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Breastfeeding and pumping are never easy. What used to be the norm for breastfeeding mothers back in day, is not the same today. Many mothers found breastfeeding to be easy , while for some of us it was very difficult. When I was pregnant with my son, I was determined that I was going to breastfeed for a whole year and chanted “Breast is Best”. Right after I delivered and held him for the first time, and of course after admiring how beautiful he was (and still is!), I told the nurse to put him on my breast right away to see if he will instinctively latch on. Sure enough, he did the first time. I was thrilled, but right after, we started struggling. The nurses and lactation consultant taught us techniques and positions to try, and whenever they were around he would latch on, but whenever it was just the 2 of us, he wouldn’t. I started becoming worried and frustrated because I did not want my child to starve! We had formula ready as back up, but I wanted to give all I could before resorting to bottles.
After being discharged out of the hospital, I was a little confident about breastfeeding, and getting my son to latch without the help of the nurse. Though, right when we got home, it became a little more difficult! Buying the boppy sort of helped, but adding extra pillows made it a little easier. Just 2 days after going home from the hospital, my breasts were so sore from all the milk, and my nipples were getting chapped and dry! After the 1 week well-baby check-up the doctor was concerned about our latching problems, so she referred us to see a lactation consultant. Seeing the lactation consultant helped, however when it was time to breastfeed on my own without any help, it was difficult once again. The lactation consultant was concerned that my son many not be getting enough milk, since he was not latching properly, thus she recommended that I start pumping also.
Whenever it was time for feeding I would put baby on the breast first, and let him nurse for however long he wanted, and then pump for 15 minutes. However, I felt as if I needed to pump more often than to nurse because of all the “let-downs” and “leaking” I had! By the time I was done pumping, baby was hungry again so I would nurse again, and then pump and then change diapers, and then whole cycle all over again! It never gave me any room to rest or sleep! Daddy wanted to do the best he could with the feedings, but of course Daddy doesn’t have breasts so he couldn’t help in that area lol. It became quite a debacle! I breastfed for nearly 2 months, until I finally gave up and said I will just pump from now on. Luckily, through the monetary gifts we received during our baby shower, I was able to buy the Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump
. (I will review this product later!) This pump was probably the best investment I have ever made. Sure it was very hard to pump every 2-3 hours to maintain supply for the first 4 months, but at the end it was worth it because I knew I was giving my baby the best that I could.
Fortunately, when I got back to work, I was able to bring my pump to work and pump whenever I needed to. My boss was flexible with letting me pump whenever I wanted, but I was still shy to just excuse myself. Especially when there are no locks at your office (I will talk more about pumping at work tips later). I made a set schedule at work to pump, and made a schedule at home. I even had an alarm to wake up at 2 am and 4 am to pump!
In the beginning, I pumped for nearly 12 times a day, then 8, 6, 4, 2, then 1. As I put away my breast pump last night and all it’s accessories, I gave myself a little pat on the back. I was proud that I was able to accomplish giving my son breast milk for a whole year. It was a very difficult, but if I could do it, you can too. It just takes a lot of patience, and a lot of energy. Trust me, I wanted to give up at 4 months when I got back to work. But, just like a lot of families today, times are tough and some families are having a hard time making ends meet, and can’t afford buying a $16 can of formula 5 times a month. Pumping around the clock was also not easy! It was hard making plans to go anywhere because you had to get back home to pump, or make sure wherever you’re going had a private room to pump in! I even tried numerous products to keep my supply up, because I was always worried that I did not have enough to feed my son. But, all that worrying did no good because, breast feeding and breast milk are all based on supply and demand. The more you nursed, the more milk you would produce. So, the more I pumped, the more milk I maintained. The less I pumped, the less milk I produced.
Back to where I was saying about putting away my pump last night. Looking back at the a whole year of pumping came with a surge of nostalgia. I can’t forget the sleepless nights of falling asleep while pumping, or falling asleep and the bottles were full of milk that just spills everywhere, and all the times I forgot the flanges for the pump whenever I went to work. Luckily, my other half always came to rescue! If you’re ever find pumping a difficult ordeal, don’t worry you are not alone. Checking out birth clubs and posts on baby center websites, and reading articles about how to increase supply really helped! On my next post, I will cover pumping tips, so don’t worry, I got you covered!
I am thankful for the pump I had; for it nourished my son for a whole year! If I were to have another baby, I would definitely try a little harder when it comes to breastfeeding, because one of the downside of pumping were all the bottles and accessories you needed to wash and sterilize! That, I am not going to miss..
Til Next Time,
Breastfeeding and pumping are never easy. What used to be the norm for breastfeeding mothers back in day, is not the same today. Many mothers found breastfeeding to be easy , while for some of us it was very difficult. When I was pregnant with my son, I was determined that I was going to breastfeed for a whole year and chanted “Breast is Best”. Right after I delivered and held him for the first time, and of course after admiring how beautiful he was (and still is!), I told the nurse to put him on my breast right away to see if he will instinctively latch on. Sure enough, he did the first time. I was thrilled, but right after, we started struggling. The nurses and lactation consultant taught us techniques and positions to try, and whenever they were around he would latch on, but whenever it was just the 2 of us, he wouldn’t. I started becoming worried and frustrated because I did not want my child to starve! We had formula ready as back up, but I wanted to give all I could before resorting to bottles.
After being discharged out of the hospital, I was a little confident about breastfeeding, and getting my son to latch without the help of the nurse. Though, right when we got home, it became a little more difficult! Buying the boppy sort of helped, but adding extra pillows made it a little easier. Just 2 days after going home from the hospital, my breasts were so sore from all the milk, and my nipples were getting chapped and dry! After the 1 week well-baby check-up the doctor was concerned about our latching problems, so she referred us to see a lactation consultant. Seeing the lactation consultant helped, however when it was time to breastfeed on my own without any help, it was difficult once again. The lactation consultant was concerned that my son many not be getting enough milk, since he was not latching properly, thus she recommended that I start pumping also.
Whenever it was time for feeding I would put baby on the breast first, and let him nurse for however long he wanted, and then pump for 15 minutes. However, I felt as if I needed to pump more often than to nurse because of all the “let-downs” and “leaking” I had! By the time I was done pumping, baby was hungry again so I would nurse again, and then pump and then change diapers, and then whole cycle all over again! It never gave me any room to rest or sleep! Daddy wanted to do the best he could with the feedings, but of course Daddy doesn’t have breasts so he couldn’t help in that area lol. It became quite a debacle! I breastfed for nearly 2 months, until I finally gave up and said I will just pump from now on. Luckily, through the monetary gifts we received during our baby shower, I was able to buy the Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump
. (I will review this product later!) This pump was probably the best investment I have ever made. Sure it was very hard to pump every 2-3 hours to maintain supply for the first 4 months, but at the end it was worth it because I knew I was giving my baby the best that I could. Fortunately, when I got back to work, I was able to bring my pump to work and pump whenever I needed to. My boss was flexible with letting me pump whenever I wanted, but I was still shy to just excuse myself. Especially when there are no locks at your office (I will talk more about pumping at work tips later). I made a set schedule at work to pump, and made a schedule at home. I even had an alarm to wake up at 2 am and 4 am to pump!
In the beginning, I pumped for nearly 12 times a day, then 8, 6, 4, 2, then 1. As I put away my breast pump last night and all it’s accessories, I gave myself a little pat on the back. I was proud that I was able to accomplish giving my son breast milk for a whole year. It was a very difficult, but if I could do it, you can too. It just takes a lot of patience, and a lot of energy. Trust me, I wanted to give up at 4 months when I got back to work. But, just like a lot of families today, times are tough and some families are having a hard time making ends meet, and can’t afford buying a $16 can of formula 5 times a month. Pumping around the clock was also not easy! It was hard making plans to go anywhere because you had to get back home to pump, or make sure wherever you’re going had a private room to pump in! I even tried numerous products to keep my supply up, because I was always worried that I did not have enough to feed my son. But, all that worrying did no good because, breast feeding and breast milk are all based on supply and demand. The more you nursed, the more milk you would produce. So, the more I pumped, the more milk I maintained. The less I pumped, the less milk I produced.
Back to where I was saying about putting away my pump last night. Looking back at the a whole year of pumping came with a surge of nostalgia. I can’t forget the sleepless nights of falling asleep while pumping, or falling asleep and the bottles were full of milk that just spills everywhere, and all the times I forgot the flanges for the pump whenever I went to work. Luckily, my other half always came to rescue! If you’re ever find pumping a difficult ordeal, don’t worry you are not alone. Checking out birth clubs and posts on baby center websites, and reading articles about how to increase supply really helped! On my next post, I will cover pumping tips, so don’t worry, I got you covered!
I am thankful for the pump I had; for it nourished my son for a whole year! If I were to have another baby, I would definitely try a little harder when it comes to breastfeeding, because one of the downside of pumping were all the bottles and accessories you needed to wash and sterilize! That, I am not going to miss..
Til Next Time,
Breastfeeding is a gift that lasts a lifetime.
-Author Unknown
Disclaimer: The above links do contain affiliate links, but as always – all opinions are my own and these are really products I have used and loved.
The Memoirs of a mommy 
I can definitely relate to the adventures in nursing and pumping! Looking forward to reading more from you, I saw your post from the BabyCenter Pumping Working Mammas Board 🙂
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Thank you Amy for your comment and support!
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Oh the joys of breastfeeding and pumping! I breastfed and pumped until my daughter was around 14 months. It was definitely challenging, but so worth it. Knowing I could provide something so good for her growing body is what kept me going. Great job Danica!
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I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading about your post! My kids are all grown and it brings back memories of my days breast feeding!
I breast fed all my three kids and it was a great experience in bonding! They are great kids and are very close with me! If you ever like to check out my blog, its about Nature Decor and its what I do now that my kids are all gone and this keeps me busy! http://www.simplenaturedecorblog.com
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Hi Stephanie! Thank you! Wow 14 months! I only lasted 12 months and a week! It was very challenging, but felt rewarding in the end! He knew the difference between milks too, so I knew I had to keep going. Great job to you too!
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Thank you Maria, I did check out your blog. It is very nice and you have a lot of great ideas. My son and I have definitely built a very close bond through breastfeeding. I'm glad that even though I work full-time, I am still able to have a special bond with him that only I can give him. I will always cherish that. Take care.
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