The majority of people who exclusively pump struggled with nursing their babies before transitioning to exclusive pumping. Often, these new parents worked with a lactation consultant shortly after their baby’s birth to try to get their baby to latch or to troubleshoot weight gain issues in their infant.
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Because most breastfeeding moms nurse rather than exclusively pump, lactation consultants may not be as familiar with it as an option and how they can best support parents who decide to do it.
(I’ve been through lactation counselor training myself and pumping was barely mentioned, let alone exclusively pumping, so it may be that training in this area is lacking.)
I asked readers about their experiences, and what they wish that their lactation consultants had known about exclusively pumping. Below is what they said.
1. Exclusively pumping long term IS possible.
My experience – and that of many of the exclusive pumpers who responded – was that the lactation consultants that we spoke to were dubious that pumping exclusively would work for very long.
Often, the message was that the pump is not as effective as a baby in removing milk, and that it was inevitable that our milk would “dry up” if we didn’t nurse.
It is true that some people don’t respond well to the pump and do struggle with producing enough milk when they are using one, but this isn’t the case for everyone.
Some of us are even able to pump much more than our babies could eat! In my case, my supply was actually greater at around 50 ounces per day for the baby I exclusively pumped for than for the two babies that I nursed. (I’d estimate it was closer to 30-35 ounces.)
There are thousands of people who have exclusively pumped for six months to a year, myself included. Exclusively pumping long term is absolutely possible and is a viable option for parents who for whatever reason are not able to (or do not want to) nurse.
When working with a new parent who is really struggling with nursing and ready to give up, it would be beneficial for a lactation consultant to support exclusive pumping as an option rather than to continue to encourage them to try to nurse, if that is what she wants.
Livie Larson, a former exclusive pumper, said, “We need to know that it’s possible, and to hear success stories of those who’ve done it for however long that they could.”
2. People who are considering exclusively pumping need information, help, and support specific to their situation.
Exclusive pumpers need different information and support than nursing mothers. In particular, some things that would be helpful include:
- Help finding the right size breast shield. Many women use the wrong size – especially if the size they need didn’t come with the pump – and they don’t know how to determine what size they should be using. Written descriptions and pictures can be difficult to decipher. A lactation consultant can be really invaluable in watching new parents pump and determining what size flange they need.
- Information about storing and using expressed milk, including how long milk can be refrigerated or frozen, and whether bottles that weren’t finished can be offered at the next feeding.
- Information about how the pump works and about pump parts and how to clean them.
- Information about how often and for how long to pump when exclusively pumping. A good guideline to start is to pump as many times a day as the baby is taking a bottle, with the total amount of pumping time per day being about two hours.
- Help connecting new exclusively pumping parents with veteran exclusive pumpers.
3. Rules about pumping for nursing mothers don’t always apply to exclusively pumping mothers.
Some guidelines about pumping that make sense for nursing parents don’t work as well for exclusive pumpers. For example, quite a few exclusive pumpers reported that they had been told to limit the amount of time that they spent pumping to 10 to 15 minutes.
Indeed, in many cases, it’s better for nursing mothers to not pump for excessive periods of time, because it can lead to oversupply, foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, and forceful ejection.
However, this particular rule about the length of pumping sessions doesn’t apply to exclusive pumpers, as none of these things cause adverse issues for them or their babies.
For example, forceful ejection is not an issue for your breast pump, and any foremilk/hindmilk imbalance issues can mitigated by the pitcher method.
Exclusively pumping parents may need to pump for longer periods of time in order to build their supply – for some people, sessions that are less frequent but longer can work better. Suggesting a strict 10-15 minute limit is not beneficial to people who aren’t nursing.
Additionally, it is common advice to put a newborn to the breast every two hours when babies are very young; some exclusive pumpers reported being told to “just pump every two hours” to mimic this feeding schedule. However, pumping every two hours is much more difficult than nursing every two hours, especially through the night, especially given that the parent may also have to care for baby at the same time.
Instead, it may be helpful to suggest pumping every 3-4 hours at night for slightly longer periods of time, and every 2-3 hours during the day, if possible. Here are some sample pumping schedules.
Additionally, lactation consultants could also provide guidance on how to get pumping sessions in while caring for a baby. For example, using a hands-free bra to pump can enable you to hold the baby or feed the baby while pumping; putting a bouncy seat on the floor next to you while you pump is another good option.
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4. Remember that exclusive pumpers are trying as hard as they can.
Many exclusive pumpers said that they felt as if their lactation consultants thought that they were “giving up” by choosing to exclusively pump.
One exclusive pumper, Tracy Turtel, said that lactation consultants should “understand that not being able to breastfeed is a huge disappointment and loss to many of us. Treating us like we’re failures does not help, nor does pushing us to do something we know isn’t right for us.”
Exclusive pumping is more work than nursing is. Like a nursing mom, an exclusive pumper needs to be concerned with milk supply and how often she needs to pump, as well as her breast health and issues such as engorgement, clogged ducts and mastitis. At the same time, like a formula feeding parent, she is constantly preparing and washing bottles.
“There is so much extra work – washing the bottles and pump parts, storing the milk, and pumping every 3 hours on a different schedule than the baby. It’s as if I have twins! One that needs a milk input and one that needs a milk output,” said Jodi Rowland, another exclusively pumping mom.
Because it is so hard, few people choose to do it over nursing, and most feel that for them it is a choice between exclusively pumping and formula feeding.
Helping people who want to nurse so that they can avoid all of this extra effort is wonderful; however, once a parent has decided to exclusively pump, supporting her and recognizing how hard she is working is invaluable.
In summary, lactation consultants that recognize that exclusively pumping is a viable option, support them in their decision, and provide them with the information that they need will be instrumental in helping these parents meet their (new) breastfeeding goals.
References
- Medela. “Medela Breast Shield Sizing Guide.” https://blog.medelabreastfeedingus.com/2015/05/medela-breastshield-sizing-guide/#.VvqQJZMrJE4
Comments & Chitchat
Swati says
Hi. I don’t have words to thank you. I am a doc myself and in my country EP is not promoted. My OBs were extremely supportive, but still only one of then shyly suggested about it when she saw me struggling. I myself never gave BF a thought as after 1 miscarriage and an advancing age, my sole concentration was on carrying my pregnancy to term. I guess I had always assumed BF will come naturally. But then I struggled terribly pp. I was in ICU after C- sec for 2 days. So BF was attempted only on 3rd day. I has every possible struggle. U name it, I had it. Not latching, severe engorgment, nipple cracks, PPD, unsuccessful attempts with nipple shield. My supply was huge, my dresses used to be wet from breast till toe..still Had to supplement with formula for 2 weeks. My baby would feed for 1.5 hrs, then again after a break of 30 mins. I was exhausted.. and then suddenly one morning I was not soaking. I was horrified. Everyone just kept pushing for BF, suggesting it was isuue with my suppy, or my baby being lazy after few days of top feeds. I realized then that if I dont do anything now, I’ll lose my supply and my baby will be completely on formula. He feeding on breastmilk was more important than feeding on my breast. I didn’t know till then EP was a thing. I just decided on my own that I’ll keep on pumping and see what happens.. I slowly managed to get my supply back..and wihin 3-4 days brought him completely on breastmilk. He is 2.5 months now. Healthy, good weight. While on formula he had lost weight drastically. Then I discovered there was something called EP. Now I am EPing and I don’t care if my baby is lazy, that’s some sweet laziness I adore!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Thank you so much Swati!!!! Congrats on your sweet baby!
Sandeep says
Thank you for this post. I had a challenging breastfeeding journey with my baby at risk of going underweight so pump was introduced by hospital. She didn’t latch well despite me doing everything I could to help her. My nipples were damaged as first time mom from trying to breastfeed and pump at the end of each session to feed my baby. I tried for 3 weeks breastfeeding and pumping. It was one of the most challenging things I had to go through. I knew I had to decide then for my mental health as well, I transitioned to exclusively pumping. As you said, there is little support and info out there to exclusively pumping, and much more work. When my family/ friends ask me now if I’m breastfeeding and I tell them I exclusively pump, they react like its something worthless and judge me for not”breastfeeding”. But, with all the ups and downs , I am so proud of myself for pumping to feed my baby now for 3 months and successfully ditching formula.
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
I’m so glad you’re proud of yourself! You’re doing an amazing job!
Laura says
Thank you for this article! Honestly, I didn’t even bother with the lactation consultant, I had the feeling that she would discourage me from trying to exclusively pump. I was so stressed out after the first month of nursing that I knew I had to decide between switching to formula or EPing (I was also going back to work at 5 weeks). I had an acquaintance that was EPing because of her baby being premature so I knew it could be done. Then I came across this site, read a ton about EPing, and made the switch. It’s been hard but much easier than nursing… I can say that after doing multiple long-distance road trips, 5 international flights, and moving across 2 continents! My baby is 7 months now and my supply is very steady.
Mary E Logue says
Thank you for this resource! I remember being so let down by lactation, they knew NOTHING about pumping, and what hurt me most is it took weeks for me to figure out how to effectively remove as much milk with pumping as I could, I just didn’t know otherwise because “experts” just made it sound like you stick the pumps on and voila. Flange sizing, manual compression, power pumping, supplements, I had to learn on my own in HUGE part thanks to your resources. You were so kind to share your resources. I’ve been able to maintain about half his supply for four and a half months, early on I sometimes was at 75-100% but thanks to all the supportive mamas out there, I feel so good about where I am. I do believe had I known how to use the pump correctly from those early, important weeks for establishing supply, I would be at 100% and it’s so hard not to resent those hospital lactation consultants…they also told me for weeks he didn’t have a tongue tie…when he had a deep posterior tie. It was a game changer when it was clipped but too late to establish breastfeeding again because I went back to work. Anyways, all of that to say, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Thank you so much Mary!!!! Great work!!! and congrats on your sweet baby!
Tiffany Townsend says
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post! This speaks to every experience I had with multiple lactations consultants. I have been pumping for six months now and everyone is happier for it. I just feel so disappointed by the “system” for making me feel as though BF and formula were the only options. I am so appreciative of this site for all the truly helpful guidance, the community and the support — that there are many ways to feed your baby and all parents want what’s best for their families.
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Thanks Tiffany!
Sarah T. says
I just want to say THANK YOU for posting this- I had a ton of challenges trying to breastfeed my little one, met with various LC’s both in the hospital and after discharge to try and get things to work. I was so grateful to find your page and realize that there was support for mothers who elected to EP. I’ve been exclusively pumping for 7 months now (in the beginning, I said if I could make it to 6 months that would be a victory!) and every week when I receive your emails and remind myself that I’m doing a great job, I look back and just feel so thankful that you are here supporting and empowering moms who have taken on exclusive pumping. So thank you, so very much, for keeping us informed and keeping us going!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Thank you so much Sarah!!!
Caitlin says
Yassss. My lactation consultant was a very nice lady, but overall very unhelpful. In fact, every nurse and consultant in the hospital told me to NOT pump. That if I tried hard enough my baby would nurse correctly. Well we tried and tried, turns out my baby has a bubble palate which can sometimes make it difficult to latch properly, it felt like someone was slicing my nipples with razor blades every time she sucked. I couldn’t bear the pain in my breasts, and the resentment I was feeling towards my newborn was not how I wanted to spend my first days as a new mom. So I switched to pumping and havnt had any problems. There has been trial and error of course, but overall pretty successful. My baby and I are happy and healthy. But it would have been nice for my decision to have been supported in the hospital, and to have had more info on how to do it!
Susie says
Thank you so much for your website! I wish I would have found it sooner in my Exclusive Pumping Journey, there are so many awesome tips here for mommas! I was planning on breastfeeding for at least a year and worked with so many lactation consultants who didn’t know what else to suggest to help us, my little one was on weight watch for almost 3 months! We had his tongue tie fixed which didn’t help him latch on any better, only to discover a little too late that he also had a really bad lip tie! Wish this would have been caught sooner but am glad I was able to exclusively pump for him for 1 whole year! It is encouraging to see how many other moms had similar issues and am thankful we have another option to still give our babies breastmilk! You are doing a great job mommas! Keep up the good work!
I personally believe your website should be provided as a resource from each midwife or each birthing hospital so other mom’s know this is a very possible route they can choose if they want or need to!
Amanda Glenn says
Oh my gosh, thank you so much Susie!!
Valerie says
#3 is the golden one for me! I was told to pump no longer than 15 minutes, and I listened. However, I believe this hurt my supply in the long run. I never felt empty, but I was told several times that I really shouldn’t pump longer than 15 minutes. I was a first time mom, and if there is a number two and this happens again, I will do everything so much differently. Great post!
Heather Tenneson says
I love this post so much! The needs of an exclusive pumping mom are different than a nursing mom. I exclusively pumped for my second and a lactation consultant made me feel as if I was giving up and not trying hard enough to nurse. She said to me “so breastfeeding hurt too bad so you quit and started pumping?” I felt like a failure, even though I had put a great amount of thought into my decision and knew 100% that this decision was right for our family. People in this line of work – lactation consultants, nurses, doulas, etc. – need more education on this option because it is becoming more popular. And for good reason, because the baby is still getting breast milk, which is what they’ve been preaching all along, right? Thanks for sharing this information!
Lacey says
YES!!!!!! I exclusively pumped for 12 months and this is so true!
Casie says
Thank you so much for writing this. Everything in this article is so true. I have been an exclusive pumper for over 4 months now and plan to do it until my baby girl is 1.
Nikki says
Thank you so much for writing this, I’m constantly looking for more information on pumping. I’m so glad to see I’m not alone on my exclusively pumping journey. It was extremely disappointing and heartbreaking in the hospital when the lactation consultant basically said go with Plan B and rolled in the breast pump. But after a lot of stress and a few tears we worked it out mentally and I’m just glad to know I’m somewhat normal. I’m thankful that she still gets breast milk since, I know that’s what’s best for her, even if it’s not straight from the boob! She still a happy and healthy baby and that’s what matters most!
Sarah says
It takes a very dedicated mum to EP and we definitely shouldn’t be made to feel that it is a failure in any way. Ive done this for the past six weeks due to mastitis and other feeding issues caused by a late diagnosis of tongue tie. I’m so glad I have kept up my supply and I’ve decided to stay with it as baby is now 3 months and we’re both settled into a routine. It was never presented as an option to me here in Uk and I have had mixed reactions to it by ‘professionals’. I’m just the sort of person who experiments and don’t give up which is fortunate! Thanks for this website it’s a great resource for info and encouragement.
Aurelia says
I am proud that I can almost exclusively provide breastmilk for my daughter with very little supplementing via pumping. My daughter never latched on very well, even with a nipple shied. Trying to nurse became more and more frustrating for her and myself. If I had not pumped, she would not have gained weight as well as she did. At the end of the day, I did what felt best for her health, and I am glad I overlooked any negative remarks about giving up nursing.
Sara Ren says
This article is so much uplifting. I always feel bad about not been my able to feed my baby directly, forget about the difficulties associated with EPing. I am glad that am able to feed my 2 month old with breastmilk instead of formula. I started pumping for 2 reasons;to make sure that my LO was getting enough milk, as he was slightly on the low birthweight side& I had to sit for 3hrs while feeding and I had back pain due disc herniation which worsened owing to the long feeding sessions. My baby started showing oral aversion when he was about 4 weeks& since then I have been feeding him a bottle. I try to put him to my breast everyday with no success so far. Anyways am not gonna give up. Will feed him my milk till the last drop.
Clarisse says
This is an issue in our country. They don’t have a clue that EPing is a thing. You can get shamed for EPing. EPing mothers here don’t get the credit that they deserve even if we do twice the work as exclusively breastfeeding mothers. Sometimes not even respect for our decision to EP.
I can’t find support groups in our country so I keep feeling down. The pedia also told me it’s not possible and keeps on telling me to nurse saying I’ll get sick.
This is the best option for me. I’m really working hard at this. I’m saving for an electric breast pump because I have a below minimum job and don’t have the money for it right now. I’m still hoping I’ll save up, but I barely have money for our needs let alone for an electric pump. I’ve been using a manual breast pump for a month now while pumping every 3-4 hours. Real hard work! But I still do it because I know that’s what’s best for my baby.
I just hope I can get the support. Everyone is waiting for me to give up and start formula feeding, I still don’t have the money for that either. I’m drained physically and emotionally. I’m slowly getting discouraged.
Tiffany says
I love this post. I really wanted to breastfeed my third until I went back to work and extended my maternity leave as long as I possibly could to give myself time to build a great breastfeeding relationship (I gave up trying with my first two after a week or two due to numerous issues). When I took my LO in for her first appointment at five days old, she had lost a pound from her birth weight!
They had me meet with a lactation consultant in the pedis office where they did a weighed feed and found that no matter how long she nursed, she was only taking in a half an ounce. The LC made me feed her formula at that visit, and then she wouldn’t go back to the breast for two days. I called another LC at the hospital and met with her and between the two of them, they had me nursing for 15 minutes, pumping for 20 minutes, and feeding the expressed milk that I got from pumping. By time I was done feeding my LO, I had spent an hour feeding her and it was nearly time to feed again. I was willing to do it, but after meeting with the LC every other day for three weeks, it became clear that she was not getting any better at nursing and I was not getting any sleep.
My milk production was trash and I was still supplementing with a lot of formula. I finally decided to EP and supplement until I could get my supply to the point that I could eliminate formula all together. My LO is seven weeks and I’m still supplementing with about 4 oz of formula a day (sometimes more if I can’t keep up with pumping), but it has made everything so much less stressful than me trying to nurse a baby that didn’t want to nurse.
My husband thought I was suffering from PPD and truth be told, I felt like my baby didn’t even need me and had some pretty dark thoughts in those first three weeks where I wasn’t sleeping. If I had known this was the direction our feeding was going to go, I would have spent that time building my supply instead of trying to get her to nurse.
Kim says
Thank you for writing this. I had the same situation happen. When I decided to exclusively pump, I got some criticism that I was “giving up” but for me it was like a weight was taken off of me and I could now enjoy my baby instead of fighting with him and feeling like he hated me.
A family friend encouraged me when I told her my decision by saying she felt my decision was the best of both worlds: my husband could help feed him in the night (and more sleep means better emotional stability) and bond through feeding him yet he was getting as much breast milk as I had to offer.
I only had 6 weeks off work and I’m happy with the way things turned out. I did not have to teach him to take a bottle when I went back to work and will not have to go through the process of weening the baby when I do stop pumping, which I hear can be very difficult.
Lori says
Hi ladies, I commend the awesome dedication you have to providing your baby with breastmilk! Your list has reinforced what I have believed for a long time. I am a RN and IBCLC lactation consultant and I am amazed at what moms can do with enough determination and support!
C. Fisher says
I love that you wrote this! I just a preemie, 9 weeks early, about a month ago and I have been exclusively pumping. I tried to nurse but after being abused as a child it just felt too awkward for me. After I told the nurse that I wanted to exclusively pump I felt even more pressure to try to nurse, but I stuck to my guns. It is hard work but its giving our son what is best and still making me feel comfortable. 🙂
Becky says
I have 4 month old twin boys. They were born at 36 weeks and had issues being able to latch and had to be tube fed. Eventually we were able to get them on to bottles and I have been exclusively pumping since. It’s a lot of extra work but I want them to be on breast milk and stay away from formula. They are on a 3 hour feeding schedule and I pump when they are finished eating. I got a portable double pump (medela) and put them on a play mat on each side of me and sit and pump.
It is possible to exclusively pump even with twins!
MJ says
Thank you for writing this. I wish I’d known some of these things. I started EP when my baby wasn’t making weight by 2 weeks. I wanted ti know exactly what she was getting. Latching was hit or miss. Then, she became very frustrated the milk didn’t come as fast from my breast when I tried going back. Ultimately I stopped because of medication I needed to be on, but I would have kept pumping exclusively. I know she got the benefits of breastmilk as long as she did. And, you’re right. It’s much harder, more time consuming. I found it difficult to feed her while pumping because she’d grab the tube so in essence it’s like I was taking time to feed two babies plus clean equipment and store/measure milk. It’s tiring but worth it as long as you can do it.
judy harden says
I am in awe of women who exclusively pump. It must be SO hard, and it takes up SO MUCH time; I can’t imagine that dedication. You GO, mamas!
Amy Stagl says
Thanks so much for writing this! I’ve had 3 babies and exclusively pumped for all of them. I felt like there wasn’t nearly enough information out there for this situation. I didn’t feel like I received much support, either. It was always on how to make the baby latch which just wasn’t going to happen. We are all just doing our best!
Dana K says
Thank you so much for writing this. I am an EPer for my little girl after failure to nurse. I felt shamed by my local lactation community that we couldn’t nurse, and my choice to pump. With the movement to normalize breastfeeding, I hope that pumping also becomes more recognized and supported. I was trying to figure out exclusively pumping on my own because my local support was unfamiliar. I happened to find a online support group for EPing that has been amazing. The knowledge and support these women share with one another is tremendous. Because of these super women, I have successfully pumped for my daughter for 3 months and have no doubt I can provide breast milk for her for a year!
Mallory says
Hello! I’m am struggling so hard with milk supply right now. I’m EP and have been shamed for it by some people and don’t have a community around that necessarily understand EP and would love to know the name of the online group. Advice and support would be so nice and comforting right now.
Amanda Glenn says
So sorry you are dealing with this! You are doing a great job. Hang in there.
Here is the facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/276376349416641/
And you should join the newsletter too!
https://eepurl.com/b0WI_z
shelley says
This article has hit the nail on the head. Most people either look down on me for exclusively pumping or stare at me in amazement, unbelieving that I would be willing to pump for a whole year. Not only has it worked for me, it has worked for my family! We rocked it, and I always recommend it to my friends as they become mommies.
Catherine says
That is great and exactly what I️ need to hear right now. Thank you. I️ am struggling with continuing as my pump just doesn’t seem to get the job done and have had to hand express for the last week to get any supply. I️ am back to work full time for 2 months now and hoping to continue pumping as long as possible. The spectra pump is on its way this week and am hoping that will make a difference and work better than my medela pump in style.
Do you have any recommendations on which pump has worked best for you, how often you pump, if still during the night, and if you have tried the spectra..
Thank you!