If someone exclusivity pumps I consider them a breastfeeding mom because the baby is getting breastmilk. For me, it doesn't matter how the milk gets into baby's tummy. Breastmilk = breastfed and formula = formula fed. For my son, I tell people he was breastfed and formula fed (even though he refused to latch).

@lovelily I was formula fed and my mom is like my best friend. My husband was ebf and definently doesn't have the same bond.

And his siblings were ebf for like 18 months. He was only fed for 6 months then formula fed. He's a chemical engineer, his siblings are... well God bless them.

I fully believe breast is best HOWEVER, it doesn't guarantee anything

I formula bottle fed my daughter and we have an awesome bond.

My stepson was breast fed for 2 years by his mother and he can't stand her.

As long as baby gets fed and is happy and developing normally, do what you feel is best.

The reason EBF has a higher supply is because the skin to skin bonding with baby. I EBF my middle daughter 2 urs & my youngest 1 yr. it’s honestly the best thing for you & baby there are so many health benefits for the both of u it’s insane.! Pumping is a hassle unless needed obviously.! & yes babies do still get the healthy benefits from pumping & bottle feeding but what they don’t get & was a huge deal for me is that bonding with mom. I didn’t breastfeed my oldest and our bond is no where near my younger 2. Think hard and do lots of research not everyone feels the same. Try it out & see what works for u

Breastmilk is still superior nutritionally than formula, so it’s better than formula feeding (calm down Fed is best people- it’s scientific fact, not a dig). It is not the same as breastfeeding though. It’s also far more difficult. I ff my first and regret it, exclusively pumped for 10 months for my 2nd and ebf my 3rd. My breastfeeding journey wasn’t easy, but I’d still take it any day over the other options. Exclusively pumping is draining, can it be done? Yes. It’s a lot of hard work as dedication. Any exclusive pumper is a super hero.

IMO: exclusively pumping is a lot harder than EBF. I was doing both while finishing school/working (first 6 months). When I was able to stay home with the kids I was relieved when I realized I could EBF. Pumping is tiring. And stressful. Not all pumps work well, you have to have the perfect size flanges, pump and certain times... etc in order to get the milk flowing. Also, because you pump, you may not produce enough milk. When I was doing both, my milk supply DROPPED. But when I was EBF, it worked out better for both of us. If I wanted to get out or have someone feed baby, I used a manual hand pump- that worked better for me.

Unfortunately, that's what you have to do. See what works better for you because every mom is different.

I ebf for son for 18 months, and my daughter 13 months so far... no way would i have gone even close to this long had I pumped

@jleona, it really is I started just pumping for my first at two months then stopped at around 4.5 months because my supply wasn't keeping up. Super hard

@ecahanes I had to do it with my second and I gave up after 4 months. It was too much for me especially once I went back to work.

@jleona, ya idk how women do that lol it's so much easier to whip the boob out

@ecahanes honestly, exclusively pumping is WAY harder than actually breastfeeding lol.

@ecahanes it's way more work... more stressful.

I mean the baby still gets the healthy benefits from the breast milk.

Just say "I exclusively pump" personally I thinking pumping and feeding is just as hard as breastfeeding just in different ways

Well yeah, but the breastfeeding just more bonding.

No. That's still considered bottle feeding. Breastfeeding is when baby is physically attached to your breast.