Pumping, Expression, Breastfeeding: A Poll
September 8, 2009 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under poll, pumping
The implication of the Medela Breast Milk Commercial that women will need a breast pump if they plan to breastfeed got me wondering — in the last two months, have you used a pump? Was it electric or manual, or do you prefer to hand express?
Medela Swing Breast Pump
I selected “Pumped with a manual pump,” but I’ve also used an electric pump and done some hand-expression in the past two months, and your poll won’t allow multiple selections. I’m mostly just using the manual pump in the evenings to get an ounce or so to make my daughter’s rice cereal.
It’s not in the last 2 months, as we are not bfing anymore, but I did use a breast pump. I should note, however, that we had a problematic breastfeeding relationship, and I had to supplement, then exclusively pump. If it weren’t for that, I probably wouldn’t have used one, except for occasional manual pumping to save up a “freezer stash”.
A lot of women I’ve met think that before they go back to work (at 6-12 weeks) it is necessary to have half a freezer full of milk. When I went back to work I had a little extra frozen, but it became obvious that all I needed to worry about was the next day of work. I would pump, put it in a cooler, and give it to my mom (who watched my daughter) when she dropped her off. Then that was my daughter’s milk for the next day, so it was fresh. This time I’m a stay-at-home mom, so I’m not introducing a bottle at all and things have gone so much easier! I do, however, pump sometimes to relieve engorgement. Then I give it to my two-year-old. She appreciates it.
I am now an at-home mom, so I don’t need to pump. But even with my first, since I took a full year of maternity leave, pumping wasn’t necessary. After my return I hand expressed a few times for my own relief, but within a week or two I didn’t even need to do that.
I really wish that the US had year-long paid maternity leaves like we do in Canada. I think it makes breastfeeding much easier. I admire the commitment of women who pump and I know it can be done, but I never enjoyed it and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
I envy moms who don’t have to pump but when do you go out for date night alone with your spouse? Even if I didn’t have to work outside the home part time, I would still pump in order to go out on date night with my husband every now and then. It’s important to keep that relationship sparkling as well.
Sorry, that response was supposed to be in general. But I will say that I would love to have a year off with some sort of pay like you guys do.
I pump every couple of days or so with a manual pump. This is for Sunday’s bottle for the church nursery (even though she hasn’t started staying yet, she will soon), for date nights with DH (just had our first one on Saturday), and for ladies meetings (we have one each month). I think it’s important for a new mom to take some time with her husband and her friends, even if it’s just once a month. It makes me a much better mom! This is my third baby, and I’ve done this with each one (Avent Isis Pump, love it). I started them taking a bottle after nursing was well established, a couple of times a week, and once they took it fine, I stopped giving them a bottle unless I was leaving them for a few hours. I also use the milk I pump in the rice cereal instead of water.
I had a very difficult and unique situation with nursing my first daughter. I ended up having to pump several times a day to avoid constant breast infections I ended up renting a Medela Lactina. My pump saved my ability to breastfeed, which was wonderful! My daughter never took a bottle so I had a freezer full of breast milk that I could not donate due to meds that I am on. I ended up sharing with a girlfriend who had major surgery and had to pump and dump. I am now nursing my second daughter and it has been a much better experience. I pump at least once a day to help relieve engorgement but not the multiple times a day. My second won’t take a bottle either, so again I have a nice stash of milk in my freezer (I can’t imagine tossing it until it isn’t good anymore). She had surgical procedure done this morning that required not eating for 12 hours. I would not have been able to not nurse that long without getting mastitis without the use of a mechanical pump. Long story, but for me having a mechanical pump is essential for a positive breastfeeding experience.
I shared my extra milk both times with my first two kids. What a blessing to help someone else out.
Good for you, that is awesome. I was able to do that the second time. The first time I had to throw it away, not knowing what to do with it,it just sat in the freezer until it was no good….They don’t call it liquid gold for nothing…Wish I would have known with my first baby
I have breast fed both of my babies and have unfortunately needed a pump desperately in the early weeks due to difficulty with latching on. I had to pump to get milk to finger feed both babies until they could latch on. My Medela pump was a life saver. Not everyone has the difficulties that I have had, but if you do or plan to be away at all they come in handy. I also pumped so much milk in the beginning, that I was able to donate two coolers full of milk to my friend who had a newborn and unfortunately could not nurse due to the chemotherapy she was undergoing. It felt good to give it to her. Also, you can not get the quanity of milk needed to fill a bottle or two if you are going to be away by hand expressing…Well I guess you can but who has that kind of time with a baby/children.
My son is almost three, so I don’t pump at all any more. However, from the time I went back to work until he was 15 months, I pumped three or more times a day with an electric pump. After that I pumped with an electric pump any time I traveled until he was around two and a half years old. Because I work outside the home AND was adamant about breastfeeding and supplying breast milk in my absence, a pump was very much a necessity for me. I could have hand-expressed, but not in the time allotted for breaks/lunch.