My initial breastfeeding experience:

Before my first child was born, I had never given breast-feeding a second thought, or even a first thought.  Breastfeeding was something I assumed would happen naturally since it seemed to be how women all over the world feed their babies.  This was obviously a faulty assumption, and in hindsight, I think it came about because breastfeeding, like so many things about infants and babies, wasn’t discussed widely so I was left to make assumptions out of thin air. 

My initial experience breastfeeding my first was kind of traumatic. Latching was difficult for him as an infant and when he could latch, little milk came out so he quickly lost interest and cried.  I tried meeting with a lactation consultant, but it quickly turned into an uncomfortable session. She gave me feedback about how I was breastfeeding, adjusted and moved my breasts around for my baby as I tried to breastfeed him.  Eventually, she sent me home with a nipple shield, and recommended continuing practice breastfeeding.  It was a very frustrating experience because it made me feel inadequate.  My baby was thrown into a frenzy every time he tried to latch and suck for milk, but none or very little came out.  Then, his dad would rescue him from his screaming fit with a bottle of formula.  Breastfeeding always felt foreign and awkward to me. Was there something wrong with me that makes it difficult for him to latch? 

At first, I tried pumping with a small portable electric pump. Despite pumping for 30 minutes or longer, very little milk was released, and my breasts were still full. A nurse at the hospital convinced me to rent a hospital grade pump because it’s stronger than a portable pump.  I’m glad I rented the hospital grade pump because it really helped me empty my breasts! It wasn’t all smooth sailing from there though. I experienced clogged milk ducts fairly frequently during those first few months of pumping.  The clogs would usually resolve themselves when I took an ibuprofen before pumping and massaged it a ton while pumping.  Pumping has definitely been a learning curve, but I’ve become more efficient with each baby.

A typical pumping session:

I have a station set up with my pumping basics: pump, pumping bra, along with lanolin cream.  I start on a low setting, and gradually increase the power to medium.  I pump for about 30-45 minutes each time, while occasionally massaging my breasts to help get the milk about.  Usually one of my breasts will provide more milk than the other, and that has changed with each kid.  I try to make this time productive, but sometimes I am just so tired that it’s hard to focus.  When my third was an infant, I would pump 6 times in a 24 hour period, then gradually decreased the frequency.  In the 4th month, I transitioned to 3 pumps a day: first thing in the morning,  in the afternoon when the kids napped, and at night before I went to sleep.  Pumping time can be very stressful with little kids running around, so I try to pump when they’re asleep.

My pumping essentials / tips:

• Hospital grade pump: I rent this through our local hospital.  As of 2020, My health insurance covers the monthly rental fee of about $80 including taxes.
• Pumping bra: One of the best things I have ever purchased! A pumping bra allows me to pump hands free.
• Lanolin cream: I put on a pea size cream on each nipple after a pumping session.  It really helps by preventing sore and cracked nipples from pumping.
• Bottles & tools: I have 6 sets of pumping tools. That way I can pump a handful of times before I need to wash them.
• Supplement: I take sunflower lecithin daily to loosen fatty clogs which helps prevent clogged ducts. It was recommended to me by my doctor and by a friend after a nasty bout of mastitis. I order these online as I have not seen them in any stores.
• Lifestyle changes that helped me increase my milk supply:
  • In order to maintain my milk supply, I make a point to eat fruits and vegetables.  
  • I drink lots of water during the day.  
  • I switched to a wireless bra that isn’t as tight fitting as my previous wired bras.

Considerations for pumping at work:

Pumping while working out of the home does add a layer of nuisance on top of everything else a new mother has to juggle with.  When I had to pump at work, the biggest challenge was finding the time to pump.   I ended up pumping before I left the house in the morning and as soon as I got home so I only had to pump once around lunch time at work.

It helped when I scheduled a specific hour on my calendar each day, ate my lunch and worked at the same time.  Because the time was blocked off, it was easier to commit to and not forget in the daily grind of work.  I also let all of my coworkers know what I was doing so they knew not to barge into my office unannounced during that time.  I was also lucky to have access to a kitchen with a sink and a refrigerator to store the milk.  Everyone’s work setting will provide a different set of challenges, but what really helped me maintain my milk supply was to view my pumping as essential and not something I could compromise on.  Work has a way of pulling you in so many different directions, and it can be easy to delay or skip pumping. However, when I made pumping a priority, that perspective really helped me find a way to make it work most days.  Inevitably, there were times when I skipped, but I didn’t feel bad about those rare times because I knew I was doing the best I could.

My learnings:

Pumping is a time consuming task…there’s just no way way around it. Each pumping session lasts about 30 to 45 minutes in order to empty my breasts.  I’m tied to the pumping machine during each session, and afterwards, I have to spend time washing, cleaning the bottles, and other feeding tools.  Despite the time commitment it requires though, the rewards for me are really worth the work and hassle. I’m really glad my babies are able to drink breast milk.  Pumping has even allowed my husband to feed our babies during the day and night.  Because of consistent pumping, all 3 of my kids were able to drink breast milk until 12 months, which was my initial goal.  The key is to stick with your pumping schedule and give yourself grace when it doesn’t happen as you planned.