Transition from exclusive pumping to breastfeeding

[2020N]

I exclusively pumped for two years with my eldest, as after a NICU stay and ng tube feeding, along with her small size and my inverted nipples, she never latched onto the breast and showed zero interest.

My second baby was born and fed from the breast straight at birth - I was elated! However that was the last of that! I spent three days in hospital working with lactation consultants but still no joy. My milk came in very quickly with pumping so I was allowed home with a plan to express bottle feed and encourage nursing. I kept trying to nurse but her latch wasn’t great and the nipple shields were more hindrance than help, and she had static growth. Triple feeding was killing me, and it wasn’t fair on my 4 year old.l as it was all I could do all day long! I resigned myself again to exclusively pump.

Fast forward to now, baby is 9 weeks old and the last two weeks randomly started rooting so I attempted nursing and she latched straight on and fed! I went to a breastfeeding group this week and she was amazed that baby’s latch was correct and that she was well positioned and feeding. I’ve been working on increasing nursings and decreasing bottles this week, but my god it’s hard going nursing and pumping. Last day or so her latch is hit and miss, and she’s cried for a bottle at times. Today she’s fed pretty much every hour which makes me think she’s not getting enough, but when I pump my supply is a lot less than what it was when I exclusively pumped which makes me think she’s definitely fed, and I can see the milk in her mouth.

Has anyone been successful with this transition? Am I fighting a losing battle? Should I just exclusive pump?!

Just looking for solidarity, insight and advice from others who may have been in a similar boat and can share their experience please!

Feeding every hour is normal cluster feeding for this age. It does not mean she is not getting ‘enough’.

She can latch, so lots of skin to skin and go with it.

Yeah I transitioned from almost exclusively pumping to nursing. As she got better at latching (had lots of problems with that) the amount I was pumping dwindled significantly so eventually it just didn't seem worth the time. The transition when I was doing both was really hard though, didn't seem to have enough time in the day but that stage was temporary.

9 weeks is still prime time for cluster feeding, I remember it well! I've done both pumping and breastfeeding and I know the anxiety of not knowing how much is going in.

Also, be aware that with breastfeeding babies really only take what they need, and the feeding is all over the place, there is no schedule until closer to 6 months really. Whereas with bottles, even if pace feeding the breastmilk, he was more regular. I think because they breastfeed for comfort too.

I have a friend who exclusively pumped with her first and now just had her second. Her second latched well from day 1 but she hated breastfeeding for the above reason and went back to pumping at 4 or 5 weeks. I think she's mad as I find EBF easier but equally, my boy is 11 months and I sort of get the touched out feeling and preferring to give a bottle.

There's a Facebook page called breastfeeding and lactation support UK i would recommend you join and post your question in. It is ran by trained moderators who can give 1 to 1 support (all for free) which sounds like it may be helpful in your situation 😊

Good luck and we'll done you for all the pumping and feeding its such hard work!

I’ve done it twice - NiIcu babies. In the end, I just went cold Turkey on the bottles as soon as there was a reasonable track record of them feeding: breasts soft afterwards,
reasonable time spent at the nipple.

Also, I hired a pair of super sensitive scales and weighed baby before and after feeds so I knew they’d taken some ounces