Exclusively Pumping? Why Not? Make A Clear Well-Informed Choice

Who knew motherhood comes in multiple choices? You may choose pregnancy, or you might choose surrogacy, or you might choose to adopt. Similarly, you have the choice to breastfeed or choose formula feeding. But there is something else that you want to try, and that is exclusively pumping. 

Exclusive pumping is something when you choose to pump your milk and feed the baby directly from the bottle and not breastfeed the baby. This is up to you, but there are several benefits to it as well, which we will cover in the later part of the article.

What Is Exclusive Pumping?

Exclusive pumping is something when you choose to feed your baby breastmilk but not directly breastfeed them. You prefer pumping the milk and feeding your baby from the bottle. If you think this is time-consuming, then yes, it is. 

There are various means to feed a baby breast milk. You can choose to feed them through an NG tube or through a bottle. This is a practical option for a mother and requires strength, dedication, and discipline. Even if you are not breastfeeding, the breast milk is important for your baby.

What Are The Reasons Behind Choosing Exclusive Pumping?

It is your own preference how you choose to feed your baby, and you choose it because you want it and never feel guilty about it. Do not let anyone tell you that you chose wrong. Maybe in your family and in your friend circle, you are the only one exclusively pumping and running away every few hours to pump, but you are not the only one. 

There are numerous other women who have chosen exclusive pumping as their choice of feeding. There are various reasons why you can choose this process of feeding. The reasons are listed below.

• If your baby is premature, or they have very low weight from the time of their birth, or, unfortunately, if they are hospitalized for some reason.
• If your baby has a latch problem. It might happen that your baby might refuse to breastfeed or have a shallow latch if you are experiencing pain when they are latching. You might have inverted nipples, or your baby might be too sleepy; these are some conditions for choosing exclusive pumping.
• If you are a parent of twins.
• When you are a working mother.
• If your baby is separated from you for some reason.
• It might happen that you have a history of sexual abuse, and you might be uncomfortable breastfeeding your baby.
• If you wish to monitor their milk intake and feed them, maintain a schedule.
• stress

What Are The Positives And Negatives Of Exclusive Pumping?

Well, let’s start with the positives. Exclusive pumping has its own set of advantages.

Bonding

You need a lot of time and privacy when you are breastfeeding your child. This might take away your attention from the other members of the family. Pumping will let you spend time with your entire family while providing your baby with the required nutrients from breast milk.

Take Help From Others

If you are breastfeeding, you are the only one who can take care of your baby. But pumping allows you to keep someone else in charge when you require it. This lets you complete your other work while you stay assured that your baby will not stay hungry when you are not nearby.

Uninterrupted Work

If you have a demanding job, exclusively pumping is the best choice you have. You can keep your baby fed on breast milk and complete your work alongside.

Protect The Milk Supply

If you have not nursed your baby for a while, pumping will help you keep the milk levels in check.

But there are some disadvantages of exclusive pumping as well. Let’s check what those are.

Expensive 

Most of the good breast pumps are a little expensive. When you think of the overall cost of getting the bottles, and all the sanitizing products you require for cleaning it up, then it feels like breastfeeding is the cheaper option.

Extra Cleaning

The tools that you use for pumping breastmilk need regular cleaning. This will make sure that the tools are free of germs and will not cause any harm to you or your baby. You have to be cautious about using it, as this is something your baby will drink from.

Time-Consuming

Breastfeeding does not take much time; all you have to do is pick your baby and nurse them. But pumping demands some additional tasks as well. But when you freeze your breast milk, you have to thaw it before giving it to your baby.

Lifestyle Change

It is always recommended to pump at least once during the night to maintain a good milk supply. But if you get up every night, it might disrupt your sleep and change your sleeping patterns. 

Can You Exclusively Pump Right After The Birth Of Your Baby?

If you have planned ahead of time that you are going to exclusively pump and not breastfeed your baby, then there are a few steps that you should take care of to ensure that you are producing the required amount of milk your baby needs.

• Before birth – Do detailed research on the things that you would need and order those in advance. You might choose to get a consumer-grade pump that the insurance would cover, but for better efficiency, it is better to rent a hospital-grade pump.
• In the first few hours – Start hand expressing your colostrum as early as possible and ask the hospital for pumping support. 
• Day 1 – Try hand expressing the colostrum in every few hours; it is sometimes more effective than using a breast pump.
• Day 2 – If possible, switch to a hospital-grade pump, as it will help you pump at least eight to ten times a day to get enough milk.
• In the early months – you will have to pump enough to keep your baby fed, which is not like feeding a baby formula. This means there are going to be a lot of midnight pumping sessions.

Wrapping Up!

If you choose to pump exclusively, it is quite obvious that you might get overwhelmed from time to time. Take from a professional if required, and make a schedule according to the convenience of your baby and you. Do not let anything or anyone make you feel guilty about your choice, and do the needful. 

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