Exclusive Pumping: An Alternative to Breastfeeding

Many pro-breastfeeders will turn their noses down at pumping breastmilk and feeding your baby bottles of it. However, how you feed your baby is not as important as what you feed your baby. While choosing to give formula to your child does not make you a bad parent, I believe if more women knew about exclusively pumping as an option, they would opt to go this route.

I knew early on that I was going to EP. there were several reasons that I chose this method. Before Mya was born, the main reason was so that my husband could share in the feeding duties of our daughter. He works nights and I work days so he would have to be able to feed her when I was not home. EP provided a way for this to happen. Once my daughter was born, it became more apparent that EP was for me. She was born 4 weeks early and had to spend her first 8 days in the NICU. I had to have an emergency c-section so my body needed to heal. Trying to breastfeed was almost impossible for two days after her birth. She needed to stay in the isolette and her breathing needed to be regulated. I pumped to bring my milk in and once it did come in, she had to be fed with a tube because her sucking reflex was underdeveloped.

But there are many other reasons to chose EP. Maybe you have to go back to work right away. Or, maybe your baby was labelled Failure to Thrive after breastfeeding for several weeks. Maybe the idea of having your baby on your breast makes you feel uneasy. Whatever your reason, if you make the decision to EP, know that you are doing a great thing. Breastfeeding is hard, but EP takes really discipline and a solid commitment. And, it takes time.

What do I need to get started?
1. A hospital grade electric breastpump. These pumps are designed for marathon pumping. Their motors are strong and they will help you maintain your milk supply. You can rent these pumps from a hospital or a pharmacy. You can buy them but be forewarned- they are expensive. These are the following types of hospital grade pumps:

Medela (I recommend this brand).

Classic (very industrial looking and I found that it hurt my nipples)

Lactina (easy to use, quiet, not too harsh on breast)

Symphony (my favorite- quite, easy to use, automatic 2-phase expression)

If you cannot find a hospital grade pump, you can go with a Medela Pump in Style or similar pump. It is important to remember that these pumps are not meant to be used in EP. The motors may die quickly and sometimes the suction is not strong enough to keep up your supply.

2. Milk storage system. As you pump, you may need tto begin thinking about building a freezer stash for the days when you cannot pump or you find you supply is a little lower than usual. There are several ways to store you milk in both the refrigerator or freezer.

Bottles:You want hard plastic or glass bottles with tight fitting caps or disposable bottles. These are my favorites (in order of preference):
Breastmilk storage systems from Medela

One-Step storage kit by Playtex

Avent milk storage kit

Milk Storage Bags*: Usually resealable with nice pour spoutt.

Ice Trays: You can store your milk in plastic ice trays and then defrost each cube as need,

*I don't endorse these products. I find them cumbersome and annoying to use. I would rather use bottles.

OK, I have these things, now what?
Since all pumps work differently, make sure that you read your instruction manuals. However, the basic concept is the same. You place the flange over your nipples and turn the machine on. The pumps produce a sucking-like motion that extracts milk from your breasts. It is that simple, but here are some tips to help your pumping session be more productive.

Pump Often. Breastmilk is supply and demand. If you demand more milk from your breast, they will produce. In order to successfully feed your baby breastmilk without having to supplement with formula, you have to pump as many times as a baby would nurse. That is usually around 8-10 daily. I pump every 3 hours when I am not working. When I go back to work I will pump as many times as I can at work without causing problems, and then I will make up for it when I get home. You should try to pump at least 8 times a day especially early on so you can build your milk supply.

Empty the Breast. You need to pump until the milk stops flowing. Many sources will say to pump for at least 15 minutes and no longer than 20. Babies usually eat for 20-30 minutes and you should be simulating that. I pump longer because it takes 45 minutes to empty my breast completely. When I first started I only got 2 oz of milk from each breast. Now I get 5-6oz.

Eat Oatmeal. For some reason eating oatmeal (not the instant kind) can build up your supply. eat 2-3 servings a day.

Drink ALOT of clear liquids. Dehydration will reduce your milk supply. Make sure you are well-hydrated and your body will produce more milk.

Eat. Your body burs 500 calories from breastfeeding but you have to make sure you eat so that your body has enough nutrients and energy to produce milk. Don't diet. Just eat healthily and you will lose your pregnancy weight without damaging your milk supply.

RELAX! This is by far the most important. You will not produce milk if you are stressed about producing milk. Play some relaxing music. Look at pictures of your baby. Do whatever it takes to relax.How much milk do I need to get?

Most newborns babies eat about 3oz of breastmilk every three hours. You will need to produce about 24-30 oz of milk a day. Remember during the first 6 weeks you must pump often to bulid your supply.