Would it be bad to quit pumping after onlly a few weeks?

Ashley - posted on 09/12/2009

I wont be at my own home during all this, the hospital is 2 hours away from my house and i refuse to leave the area until i bring my baby home. I am trying to get in the Ronald Macdonald house but if i dont get in i will probably be bouncing back adn forth between different family members houses in that area. Which is why i am so concerned about trying to keep to a schedule of pumping because it is going to be so chaotic! For the first couple weeks i will have my mom adn my grandma and my husband and his grandma down there helping me with my older son while i recover from my c-section, but eventually they all have to go back to work, and i just dont know how i will handle it. I know i probably sound like im making excuses, but i really loved breastfeeding my first son, and just wish i could do it with this son also. but with his gastroschisis, and the fact that he will be anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks early i wont be able to physically feed him, for at least a month, and it makes me sad!

Lisamarie - posted on 09/12/2009

You should do what you think is right, a lot of mums cannot or do not breast feed their babies for many reasons. I bottle fed my 2yo from birth and am doing the same with my 9 week old and they r both happy and healthy. My mum breastfed 3 out of 5 of us and we had no problems with health or development.
I would suggest trying to pump for as long as you can cope with and if you feel like giving up don't feel bad, you know how much your body can take and your child will not suffer if you cannot breast feed. Hope this helps. :)

Roxanne - posted on 09/12/2009

I wasn't able to breastfeed my daughter because i didn't produce enough. my milk also gave her the worst diaper rash. I was so heart broken that I couldn't breast feed her. But she was much happier with the bottle. Do what is best for your baby. It's not bottle feeding or breast feeding, it's baby feeding that's important.

Lucy - posted on 09/12/2009

You have to do what is best for you, that being said maintaining the pumping IS a realistic option if you want to provide breast milk for your child (I am about to start month 6 of exclusive pumping in a couple of days). Here is what helped me:

1) Invest in a good pump. I use the medela pump in style. (expensive, but FAR cheaper than formula)

2) Stick to a schedule! This helps you let down to the pump better. I started out with every other hour, and after about a month my production got more solid and now I pump every 3 hours, with a 6 hour break from midnight to 6 am. My lactation consultant recommended pumping for 20 minute sessions, and doing both sides at the same time stilulates a better oxytocin responce.

3) Get a cheap sports bra, and cut two small holes in it. After puting the flange of your pump on, stick it through the hole and attach the rest of the pump - now you have hands free pumping!

4) Set up an area in your home for pumping. Stock it with diapers, snacks, water, and favorite toys. Now gate it off or close the door and you can keep an eye on your one-year old, change his diapers, and keep him occupied/happy while pumping.

5) Get a car plug for your pump. I pump on the way to work/dr appointments. This will help you as you go back and forth to see your infant. (I actually get more milk while driving because my attention is focused on the road!)



If you need help, let me know . . . the first month was ROUGH with pumping, but now I am so glad I stuck with it!!!!



What ever you decide, remember that no one else is in your shoes and ignore their judgements!