Pros and Cons of Exclusive Pumping

Like many other mothers, I made a decision to exclusively breastfeed my baby (if possible) way before I had my daughter. But little did I know that learning how to breastfeed is a whole lot on its own. It was painful at first (although it was nothing like a labor pain), and I did not know if the pain was normal – I wondered if I should tolerate it until it went away or it was from incorrect latching. Thanks to the nurses and lactation consultants, I was able to leave the hospital with confidence that I would be able to do it right. The breastfeeding went well in the first week, but then I received news in that same week that I had an infection prior to my labor. I had to take antibiotics and dump my breast milk while taking it. That is when my daughter was introduced to bottle and formula and you guessed it, she refused to latch afterwards. I have read online about exclusive pumping before labor, and I decided to go for it in this situation because I wanted to give her the liquid gold she needs. At that time, I didn't know what would come with that decision. So here I’ll share my experience with exclusive pumping. I hope that other moms can make an informed decision if anyone ever has to go through a similar situation as I am.

Pros:

1. It is less painful because the vacuum level can be adjustable to what you are comfortable with

I mentioned about pain when breastfeeding my daughter for the first time. With pumping, I can actually see what is causing the pain (the vacuum causes pulling motion that creates pain) and that makes me feel confident about the latch (if she ever latches on again). The key to becoming an exclusive pumper is to get a good medical grade pump and know the right flange size for you. It is costly, but check with your insurance if they would cover the cost. I have been using Spectra S1 Plus and I highly recommend this pump. The pump is portable and I can carry it around while doing some house chores. The pump is also equipped with 12 vacuum levels. I started with level 2, and now I am still at level 3. I cannot imagine anyone would ever go to level 12, but it is there if you need such a high vacuum level.

2. Flexibility in terms of pumping/breastfeeding time

Becoming an exclusive pumper means I will have to spend almost twice the amount of time for feeding compared to direct breastfeeding. Also I will have to pump every 2-3 hrs to avoid duct clog and mastitis. Nevertheless, unlike breastfeeding, with the right equipment, pumping is hands free. So I can pump while doing other things such as playing with my daughter, cooking, washing dishes, working on my laptop, or even attending virtual meetings.

3. You can get help from others to feed your little one when you need to rest

When the night is rough, I would ask Alex’s help to take care of our daughter in the morning. I just have to make sure that the milk bottle is warm before I take a worry-free morning nap.

4. Know how much you are giving your little one

There are at least 2 advantages of knowing how much you are giving your little one. First, if her growth rate decreases, i.e. she goes down the percentile, I can be sure that it is not because she is not eating well. Second, it gives me confidence when I have to sleep train her knowing that she has drunk enough volume for the day to be able to sleep soundly and independently.

5. More carry ons but easier to feed while traveling

For any travel longer than 2 hrs, I will have to bring my pumping equipment with me. That includes my pump, sterilized pumping bottles and flanges, insulated bag with a cold pack, storage bottles or pumping bottle caps, a feeding cover, and a few ziplock bags.

Yes it is more troublesome to travel, but I can easily feed my daughter on the car seat without needing to take a stop to breastfeed.

Cons:

1. More dishes to wash + extra pairs of flanges and bottles are necessary

My daughter's pediatrician recommends using a clean pair of flanges and bottles for every pumping session. This is to avoid bacteria transmission from one batch to another. Thus, having one or two extra pairs of flanges and bottles is helpful to buy time during the day, but during the night there will be more dishes to wash.

2. Requires support from others to make it work especially in the first month

I remember having my breast so engorged in the morning because I did not have time to pump during the night with my daughter's demanding feeding schedule. Hence, having an extra pair of hands to care for the baby during the first month is critical to establish the milk supply by the 6th week. The recommendation is to pump every 2-3 hrs. It is important to stick to the pumping schedule to avoid duct clog which can decrease your milk flow and eventually supply if the condition persists for more than 1 day.

3. Letting go of breastfeeding relationship with your little one can be difficult

I was sad when I had to let go of my breastfeeding relationship with my daughter (there is a unique feeling when you hold your little one and breastfeed). Also, there is another advantage of direct breastfeeding that I have to let go of, which is providing her with a better immune system as my body can respond to any bacteria present in her saliva. However, the next best thing I can do for my daughter is to pump when direct breastfeeding is not working. The immune cells are still there, just less tailored to her needs.

4. More $ to spend on vibration warming massager and on manual pump for salt water soak

Milk duct clog is a real problem for exclusive pumpers because the milk supply is likely to be more than what your little one is drinking. This usually happens to me when I miss the pump schedule twice in a row. Both LaVie vibration warming massager and Baby Chan manual pump are life savers in this situation. Just fill up the manual pump with warm salt water and soak the nipple for 5-10 min. The vacuum and the salt should help to resolve the clog. I usually do an extra pumping session after the soak to resolve it faster.

5. Expressed breast milk tastes soapy after a while

I have a high lipase content in my breast milk that causes it to taste and smell soapy after a few hours. Some babies have problems drinking because of this, but thankfully my daughter is not picky about it. If you have the same problem, refer to this article on how to scald breast milk.

Despite the challenges, I do not regret my decision to exclusively pump because my baby is getting the goodness she needs. I salute every mom that made the decision to exclusively pump even when they knew the challenges. I didn’t, and I hope this post can be helpful for you to make the right decision for you and your family.