Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I have been at odds of this for a while now and trying to decide what I want to do. I am positive that I want to feed my child brest milk but am unsure of whether to pump or breastfeed.
What are you going to do and why? I am wondering the pros and cons of both.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I am going to try pumping b/c I'm not comfortable with nursing -

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I am going to breast feed at first and then as the baby gets older I will do both.

I have heard that just pumping is difficult because you take double the time to feed. First pumping, then feeding. So at first when the baby is eating SOOO much.. it takes up so much time to pump only.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

i think I am going to nurse for the first 8 weeks or so and then transition to both for 4 weeks before I go back to work.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I BF. I hated pumping, it felt very weird and unnatural to me, like I was a cow or something. I did end up pumping after a few months to build up a freezer stash and for when I had to leave DD. It took awhile to get used to pumping, BF was def. more natural for me.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

If I had the choice of BF'ing and pumping, I would choose BF'ing in a New York Minute. I would never pump unless I had to, I pumped for 8 months and it was a nightmare. I was a slave to the pump, I hated doing it at the time, and looking back on it, it wasn't a particularly happy time for me, or for my baby. I worried constantly I would be caught out without enough milk for him, I had to pump in the bathroom of a transatlantic flight...horrible. My son wouldn't latch on and if this baby doesn't latch on, I don't think I would pump again. On top of being attached to a pump for hours a day, you have to wash and sterilize all the equipment and the bottles...compare that to sticking a baby on your boob, no washing, no cleaning bottles, yes its time consuimg, but its time spent with your baby, not a machine.

Its your own personal choice, and I don't want to feel like I am talking anyone out of it, but this was just my own personal experience.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I am going to breastfeed for as long as I am home ( I think) and pump when I go back to work IF I am able to do it.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I would BF if you can.... I want to BF but due to "issues" my has we can't get to the breast yet, eventually we will.

SO for now I pump and feed.... I HATE IT!!! Everythign takes SOOoooo much longer.

I have to pump which takes about 20-40 minutes and then feed her and put her to sleep which can take up to an hour....

so when your child is eating every 2.5-3 hours... YOU GET NO BREAK


I would SERIOUSLY reccomend giving BFing a chance. Start going to some LLL meetings, find a lactation consultant (most insurances cover it) and read up on BFing as much as you can....

Pumping and feeding a newborn, while it can be done is WAY more time consuming!!!!

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I think I'll BF a little bit but i'll most likely end up pumping (i have extremely sensitive nips and i don't know if i'll be able to handle it, plus i know DH would love to feed him so unless DH holds my boob and feeds DS, I don't see that happening haha.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

Im hoping to BF exclusively until i got back to work, and then pump when im at work so my mom and dh can feed him, but when im home still BF.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I'm *planning* to BF AND pump

I hope that BF'ing works out for me, but you can only plan so much.....

I think pumping will help, convenience-wise (When I'm not w/baby), but I like the bonding part that comes w/BF'ing

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

The first time around I knew I wanted to BF, BUT DD wasn't able to latch for about 10-14 days so I started to pump. Once she did latch on, I nursed every morning & at night for about 6 weeks, but I otherwise pumped.

I pumped exclusively after that for a year! Looking back it was a lot of work. I had to pump at work (& got walked in on a few times & had to deal w/ fire drills!) I had to coordinate pumping times b4 she was hungry ( b/c I preferred to give fresh milk). I thankfully built up my freezer stash so I wasn't pumping every time b4 I fed her.

I did find that there's a 4-5 month period that you produce a lot of milk, during those months, it pays to pump & stash as much as you can b/c that amount will decrease a lot.

Although it was a lot of work, to me it was worth it. I don't feel entirely comfortable nursing in front of others; although this time I'm going to try to nurse a bit more, especially when I'm home from work.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

BFing is so tough the first month or two, but it typically gets a lot better after that. I'm BFing. I pump in the morning after BFing in order to build a freezer stash. I'll also pump when I go back to work.

Even with the pain and frustration at the beginning, I've found BFing to be much easier than pumping. Pumping is a lot more work and even though someone else can help feed the baby, you still need to pump in order to maintain your supply.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I did both. I nursed almost exclusively for the first month - but I still pumped and froze the BM. I also used formula, especially at the begining when my milk did not let down. I did not get my milk in until 3-4 days after DS was born.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

Message edited 3/11/2009 5:12:52 PM.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

At my birthing class they said you would have to nurse for at least a month prior to giving your baby bottles because your milk is produced based on what the child requires and it takes your body a little while. So I will probably nurse for 4-6 weeks and then switch to mostly pumping.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I am going to do my very best at breastfeeding exclusively. As far as pumping for DH supplements or if I get sick and have to pump, I may just get a manual pump (based on what I've been told).

My plan, sometime soon, is to host a little luncheon for some close BFers, my sister, SIL, SIL's sister, cousin & friend, all who've breastfed in different ways. So we can have a little chat on who did what and why and such.

Things I'd like to know from my successful peers are did you only breastfeed, did you pump, manual or fancy automatic pump, for supplement or pump and dump, did you do scheduled feedings or feed when baby wanted, when did you stop... I think we'll have a fun time and a few laughs!

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I will be pumping & supplimenting with formula. Since I am only home for 6 weeks, I need to get into a routine almost immediately & not have DC solely on the breast. Plus I do want my DH & other family members to have a chance at feeding. I know that if I am breastfeeding exclusively, all the feedings are on me.

I have a friend that exclusively pumped & while yes it is hard, she felt she had more freedom them if she was just breastfeeding bc if she wanted a break from a feeding, she could have it

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I was dead set on ONLY pumping from the beginning....but with influence from the pediatrian, I have made some changes. He said, while in the hospital, breastfeed....and then when you get home you can continue pumping. I think because the baby needs to stimulate you in order to produce. This is my plan.

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

pumping.... i feel weird about breastfeeding..and dh wants to spend alot of time with the baby so i figure once i pump he or other people can feed the baby the bottle

plus on tlc bringing home baby it seems so many people have trouble latching... and then when you do switch off to the bottle there is difficulty switching....

and also, i just feel like if i bf then im never going to let dh near them again- ever

Re: Breastfeeding vs. Pumping....WWYD

I am no BF expert but from what I have read and heard along the way pumping alone is inadequate to stimulate adequate supply.