quit pumping?;(

Question

I have been exclusively pumping since my 3 month was born due to poor latch issues and being in the nicu. I'm only pumping .5-1 ounce at a time.. I can't decide if it's worth it to continue ;( is a little breast milk better than none? pumping is so much work

Answer

Don't give up! Any bit helps! Breast milk is liquid gold! Last week a lactation consultant told me that she used to give her milk to her older kids when they were sick and it helped them fight it. Well, my husband happened to have a cold so I gave him 6 oz and within an hour he could breathe! I gave him nore that night and his cold was pretty much gone by the morning! Now he won't stay out of my milk supply! Lol! 
Every little bit helps. Have you thought about actually nursing your baby? (I exclusively pumped with my firstborn and have nursed the other 3. I can say from experience that nursing becomes WAY easier if you stick it out a bit.)

Answer

I had latch issues from day 1. Son had a tongue tie and very shallow latch. So, after meeting with a lactation consultant several times, after 2 weeks of him losing weight, horrible pain and sleepless nights cause he wasn't getting enough to eat, I threw in the towel and began exclusively pumping. I have been in pain since the beginning no matter what I did.  Nipples hurry something fierce all. the. time. And the boob pain was constant, no matter what I did. It hurt to hold him against me, and the pumping took away quality time from him. The only time to pump is when he's happy and content, when I'm bottle feeding him or when he's sleeping. I'd rather spend that happy time and feeding time with him and the sleeping isn't conveniently timed for when I needed to pump.  I'll be going back to work soon, and I got sick of it. It was affecting my time with my son and the constant pain was just becoming unbearable to deal with daily. My plan prior to birth was to nurse for a year. Then I went to exclusively pumping when my first plan didn't work. The plan stayed a year. The pain was just rediculous, so my plan changed to 6 months. After 9 weeks, I waived the white flag. I didn't care what people thought, I decided to do what was best for both of us. So, I'm currently in the process of converting him to formula. And just finished the horribly painful process of drying myself up. (I did have decent production).  Long story short, do what's best for you and your baby, no matter what that is. Your baby would much rather have a happy mom that spends time with them and is fed formula than a stressed mom. Good luck to you. :-)

Answer

I exclusively pumping too and it's sooo much work. My hands are raw from washing bottles and supplies. I'm 10 weeks in and it's frustrating because my supply dips here and there and the schedule to pump to keep up is hard. I try and stay hydrated and I take supplements to help. My advice is do what u can but if ur mentally done with it ur done. Trying to keep up when ur already over it stresses u out more and it's not worth it ya know.

Answer

I agree it's a lot of work. I've been doing it since week 2. Some pump sessions I only get 2.5 and I know I feel discouraged.

Definitely some is better than none but if you are only getting 6oz a day you have to consider is it worth your time. I always pump after I feed her so I miss out on a half hour of cuddle time after she eats. I personally would probably think about stopping. You have to think you have lasted a good amount of time and have given the baby all you can!

Answer

It takes dedication on the front side, but it gets easier. I started pumping again at one week. I exclusively pumped nine months with my first due to a nursing strike. I weaned him at exactly a year. This time we had latch issues and weight gaining struggles. At first all I did was pump. I am talking 8 times a day at 20 to 25 minutes a session. My nipple hurt, I cried, I didn't sleep... it was horrible. I had skipped this stage with my first because my oldest breastfeed exclusively for three months so my milk was established when I started pumping. Establishing a supply with a pump is hell.

First, get a good pump. My Medela PISA didn't cut it. The LC told me use a symphony or a hospital grade pump. I ended up buying a Spectra.

Second, make sure your flanges fit. A proper fit gets more milk. It is all a game of supply and demand.

I started slow at 15 ounces a day and worked up to 70 ounces. I eat lots of oatmeal cookies, I drink lots of gatorade, and I take Lechthin for clogged ducts.

I am 11 weeks post partum. I now pump six times a day. I go 9 hours overnight without pumping. I am averaging 65 ounces daily and I have well over 2000 ounces frozen in my freezer stash. This isn't an easy journey, but it is possible. Shout out to all you eping ladies. Keep up the struggle.

Answer

Just pump what you can maybe? I pump about 5 times a day and formula feed the rest of the time

quit pumping?;(

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