5 Crucial Considerations To Exclusively Pumping

Hey new mama! And CONGRATULATIONS!

How’s motherhood treating you? Aren’t you absolutely in love? Is baby sleeping? Breastfeeding going absolutely perfectly?

PAUSE.

Would you be reading this if it was?

 [ReviewDisclaimer]

I just wrapped up 14 months of breastfeeding my youngest. It was A-freaking-MAZING. Okay, not the first 6 weeks where it felt like my nipples were being dipped into a high-speed food processor… but 95% of it was a beautiful experience I felt so blessed to have.

Okay so screw you Kait, why are you writing about pumping then?

Because ALTHOUGH I had a successful breastfeeding experience with my second child, my first WAS NEVER INTO MY GOODS.

I lived that exclusive pumping life for over 6 months after my eldest said “see ya never” to my ninnies.

And you know what? It is what it is. (Or was what it was?!)

Some kiddos simply can’t get the hang of it. Others, because of lip or tongue ties, are incapable. Sometimes mom, you don’t produce enough for breastfeeding alone. Or maybe it’s YOU, who just isn’t feeling that particular bonding connection.

AND ALL OF THOSE REASONS ARE OKAY!

But one thing is for sure, and that is exclusive pumping is not for the faint of heart.

So before you make that transition, here are 5 things you need to consider before becoming an exclusive pumper:

 

1.) Give breastfeeding one last try.

You heard me. Before you totally commit to packing up your nursing pillows and nipple shields, give it one more shot. Visit a lactation consultant. Read a couple of blogs. Find a support group. Because once you get that baby on a bottle for a few days (or weeks) straight… your chances of getting him/her on the breast again is slim to none.

I was SO CLOSE to being resigned to exclusive pumping with my second. When poor latches, clogged ducts, and general freaking frustration came my way, I thought, “Here we go again.” But you know what? I pushed through until 8 weeks and then suddenly, something clicked.

So take a deep breath, have some patience, and give yourself some grace. Remember, if you’re a new mom, you’re also NEW TO THIS, and if you’re not, your BABY IS.

This is all to say, try again. And try one more time after that. The best advice I was ever given was “don’t quit on your worst day.” If I had, the 14 months I had breastfeeding my youngest, would have never happened.

But if it STILL isn’t working for you? 

Good on you for trying! Give yourself a high five, and move on to the next things you need to consider…

2.) Exclusively pumping is going to take a lot of time… and a lot of energy.

Real talk, y’all… prepare to lose weeks of your life to this exclusive pumping thing.  We’re talking 15 minutes of washing parts, PLUS 30 minutes of pumping and feeding x five times a day… even if you did it for just 6 months that’s over 500 HOURS of said pumping-related tasks.

This isn’t meant to discourage you.

It’s to set expectations that exclusively pumping is TIME CONSUMING.

MY recommendation? Find something meaningful to do while you’re hooked up! Don’t just play on Facebook. (Guilty as charged.) Read a book. Do your online grocery shopping. If you spend your time focused on things that can help you out when you’re NOT plugged into the wall, it will make the whole process feel like less of a time-suck.

(Although, I will say a nice portable pump will also help maximize your “pump time” while allowing you to stay mobile.)

3.) If it’s an option, solicit partner participation.

I would have never survived exclusive pumping if it weren’t for my husband. He probably didn’t know he’d develop such an intimate relationship with membranes, flanges, and bottles as he was building the baby registry with me… but guess what? They tight.

Conservatively, my saint of a husband washed at least 90% of all parts and bottles, and suffered cracked, dry hands as he did it through winter. (He DID like to remind me of THAT, though.)

Kudos to you if you’re doing this thing solo. But as per my earlier math, it makes life a LOT easier if you have a pumping partner in crime.

4.) You’re gonna need some gear. 

Pumping is a party, and you gotta have the right equipment. This is worthy of a whole post in itself so hey – if you want the EXCLUSIVE LIST OF SUPPLIES FOR PUMPING MAMAS, sign up for our emails and have it delivered straight to your inbox!!

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Otherwise, go ahead and CHECK OUT MY POST on supplies you’ll need as an exclusively pumping mama.

Now, last but not least….

5.) Exclusively pumping will require acceptance… and sheer freaking determination.

At some point, your supply is going to drop tragically low and make you wonder if it’s even worth those few teeny droplets. Or you look at that never-ending mountain of unwashed parts and want to break down inside.

Or, you’re going to sigh in frustration as you have to go sit in the car to pump while you’re out at a social event. Or, you have a brief meltdown because even though you brought your pump, you FORGOT the coolers and now your milk is going to go bad.

OR, your pump is lost in your luggage en route to Mexico and you’re forced to buy a non-functional manual pump at a Mexican Wal-Mart. (That’s a story for another day…)

My pumping journey is over now, but my final thought is to be resilient. You’re giving your baby an amazing gift. It may not be what you originally envisioned… but to this day I’ll say one of my proudest achievements as a mother was working my ass off to give my firstborn a year’s worth of breastmilk.

Want to know how I kept up with all that milk? Don’t forget to check out my post on the ultimate milk storage hack!

Are YOU on an exclusive pumping adventure? I’d love to hear your secrets on how to make it work!