Exclusively pumping Anyone who has successfully exclusively pumped for a long period of time care to share their…

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This is my first time excessively pumping. My first i strictly breastfed and now this time i excessively pump and it does make it super easier. Plus i also know he is getting enough. So for me it reassures me as well as is easier for me.

I did with my first and it makes things easier in that you aren't reliant on his feeding cues but you basically duplicate your efforts. Meaning that when he wakes up at night, you have to pump AND give him a bottle. That was the only downside for me. Everything else is exactly the same as nursing aside from just more dishes to do haha.

There is a ton of info on Pinterest now about it so if you are looking for some tips/tricks that'd be a great start.

I exclusively pumped for 6 months as my daughter wouldn't breastfeed at all. It was very time consuming but not too bad! I would pump before baby was due a feed and then anyone could give her a bottle. The only times it was hard was when hubby at work and I was home alone with baby, all I did all day was pump/feed!!

I did with my daughter for 4 months then gave up because like others said you're doubling the work and even when she was sleeping through the night I was up every 2 hours and it just wasn't good for my sanity BUT a lot of women do successfully do it so no harm in trying and if you decide it's not for you start latching him again.

I just want to put in a vote of confidence for you! You're doing an amazing job. Give it until he's like 6 weeks and see how you feel. None of us (bottle/breast) are getting anything done and everything is SO EFFING HARD. I have so much respect and props for all single Moms. And even with a supportive spouse, baby just wants mom all. the. time. It's overwhelming.

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I felt so much better once I went back to work. It was hard but the physical distance was nice and pumping at work was a good break from the real deal. That's when I started to love nursing -- also baby was growing and becoming more enjoyable.

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You're going to do great no matter what you decide.

I exclusively pumped with my first and breastfed the next 3. It's a little more time consuming at first, but not too bad. I would pump every 3 hours for 15 minutes. I could pump and feed baby at the same time since I invested in a hands free pumping bra. I was able to space pumps out a little more after the first 6 weeks. I also produced a gallon of milk per day, so I was able to stop pumping at 6 months and he was still on breast milk at 18 months. When I went back to work I was able to pump every 5 hours, so I didn't have to pump as often which was nice. If you need any other questions answered don't be afraid to ask.

I've been pumping since my little guy is n the nicu and I'm going to continue to do just that when I take him home today bc I like to know he is getting enough!

Thanks ladies! I tried out my Medela hands free bra and I love it. I'm still not sure which will work best for us though. I would like to know how much he eats, I have a scale and it's accurate but still hard to get a reading because he moves so much. And I have to measure quick before he poops. Seems he takes 2-2.5 oz from one boob but idk how much from the second boob. He usually poops by then.

I exclusively pumped for a solid year with my second child. He was born early, 13 weeks early, so I obviously had to start off pumping. When he was almost five months old, we graduated to him nursing from the breast but it was not 100% successful. Plus, I felt more comfortable bottle feeding him because I monitored how much he was eating and made sure that he was indeed eating enough to thrive. It is TOUGH, girl. To me, every day was a trial. I would go to bed and wake up the next day with the same vision for that day, but also with the same motivation. You can do it though!