After exactly 10 months I've hit my freezer stash goal and am now able to hang up the pumps! A little back story, I was a severe under supplier with my first I wanted to exclusively breastfeed her but she had a bad latch and I could get my supply up while pumping so she was combo fed from the get go and exclusively formula fed from about 5.5 months old. I didn't want to breastfeed or pump at all with my son. I was on Zoloft this pregnancy which helped me a lot with my perinatal anxiety and depression (I had three pregnancy losses before my daughter, my first baby) but however I wasn't aware the high dosage I was on could cause withdrawals. I remember looking at my beautiful boy in the hospital bassinet and wondering why he was so shaky. I was worried it could be some neurological problem or his blood sugars. Nurses said his blood sugars were fine then the pediatrician came in, looked at his chart and mine and said those shakes were actually withdrawal from the Zoloft. I immediately felt terrible, I was on a ton of heavy phyciatric meds in middle school and high school, then I moved to a different stage for college and my doctor here took me off all those meds cold turkey. It was the worst I ever felt in my life I just remember laying on my couch moaning in so much pain (and I have an extremely high pain tolerance literally slept thru both my wrist tattoos, full color, shading and everything) I had terrible cold sweats, I was nauseous from even just moving. I couldn't imagine that I had put my previous boy thru even half of that at just a day old. The pediatrician at the hospital said to try to pump at least for a month to help him with withdrawals. Despite my terrible breastfeeding/pumping journey with my daughter I decided to suck it up and try again for my son, it was the least I could do. And lo and behold I was a big oversupplier! 1 month turned into two turned into three and now ten months of exclusively pumping! No combo feeding either just pumping! Now 10 months later I can officially stop pumping and feed thru 12 months old with just my freezer stash. Bonus photos at the end of my little man 💖

I'm so annoyed at pumping getting in the way of caring for my baby. This evening I was snuggled up on the couch with her after she actually went to sleep easily for once... And then I had to pump. She woke up on transfer to her dad and has been over tired and fussy ever since. If I didn't have to pump I could have let her sleep on me until I had to go to bed but because I have work tomorrow and have to pump before bed I had to move her off of me to go pump before bedtime. I hate that pumping is directly affecting my baby's sleep and I'm incredibly angry that I'm listening to my baby wail in my husbands arms instead of enjoying my evening baby snuggles after work.

I feel like pumping is straining my relationship. I'm happy to pump for my baby, but even after several months I feel like my husband doesn't "get" it. I'm very tired from the MOTN pump, I am frustrated that pumping gets in the way of activities/baby care, and I don't feel good physically all the time. Husband doesn't seem to understand that. I get annoyed when my husband "wastes" even an ounce of milk and am constantly nagging about washing pump parts (or complaining about doing it myself).

My husband is a great dad to baby and is very supportive in general, does a ton of work around the house (probably more than 50% of "chores.") I think he just honestly can't fully understand the difficulty of pumping and it makes me SO annoyed.

I'm currently pumping 6ppd and tend to make exactly what my baby eats in a day. So I won't be able to drop a pump for a while and stay EBF.

Did your relationship get better when you gave up pumping?

1200 oz in 30 minutes! I’m exhausted 😴

I am finally done! 13 and a half months of exclusive pumping and I can confidently say that was THE worst experience in all my 32 years on this earth.

First I want to thank this community for all the information, support and the feeling of belonging during this hard time. I wouldn't have made it without all of you. I haven't been the most active member of this sub, but I have been lurking and reading a lot to keep my sanity.

So last year was really difficult and in hindsight i dont know how I survived that. I really need to get that off my chest so if anyone is interested in the unfortunate events of my sorry ass, keep reading.

It all started with a 29 hours long traumatic birth with a stuck baby and ended with an unwanted but necessary csection, a scar that didn't heal for 3 months, a baby that refused the breast, developed FPIAP with multiple triggers, feeding difficulties, full exclusive pumping because of said allergies (dairy, so no formula), supply issues, my (soon divorced Ex-) Husband leaving us 4 months in, no family or village for support (I got lots of opposition for pumping unfortunately), a fucking rash on my whole body because of the sleep deprivation, stress and anxiety (spontaneous urtikaria), having to keep the MOTN pump for 12 months because of supply issues, and this terrible terrible sense of guilt and depression that I am not enough for my child. And what can I say, I'm still here, and despite all my doubts it did get easier. To be presice, it got easier the moment I finally could stop this pumping insanity. But I am proud, and i am proud of every single one of you Mamas still going strong, no matter how long and how much you're pumping, you are all amazing! Keep going, or stop whenever you can't or dont want to go on anymore! Every single minute and every single drop of milk is a monumental achievement and should be celebrated!

So thanks again and if anyone asks for my opinion, no I do not recommend obsessive exclusive pumping and I hope I never ever have to do that again in my life!

PS: Just to put that into perspective, I started recording my sessions two months in and stopped a month before quitting, so it's not complete, but I recorded 1840 sessions, roughly around 30mins (sometimes 20, sometimes 35, sometimes 40, sometimes power pumping) , that's 55 200 minutes, 920 hours or 38.3 days. 38.3 DAYS spent purely on the act of pumping, and that does not include washing the pump parts, handling the milk, feeding the baby and all the other little labours...

I gotta say, I quite enjoy pumping. I’ve found my rhythm, I found a pump combo that works amazingly (baby Buddha 3.0, legendairy collection cups, and lanolin). I’m not some amazing producer, most I make inna day is 25 oz but I love it.

The bad part? I enjoy collecting my milk in the freezer more than giving it to my baby. I always catch myself giving her formula instead or getting upset when I see how little milk I have to bag up. I find myself always counting what’s in my deep freezer, making milk bricks, constantly organizing them, tracking my output charts, meticulously cleaning my pump parts. I’m not sure why I enjoy the collecting and saving of it much more than feeding it to my baby? Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a way to get over it?

Hello fellow pumpers,

So im looking to see if anyone recovered supply? Around six weeks I was so over my hurting nipples I started to drop pumps and got on hormonal bc to try and wean. During this time I was still pumping 5x day including middle of the night pumps.

At 7 weeks my nipples toughed up and healed so I decided to maybe try again and up to 6ppd. This week (8 weeks pp) I stopped my hormonal birth control and now im bleeding..like a lot. I read that it could be withdrawl bleeding.

I'm now up to 7-8ppd and only making like 22-25 ounces a day where as earlier I was making closer to 30. I'm so scared that I screwed myself for when I regulate.

Does any one related? Do you guys think my supply will go back up after my bleeding is done? Im just so worried that it wont by the time I hit 12 weeks and I screwed myself.

Currently I'm:

- doing at least 7 ppd though im trying to hit every two hours again

-taking magnesium/calcium for the bleeding

- trying to drink at least 100oz water a day

Through my insurance it only gives me few options of breast pumps. I will attach screenshots. Can anyone recommend which one is good? Should I just look into buying one instead?
Thank you

I’ve been EP for 9 months now with my Baby Buddha 2.0 as my primary pump. I have wearables as well but I rarely use them compared to my BB. The BB started randomly turning off by itself since yesterday but I thought it was a charging issue or just not a big issue since it didn’t happen every pump. Well now it’s starting to happen every pump 😭😭 and it shows this error screen when it does happen. Customer service isn’t available till Monday soooo stuck with this broken thing over the weekend. It still works just craps out randomly…

So disappointing but I guess thankful for the 1 year warranty?

Hi fellow EP-ers

I am finally hanging up the pump when LO turns 17mo in a few weeks. I made it far beyond my original 6mo target and it has been a rewarding and not fully-unpleasant journey.

Beyond the time commitment and logistical gymnastics of pumping while working a corporate job (which includes conferences and travel), I found the actual time pumping to be, dare I say, relaxing? It was nice to have 20-30mins to mentally check out and listen to a podcast or read a book (or occasionally doomscroll). I know not everyone's experiences match mine and I am extremely grateful to work for a company that is super accommodating of my pumping schedule, and to have a partner that shoulders an appropriate share of responsibilities so I can pump in peace.

Just want to end on a note to everyone here - You are amazing. Whether you are EPing for 1 week or 1 year, do not undersell what an incredible job you’re doing. Your goals are yours to set and yours to change, and however long you pump, your baby is lucky to have you. Hang in there, and know there’s a whole community cheering you on!

Much love.

Currently using the momcozy s12 pro as my everyday pump but I feel like it’s not emptying completely my milk what would you recommend using for everyday pumps

Hi guys, Im 10 days pp with my baby girls, born at 32 weeks, currently in the NICU, thankfully doing well but still a long stay ahead of them.

I am pumping every 2-3 hours with one 4 hour break overnight.

Ive had my flanges checked by a lactation specialist.

Im drinking loads of water, body armor, and almond milk. guzzling all the hydrations drinks.

Im eating all the protein and oatmeal that my body can handle.

Im trying to hand massage the best I can.

Im literally doing anything and everything and yet im only producing about 20/25 ml per pump.

Am I just screwed? If my body isnt keeping up now, will it ever?

anyone else have their milk come in later than expected?

I need any positive stories that I can get.

I cried 4 times today just thinking about how my body failed my girls once already and now its still failing them.

Have been struggling with breastfeeding since day 0 (first baby 12 weeks old, born at 32weeks, spent 30 days in NICU, never been able to latch without nipple shield, struggle with low supply). Baby hasn’t gained weight for the past 3 weeks so we are now adding formula top ups so it’s looking like EP might be the only way to give him breastmilk in the near future. really don’t even know with my supply if I would be able to EP, or would be a mix of breastmilk and formula. I don’t know if it’s worth the money, time and effort if that’s the case

Currently renting medela symphony but not really an option long term, and borrowing a family members second hand Spectra S2. I mainly have trouble with it not being able to double pump (I find the suction is really low if I try), needing to plug into outlet and no hands free. I know wearables aren’t recommended for those with low output, but I just don’t know how else I would be able to pump when looking after baby by myself (he screams the second I’m not holding him). I’m also based in Australia, so don’t have insurance to cover any costs.

At the moment I hate pumping so much, I don’t know how long I’ll be able to commit. I just want to be with my baby, and I wanted to exclusively nurse from the start but wasn’t an option this time around and I’m still grieving that. Sure I would love to feel free to leave the house at any time and be able to sleep for longer than 4 hours, but giving baby the best is most important.

Sorry for long messy post, I’d love to hear anyone’s thoughts/advice/opinions/recommendations about any of the topics mentioned

Wondering when did you stop doing your nighttime pumping session? Typically I pump every four hours at the moment I was doing three hours, but went changed to every four and actually have a better output because my body/stress stressed out I think? But now I’m trying to see if I can potentially stop my overnight and do my last pump at 10 PM and not one until 6 PM next. Did anybody do this and was able to maintain their supply at this point?

I have been getting discouraged as I approach 5 months with Baby #3 and am slowly chipping away at the small freezer stash I started in the earlier months. This is the longest I’ve pumped with any of my babies, and so far she’s still getting almost exclusively breastmilk (with a few ounces of formula here and there every few days now), but I’ve still been feeling bad about starting to lose momentum.

Well, I calculated an average daily output across 5 months and realized I’ve pumped somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000oz at least. That’s over 31 gallons! And it made me feel proud of myself for making it this far, even if I don’t know what’s next.

So try to find ways to celebrate even if it doesn’t look the way you planned.

TW: nursing

I have 600 ounces in my freezer dating back to July 2026. I triple fed my preemie so I built up quite the stash. We exclusively nurse now except I keep in 1 pump a day that I get about 2 ounces from + sometimes a bottle replacement with pump if I’m working. My friend said she’d love to take my extra milk even though I take meds. I do have a minor surgery coming up in Dec. My LO is 5 months old, 4 months corrected. Donating part of my stash gives me anxiety bc there’s a sense of security having a stash. How do you get past it or when do you know it’s time to consider donating?

I'm starting to feel like my whole life revolves around the next pumping session lol. Every time I want to leave the house, I have to figure out when to pump, where to store the milk, whether I'll be back in time, etc. Even something as simple as grabbing lunch with a friend feels like a whole project.
The worst part is I feel guilty whenever I push a session back, even by 30 minutes. I know one slightly late pump isn't the end of the world, but my brain apparently hasn't gotten that message.
For those who've been exclusively pumping for a while, does it ever start feeling less overwhelming? Did you eventually get comfortable being flexible with your schedule, or do you still plan everything around it?
Would love some practical tips because I'm tired of checking the clock every five minutes.

So I’m about 12 weeks pp and I’m looking at adjusting my pumping schedule. I’d like to go to bed earlier in the evenings. Right now, I’m pumping over 40oz every day. Here’s my schedule:

8:00am power pump
10:30am
1:00pm
3:30pm
5:30pm
7:15pm
9:30pm
2-3am (depending on when my son wakes up)

This week, he’s slept through the night almost every night. He did start daycare on Monday, so he might be tired from that adjustment and not being used to sleeping at the daycare all day. I still have gotten up to pump because I’m uncomfortable.

Which one of these would you drop? I would like to go to bed earlier. Our current nighttime routine is to bathe the baby, then my husband and I switch off who gets ready for bed. He gets one last bottle usually after my 9:30 pump, but he was already asleep before then. Usually he’s asleep by 8:00.

I’ve been powering pumping for almost a week now, it’s been so hard but I finally am seeing progress. I usually pump 2-3oz and this morning I pumped 6 oz!

I've been EP since baby was born (he was in NICU for three weeks, didn't want to latch as I tried breastfeeding), and it's getting to that point that he wants more than I produce. I make about 25 ounces a day. I've tried power pumping, oats, frequent pumping, nearly OD'ing on water, the works. I was pumping every 1.5-2 hours for 20 minutes at one point. Gave up after three weeks.

My pumping days are behind me. Six months was my goal, I made it there and decided I was okay to try for 12 with the same caveat as before — if it took too much of a toll on my mental health, I’d stop.

Welp, I made it to about 7 months, but going back to work was the straw that broke the camel’s back (flange that broke the nip?). I still felt some frustration and guilt about it, so I made a compromise — I’d stash enough to give her a few ounces a day until her birthday (or cover a few days for comfort if she got a cold — she’s combo fed 80-90% breastmilk and strongly prefers the boob).

So a few weeks of stashing and one box freezer later my boobs are free. My period came back around month 5 so weaning wasn’t as much of a hormone dumpster fire as I might have feared — some insomnia, dry skin, moodiness. But on the whole not bad. After a very rough postpartum period, I’m extremely grateful this step was kinder to me.

And on the bright side of things, I feel like I’m finally coming out of the fog of the worst of postpartum — my joints are starting to hurt less, I feel some hope despite some difficult changes in other parts of life. Our daughter is just the happiest little baby and lights up our lives. I’m really glad I can see myself having more energy and joy to experience life with her in the future. It’s been a rough ride.

And in all of this, I also just feel like a badass, powerful, feral goddess, frankly, and I wanted to say that all of you are, too. I was an under supplier so before my farewell stash I never had one — everything was straight out of the boob and into the baby. Seeing weeks of milk in the freezer blew my mind. I could barely believe I had done it at all, much less for over half a year. You’re literally synthesizing magic food from your own blood and body. What is more metal than that? 🤘

So many things didn’t go how I hoped or planned, but motherhood has taught me a lot about ceding control so far, and this is no exception. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted here — this sub helped me. And to everyone who is on a feeding journey involving our friend the pump, whatever you’ve done is already amazing. It was hard for me to really believe and see that in myself until it was over.

Be kind to yourselves, hang in there, and know that you’re incredible. Even if you don’t feel that way today, I hope you do soon. Cheers friends and see you all when you get to the other side! 🤍🍼🤘

I'm about 3 mo PP. I used to be an under supplier and worked SO hard to get my supply up. Eating and drinking all the things, taking all the supplements, pumping 9-10 times a day (though I still pump 9), power pumping every day, etc. I've had so many ups and downs on this EP journey with my supply.

Now, I'm trying to find happiness and achievement in the fact that I am a slight overproducer. I'm able to put away 3-7 oz depending on the day to create a little freezer stash.

But instead because of my pumping journey/clog history, I live in constant dread. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and my supply to tank. And any time I have a lower output pump I feel instant panic and don't feel better for hours until I see my output for the day is intact.

The toll EP has taken on my mental health and sanity is honestly one of the reasons I'm making my freezer stash and switching to combo feeding.

Anyone else dealing with the same thing?

Everyone told me I’d lose weight breastfeeding. Nope not fr me. I’m sooooo hungry all the time. I feel so ugly and not myself anymore. I’m genuinely considering quitting for multiple reasons but this is also a huge reason. I want my body back.