Did anyone decide to exclusively pump due to oversupply/strong letdown?

Question

I am considering switching to EP because I have such a strong letdown and an oversupply that my little guy gets too much too fast and chokes and ends up with an upset tummy. I am currently pumping off an ounce before feeding him, but for some reason I’m having a hard time making the switch to pumping full time. He gets pumped milk from his dad twice a day, so I know he does well with it. Is exclusively pumping really as hard as people say?

Answer

With my second, I pumped through the worst of letdown and then latched her on.  By around 6 months I was able to stop that.  This baby, I just would sit him up and burp him through the choking and catch the spray with a haaka on one side and a cloth diaper on the side he unlatched from.  Then latched him back on.

Answer

I didn’t choose to EP because of my oversupply but I did have one. I did EP for 12 1/2 months, and pumped over 13k ounces. It’s hard in the context that you have to be good about the schedule, setting time apart in the day to pump at your times for X amount of time. It gets easier as you drop pumps with older babies but with younger ones you pump A LOT especially at night. Depending on your pump you have options of skipping washes as well, I had an Ameda with only one large attachment so after I was done I’d run it under hot water to rinse then at the end of the day I’d actually wash it with soap so that cut some time out of my pump schedule not washing every single time. Medelas I’ve heard people stick the stuff in a bag and place it in the fridge so that’s another way. Bottle washing can be cut back to if you get enough for several days, I used the same bottle all day so if I had 6 bottles I didn’t need to wash them multiple times a day I could do it every other day. Storing milk, if you want, can also be done once a day instead of multiple times a day that’s another way to cut time out. Just stick everything you pump in the fridge then at the end of the night/evening it’ll all be the same fridge temperature (do not ever mix different temperatures of milk) and you can bag/label it all then instead of 4,5,6+ times during the day. Lots of tricks you’ll learn and what works for you as you go along. It takes dedication really, you have to be really good about doing it and you will have to make a schedule for doing things during the days as well. Like pumping before going out and timing to be back before the next session or you’ll have to bring the pump with you etc. If you are serious about it you can be 100% successful but it’s all about your mind set of what you want to do and how strict you’ll be on yourself.

Answer

Yep. I switched because of that and the hour long feeding sessions.

Did anyone decide to exclusively pump due to oversupply/strong letdown?

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