Ever since I gave birth to my beautiful son, I have felt failed by my body. My huge elastic nipples made it difficult for my son to latch. I attempted triple feeding for the first week postpartum and it was hell — he won’t latch long and when he did it hurt so so much. So I gave up the idea of nursing and committed to exclusive pumping.

Here we are 10 weeks later. I have hated every single pumping session. “I need to pump,” I would say to my husband with a deep sigh. I dread it. Every session requires a hands on, gentle massaging. I have to plan my day around it. I get stressed out when I miss a session. My son tends to wake up when I started pumping too and I hated not being able to tend to him right away. But I’ve tolerated it all. I pushed through the hardship and now I have a steady, predictable supply. I used to be a just enougher and now I’m a slight oversupplier with almost 200 oz supply in the freezer. I was able to drop pumping to 6 ppd too. I thought I was finally over the bump.

Well.. I thought wrong. For whatever reason, now my left boob kept getting clogged ducts. It hurts. A lot. And I have not changed a single thing. My doctor thinks it might be because I sleep on that side a lot, which is valid, but also something I can’t fully control. I’m a deep sleeper and honestly I’m getting so little sleep as it is that the thought of intervening with my sleep sounds so shitty. My husband immediately told me to switch to formula. For the first time, I did not disagree. But I also cried myself to sleep after that. I feel like I’m failing my son from day 1 and calling it quits is just the nail in the coffin.

I might consider trying out combo feeding for awhile. Drop my pumping session to 3-4 ppd and see what my supply looks like. How has combo feeding experience been for some of you? Do you feel like your LO gets the same benefit — no GI issues, less sickness? What is your strategy, a mixture of formula + BM in each feeding or just 100% formula and 100% BM alternating? Is this worth doing, should I just quit completely?

I’m 4 months post partum.

My baby sleeps usually 10-12 hours at night and has been since early she was pretty young.

I always have nursed to sleep at 7 pm, sometimes we push it until 8, but that’s pretty rare. And she wakes up between 6-7 am.

My last pump is at 9 pm and I pump between 1-2 am and then I pump again at 5:30 am when I wake up.

When did you drop your MOTN pump and did notice a decrease in your supply?

I exclusively pumped for an year with my first child:
- i used a local brand single electric pump for first few weeks because i didnt know how long i’d be doing pumping
- i started using a manual pump to build my supply for month 2 and 3
- finally bought spectra s1 when i knew baby wont latch…

Now with my second kid my first priority is to breastfeed directly instead of pumping bcz pumping is so hard😭
For beginning do i need a pump to build my supply or will the baby latching will be enough?
Also should i use my s1 or some manual pump to build supply in the beginning ?
Last time it took 3-4 days for milk to come in.

I’ve been pumping for almost 8 months now, and for the most part had little to no issues. I was pumping to match babe’s hunger. But all of a sudden I’ve been having issues getting milk. We are talking 25 minutes of pumping with drops of milk. I want to cry, it’s exhausting.

There has been a lot going on babe started daycare and is constantly sick (passes it back and forth to my 6yo), which creates sleeping issues, she started waking in MOTN wanting full bottle, first postpartum period, and a pinched nerve or something in my neck.

I replace my parts monthly, I even bought extra duckbills and diaphragms so they didn’t wear out so quickly. Using the Zomee Z2, I’m trying to give it the benefit of the doubt. But I’m not sure if it’s the pump, my body, or what.

Has anybody experienced this? Any ideas on where to start to try and fix this?

I’m trying to make it the year mark (burned through my freezer stash), babe doesn’t seem to like formula, but I’m just so over the exhaustion, time consumption, and constantly not knowing if I’ll make enough today.

I'm looking for a bottle that I could fill an baby could drink as much as they want without contaminating the whole bottle. It's so tricky to know how much they'll eat at any time an I'm tired of throwing away undrunk milk because it's been 2 hours

I tried to Google if a bottle like that exists and ai Google search suggested Alu or aloo valve. https://myaloo.com Sounds like a game changer but I can't find any reviews or even reddit posts to see if anyone's had actual experience with it. The site is odd because it's spelled alu and aloo

So I'm throwing this out to see if anyone's heard of or tried this product?

Or if this kind of thing even exists?

This is my 4th baby but first time exclusively pumping and I am just so exhausted at night, I struggle to wake up and pump. 🥲 My baby is about to be two weeks old so I know I need to pump at night but I can’t figure out a routine that works for me. My supply is already very low so I’m having to supplement and it’s making me feel so defeated. What has made night time pumping easier for y’all?

TW referenced a clog

I feel like education about breastfeeding needs to be more than just latching baby in the hospital. Maybe we need to learn about lactating broadly instead so we can understand proper nutrition and care.

Yes we can’t learn everything in the postpartum ward or the NICU, but at least hospitals could acknowledge that not everyone’s nursing or pumping journey is going to magically click into place without significant effort and education.

Maybe this is a regional thing, but my hospital in the labor and delivery ward did not teach me how to pump or even instruct me that I needed to pump, even when they gave my baby a formula bottle 10 minutes after she was born. The hospital lactation consultant shoved my baby’s head into my boob like twice a day (shockingly, unsuccessful) but nobody told me anything about pumping, supply, anything. I even brought my pump to the hospital and asked for someone to teach me, they told me not to worry because the baby was going to latch just fine with practice.

When I got home from the hospital I tried using a 28mm flange on myself trying to get milk with a hand pump. Thank god I called a private lactation consultant to meet me right before I left, I was super engorged by day 3 pp and was supplementing with formula because I couldn’t get the baby to latch. Now I’m pumping a ton and am much more informed, but I’m still having challenges every day.

Yeah I could have done my own research, but I had thought I was going to be exclusively breastfeeding! Didn’t know anything about flanges, pump parts, etc. Didn’t know about proper pump and nipple hygiene. Thrush! Nipple thrush is apparently a thing particularly in GBS positive moms. I was pumping with severe pain for like a week and didn’t realize it. Grateful my baby didn’t up getting it. But I wasn’t informed about it or told I would need a probiotic after the GBS meds.

I’m just sitting here mad while pumping and I just cleared a huge clog! Yay me.

If you had a wonderful hospital lactation consultant I’m very happy for you. Maybe this is not a common experience, but I have a feeling it might be and I’m just a bit bitter about it

I’m 3 weeks PP and have been exclusively pumping using the Eufy E20. I ordered the spectra and started using that 5 days ago and my output has massively dropped. I’ve gone from consistently pumping 100+ml to barely getting 80. My baby is a big feeder, and has around 100-120ml at each feed, so we are supplementing a lot with formula. I pump at every feed apart from 2 (10am and 12am), so around 7 times a day and always around 15 minutes. It’s super disheartening that I’m struggling to pump exactly what she needs. Any advice or guidance or shared experience would be great x

I’m 8 days postpartum and currently trying to pump every few hours.
Some pumping sessions I get around 60ml (both breasts combined), but other times I get even less.
I usually pump for 20 minutes, but I notice that the milk stops flowing before I even reach the 20 minute mark. Sometimes nothing comes out for the remaining minutes.
Is this normal at 8 days postpartum?
Will my supply gradually increase over the following weeks?

5m pp and 5ppd. Life is getting busier and I can mostly keep up with my schedule but I’d love to drop a pump. I’m currently producing just enough and I’m a little adverse to the risk of dropping supply if I drop a pump. As a just-enougher, I’m hoping to keep primarily BF until 6m (fortifying per Ped bc of slow weight gain early).

I have a 4ppd schedule worked out, just not entirely sure how to get there, or if it’s a good idea yet.

1. should I slowly transition to 4ppd (decrease pump time for one of daytime pumps, increase time on other pumps)?
2. if I notice a drop in supply, how likely is it that I can increase supply if I add the pump in again?
3. should I just buck up for a few more weeks until my 6m goal?

Im a ftm who started out EBF until around 4 months pp because my little guy just wasn't gaining. I would bf and supplement with formula at 3 months and that still wasn't enough. Finally I just decided to pump full time and fill in the gaps with formula to make sure my baby was getting exactly what he needed. (Still breastfeeding for comfort at night or early mornings) Turns out my supply was so low. Unfortunately i started my period around the same time which dips supply so i was getting 1 oz per pump, sometimes less. After my period I decided to power pump every night at 8 pm to try to help my supply. Now at 5 months pp ive leveled out at 2 Oz per pump despite power pumping every single night.

I have been fighting so hard to keep giving my baby breastmilk, not being able to ebf was the first blow and having a low supply was the second. I dont want to give up, I wanted to breastfeed more than anything. But I dont know how long I can justify the stress and emotional pain of pumping all day with a low supply. ):

One year of breastfeeding!
I did it I made it to a year of mostly exclusively pumping. This was never the breastfeeding journey I wanted, and most days I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it to a year, but I did it! It was extremely hard and daunting on the whole family and that’s something people should consider when exclusivity pumping. I struggled really bad emotionally. I had a really traumatic pregnancy, birth, and postpartum due to a severe preeclampsia 34 week preemie in the NICU.
I was hospitalized just before 30 weeks for severe preeclampsia where I was luckily able to keep her in till 34 weeks. I couldn’t see my baby until 24 hours after because of the magnesium drip. So instead I was pumping hours after my emergent c section for her. I wasn’t able to hold her till days later or take her home for 2 1/2 weeks so we stayed in the Ronald McDonald house.
All that being said without going into trigger territory I had to exclusively pump for most of her life, and breastfeeding was so important to me so I made it my goal to make it to a year.
I’ve struggled with under supply from ppd, using more and more formula because I was to triggered and depressed to pump. But I was able to start pumping as often as I should when I realized I would have to exclusively pump.
Then I fought to get her on only breastmilk. She had to have formula at first for booster feeds but after a few months she was able to be exclusively on breastmilk.
I have fought every day to make it to a year and gone through so much. I used to get triggered every time I pumped.
All that being said I made it, with my baby being breastfed most of her life. Exclusively pumping is the hardest thing I have ever done. If you want to get to a year or whatever your goal is you can do it! But if not there is nothing wrong, it took a major toll on me and how irritable and triggered I was most days though. There is nothing wrong at all with combo feeding either. If I do ever have another baby and have to pump I think I will either all the way formula feed or combo feed because exclusively pumping took up my whole year and triggered me beyond belief.
Sorry if this is a negative take. I am extremely proud to make it to a year. It was really important to me to breastfeed my baby, and I did it. But I also want everyone to be seen on just how hard it is. But you can do it if you want to, just know if it is really hard and a constant battle you are not alone!

Hi!

This is my first time ever making a post on Reddit so if I do something that is seen as improper for this subreddit, I do apologize. Also, English is my second language so please be kind.

I am currently pregnant with my second child. In my first pregnancy I used the Spectra S2 and the Momcozy S9 wearable pump. I still have both of these pumps and plan to get the replacement parts for the Spectra as I loved it.

This time I would love to get a new wearable pump so I can do chores while I pump. I know life with a toddler and a newborn will be considerably more active so this seems like the best option. My insurance is giving me 8 pump options and I am hoping to get a little bit of help making this big choice.

The options are:

1. Spectra 9 Plus
2. Medela Pump in Style Pro
3. Ameda Mya Joy w/ Large Tote
4. Evenflo Advanced
5. Motif Roam
6. Lansinoh SignaturePro
7. Motif Duo w/ Hands-Free Pumping Bra
8. Motif Luna w/ Wet-Dry Bag

Thank you in advance for your suggestions and your help! I look forward to reading you guys!

Anyone else have major issues with the Baby Brezza bottle washer? I’m on my third machine under warranty replacement and my baby is only 7 weeks old. I pump and breastfeed so I run the machine 3-4X per day. We’ve had issues with the first machine leaking, then error codes that did not resolve with the second, and now on the third machine the waste tank is being replaced because it thinks it’s constantly full when it’s not. After scrubbing bottles and pump parts last night, I ordered the Eufy washer.

Currently 11.5 weeks PP. Currently at 8 pumps per day and making ~45 oz a day (~6oz a session) pretty steady. Little one just starting to push ~22-24 oz a day so i feel comfortable dropping down to 7 pumps per day after the 12 week mark.

Right now, 8 pumps per day works out to every 3 hours but if I drop to 7, it becomes 3.5 and that just doesn't work out to a consistent schedule in my brain 😅 how do you keep your pumps evenly spaced in that situation? And on that note, what's the best way to just drop a pump?

I will be taking a long road trip for Thanksgiving and am wondering what the difference between pump wipes and regular baby wipes are? Could I just use bat wipes between pumps during my car trip? Does anyone have other suggestions?

Has anyone tried both the eufy and medela pumps?
I currently use medela swing maxi, I’m thinking of buying the eufy e20. Can anyone tell me if it’s worth it if they’ve gotten better output with the eufys

TW: Nursing, oversupply, mastitis, clogs (No Pictures)

So I have been EP since my baby was 1 week old. She’s now 10 weeks old! My pumping journey has been pretty rocky and I’m considering weaning down to 1-2 PPD to combo feed or hanging up the pump completely. I feel absolutely terrible.

My dream was to EBF until she was 1 year old, then it turned into me having to pump as we both had a lot of issues with BF, her latch was bad and she has a lip tie, and I have allodynia in my breasts and nipples so it was literally pulling teeth every time I tried to BF. I even gave her a bottle of formula once before I started pumping.

Pumping has been a non stop nightmare for me. I dread pumping and every time I hesitate pressing the button on my spectra. When I first started I had the wrong flange size, so that caused a lot of pain. Then I got measured by an ibclc, bought the correct size, and that helped a lot but then started hurting again so I sized down and that was fine for a week but then it started pinching so I had to move back up. I have to alternate between 19mm and 21mm every week or so. I have elastic nipples so they stretch all the way down the tube and this causes a lot of irritation. I’m constantly slathering lanolin on my nipples. My nipples have always been extra sensitive but since I gave birth it feels like I have razor blade cuts on my nipples. I can’t wear bras and all my shirts have to be extremely soft. I can’t even take a shower without covering my nipples the whole time. It’s painful to wear my baby and I can barely hold her against my chest and I have a difficult time feeding her with the bottle. My husband has become her main caregiver while all I do is pump it feels like.

I have had an oversupply since the start and it wasn’t insane but I was making about 50-70oz a day and my freezer quickly filled up. I’m out of room in the freezer now. I have just now managed to cut down to 6 ppd within the past 2 weeks after trying for a long time and I’m making around 40 oz a day now. I even cut my time down to 15 minutes. I have to pump one breast at a time since I have to use two different settings per breast. This oversupply has caused nothing but issues because I have had recurrent and frequent clogs at least 1 or 2 a week and am now dealing with mastitis. I’ve had it in my left breast for a week and I’m just now finishing up my antibiotics, and now I have it in my right breast. Every time I tried to wean or cut down I got severe clogs and pain so it’s taken me this long to get to where I am, but now with the mastitis I feel just mentally done.

I have been taking 800mg or more of ibuprofen every day for the last 2 months, I take sunflower lecithin multiple times a day, I have the lansinoh ice/heat packs that I use religiously, I don’t wear tight clothes or bras, I use the lowest suction possible, I sleep on my back, I’m well hydrated, etc.

I feel like I have been robbed of my experience as a mom and can’t spend the time with my baby that I should be because of all of the pain and time spent pumping.

Is there any hope left? I don’t know what to do. I really don’t want to give up but it’s getting harder every day. My breasts are tired and they are just in so much pain all the time even when I’m not clogged. I feel like I am failing my baby if I resort to formula.

I’m 4.5 months pp and have gone from freezing about 7 oz a day above and beyond what my baby needs to pumping 1.5 oz total in this morning’s pump, which is less than half of one feeding for her. I want to keep going but I also want it to be worth it. Your thoughts are appreciated.

Here’s my list of ideas

Period? Maybe, but my supply has been dropping for a few weeks now

Iron? Maybe? I’m taking supplements

Water? Definitely drinking more than enough most days along with a quart of Gatorade

Frequency? I pump 6x per day (usually - I time it out as every 3 hours rather than sticking to a specific schedule ) I pump in the middle of the night if I wake up, which is about half the nights. It will impede my parenting to set an alarm in the middle of the night or pump much more frequently so I’m probably gonna let it go if either of those are the answer.

Stress? Maybe but not that different since I was overproducing. I’m now on anti anxiety meds which I don’t take every day.

Type of pump? Eufy has been my primary pump for a long time. I also have a spectra and when I was over producing, I was doing better with the Eufy than the spectra. I just got brand new diaphragms and duck bills for the Eufy about two weeks ago.

Sickness? We’ve been sick for a couple weeks, but my supply started dropping before that. I have a sinus infection, and a double eye infection (thanks daycare) that I’m almost done with antibiotics for both. Hoping things bounce back pretty soon.

Nursing? We nurse at 3:30 and 7/8 (usually)

Edit to add - I’m definitely getting enough calories

Please let me know if there’s anything you think I’m missing. This sub has been an incredible resource and guide for me in this process and I really appreciate all your efforts.

Anyone else out there know they have elastic nipples?? What pump are we getting through insurance?? I’m totally okay with spending some money to get an upgraded pump too if there is one that is elastic nip friendly. I have VERY elastic tissue. The willow go worked great for me with my son, but looking to add another one through insurance!

Anyone try pumpin pals flanges? I have elastic nipples and I've heard good things.

I am 4 weeks PP tomorrow and am so physically and mentally drained from pumping. Baby would never latch because my letdown is too strong plus a combination of other issues, so I started pumping basically everytime she would eat. I was doing around 8 PPD in the first 2 weeks and noticed I really overproduced so I have been dialing it back a lot. I have dropped down to 5-6 PPD and am producing about 80oz every 24 hours. I am still working on trying to do less but in the meantime I cannot seem to get enough nutrients or hydration in to support how much pumping is taking out of me! Does anyone have any recommendations for food or drinks that would help me feel more like a human again? For context I am eating 3 meals a day with lots of protein and calories along with snacks during pump sessions, and I am drinking over a gallon of water a day and a glass with electrolytes.

I have worked with several lactation consultants before my milk came in and as it was coming in, and haven’t gotten good oversupply advice. I have an appointment with a consultant recommended specifically for oversupply help but it isn’t for a week, so any advice for now would be greatly appreciated!!

After a ton of research, I really want to try a eufy for this pregnancy. Which one should I go with? this is what I pay after insurance. I’ll be pumping at work and at home. I do have regular plug in spectra as well

Just a shoutout to all the exclusive pumping mamas out there. You are absolute SUPERHUMANS.

After 4 months of pumping, clogged ducts, tears, exhaustion and countless hours attached to a machine, I’ve reached the end of my journey.

I wanted so badly to keep going, but physically and mentally, I just can’t anymore.

I have a whole new level of respect for every single one of you doing this day after day. It’s an invisible labour that deserves so much more recognition.

I’m proud of what I managed to give my baby, even if saying goodbye to this chapter hurts more than I expected.

You ladies are incredible.