Exclusive Pumping for the Second Time!
Hola! This is probably what I get asked the most by new moms - How do you exclusively pump? Why do you do it? How does it work? How often do you have to pump? How much do you pump? When I started out, I had no idea what I was doing and pieced together information from internet searches. Here is all of the information you need in one place – what exclusive pumping is, the pros and cons of exclusive pumping vs nursing, and how to exclusively pump breast milk.
First of all, let’s talk about what “Exclusively Pumping” means: Exclusive pumping is also called EPing and breast milk feeding. It is the process of removing the breast milk from your breasts at regular times throughout the day via a pump. You can then give that milk to your baby with a bottle.
Why did you choose Exclusive Pumping?
For those that have followed my motherhood journey for a while, you will know I exclusively pumped for Zidaan for 7 months as well. Both my kids had some issues latching properly and I knew I wanted to exclusively breastfeed them for the first 6 months at the very least. After trying to have them latch and struggling miserably the first week of their life, I decided to pump full time. I then realized some other benefits to exclusively pumping as well such as my husband being able to feed our babies, the freedom to pump and empty out my milk in a shorter timespan than a baby takes and being able to build a larger freezer stash which then gave me peace of mind when I travel/go back to work.
It’s important to remember however that in most cases, a mother who has made the decision to exclusively pump has not done so “lightly”. It’s not an easy lifestyle and most people call me crazy for attempting it. While everyone does agree that there are irreplaceable benefits to nursing baby directly from breast, everyone must also agree that breastmilk itself is irreplaceable.
What pump do you use?
I go back and forth with my Medela Sonata and the Willow. I will do a detailed review of the Willow once I’ve used it for an extended period of time.
What does your pumping schedule look like?
My pumping schedule has changed over the past 11 weeks. I’ll start off with what I did when both my kids were under 6 weeks and then 6-12 weeks.
0-6 weeks: A normal newborn baby nurses on average 8 to 12 times in a 24 hour period. I always suggest it is best if you can come close to matching what the normal nursing baby would do at the breast, and recommend you pump for 20 minutes about every three hours in a timely manner. You’re still building your milk supply in the first 6 weeks so the more frequently the breasts are emptied, the more milk you’ll have. I also pumped twice in the middle of the night during the first 6 weeks. Prolactin, the milk producing hormone, is at its highest during the night. SO SO important to get the most milk out then.
This was my exact schedule when Aiyla and Z were newborns: 7am, 10am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, 12am, 4am
6-12 weeks: I’ve now slowly transitioned to pumping 20 mins every 4-5 hours. My schedule now looks like: 8 am, 12 pm, 4 pm, 8 pm, 12 am, 4 am. I’m a little more lenient now and delay a half hour here and there, but mostly try to stick to the strict schedule.
I’ll drop another session once Aiyla is 4 months and then when she’s 6 months.
Exclusive Pumping Benefits
You always know how much your baby is eating (so no “is she getting enough milk?” worries) – when you’re nursing, you have to guess unless you weigh your baby before and after feedings. I tracked how much both my kids drank after I pumped and froze the rest of the milk.
You know how much milk you are producing and can see trends over time. This way you can take action more quickly if your supply starts to drop. Nursing moms have to guess if supply is an issue or their baby is fussy for other reasons. I got mastitis and saw that my supply dropped in one breast, I knew to add a session or two extra to that one to build that supply back up.
You are more in control of deciding when to wear as breast pumps tend not to be as attached to the breastfeeding relationship. Also, you will have no issues with transitioning your baby to a bottle since they’ve taken one from the start.
You can store a lot of pumped milk away. With Zidaan, I had enough stored to last him another 5 months of his life after I decided to quit pumping.
Exclusive Pumping Challenges
It’s a big time commitment – exclusive pumping requires about 120 minutes of pumping per day, in addition to the time you spend bottle feeding your baby breast milk. With nursing, the milk production and feeding steps are obviously combined.
Pumping while traveling or during a busy day can be tough. You have to work your schedule around your pumping times.
It requires a lot of energy and effort to wash your pump parts. Nursing moms have nothing to wash; formula feeding moms only have bottles. I use the Medela pump cleaning wipes for my parts after every pump session and sterilize the parts once a day. I highly recommend investing in a great sterilizer!
How can I make EPing easier on myself?
Some of the things you can do include: create a schedule that works for you and stick to it! Another great piece of advice is to see if your baby will take the bottles that you pump into. Zidaan took the Medela bottles that I directly pumped into. Aiyla uses the comotomo bottles (only because they’re just so darn cute). You should also set up a pumping station or have a basket with all your pump parts and needs! I have a basket that has everything I need so it all stays in one place and I can pump easily. Also, get comfortable with pumping on the go - this includes pumping while driving, pumping while outside of the house, pumping while flying etc.
Exclusive pumping has worked great for me and I have managed to freeze over 400 ounces of milk in my freezer, I have my freedom when I want it and I’m just glad my baby gets my milk even if I wasn’t able to nurse. It’s not an easy lifestyle, but I’m pushing myself to do it for 6 months just like I did with Zidaan. If this is what you’ve chosen, you’re not alone! And if this is something you’re interested in trying, I’m here for you!
Thank you for reading!