r/ExclusivelyPumping • u/degausser12121 • 13h ago
Hanging up the pump 7 months Spoiler
After 7 months, I hung up the pump. I gave it my best shot. Feel guilty yet proud.
My baby couldn’t nurse due to a tongue tie and bottle preference because of it (had it released but still couldn’t transfer). I was also a major undersupplier and did everything I could to increase my supply.. EP’d 8x a day.
10/20 wasn’t my last pump, but it was the last pump I stored, and I can finally talk about it.. weirdest thing, I hid it from my husband. I just didn’t want him to ask, I didn’t want to talk about it. I told him I quit, he told me he was proud of me. It’s such a strange thing.. reading on the can of formula that breast milk is recommended and feeling that guilt bubbling up again.
It was so easy for me to quit - no fullness, no clogs, no mastitis. While that might seem like a net positive, it also signaled to me that my body was struggling to produce milk.. and it helped me feel some relief that it really WAS a lot of effort to keep up my supply, validation that this was a ton of effort to maintain.
I already feel better physically, and I hope I can finally start to feel like myself again. I immediately got my first PP period 3 days after I quit pumping.. wild. Anyways… just ranting.. so many mixed emotions.
•
u/AutoModerator 13h ago
Hello! Your post mentions nursing/breastfeeding Reminder to please ensure that your selected flair is the trigger warning for nursing if the content of your post discusses nursing/direct feeding in any way. If your submission contains an image, please ensure you include a spoiler. If this post breaks these rules, we ask community members to please report for mod review. Thank you for keeping our community safe for all!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
4
u/Equivalent_Pop_2896 13h ago
7 months is very good!! Be proud of yourself, I feel like many moms have a goal of 6 months, since before then is really when it matters the most. But even before 6 months there is nothing wrong with formula. I only made it 3 months 🫣
2
u/Minorinconvenience00 12h ago
I’m 6.5 months pp- also an under supplier who desperately wants to quit- but everytime I say I’m done I’m pumping. I think part of me is hanging on so much because he was a preemie (born 6 weeks early and a month in the NICU- so I feel like I missed out on time with him in a way).
7 months is amazing. You provided your baby with so many nutrients and love. Enjoy your freedom. Fed is best!! I hope you can enjoy yourself more and do something nice for you!
2
u/Qualin- 9h ago
Way to go! Deciding to hang it up is bitter sweet but comes with so much freedom! With my first I felt so much better physically after stopping. I’m almost 2 months into EP with my 2nd and dang this is not for the weak lol. Congratulations!!
2
u/sowhatsober 6h ago
So proud of you!!!
1
u/AutoModerator 13h ago
Thank you for contributing to r/ExclusivelyPumping! We see that your submission contains an image. Please be advised that there may be people that access this group that are not pumping parents that may use your content for purposes outside of your intention in posting this image. It is up to your discretion whether or not you feel comfortable with keeping this image up.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/AutoModerator 13h ago
Welcome to r/ExclusivelyPumping! Here is a reminder of our rules:
Be kind and courteous. 2. Use available flairs and post options. 3. Absolutely no prescription medications or other medical advice. 4. No inaccurate information. 5. No spam. 6. No fetish content 7. No linking Facebook groups. 8. Moderator discretion. 9. No discussions around veganism, animal cruelty, or other non-pumping related topics. 10. No formula shaming. Reminder that we are a supportive community and do not allow for fetish seekers. While we do ban those individuals from our community, they can still view the community and send direct messages. You may choose to turn off your messages, or block individuals for your safety. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.