–YAY!) THANK YOU!
Hi – this post is such a GREAT help! Can you send me link with soup port group info?
I am first time mom and my babe is 2 weeks old. I just started pumping and it’s going great. I was hoping you can provide some tips on how to take breast milk on the go – I have the medela cooler but if the milk is cold, do I have to warm it up before I give it to her? Or if the milk is good at room temperature for 4-6 hrs, do I need the cooler? Any tips would be much appreciated!!
You Mention using a pisa pump, but with playtex liners? I didnt Know they were compatible. How did you do it?
Yes! You need to buy the compatibility kit. I linked to it in the post, but here is the link again! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011UH78G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0011UH78G&linkCode=as2&tag=froourhidpl00-20&linkId=IIHXJ47RKBJRAMI3
I would love the link to the fb group. I just started being a ep mom with my 7 week old.
I’m so happy to have found your blog post on exclusive pumping! I’ve been pumping exclusively for my ten week old chubby baby boy. Totally relieved that i’m not the only one and that there are loads of valuable resources on pumping. Your tips are super helpful! Hope to be part of your facebook support group. 🙂
I am so hapPy I found your blog! Excellent info! I am currently ep for my 3 week old son. CouLd you please send me am invite to the Facebook page? I would love tHe support from other ep mOms! Thanks!
Thank you for posting about the coconut oil!! It makes a huge difference!! 🙂
DOESN’T IT?!?!?!!!?! It was my saving grace!!!!!!
Thank you so much for all Of the aMazing timesaving and other tips, especially regarding washing pump parts, the flanges for Pumping while reclining and more. I am ep’ing for my 3 week old who Had Trouble regaining his birth weight (just made it today) and has been on a nursing strike since we Introduced a bottle of breast milk to sUpplement the little he was getting directly from the breast. I would be so grateful if you would send me an invite to your support group on fb. Many thanks again!
pleasw send me link to fb support group! I’d like to nurse naturally but my 12 day old daughter isn’t having it! I want to avoid formula at all costs!
i would love to follow your Facebook page and receive any links for support groups. Soooo many of my friends (almost all) were EBF’ers and I cannot. Thanks so much!
Thank you for this post! This has been the best one i have read yet. I had such ahard time trying to nurse my first baby, now with my second on the way i am determined to exclusively pump if we cant get breastfeeding down the first few Days. I loved all the links to the products you used, i will Be looking into all of those. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for this post! I have been EP’ing for 6 weeks now, after having latching problems w/my son. I was & still am determined to only gIve him breastmilk, though. So that is what keeps me going. I was frustrated in the beginning because when i would do research online about exclusively pumping, it was hard to find positive posts. It is nice to read your post, though, which is hOnest but still positive & keeps me hopeful that i can stick w/this crazy Pumping journey! I am very interested in joining your FB page, if you can forwarD me the link. Thanks again!
I have been exclusively pumping for nearly 5 months now. Would love access to the Facebook support group!
Hey, mama, I just wanted to say congrats on all the hard work and continuing to pump! I only pumped at work, but it is such a task and I hated it! You’re a rockstar!
Thank you! At this point I’m “retired” but once a pumper always a pumper! 😉
Im interested in joining your FB group. Ive been EP since September and could use the support/advice.
Not sure why this is in all caps. Sorry:(
I EP for my 9 month old boys. I still pump every 3 hours and it is really hard. When did you go to every 4 hours?
Hi! Thanks for the article…it is very helpful! I have 4 week old twins and am almost exclusively pumping because it just takes so long to feed both and pump for 40 minutes each time! I feel like I spend my life hooked up to the pump, and it is difficult to do anything to care for them while pumping. I would love an invite to the Facebook support group! Thanks!
Thank you so much for this post! In an exclusive pumper for my 6 week old daughter and am trying to make it 6 months. I’ve had two bouts of mastitis already and still struggle with finding time to get outside the house. How did you juggle feeding and pumping? My daughter will only occassionally be content in the crib or swing while I pump. Also I’d love a link to Facebook support group. Thank you again!
hello! Thank you so much for this website! I found you on Pinterest and this has helped me greatly and its also nice to just know other people who are trying to do this . I would love to be apart of the facebook page. Thank you
Hi I am pumping for my two week old and supplementing with formula as my supply is very low.
I’m trying to take it one day at a time but it’s so hard to think I will be doing this for the next 6-12 months
I would love to join your support group on FB, if you could please send me the link.
Thanks for such a great blog!
Thank you so much for a good read! Really helps with my moral!
My little one is just over 3 weeks and I can barely keep up with her appetite. I am doing the tricks to up my supply but it seems to remain the same. Will my supply go up as she gets older?
I would also like to get in on the FB support group.
Hi lauren,
Can you email me the links to the sites you follow. I am a new mom, breastfeeding didnt work for me either, and i have been pumping for my five week old. I struggle with time and getting to pump frequently. I average about every 3_4 hours right now, and only producing about 5oz each time. 🙁 maybe someone will have some suggestions for me. Thanks so much!
I’d like to have a link to the support group.
Love this blog, it’s really helpful. I’ve been exclusively pumping for about 14 weeks and hoping to make it to 6 months. Just wondering how you make the long stretch overnight. My son sleeps about 6-7 hours and I can’t make it that long without feeling like I’m going to explode. I’m also worried if I try to make it throughout the night my supply will drop.
Also would love an invite to your Facebook support group, I can use all the help I can get to make it to 6 months and maybe longer!
Would like invite to support group. Trying to pump and maintain suppky for 4 week old twins. It has been very stress full while trying to take care of 2 older children as well.
Hi! Can you please send me your facebook link. My LO is 5 months today and I’ve been exclusively pumping for the past 3.5 months now and need some encouragement to make it past the 6 month mark!! Also, I’ve been getting a lot of residue on the end of the flange where the nipple meets due to rubbing the flange with olive oil or lanolin to make it more comfortable. I just rinse the flange with water and store it in the fridge until the next session. Is that okay for the residue to remain there and potentially touch the milk? I don’t know if that’s dirty or not?
I’ve been pumping for 2 months and would love the info to the support group! It gets very stressful and time consuming at times.
This post was exactly what I needed to read today! Whew! Life saver! I would LOVE to have the FB support group link! I’m really struggling at just 3 weeks in of exclusive pumping and I need all the support I can get. I would love to not feel discouraged anymore. I follow breastfeeding support groups on FB, but they really just give me mom guilt for not being able to exclusively bf. Please and thank you!!!
I am EP for my twin girls. I have made it to week twelve and hope to get to a year! Hopefully I’ll have enough frozen to stop a couple months early. Can I please get an invite to the facebook support page? Thank you! It’s nice to hear from ladies in the same boat!
I would love an invite to your Facebook page! My baby girl, Daisee, is 7 weeks old and we’ve been EP for 6 weeks of it!
Would love the fb support group. I’m just starting my EP journey and overwhelmed!!
I would love the link to your fb group. Having trouble making enough to keep up with my 3 week old.
Would you please send me the link to the facebook group? Definitely needing the support right now – two weeks in and it seems like I keep hitting one hurdle after another. Thanks for this post!
I would love to have an invite to your Facebook group.. My baby is in the nicu born at 32 weeks and is now 35 weeks and I have been pumping and stressing about how I’m going to be able to pump, feed baby, and sleep and still feel like I’m not a zombie … Thank you for your tips !
please send me an email to join facebook support group!! my baby girl is 4 weeks tomorrow and we are EP. loving all your tips!!
Hi! My daughter would not latch on due to flat/inverted nipples and we tried struggling with the nipple shield, had LC come to house but she just wasn’t gaining and I was having to pump to empty and maintain supply anyways. Now she is 2 weeks old and we are exclusively pumping. Your article was helpful and I love the Simply Wishes bra. Could you please send me the FB link? It would be so nice to have support from people who understand the struggle instead of the “your missing out on bonding since your pumping” and “if you would have tried harder you could have breastfed”. Thanks!
Hello. Thank you for the wonderful information. Could you please send me the link to your Facebook group? My daughter is 2months and I have been EP for a month now.
I’m an exclusive pumper fir a 9 weeks old little man! I’d love the link to the Facebook group!
Would also like an invite to your Facebook support group. Thank you!
I just hit the six month mark with pumping, I just started a new job last week, as of right now I’m pumping 5 times a day hopefully in the next few months I can go down to 4 times a day. I save about 6 oz a day now I have about 350 oz’s saved so far I want to feed breast milk till she is a year old I’m hoping I can make it! Any tips on saltation on track and not giving up? I know my baby’s health is the only reason I’m doing it because I know the benefits of breast milk any other advice on how to keep going would be helpful
Can you send me the link for the facebook support group? This is my second child and i exclusively pumped my first for 14 months and had milk until she was 2. I’ve been doing it with my second for 3 months and plan on doing the same with my first. A support group would be good!
I would like an invite to the Facebook group. Pumping exclusively for my 5 week old.
I’d love to join your fb group. I just started eping as breastfeeding brought a ton of anxiety and frustration for me and baby. Pumping at night with baby is tough!
I have a beautiful 10 day old daughter. I prepped and wanted badly to breastfeed but inverted nipples and weight loss it wasn’t working. I am now pumping to keep up supply and feeding her through bottles. I am struggling with the idea of not breastfeeding and would love to join your group.
Hi there,
Just had a pumping break down and came across this post! Thanks for the encouraging words! Would love the fb group info too!
Hey there! Can you please send me a link to your fb page? Been epping for the last 3 weeks (lo won’t latch) n trying hard to not go mad.. Would love some help on that 🙂
Hi! I’m an exclusive pumper and I would like to join the facebook support group! Can you please send me a link? I’m trying so hard and I cry every few days about how hard it is and I really don’t want to quit.
Hi! Eping my 6 week old due to a terribly misaligned jaw (birth trauma). I would love to be part of your support group. Thank you!
Thank you!!! I loved this info! I am on my 17th week of EPing. It’s hard but I’m pretty happy I’ve made it this far… I plan to go a year, but at this point it’s week by week month by month. Would love to join the Facebook group 🙂
Hi! Thanks for the great info! I’ve been EPing for 17 weeks now. It is stills week by week month by month for me but I know it’s worth it. Would love to join the Facebook group!!
I am never one to post comments, but I just have to say, THANK YOU! I have a one-month old and went through the same horrible feeling of not being able to breastfeed. She has a really high palate and long tongue and while I went to lactation consultants who said her latch was perfect, I kept having severe pain during feeding and vasopasms after. Breastfeeding was so unpleasant, painful and stressful that I was crying everytime. I had started pumping after feeding the first week she was born due to doctor’s concern I may need to supplement with expressed milk (didn’t have to!) and kept pumping. This weekend I switched to exclusive pumping after I tried ‘one more time’ to breastfeed her only to end up in tears and pain for the rest of the day. Your posts on your experience are so helpful and make me feel much better! I did want to ask, how did you go about pumping and feeding your baby? My husband is in grad school, so I am lucky enough to have him home for most of the feedings to help out, but when I am by myself, I am so stressed out about pumping before/after she feeds. Ideally, would like to do before she finishes her nap and wakes up to feed, but am so scared she’ll wake up crying and I will be in the middle of pumping (my nipples still are sore everytime I pump and need to let air dry/add mother love nipple cream/etc. before being able to put on a bra…..Any guidance you could offer would be so helpful, you are the first person who I feel like actually understands what I’m going through and I swear I have been on a million blogs and forums! THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for all the information! I am EP for my 8 week old twin girls. I would love your Facebook link to join your group! Thank you!
Please please send me the facebok page. I am EP and having a really tough time with it! Dont want to quit but it is a daily struggle!
I am exclusively pumping for my twins for 5 weeks now and would love to join the Facebook group! Its hard to imagine being able to do this for long ( although I want to) especially when my husband goes back to work :/
Hello, glad i came across this post. My baby girl is 4 weeks old today, and I have been trying to ep for the past 3 weeks. I am really struggling with the totals I have been getting and we have to supplement with formula since I am not producing enough to fully rely on breastmilk. I have been trying my best to get at least 8 pumps in per day, and I am averaging 6-7oz per day. Please add me to the Facebook group as I am really seeking support. Thanks!
My baby girl will be 2 weeks tomorrow and I was unable to nurse…it just hurt to much so they advised me if I would like go just pump. I have been doing that for about a week now but it seems like she’s not satisfied after i give it to her. She always wants more so I have been also giving a little bit of formula. Also when I give her a bottle it seems to come out the sides of her mouth. I have been filling it to 4 oz each time. Do you have any advice on that? I have tried the avent natural size 0 nipple and that didn’t work so I went to the nuk slow flow but it still does it. The one that actually fits the best is the sample ready to eat formula and nuk disposable nipple they gave me at the drs. Office. Feeling really discouraged and cry a lot cause this is my first and im not sure if I’m doing it right. Also they say to wake her every 3 hours but sometimes she will be up for a few hours and then just take like a half an ounce. I just don’t know what to do.
I just started eping for my 1 month old and would to be part of the Facebook support group! There isn’t a lot of support for exclusive pumping!
Hi there! So great to read a post like this! I exclusively pumped for two of my children for a year each! My advice is to get a hands free pumping bra, pump in the car (I did this all the time with a blanket thrown over me), set small goals and reward yourself every three weeks or so. I can’t believe I did it for a year, but that is one of my proudest accomplishments. Check out babycenter.com…exclusively pumping for other tips and women doing it too!
Congratulations! i wrote this post while I was pumping, and I ended up pumping for over 13 months! I agree with your advice, as those are things I did as well 🙂
Great info. I’ve been exclusively pumping for almost 6 months and plan to keep it up for 6 more if possible. I guess I’m lucky because after the first 12 weeks I was able to go to pumping just 3x a day…getting 12 Oz each time. Don’t think I could handle pumping 5-6x a day! That’s impressive!
I would like to join your Facebook group. I ep’d with my first daughter for 10 months and am now starting back again for my 1 week old daughter. I don’t remember it being so hard to get started so I could sure use some encouragement. Thanks!
My little one is almost 9 weeks and I’ve had a heck of a time. I’ve been pumping
Great tips! I finally made the decision to EP today. I have had both positive and negative feelings toward it all day. Please send me a link to your FB group.
Would love to join your group. EPing a 7 week old and it’s getting to be a lot with a 2 and a half and 6 and a half year old. Need some comfort.
Hey there can you send me the link to the support group? I’m 16weeks EP with my 18 almost 19 week old daughter. I get depressed that I wasn’t able to breastfeed her and would love to talk about it with other EP moms
I’ve had to switch from breastfeeding to pumping due to poor latch and really poor weight gain 🙁 I’m not producing nearly enough though and baby is needing lots of formula top ups. He’s 8 weeks now, do I just carry on and hope the supply goes up? Feel like I’ll be pumping every 2 hours for months plus he doesn’t sleep so no sleep and no life right now!
Please send me an invite to the exclusive pumping support group on Facebook. My baby is 15 days old
I am glad I came across your post. I am exclusively pumping my son, who is now 12 weeks old. My goal is 6 months. I just returned to work last week, and found the info and not washing the parts overtime a great find. I have purchased extra parts since I was losing my mind trying to wash the one set every time. I think I have finally found my groove and hope to keep this up for at least my son’s first 6 months. I have a crazy great supply and have been able to freeze over 1000 oz in milk so far. I would love for my son to have breast milk for the whole first year. Thanks again for writing this it has helped so many people.
Please send me a link to your EP support group!
I’ve been EP for almost 7 months now and my goal is go at least a year. Please send me the link to the FB group.
I’m so relieved to have found this posting! I’ve been going crazy exclusively pumping for my twin boys but there is a lot in this post that is really making me feel better about the whole process. I would love to join a support group like the one that you mentioned on Facebook so if you can send me a link that would be awesome!!!
I’m a first time mom and my baby is in the nicu. He will be one week old tomorrow.. About 2 days ago I got engorged breats. I pump every 2-3 hrs for about 30 mins. But yet my breats still feel extremely full. Shat should I do about it? Thank you very much
I would love to talk to you about dropping pumps and my schedule. I’ve been exclusively pumping about 5 months. My son is 8 months old. I still pump 7 times a day because it takes that to keep up with him. I have only dropped one pimp at 6 months. I just scared about my supply. I plan on dropping another June 1st. I would hope if I dropped I would still produce the same,but that was not the case when I dropped my last pump. Thanks for your help. Love the article.
I would love to be included in the support group. Just decided today to exclusively pump for my second child. I exclusively pumped for my first for six months and I could use some support to do the same again!
I would like to be included in the support group. 🙂
Please send me an invite to your FB group for exclusive pumpers. My baby is 3 weeks old and I am just now getting the hang of exclusive pumping. Thank you!
I began EP two weeks ago due to having a lazy nurser, and a toddler running around. It just left me with no time.. Will you please send me the link to the support group? Thank you!
would love an invite to the FB page as well as how I could find my local support group…even though we are moving to a new area in a couple weeks I would love to find mommies who have shared in the same struggle! thank you for the helpful article!
Awesome article! I’m EPing for my 3.5 week old son and would love to join the Facebook support group! I’m finding a groove with pumping but am stressed about how to keep it up when I go back to work. Any help/advice would be great! TIA!
I am a new mommy! My baby is 8 days old. I am only pumping and having a heck of a time. I would like to be part of your Facebook group, please send me the link! I love this article and all of the advice!
Hi there! I have a ten week old and am an exclusive pumper. I am starting to have a very hard time pumping. I would like to join your group very much. I do not know any other pumpers and could really use a group of women who do for support please. Thank you for your tips.
Sincerely:
Lisa A.
So nice to know I am not alone. I haven’t completely admitted to myself that I will be exclusively pumping but it is looking that way. My two week old is a super lazy eater and has poor weight gain but I keep hoping one day hewill wake up and it will just click! I would also like to join the Facebook group. Good luck to everyone!
Beginner here! Baby not latching on right and really want to try exclusive pumping! I would love to join the Facebook support group please? Thank you! 🙂
Thanks for this great blog, I was doubting on if exclusive pumping is an option. I also have sore nipples since the beginning and is been a month that I can’t even touch my nipples and start to have blister. I would love to join the support group, please send me the link for that. Thanks!
Thank you for this post. I recently decided to exclusively pump. I would like to join your Facebook Group. Would please send me the name of the support group on Facebook?
Thanks!
I would like to join your facebook group. I will be going back to work in two weeks and will like to continue to pump
I would love to join the group as well!
I’m EPing for my 6 week old twin boys. This post was SOOOOO helpful! Can I have the link to your FB group? I spend most of my 30 minute pumping time scrolling FB so it would be great to browse that group while I pump. Thanks!
Hello and thank you for this awesome and encouraging post on EPing! My son is 12 days old and due to poor latch and weight loss issues I have been EPing since about day 5. I am pumping every 3 hours on a 3, 6, 9, 12 schedule and plan to continue this at least until my LO is 12 weeks, but I was wondering if you could share with me at all how you mixed your feeding schedule with your pumping schedule. I am at home by myself all day so I have been feeding my LO right before or after my scheduled pump times even if that means waking him to feed, but don’t know if that is the right way to do it. I feel like if he is not somewhat on my schedule I will be pumping/feeding him 24 hours a day. Anyways I am really looking for advice on how to balance the pumping and feeding schedule, how you knew how much to give your little one in a bottle (Mine is currently taking 3oz every 3 hours but I don’t know if I need to increase or decrease this). Thank you!
Brilliant blog. Lovely to read about other exclusively expressing Mums.
We’ve been exclusively expressing for 5 months now, due to breastfeeding problems as our daughter was 8 weeks early. My milk supply is going down so we are using my milk out of the freezer. It doesn’t look like we’ll make it to the 6 month mark as the freezer is emptying, I feel really gutted about it. I’ve added another pump per day back in, but it hasn’t increased my supply yet. I feel really disappointed about it.
Thanks for such a great blog, it helps to hear other people have trouble also. I am also a nurse and was set on the textbook way of breastfeeding my son. However, at 7 weeks I feel like he is starving all the time, acts like he wants to eat every 1-1.5 hrs and is a lot more fussy when I nurse him from the breast then when I pump into a bottle and feed him. He naps better and seems more content/ happy that way. I feel like he is also getting more foremilk and not as much hind milk when he eats from my breast. I would love to join ur Facebook page and gets tips. I’ve been stressing about EPing and it decreasing my milk supply. I had been pumping once a day before now and storing in freezer so I already have a good supply saved, but my goal is for him to only get breast milk until he is 6 months. I don’t think there is anything wrong with people using formula I just however would prefer not to if possible. I would luv to hear more tips and advice from you. Thanks!
Thanks for the article and all of the great tips! My little guy is 5 weeks, and while he does latch sometimes, he struggles and fights drinking from the breast the whole time. It ends up stressing me (and probably him) out alot more than just pumping. I like that you at least know what to expect when pumping! I’d love to be a part of the Facebook group.
Awesome post extremely helpful.. Would love to join the FB
I would love the info for the support group! I have been exclusively pumping for 8 months and I can’t believe the criticism I get! I find myself breaking down and feeling terrible about myself because of the criticism which makes me want to quit but I know this is what’s best for my baby. I would love to hear from mom’s like me!
Thank you for the encouragment. my baby has been struggling with nipple preference and started to reject breast feeding and I would love to join the Facebook group for ongoing support.
My son is now 9 weeks old and I’ve been exclusively pumping since the first week pretty much! It’s definitely a struggle some of the time, but then I look at my little guy and take it one step at a time. That being said, I’d love to join a support grouo, it’s nice to know I’m not alone!!
I am due in November and am planning to exclusively pump I would really love to be added to the Facebook group. I need all the help, tips and advice I can get. Thank you!
I’ve been expressing for 4weeks, I’ve been pumping further and further apart, so my supply has gone down, I’m worried it’ll run out, if I go back to pumping ever 2-3 hours, will my supply increase?
Great information on your blog
So many great tips, thank you! I am a mom to a wonderful 7 week old girl. I am EP and am just about going crazy…between a clogged duct last week and thrush…ugh. Can you please add me to the Facebook group?
Thank you so much for this blog.. This is my 2nd child and I exclusively pumped with my 1st, but gave up after 3 months because I had to go back to work and couldn’t fit pumping into my work schedule. My job didn’t have any space and didn’t offer any solutions for moms that wanted to pump. The law has changed for employers since my 1st so I’m looking forward to pumping for at least 12 months even after I go back to work..This time around I wanted to exclusively BF but things didn’t go as planned with the LO giving me sore bloody nipples, I have decided to exclusively pump. Please add me or send me the link to your Facebook group.
Hi, can you please add me toyour fb group?
I was someone who never even knew about exclusive breast pumping. It does have its pros and cons and would love to be a part of your Facebook group. Thanks so much for the article!
I would love to be a part of your Facebook group. Thanks for the article. It was extremely helpful. Can you store your pump parts in the fridge even if you put coconut oil on the flanges each time?
i’m due October 26 and would love to join your Facebook group seeing as I plan on exclusively pumping.
I’ve been exclusively pumping for 6 weeks, and I’m battling a dwindling supply. Please send me a link to the FB group!
This was a wonderful resource. I recently experienced supply issues after returning to work and would love to join your support group. Do you mind sending me some information? Thanks so much!
This is amazing! Would love to join the fb group! Ftm to an almost 3wk old and am EP because he is lazy at feeding, slow to gain wt, similar to other stories. Wish I would have seen this a few weeks ago. Def looking for tips on increasing supply!!
I’ve been EPing for 7 weeks now. My son was born 7 weeks premature — we just passed his due date! I’m hoping to transition him to breastfeeding, but it’s slow going as he’s not transferring much when we try. (He has no trouble draining his bottles though!) It’s dawning on me that I might be EPing for much longer than expected. I’d like him to get breastmilk for 6 months. I’m pumping 8x a day and averaging 33oz. I would love to be able to drop that to 6x a day as soon as possible, but I’m not sure if that’s feasible or the best way to go about that. I’d also love to join the facebook group!
Hi,
Would you mind sending me a link to your Facebook group?
Thank you 🙂
i would love to be a part of the FB group!! I’ve been EP’n for 2 weeks now. I’ve been supplementing with formula but would love to feel more encouraged on boosting supply to not need to add formula into the mix. LO was almost 9 lbs at birth she got down to 8 lbs before we started EP’n she’s now 4 weeks and finally at birth weight. She has latching issues at home but not in presence of consultants/Drs/nurses and she had jaundice levels that made her lethargic and she slept more than she should have been. Which made it difficult. Now that the jaundice has come down and is almost completely gone I am afraid/not comfortable trying to latch and nurse again because I don’t want her to start losing weight again. Look forward to becoming a part of your support group on fb
i have been exclusively pumping for about 6 weeks now due to latching issues. I would like to join the Facebook group please for any helpful tips and advice. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this post. I’m exclusively pumping due to poor latch issues (high arched palate and a disorganized suck) that has led to a lot of frustration and tears – for both my LO and I. It’s really felt lonely, especially since I don’t have any real world friends who’ve made the same choice to compare notes with. If the Facebook group is still active, I’d like very much to join.
Could you send me the link to your facebook page. I EPed for my first for only 3 months and now my son is going on a nursing strike and I may need to start EPing. Any extra support would be great.
I would love to join your Facebook page as well. I have been exclusively pumping for 4 months and am hoping to make it to a year too. Thanks!
Could I join your FB group? We have been EP for 4 weeks now. I’ve tried to join two EP groups on FB and neither have accepted me. I could use the tips and support as I’m constantly discouraged with my output.
I’m almost in tears reading this! My heart is breaking because my daughter (7 weeks) seems to hate breastfeeding. I’ve tried everything and seen several professionals but every time I go to feed her she screams. She had thrush off and on and we just got a lip tie revised but it hasn’t helped much. Breastfeeding was something I was so looking forward to but now I’m considering EPing. This blog was so helpful and I’d love to be added to the FB support group!
Hey Lauren,
I am an EP on the verge of giving up… can you please send me a support group link and maybe an email.. i am def in need of a cheerleader right now. 🙁
Great blog! Would also love to join the Facebook group! I’m currently on week 4 of EPing.
This is an awesome blog! I just ordered the flanges and I am excited to try them!! Please send me the FB invite for your page. EPing has been challenging at times but so worth it for my little one 🙂
Loved this post. My son is 11 days old and I have been exclusively pumping since he was 3 days old..I already feel overwhelmed and exhausted! Would love the link to your FB support group to help keep me going..thanks!
This is so helpful! Can you send me the Facebook group info? I am having a rough time right now exclusively pumping for my twin girls, and I could definitely use some support!
As an expectant mom who plans to BF my baby, this post is extremely helpful. Your tips are so user friendly that my level of anxiety is reduced. It is always a gift to others when you share your experiences so thank you so much!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
I would love to have the link to your FB group! I’ve struggled with latching/supply issues with my daughter (4WO), and was never given the option to exclusively pump. I am hopeful that maybe we can go back to breast feeding if I can establish my supply, but in the meantime, I’d really like to increase my supply so I can exclusively pump and feed her without needing formula. I am not big on going to meetings, but I’m often online and could really use the support.
Thank you!
Hello, would love to join your support group on FB. I am exclusively pumping and going on 10 months now. Thank you for sharing your story!
In tears as I read this post and the comments as I realise I’m not alone.my baby girl was born at 37 weeks and never caught on to breastfeeding properly she was losing weight so I started expressing to help .please add me to the support group
My baby is 11 days old and I’ve only been EPing for 3 days. He had a bad latch and nursing was so painful and miserable! I’m trying to read everything I can about EPing and would love to be added to the Facebook group!!
I’m so glad I found this blog!!! I feel like such a slave to pumping since I’m also the one who is feeding my LO. I’m pulling double duty!! I’ve been having terrible back pain and I’m so happy to order the special flanges you recommend. I would love to join a Facebook group for mom’s who are EPing. Thank you!!!
Hello,
I just started EP-ing for my daughter about a week and a half ago. I’d love an invite to the facebook support group.
Thank you.
My daughter was born on 12/10 and we just couldn’t get the latch down! 10 days after birth and 3 lactation consultants later I have decided to exclusively pump because she had dropped in weight. I would love to join the Facebook support group!
I have been ebf’ing for nearly 5 months but I’m giving up because we have been struggling the whole time and I’d like to ep from here on out. 🙂 can you add me to your Facebook group?
What great tips!! I am exclusively pumping for my 3rd baby. I exclusively breastfed my others for 14months and for 12 months. My sweet little girl was diagnosed with a rare genetic syndrome called prader-willi and difficulty to feed is part of her syndrome. So she has a feeding tube in and I feed her my milk that way. This has been such a hard and emotional journey but I won’t give up! Could you please add me to your group? It’s so helpful and such a blessing for any tips and of course encouragement from other moms struggling! Thank you so much for this! What a blessing!
I would love to join your Facebook page. I’ve been EPing for 9 days and would love to get more advice and support.
I just started exclusively pumping at 3.5 weeks! It makes me so overjoyed to know there are other people out there who are exclusively pumping as well. I would love to join the FB group! <3 I'm struggling with how to get ahead of what I'm feeding my baby. I literally pump and then feed, or in most cases, husband feeds the meal prior while I pump the next meal and never get to feed him 🙁
Can you send me link/invite to your FB page?
Could you add me to your fb group?
Do you think it’s possible to start exclusively pumping for twins at 12 weeks. I pump for.one and.nurse the other and right now I think the nurse is still hungry. The one who gets bottles is much bigger. The one who nurses is fussing by the end of the day. At night when im.engorged she’s a very happy full baby. Advice?
Can I be added to the EP Facebook group please. I’ve been EPing for about 4 weeks now. And I have many questions.
Hi! I just stumbled onto your post through Pinterest. I have a 10 week old and just returned to work last week as a nurse. I am finding myself leaning towards exclusively pumping at this point. I am interested in the support group for exclusive pumpers! 🙂 thank you!
I would love a link to your facebook group page!
Can you add me to FB support group??
Thank you thank you thank you!! I just came across this, and seriously best information I could have asked for, wish I would have found sooner!! I EP’d with my daughter for 6 months and now 6 weeks into EP’ing for my son, would love to join the facebook support group if you could add me.
Thank you for sharing your story and successes to help other Momma’s!
I am in month 6 of exclusively pumping and i think it was the greatest choice for my family. I currently have 2700 oz frozen in two freezers exclusively for milk and have cut down to 4 pumps a day, just enough to keep stores. One thing i would say to anyone who is building a stash, make sure you circulate your stash. You dont want your little one drinking milk you pumped when they were 3 weeks when they are 6 months
Thank you for your comment! Your breast milk at 3 weeks is much different than 6 months, yes, but it’s FULL of nutrients the baby needed at 3 weeks, making it even better. Milk like that is best for when babies need more antibodies like when they have a cold, etc. Therefore, it’s totally fine for a baby at 6 months to drink milk from when they were 3 weeks. I would hate for a mom to read your comment and throw out precious milk from when baby was a newborn because of it. They can absolutely drink milk from 3 weeks at 6 months, and it’s absolutely just as good for them.
How long should each pumping session be?
that’s up to you! Mine were 20 minutes.
THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!! You’re wonderful. I’m a first time mom and had a ton of trouble breastfeeding my little girl. She has trouble swallowing at the breast for some reason and will not transfer any milk at all even if she’s latched on there for 30-40 minutes. So frustrating. This helped a lot. Especially for my mental health. I would love to be part of this Facebook group. Please add me!! Thank you so much for this again!!!
I would love an invite to your exclusive pumping group on FB. I was googling exclusively pumping and your blog came up. (I already follow you on Instagram though)
I’m currently almost 6 weeks with exclusively pumping. My little one was born 5 weeks early and my milk didn’t come in for several days after and once the bottle was introduced she didn’t want to go to breast. I seem to have hit every struggle I could think of so far and just hope it gets better! I would be so thankful!
Hi lauren, 3rd baby on the way, exclusively pumped my first two which was over 8 years ago, would love to be added to a Epumping support group especially since my family is all for the easy no effort formula route 🙁
Thanks for posting! honestly im a new mom, and NOBODY told me anything about breastfeeding I was literally so lost when I started. Im so new to this and like figuring it out with no help is hard.
Hi!
I just found this blog post and LOVED reading it!!!! I and EP and have been for the past 2 months since baby girl was born. I set a goal of 6months and then I will re evaluate. I am pumping 4x a day for 30min each and it’s been working fine. I do have a slacker boob and am getting really frustrated with it! What do I do?!! I eat a bowl of oatmeal every morning, lactation muffins in the AM, lactation brownies in the PM, and I try to squeeze in a lactation smoothie during the day. I snack on hard boiled eggs, avalados and every snack imaginable that’s good for milk boosting. What is up with this slacker boob?! HELP!!
Hello, do you still have fun group for EPing? I’d love to join. Thank you so much for this helpful post!
3 weeks postpartum and EP now that baby girl had jaundice and got used to the bottle after needing to supplement with formula. She didn’t want to breastfeed since she had to work harder for it and it just became such a struggle for her and I. I would love to be added to your support group. My goal is to give breast milk and pump for a year. Lord give me strength. Thank you for the info in this post. So helpful.
Also I couldn’t see the link about hand expression after pumping. I haven’t been doing this. Yikes! You do it after each pumping?
I’m so glad I found your post! I had issues with breastfeeding with my first little one, and this time around I’m trying to get all the information I can get about breastfeeding and exclusive pumping. My little wouldn’t latch to save my soul, so right from the start, I was pumping and had no idea what I should be doing. So I appreciate all your tips and tricks!!
Thank you SO MUCH for this post!!! I was considering giving up on pumping before going back to work, since I thought how can I pump every two hours while at work when I have meetings and whatnot! Plus, I’ve gotten mastitis twice now. But your post is sooo helpful! I already learned some things I didn’t know before and am excited to try your tips out. I have a new motivation to keep trying and hope I can make it to six months. My baby might continue to be breastfed because of you, which I know is so beneficial for her! So thank you millions for sharing your knowledge:) I never write comments but just had to write you a thank you note!
Oh my gosh thank you for this ???????????????? Been EP for 9 weeks now and trying to keep going til the 6 month mark. Can you send me the link to your FB group pls?
Life changing tips shared with us. Thanks!
Hey there, do you have any suggestions as to when or how to go about dropping sessions over time? My son is 19 weeks and I’m pumping 6 times per day and I’m thinking about dropping another session bringing me down to 5 times per day so that I can sleep through the night when he sleeps. I just don’t want my supply to drop too much. I’m pumping about 45 oz per day right now.
Also, this was a great article. Like other commenters, my family was all for formula instead of pumping and so it’s been difficult to feel supported in my decision to give my child the most perfect food while dealing with a myriad of health issues. This article made me feel like a friend was recommending their favorite products and giving insider tips that most websites just don’t offer. Such a great resource to calm down any first time EP-er!
Hey Lauren,
I know this post is pretty old but I am looking for advice wherever I can get it. I am exclusively pumping for my now 7 week old son. I started exclusively pumping at about 2 weeks because unfortunately he is a lazy eater and would fall asleep every time I tried to nurse. About 10 days ago my electric breast pump broke and the company was unable to get me the replacement for 5 days. During that time I tried to manually pump the best I could. By the time I received my new pump, my supply dropped from 10-12 ounces every session to about 3-4 ounces each session. I have been power pumping once each morning, taking fenugreek, and pumping every 3 hours. I have only been able to increase my supply to 4-5 ounces each session, which means I am barely meeting my son’s demand. Do you have any advice on how to increase my supply? I am not ready to give up yet but I feel like I am failing despite all my efforts to remedy my supply.
hello I am not on Facebook can you recommend another way of having a support group?
Oh my goodness, you are such a life saver with this information. I lasted 3 months with my son and now with my daughter not latching well either, I’m in the EP train again. Thank you for the tips!!
I’m an EP and would love to join your Facebook support group. If you could email me the information that would be great.