Pump breast milk better?

[Flower11111]

Hello everyone I just wanted any advice or opinions on how mothers out there that decided to pump their breast milk rather then breast feed have found it and if it's any easier?

I've done both - but the second time was only because my twins were in NICU and too premature to breastfeed for the first few weeks

Have to say I didn't like pumping - I felt like a farm animal and it's really not very glamorous being hooked up to a machine for hours a day. I preferred the lovely connection that comes from snuggling with your baby while they feed - it's a very special feeling that I can't really describe

But if there was one advantage to pumping it's that at least you know for sure what amount your baby is taking in as you can check the bottles etc also I guess it's practical in a sense that you can pump and go and take it with you

I didn't like breastfeeding in public especially with twins! So I didn't really go far from home for a few weeks

Babies are more efficient than breast pumps. Poor latch and issues with supply meant I have had to combi feed and it is hard.

Pumps have a lot of parts to clean and sterilise, and actually finding the time to pump is hard with a little baby on hand, even if you have a mobile pump. I have both mobile and wired pumps, but I find the baby doesn't love the noise of either so I have to be careful I don't disturb her too much where possible.

Getting out and about would be problematic too, with all the extra bottles etc to take out - better to just pop out a boob. I would love to have had the convenience of that!

I started to do this but only after 3-4mths of breastfeeding and only cause I didn't have the easiest breastfeeding journey. It took a lot of dedication and planning, I would express every 3 hours day and night and make bottles for the next 24 hours. It did mean that I had to take sterilised equipment and have somewhere to store it if we went out. I kept it up until I went back to work after a year mat leave.
I felt more confident knowing exactly how much DS was having but am hoping to breastfeed without expressing this time round as it's a lot less faff!
Finding the right pump took time too, I tried hiring a hospital grade machine, a normal electric pump and a hand held, so can get expensive. I found the cheap hand held the best.
Good luck with whatever you choose to do

Bf is a lot easier than pumping. But pumping is great for getting up your supply and if you’ve always got some pumped milk in the fridge it gives the option for going to sleep and missing a feed (providing there’s someone to help) or having a glass of wine every now and again.

I hated pumping, it can get quite frustrating if you don't get much etc. but ended up doing a mix of feeding and expressing and was happy with that.

I would recommend a Hakka / Naturbond for feeding or pumping, I tended to get more from that than the full pump! If you put it on the opposite side to the side you are feeding/pumping it catches the let down - can't believe how much would've gone to waste! x

Pumping is great to supplement breastfeeding... I pumped once a day for my first, so she had a bottle at 10.30ish pm that hubby could give her. Meant I could get to bed earlier and he had some time with baby. Also gave me the freedom to go out and not worry she might be hungry whilst I was out... I could leave some milk in the fridge.

However, I can't imagine having to pump for every feed - it would be time consuming and probably quite challenging with a young baby as you are having to pump and then feed, which is twice the work of just breastfeeding alone :-)

I definitely wouldn’t say pumping was easier than breastfeeding. I found it time consuming and faffy with all the sterilising, checking milk was stored correctly, dated, rotated etc. Occasionally pumping is ok so you can leave baby for a few hours or get an early night every now & again but there is no way I would exclusively pump unless absolutely necessary.

If you want easier, I’d say breastfeeding is easiest, followed by formula, then expressed breast milk having done all three.

Pumping is much harder work than direct breastfeeding. Women generally only exclusively pump when the baby completely refuses to feed from the breast but they are still very motivated to feed breast milk. It's exhausting. Every feed takes longer than a breastfeed and then you have to sterilise, warm, wash the pump, cart bits around...

Pumps can be a useful addition to breastfeeding direct to help supplement supply or enable time away from the baby.

Pumping is really hard. I have several friends who've exclusively pumped because of their or their baby's health problems, and I am so impressed by the effort and dedication they put into it.

if you can express easily then yes.

if takes an hour to pump 1/2 oz then put all the pumping equipment in the fuck it bucket and get some Cow& Gate or SMA today

I didn't really enjoy pumping. Seemed inefficient and felt like such a chore. I did it 5-6 times a day for four months and was so ready to give up when I did!

However DD wouldn't latch and it seemed to me the only way to get some breast milk into her. If you haven't got a good double pump I'd recommend hiring a hospital grade one from medela. Also get a bra that holds the pump on so you can go handsfree!

I pumped for 3months after my preemie was in NICU under paed Drs orders for no direct feeding. It was very very difficult and all consuming so in the end I gave up. Was fine for a few weeks but mixed in with sleep deprivation, missing meals and just overall stress, it was a massive relief to stop in all honesty. My supply reduced to lower than what he needed at that point too. I would definitely choose to bf if I had been given a choice.

I had to start pumping initially as my boy couldn't latch but once he could BF is much easier and less faff

Pumping is an utter pita and I wouldn’t recommend it. You have to wash, sterilise, pump. Which can be an hour. Then someone else usually gets to feed the baby, while you start with the washing, sterilising and pumping again. So much easier to sit on the sofa and feed directly.

if you can express easily then yes

Even so this can change. I found pumping easy initially, but once supply had settled I had to keep pumping every day, or supply would readjust and I’d struggle.

As pp have said pumping isn’t as efficient as a baby, so more chance your supply will decrease.

Is there a reason you’re considering it o/p?

I am going to give a very different opinion to every else it seems!

I have been exclusively expressing for 2 months and honestly it isn't that bad if you have a good supply! I like being able to see how much my baby is drinking and knowing she is still getting breast milk. Just make sure you have a good double pump- worth buying a good one if this is your plan! I will say though, I have had to give the occasional ready made formula when I didn't have any milk ready in the fridge. There are lots of support threads you can find through Google.

Different things work for different people- just find what works for you!

I exclusively pump for both my boys 1st was 12 weeks Prem so Couldn't bf. 2nd had bad tongue tie so pumped for him to. Pumping is twice the work but if you have a good supply the right pump and set up it's more than doable. I would also recommend joining exclusively pumping uk fb groups

Breastfeeding once established is very easy, no bottles to clean! But it's limiting so pumping obviously helps once you want to leave baby. Getting started isn't easy but a good midwife at the hospital helps and look in advance for peer mentors or professional lactation consultants

Pumping exclusively is much, much harder and overall you do get much less milk (and it reduces unless you work very hard to retain supply) as compared to baby at the breast. I did pump for a while while we were getting DS tongue fixed and it took me pumping after every feed (and doing a lot of night sessions even when baby was sleeping through) to maintain supply. It’s definitely not for the faint hearted.

If you have the option then definitely do EBF instead. Once baby gets the hang of it they’ll he able to down everything they need in 10-15 minutes per feed & the numbers of feeds they need will reduce whereas if you pump you will have to pump to newborn frequencies for as long as you do it.

Also, you can literally breastfeed lying down with your eyes shut. I did most of my night feeds while basically asleep myself.

I've never breastfed so don't have anything to compare it to but I pumped for 4 months as baby was too small and in NICU and it was bloody exhausting.

It's firstly quite inconvenient as you can't really pump out and about.

You feel like a prize dairy cow.

Not only do you spend the time pumping but then you have to wash up and sterilise all that as well as the bottles. Pump, feed, clean up means I was getting about an hour in between for all the other jobs - rest- no chance!

I was glad to do it but wish I'd switched to formula sooner.

@Amichelle84

I've never breastfed so don't have anything to compare it to but I pumped for 4 months as baby was too small and in NICU and it was bloody exhausting.

It's firstly quite inconvenient as you can't really pump out and about.

You feel like a prize dairy cow.

Not only do you spend the time pumping but then you have to wash up and sterilise all that as well as the bottles. Pump, feed, clean up means I was getting about an hour in between for all the other jobs - rest- no chance!

I was glad to do it but wish I'd switched to formula sooner.

This is it exactly.

Once / if baby gets the hang of breastfeeding and they’re down to 10 feeds a day (so roughly 3-4 months) it becomes the easy option compared to bottle feeding & becomes easier the longer you do it. It’s can also be magic for getting toddlers to calm during a tantrum because instinct is to nurse (but only try that if they aren’t biters lol).

I’m 4 months in with exclusive pumping and for the most part have enjoyed it and it’s extremely satisfying to see baby thrive on my milk.

Exclusive pumping was my plan from the start with this baby, after a horrific bfing experience the first time round. However I have been trying for the past 2 months to get him on the boob as breastfeeding would be so much easier! We’re having mega trouble getting him to feed from me and it’s such hard work. I really wish I’d gone with breastfeeding from the off.

It’s very time consuming, tons of stuff to wash and sterilise, I find myself planning my days around pumping even though I have a wearable pump alongside my spectra S1.

My advice would be to direct feed if you can and are willing, and have pumping as a back up option

What I will add to that, is I pump 45-50oz a day over 4 sessions so am an oversupplier - I have it relatively easy compared to other exclusive pumpers, and I still find it exhausting and increasingly irritating!

Its really hard. There are also apparently advantages to directly breastfeeding you don't get from pumping - I can't remember exactly but I was surprised, I think its to do with the mechanism by which if they feed directly your body picks up on illnesses they have and produces antibodies to protect them whereas that obviously doesn't happen if they feed. I only say that in case its a purely by choice decision to pump: I know someone who chose to exclusively pump as she felt otherwise if she didn't know to the ml how much milk baby was consuming she'd worry. Which is bonkers IMO.

Some people get on well with pumping, I tried a few times then did it for a bit when I went back to work but despite feeding cheerfully for two years I produced hardly anything pumping, and really did feel like cattle at times.

@ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba

if you can express easily then yes.

if takes an hour to pump 1/2 oz then put all the pumping equipment in the fuck it bucket and get some Cow& Gate or SMA today

😂 love this 👌👶