BF moms - pumping vent!

I honestly never thought I would be saying this, feeling this way, but I love nursing my DS. I come from a family where BFing seems to make people uncomfortable and I was never around it. I went into it with the notion that I would try my best to BF, but that if I wasn't able to, I would be fine with FF (thousands of babies are FF and are perfectly fine).

Then I had a preemie baby and my body wasn't ready to produce milk and I spent the month that my son was in the NICU pumping around the clock, fighting to get even a couple of drops of milk out. They said it might take a week for it to come in. Then after a week of nothing, they said well it could take 2 weeks. Same thing. Finally after that first month I started getting maybe an ounce TOTAL, but still I fought on, somehow determined to provide this for him. I would nurse him when I was with him in the hospital, and pump every 2-3 hours whenever I wasn't.

When I came back to work, I knew I'd have to pump, wasn't looking forward to it, lol. Well, I've been back for 4 months and I just HATE it! I mean, I have my own office and can close my door to pump (a luxury I know not every pumping mom has, so I reallllly try to focus on how good that is, you know, to look at the positive), but it's suuuuuch a hassle to put everything together, clean up, take apart, bla bla bla repeat. I've tried just putting everything in the fridge between pumpings, but I hate seeing dried specks of milk on things... makes me feel like it's not clean.

I don't want to stop nursing DS. I love having that time with him in the mornings and when I get home. I just wish I could nurse during the day instead of pump... or give up the pumping altogether. As it is, some days I only pump once at work because of how busy it is etc....

Annnnnnd as I am typing this, my pump just died 9 minutes into pumping and the battery is dead... where's the charger, oops it's at home. Irony? Or something else. Maybe I shouldn't be complaining about pumping???

I can't be the only one. It's this love hate relationship for me - love the BFing, HATTTTTE the pumping. Once the sucker is on, no issue, but it's everything leading up to pumping and after I'm done.

Sorry if I rambled. I just wanted to get that out.

ETA: In the interest of full disclosure I do supplement with formula. Despite trying everything ever recommended to increase milk supply, nothing ever helped get me to produce enough for a full day for DS so he gets about half breastmilk and half formula while I'm at work. All BF when I'm home. I think this also makes me not want to stop nursing since I know he's not getting BM full time, and I don't want him to lose out on that, or for me to lose out on that closeness/bonding with him.

Message edited 10/14/2010 4:53:23 PM.

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

I hear you!! Its a major pain! Such a process- so many parts, etc. I only do it about twice a week (that's all I NEED to do- he gets 2-3 bottles every week, the rest of the time, I nurse), and even those 2 times are annoying to me lol! I just keep reminding myself that it is ABSOLUTELY worth it 100%! Knowing that I can give my little boy all BM all the time gets me through all the annoyingness! You're doing a great thing- it's SO worth it!!!

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

I feel your pain. As a mom to a preemie as well I had a tough time in the beginning too and was a slave to my giant hospital-grade pump. I don't miss those days as all. Like you said, I didn't mind nursing DD, I actually loved that part, but the pump I HATED. And the hate just grew

Hang in there.

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

I only do 1 pump a day instead of 2/3 because the clean up is such a PITA

But I've made it 7 months so far so only 5 months left till I reach my goal.

Being more than half way there and knowing how good it is for him makes me feel better about the hassle.

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

Posted by MrsA714
And the hate just grew

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

I pumped twice a day for 3 months (DS 5-8 months)

then i went to once a day pumping for 2 months (9-10 months) then i went to moring and night for 2 months (11-12 months)

take it each day and know each day and set small goals - it helped for me

i will get to 2 months and then decide

i will get to 6 months then decide - then 7 and so forth till i made a year

also i had the medala freestyle and two sets of pump parts - i did not wash at work everything was put together at night

its hard and i hated pumping too but i kept going for both of us - if you have a family history of breast cancer - breast feeding can reduce your risk - they recommend 20 total months (over as many kids as you have) - i have a history so it could help us later too

congrats on making it this far you have had a lot of challenges - and there is nothing wrong with supplementing

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

lol.. I actually liked pumping maybe b/c I made my DH wash the parts.

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

hey love - as a PP mentioned - what's your goal? maybe if you set a goal in mind it won't suck as much . like me here at my crappy job (not that my job resembles pumping in any way, but hear me out, LOL) i hate it, but i look at my time left here (a year! WOOHOO!!!) and i suck it up cause after a year i'll be DONEEEEEEEEEE

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

I hear you I hated pumping with my first daughter, and I still nursed her too.

Now, with the baby, I'm only pumping....she's getting exclusively breastmilk via pumping. I'm now doing only 4 pumping sessions per day (20 min each) and I'm getting like 45 ounces of milk....still plenty to meet her needs and build a freezer stash. But I LOATHE the pump....hate cleaning the parts (and I have 4 sets of parts so I only have to wash them 1x/day), etc. But I am proud of what I'm doing and will continue to do it.

But I hear you....that thing is a torture device!

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

Message edited 10/14/2010 5:15:26 PM.

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

Posted by LoveyQ

Posted by bonitachyc

hey love - as a PP mentioned - what's your goal?

My goal is ever changing, lol. At first it was to make it to 3 months. Then 6 months. Now it's to make it to 9 months (he's 7 months old). Ideally and ultimately I want to make it to a year, but I'm taking it in 3 month intervals. I'm really hoping to make it to at least 9 months now.

Posted by nbc188
I'm now doing only 4 pumping sessions per day (20 min each) and I'm getting like 45 ounces of milk....still plenty to meet her needs and build a freezer stash.

That's AWESOME!!! See, if I was getting a lot of milk, I think I'd feel better about it or more inclined to suffer through it better But I pump for 24-30 minutes each time and the most I have EVER gotten was 5 ounces total. And these days I usually only get 4 ounces total. FOUR OUNCES for a half hour of pumping. Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm not cool. lol. But still I forge on. I have BM envy

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

I have been exclusively pumping since DS was 10 days old so I completely underatnd how much you hate it When DS was about 5 months old I seriously thought about supplementing so I could give myself a break, but I didn't and was miserable for a few more weeks and then realized that if I was going to continue pumping until DS was a year old, I had to accept it and stop hating it because it was making me so unhappy. Right around that time I went back to work and pumping 3X a day at work (in a closet) was just miserable, but I really, really wanted to continue to give my baby breastmilk for as long as possible. So I finally realized that I needed to stop complaining about it and just embrace it. I kind of just stopped thinking about and just did it. DS is now 11.5 months and is transitioning to whole milk (I started at 10 months) and I am down to only one pumping session per day. I can honestly say that I am very happy with my decision.

Re: BF moms - pumping vent!

I completely agree with you. It is such a hassle to pump at work. I loathe it as well. I am pumping twice a day but much like yourself I am trying to focus on the positive. I have a very busy day. Constant happenings. I work in an elementary school. It is nice to be able to shut the door to my office twice a day for 20 minutes (guilt free). I have the perfect excuse and nobody can dispute it I also purchased an extra set of pump parts so I don't have to deal with washing them at work. I bring them home and usually DH will wash them and I sanitize them every other night. DS is 7 months and we are going strong with the BF. The way I see it is why stop now. You are doing a great job!!! Best of luck!