Exclusive Pumping Part 1

**I normally show y'all a craft of some type on Thursdays, but for this month I'd like to share my breastfeeding experience in hopes that I might help someone else out there**

***ALSO, please note that I am not in any way trying to put down those who formula feed.  Every mother must do what is best for her and her baby.  I know there are many reasons for why each mother chooses how and for how long she does her chosen method.  This is a place to support each other and help each other, thank you***

Let me first tell you that if you plan on breastfeeding this book is a MUST!

A friend of mine got it for me and I read it.

Cover to cover.

I didn't agree with everything, but it had the most accurate and informative information on breastfeeding of any book I had seen.

That being said, I fully intended on breastfeeding.

When Bitsy was born we attempted to breastfeed the entire time we were in the hospital.

She, like many babies, was born with jaundice and we quickly learned that it caused her to be very tired.

We also learned that she was a lazy eater.

As soon as she would latch on, she'd suck once, then twice and then fall asleep.

We tried everything.

I even had a friend who used to be a lactation consultant come over and attempt to help.

Nothing we did would keep Bitsy awake long enough.

I had written about my experience with blocked ducts and mastitis and at that point I had hopes that we could still get away from pumping and back to traditional breastfeeding. 

I can't tell you exactly how much longer it took for me to realize that that wasn't going to happen, but when I finally came to the realization there was an immense amount of pressure lifted off my shoulders.

As much as I wanted to have that bond with Bitsy, I felt it was more important that I at least provide for her to the best of my ability.  If that meant exclusively pumping than so be it.

Now don't get me wrong, exclusive pumping is not easy.

It is just as challenging and time consuming as nursing (I've even heard from a few other exclusive pumpers that they felt it to be more challenging and time consuming...but I guess when you are trying to do what's best for your baby, you'll try anything).

I started to do research to find out if this was really a thing.

I found a few sources, but nothing that really laid out how often, how long, etc.

I grew frustrated and knew this would be something I'd just have to learn as I went.

That being said let me take this week to show you a few necessary items to make your pumping process a little easier:

1st and most importantly you will need a good pump.

Put it on your registry, ask for gift cards, beg family to go in on it together.

Whatever, it takes, get a good double pump.

Medela Pump In Style

2nd- Inexpensive, as you will be cutting these up.

Comfy Sports Bras- I suggest at least a weeks worth, so you can change it daily.

3rd

Washable Breast Pads- These were the best because they didn't have a seam in them.
The ones with a seam can cause irritation, especially in the early days.
Also, these were great because I got most of mine for free (just paid shipping) look for coupon codes for udder covers via Google.

And lastly...

Ribbed Tanks- these are great because they really help hide your cut up bra and breast pads.
source 

Non-apparel items you may want to invest in include:

A good deep freezer.
Exclusive pumpers tend to 'over produce'.
This is not a bad thing as it means you can have a wonderful freezer stockpile that will allow you to wean earlier than a traditional breastfeeding Mom.
Also a deep freezer ensures your milk stays better longer.
You should only store milk in a traditional side by side fridge/freezer for up to 2 weeks, whereas, in a deep freezer you are safe for 3-6 months depending on how frequently you access the freezer.

If at any point in time you feel your supply is dropping I HIGHLY suggest drinking this tea:

I personally loved the taste (with a spoonful or two of sugar), but I think even if I hated it I still would have drank it.
It worked wonders for me when I felt I needed it.

Okay so now that you have all your supplies here is what you'll need to do.

Take your sports bras and put it on.

Now silly as this sounds...take a marker and make a dot where your nipple is.

Some websites recommend cutting a circle out and sewing the edges so that it doesn't fray or so the hole doesn't grow any larger, but I know that not everyone sews.  My method is much quicker and easier.

Once all your bras have been 'dotted' you will want to cut an "X" shape in them (I'm sorry I don't have pictures of this...I didn't think about it when I was sleep deprived in the early days).  The "X" doesn't need to be very large...just large enough that the first time you insert your pumping cones it's a little snug.  It will loosen over time, but in the early days it's okay for it to be 'forced'.

There now you have your hands free pumping bra.

After each session wipe yourself and place one of your breast pads inside the bra to protect from leaks and also to temporary make your bra whole again.

Now when you are wearing this bra and pad combo I suggest wearing a ribbed tank over it.

This will allow you to wear your combo all day without everyone you encounter noticing an indention in your bra (where the hole is cut), as well as mask the fact that you are wearing breast pads.

I wore these tanks under everything or sometimes all alone.

I didn't like the idea of having to change bras each time I pumped, especially since in the early days it was SO frequently.

That covers your apparel as a exclusively pumping Momma.

I will say that for the duration of the time that I was pumping 8-1/2 months I did feel that my wardrobe was limited, but when I did get a chance to wear a regular bra and shirt it definitely felt like a special occasion.

My pump went with me everywhere.  If we were going to be away from the house during a time when I needed to pump, it came in the car with us.  I bought the car adapter and I will say that it won't have quite the same 'horsepower' as it does when it's pumped in to a regular walk outlet.  The same goes for if you use it with batteries.  I do recommend getting the car adapter as it does come in handy early on and during road trips.  Yes that means I did pump when we were traveling.  It was then that I would wear a 'udder cover' so passing vehicles didn't see what I was doing.

As far as my pump cleaning goes I gave everything a rinse in between pumping sessions and then placed all my supplies in the refrigerator.

I'm sure that this may not seem clean enough for some, but breast milk naturally wards off bacteria and for the duration of a day it was fine.  

I typically gave my parts a good wash before bedtime and allowed them to air dry for the next day.

Obviously, during the early days this was a 24 hour operation, but later you can alter it to allow you up 8-12 hours at night.

I will talk about frequency and duration next week in part 2, as well as storing tips and tricks.

The last 2 Thursdays of this month I will cover weaning from pumping.

If you have any questions or if you think I've forgotten to cover a particular area (which I may or might have)...please leave a comment or shoot me a message!

I want to make sure this is a thorough and helpful guide for anyone who is struggling with breastfeeding and thinks that the only other option is formula, there are other options.

I hope you all have a Blessed Thursday!

additional sources:
http://pumpingrules.blogspot.com/
Exclusively Pumping