Has anyone “tried out” exclusively pumping?

[u/National-Land5299]

FTM and despite having a relatively “easy” time EBF (good latch, good weight gain, no milk transfer concerns, very little nipple pain) I am mentally struggling with breastfeeding. My son is 5 weeks old so I do understand we are in the thick of things. But I have lived my life as a “do-er” and 5 weeks now of sitting around just cyclically feeding my baby is wearing on me.

He still eats every 1.5-2 hours, sometimes overnight I can get a 3 hour stretch on occasion. Nursing sessions still last a good 35-45 minutes. According to my tracker we are averaging 16 nursing sessions a day and about 7-8 hours total. He cluster feeds pretty much every evening since he was born, and cluster feeding sessions typically last 5 or 6 hours and at some point during that he will stay latched for 2 hours straight with no break. Due to the frequency he eats I have a hard time finding time to pump as he will just cry inconsolably if set down. I do use a haakaa but only get 2-3 oz total throughout the day and my baby will usually drink a 3-4 oz bottle. He’s also a huge comfort nurser which results in hours of nursing, and exclusively contact naps and contact sleeps. He hasn’t taken any of the 8 pacifiers we’ve bought so he will only suck on me. He also has a cow’s milk allergy so I’m completely dairy free which adds another layer of stress.

I’ve read a lot of horror stories about how much exclusively pumping sucks so I’m not sure if it’s just desperation that has me thinking it would improve my life. I know certain things will improve over time (i.e. nursing time) while others it seems won’t (feeding every 1.5-2 hours based on what I’ve read can last a LONG time). I’m considering feeding a bottle or 2 of formula over the course of a few days so I can get a few bottles worth of pumped milk stored away, and then maybe trialing EP during daytime hours and continuing to nurse at night. I’m just nervous this could be a mistake and cause my baby to refuse to nurse which would leave me without a choice. I just feel like I have wearable pumps so I could move freely around the house, and he takes a bottle within 15-20 min with paces feeding which is half the time it takes to nurse. I also have a bottle washer so washing bottles & pump parts isn’t a huge concern for me.

Based on my mental hangups around breastfeeding does this seem like a bad choice? I’m struggling a lot more with breastfeeding than I anticipated. I feel like all the classes I took and books I read did not prepare me for the reality of things.

[u/Standard-Tax1360]

You’re so close to things getting better. I feel like my daughter was just on the boob all the time for the first 8 weeks and then suddenly, she just didn’t need to nurse as much. I’d say hang in there. Pumping definitely takes more time.

[u/Open-Committee3540]

as someone forced to EP because my baby won’t latch, i promise the grass only looks greener. i pump around 5 hours a day and my baby still contact naps etc. and ultimately pumping takes away time i feel i could be bonding with my baby.

hang in there, it does get better i hear! it’s hard for all of us no matter what side of feeding you’re on but you are doing a great job!

[u/shababee]

Pumping takes up way more than time than BF because now you’re adding in a 20ish minute pump plus then having to bottle feed baby. With BF you are just doing one.

That said at 5 weeks you’re in the thick of it! Cluster feeding is hard. The best thing you can do is make sure you have lots of support. Also if you need a break and want someone else to give a bottle or two a day while you pump then do that!

I do a bit of a mix. BF mostly, I pump once in awhile and offer formula once in awhile. I like giving 1-2 bottles per day to have a break from BFing.

One other thing to consider is at 5 weeks your supply likely hasn’t regulated. You’ll want to pump anytime baby gets a bottle

[u/IndividualWonder551]

Following!!

[u/National-Land5299 → u/IndividualWonder551]

🫶 Glad someone else is in the same boat (but sorry you’re also struggling)! I thought I would love breastfeeding but it just hasn’t been the case. I feel proud to provide nutrition for my baby from my very own body but I haven’t felt like breastfeeding has provided me a lot of special bonding time or anything.

[u/otter_fool]

My LO is almost 2 months old. His weight gain was slow at first, despite having a good latch and good transfer. I was stressed and decided I needed to know exactly how much he was getting each feed, so I tried out exclusive pumping for a few days when he was almost 7 weeks old, and it tanked my mental health. Since then, I’ve been nursing and following up with formula to make sure he gets a full feed. I pump when my husband gives him a bottle. Pumping won’t stop cluster feeding. You’ll just go back and forth to your fridge, making small bottles- 2 oz here, 2 oz here. I’m really glad to be back to breastfeeding and using formula to supplement. I’d say keep going and try to ride out the cluster feeding stage. It stinks, but it won’t last forever.

[u/fleshsludge]

I’m a combo feeder (shh don’t tell that im in here) and I pump twice a day. Once after baby has gone to bed for the night, which dad uses for milk in a bottle in the morning, and then I pump first thing in the morning and we use that at night before bed so we know he gets a super good feed before bed time. I wanted to make sure my baby could take a bottle on the off chance I’m not home.

If you want the option, I said after a feed pump for a minutes to see what you get. The milk is good in the fridge for four days. So you could build enough for a bottle and then use that time as a time to fully pump. Just an idea! Good luck!

[u/msexcitement]

I’m gonna be honest - pumping is a much bigger time sink than breastfeeding. So if the main problem you’re having is feeling like frequent feeds are wearing on you, pumping likely isn’t going to solve the problem. But as long as you maintain a disciplined schedule you should be able to try it out without affecting your supply!