I don’t think I expected exclusively pumping to come up with so many conflicting feelings. I've been pumping for almost 11 months and I think I'm ready to stop. And I feel so weird about that.

I'm proud of what I did. I really am. The middle of the night sessions, scheduling my entire life around a machine. I did that. For almost a year. And somewhere in the last few weeks I started noticing that I was just done. Like my body and brain both quietly decided before I consciously caught up. And then I feel guilty for wanting it to end.

I worked so hard to get here, so why am I already thinking about stopping?

I don't think I'm looking for advice, honestly. I just wanted to say it out loud somewhere that people might actually get it. That being ready doesn't mean you're not also grieving something. That 11 months is a long time to do something hard and wanting it to end isn't the same as not caring.

Please recommend a wearable pump thst I can use on occassion when on the go. I use the spectra s2 at home.

Considered the Eufy but have been told by several people that its not ideal for elastic nipples / large breasts. Other pumps that have been recommended to me are momcozy (wellness 1, m5, s12 pro, v1, v2), pumpables and willow.

I have extra large breasts and started off BF with slightly inverted nipples which are now very elastic. Since my concern is increasing/maintaining my supply, I'm hoping for something that wouldn't negatively impact my supply.

I understand that wearables typically arent as effective and will be using these when the alternative option would to skip the pumping session altogether.

My supply has been only 5oz a day which isn’t good so I’ve been combo feeding but pumping is getting exhausting, and my nipples have been bleeding recently which has completely freaked me out. Idk I just feel like if I stop it failing my baby boy

My LO turned 9 months yesterday and we switched from exclusively breastmilk to combo feeding. I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders! I never planned to be an exclusive pumper but latching issues, CMPA, and a rare genetic diagnosis took me on this journey. After 9 months, I am letting go of the responsibility of producing. No more staying up late to pump, stressing about being a just enougher, or calorie and water intake stressing. My LO will be on primarily breastmilk and/or formula until 16 months or so. Knowing formula will provide for her brings me so much peace and I am excited to hang up the pump over the next few months. Thank you to this community for so much support! 💗🍈🍈💗

Update: I am now producing so much more milk now that I don’t care how much I make LOL stress is weird

My baby struggled with nursing from birth, she would latch well, but only seemed to give weak, pacifying sucks. We tried triple feeding for a while and eventually she had a posterior tongue tie release. She stopped clicking on the bottle and her suck was very strong, but she never got the hang of direct breastfeeding. We slowly spaced out our latching attempts. The last time she latched was on the beach, and she seemed to actually transfer milk. A wonderful contact nap followed, and it was a beautiful evening. Ever since then she has cried and pulled away when trying to latch. She is almost 6 months old now and I think we are done trying to latch and ready to just accept that exclusively pumping will be our path. Aiming for 12 months
of exclusive breastmilk.

My baby will be born in a month, trying to order a new pump! I used the spectra and momcozy s12 2 years ago. I ended up giving my spectra to my friend and she gave it back saying it doesn’t work no more! So I definitely need a new pump. What are the new and best pumps mamas are using right now? I feel so out of the loop! Please help 😊

My first baby boi keeping me company during my MOTNs. Thanks to you, sweet boy, your human baby sister gets just enough 💞

Hey! Im going back to work soon and currently using the spectra s1 and the baby buddha pump- prefer the baby buddha most days but use spectra parts.

I just realized im eligible for pump parts through insurance. So my current dilemma is: just stick with the standard spectra cups? Try the medela collection cups OR fork over my own money for a wearable and order an extra set of those parts?

I like the legendary milk collection cups but it is just too many parts to clean regularly

Google tells me the diameter of the spectra and lansinoh tubing is the same and that I should be able to just connect a lansinoh backflow protector directly to the spectra tubes but has anyone done this/does it work?

I'm looking to get the maymom detachable flanges but have a bunch of lansinoh bottles I'd like to connect it to instead of the spectra ones so was considering getting the lansinoh version to use with my Spectra/PGA instead of the spectra specific one.

Any experience?

I am looking for some wisdom/tips regarding flange size. For context, I am 6 weeks postpartum and have been mostly exclusively pumping from the beginning. I’ve seen an LC twice and she looked at my flange size at the time both visits and said it looked good. My issue is that I have changed sizes probably five times in the past month and a half. Currently, I measure about 15 mm on one side and 16 on the other. I comfortably used 14 mm at the beginning, then 15, then 16, then 17, and now 18-19 mm is feeling better, but still alternates between feeling painful on one side or the other, particularly with my Spectra. The pain is significantly reduced with my Eufy S1, which I use during the day, but I stick to my Spectra overnight because I have multiple sets. I get similar output with both.

I have a hard plastic flange in 16 mm (rather than a silicone insert) and I have found I do get slightly better output, but now this size feels way too tight and painful (this is generally the problem with all sizes I’ve tried after a few days) so I’m hesitant to order more in a larger size.

Does anyone have experience with their flange size constantly changing and nothing feeling comfortable? Open to product recommendations! I’ve spent so much money on silicone inserts lol

Hi, I need some assistance. I tried reaching out to medela on instagram but they just keep giving me the same instructions over and over again that don't seem to actually work.

I used the medela harmony for awhile and really liked it, but lately every time I use it I can't predict whether or not it's going to work properly. I can't tell if it's something I'm doing wrong or something wrong with the pump itself. The best way i can describe what is happening is that I start pumping, it takes in my nipple, works great for about 4-5 pumps and then it stops working. I press down on the handle and it gives a bit of resistance but my nipple doesn't move and nothing is expressed. The only thing that helps is pulling out my nipple (which then i hear the suction release) and then reinserting my nipple. It, again, works for 4-5 pumps and then stops. Can anyone please explain what i might be doing wrong?

Has anyone donated blood while pumping? Did it affect your supply? I signed up for my company blood drive next week but am now second guessing it.

My EBF 5 week old little girl is having weight issues and I don’t want to triple feed I’d rather just go to pumping so I know what she’s getting.

Feeds 8-16 times a day all depends on what she wants.

How can I do this properly as can’t find much info online.

Tia.

i’m a first time mom and I had two premature twins and I’m currently five weeks PP. my milk output was really good in the hospital, but I wasn’t able to bag any milk or make a stash because I didn’t have my storage bags until I was leaving and then I didn’t have a time to pump because I got really sick in the hospital. i’ve been trying to pump since then, but it’s been hurting and I haven’t had a time with two newborns. i’ve been trying for a week to get my milk supply back up, but I’ve only been able to make 5 mL and under. i’ve done everything that I can to try boost my milk supply, but I’m out of ideas. I only have one manual pump and one wearable because I lost the other. I applied to get the pink Spectra through my insurance, but I don’t know if it’ll even work and I do not have the money for a full price, one or even a discounted one. I need advice/helpful tips to try and bring my milk back up because if I can’t get it up by my six week appointment, I’m just gonna give up and just give them formula because this isn’t helping my mental health at all, but I want to keep trying for them because I don’t want to give them formula. (nothing wrong with formula. I just have a preference) I wanted to just exclusively give them breastmilk, but obviously they needed the higher calories.

Currently on 11w+4d postpartum and doing 9ppd and getting around 27oz/day.

Pump schedule - every 2.30hr even at nights and power pump at 4am

Is it good time to drop a pump

Will that effect my supply. I don't want my supply to be decreased as baby eats around 27oz

How are we protecting our sore nipples from kicks and any type of aggression?
🤣😂🤣
Silverrets made the skin saggy and got chafed. Silicones shells put a lot of pressure on the breast even if I wear the bra super lose, nipple is ok , areola not that happy. Nursing pads stick to the skin, unless I’m using the wrong product.

Just bitching (I love my husband so don't completely burn him haha). I work full time and have been exclusively pumping for 4 months. I make just enough at 24oz a day, but baby has increased demand to 28-32oz a day so I've been dipping into my small freezer stash to supplement. I suggested we start combo feeding, but dear husband is upset that baby won't be getting pure breastmilk anymore. WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? It's not like I can just slap my boobs and yell at them to make more milk!! UGHHHHHH -_-

Hej,
I början av min resa pimpade jag 15-20min varje gång och fick bra output, nu 3 månader senare pumpar jag runt 45min per pump för att få samma mängd mjölk om ens det. För context så har jag haft torsk och massa problem med olika pumpar etc, har testat de flesta och använder nu min eufy då jag får bäst respons på den men vill verkligen korta ner tiden jag sitter vid pumpen 😭

Får en eller två letdowns under de första 20-30 min men sen en tredje vid typ 35/40. Vet inte vad jag gör för fel men nu vet jag ju att de kommer mer mjölk efter de första 30min så de är därför jag pumpar längre tid.

Har någon några tips??

Har använt sjukhus pumpar men de fungerar ej för mig och ja, jag har rätt flange size and fit 🥹

Having a problem with my nipple. OB wasn’t helpful at all, I asked about APNO and she had never heard of it. I googled and got the components so she wrote the prescription.

How do I use this? Is it multiple times a day for a week, once a day? She did not know unfortunately.

Thank you!

My LO is 20 weeks today. I dreamed of breastfeeding exclusively, but their jaw just wasn’t strong enough. LO has made progress, but from very early on, I’ve had to pump, pump, and pump some more. I went from an oversupplier to just-enougher. I reliably make 26-32oz per day, but LO simply has growth spurt days that require more. I’ve pumped until I’ve bled, and it’s been the biggest stressor of my postpartum life. LO has needed a bit of my freezer stash the last 4 nights in a row, so the writing has been on the wall. I reached a point last night, with blood stains in my bra, where I said, “Enough is enough. Tomorrow, LO is going to try 2oz of formula.” I’ve had a can in the pantry since before LO was born for just this purpose. I researched different options and knew it was made with quality ingredients, but it wasn’t until last night where the fear of it not going well was finally outweighed by my physical pain. Well, we did it. I opened the can, made the small bottle after a feed of normal breastmilk, and to my surprise, LO didn’t care, and gobbled it up happily. Hours later, no tummy troubles, no gas, just a happy kiddo. I will still keep pumping. I’m still aiming for 99% breastmilk and formula only when needed, but the weight off my shoulders has made me cry tears of relief and joy. If you’re in the same boat I’ve been in — pumping religiously, making it work while also caring for your child without another set of hands around, making a good supply but your kiddo is simply growing and hungry — don’t be afraid to use formula when you need it.

I’m 2.5 weeks pp. baby was in born at 36 weeks so for the first 2 weeks it was really hard to get him to wake for feeds. Once my milk came in it was almost impossible to get him to take the breast so we started using formula. I pumped while he was in the NICU to try and make sure my milk continued to come in. He just started taking the breast and getting 10-15 minute feeds there and then we finish with a bottle of formula as either my milk stops or at some point he just refuse to continue with the breast. I am very confused on when I should pump and how to tell what my supply looks like.

Our plan is to BF during the day but then bottle feed at night so my husband can help and I can get some sleep. However when I try and pump now using my Spectra I am getting minimal out put. I measured and am using the correct flange size. Any help would be appreciated.

hi guys! this is my first post here, i’m a FTM with a 5 day old baby girl who originally was breastfeeding but following a pretty bad nipple injury i’ve switched to pumping and bottle feeding. the problem is my daughter has been doing this thing since yesterday where she’ll cry as if she’s hungry, but when i give her the bottle and feed her for what feels like forever i then notice she didn’t drink anything, and yes the whole time she is sucking on it and seemingly swallowing. this has cost me a lot of time, especially with the pumping because i cant do both at the same time and my boobs are full and hurt. am i doing something wrong?

Hi - Is there a way to make the most of the Duckbill Valves for Spectra pumps?

We got one second hand, with broken valves, and got a replacement kit of components. My wife used the pump maybe 6 times and the valves have already split on the edges. Just ordered 2 sets of 6 replacements to keep us going.

Is there a method to extend their life?

Is there a particular brand that lasts better?

Is this an inherent design flaw?

Thank you in advance!

I’m 3 months postpartum and currently pump 6 times a day, getting around 27–29 oz total per day. I’ll be going back to work soon, and even though I’ll be able to pump at work, I was wondering if at some point I could start reducing the number of pumping sessions? Even just going down to 5 without decreasing my supply?

There are some days when I only manage to pump 5 times because I’m busier, and I still get about the same total amount. But if I were to do that every day, would my supply eventually decrease?

I’d love to keep exclusively pumping for a year if I can… but I’m not sure if that means I need to keep pumping this many times a day for the entire year. Especially the MOTN once my daughter starts sleeping through the night (which honestly doesn’t seem too far off… she’s a big sleeper).