As a mom with a breastfed baby I can say with 100% certainty I wouldn't have been able to keep up with pumping. It was like 99.99% worse than just breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding with no complications- easier than formula-feeding. Pumping and feeding bottles- harder than formula-feeding, assuming all supplies are available. Having done all of the above.
A family member asked me why I didn't just pump cos it's so much easier and I'm like dude I got ADHD issues, I'm fortunate enough to be able to stay home with my kids. If my husband woke up to feed the baby is still be awake, cleaning all that stuff, taking all that stuff with you everywhere and then it didn't make sense while sitting there with some machine on my nipple and being uncomfortable I could be looking at my beautiful babe and stroking his face.
I exclusively breastfed both my kids, and up until now did not consider pumping to be breastfeeding-HOWEVER definitely always thought pumping was WAY harder than nursing by 1000%. The dishes, the planning, the time! Ya’ll deserve gold medals ❤
Agree! They are different in that even though the start and end are the same, pumping has a gigantic middle. (I exclusively breastfeed and avoid bottles because breastfeeding is easy for me and bottles sound like SO MUCH WORK)
I rarely pump because it’s so much work. I had dreams of freezer milk so I could have dad feed him. But then I realized I’d just have to pump to make up for that feed anyway. 😅
I have to say from the other side, watching my wife do both, breastfeeding is way more time-consuming. Pumping is more expensive, yet nicer for me, when mommy is gone, so I can feed the baby shark! 😂😂😂
I exclusively pumped or hand expressed for my full-term NICU baby for 14 months. I'd say pumping is breastfeeding but breastfeeding is not pumping in the same way that all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares. No one pumps because they think it's a good time. It's done to balance the many needs of mamas and babies while giving babe the best possible food--including bubs from other mums.
I have never heard this. Breastfeeding is pumping but nursing is not pumping but both are breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is an umbrella term for ways babies are fed with breast milk. There's nursing (suckling of the breast) and pumping it hand expression (baby is fed breast milk with a receptacle like a cup, bottle, or syringe).
I respectfully just have to disagree. Don’t get me wrong it doesn’t mean breastfeeding exclusively is superior, but as someone who had to hand express for their newborn, it’s completely different then breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is where they come mouth to nipple contact and feed. Hand express feeding is bottle feeding or spoon feeding. Pumping and feeding is bottle feeding. And feeding formula is formula feeding. Does that make any of these processes wrong or less than another? No way in hell, but I can definitely say that hand expressing and feeding from your boob are two completely different experiences. Just because you use the same ingredients, doesn’t mean it’s called the same thing.
@Malloryann2003 When they come mouth to nipple to feed it's called nursing. Any OB or LC will tell you the same thing. Nurse Tina is saying that in this video. I also exclusively hand expressed and pumped. My hospital chart stated I was breastfeeding, my medical chart at my OBs office stated I was breastfeeding, the LCs I saw all said I was breastfeeding. Breastfeeding includes hand expression, pumping, and nursing. People mix it up all the time but we're all commenting on a video of a L&D nurse who is also calling it breastfeeding. Fed by the breast. It's breastfeeding. Suckling of the breast is nursing, which is a way to breastfeed.
From a medical standpoint pumping is breastfeeding cause you are providing the food from your breasts, it's just not direct. Hate how many people consider it a lesser form of feeding your baby.
It's not a lesser because it's difficult and time consuming too. But the reality is in order for your baby to get the full benefits of breast milk they need to latch onto your breast so that your nipple can do it's job and scan your baby's saliva and adjust your milk according to your baby's changing needs especially when it comes to aiding their immune system
13 днів тому
Except it IS a lesser form of feeding. It's better than formula feeder, but it's NOT breastfeeding. There any MANY benefits to breastfeeding that are not replicated with pumping. That is just the simple truth. It doesn't mean one is harder than the other, it means it's different, and not the same.
I think pumping is 1000 x harder than feeding at the breast. It's a lot more work!! -- coming from a mom whose done both. Of course, they are both breastfeeding. But shout out to my pumping moms. You guys are doing the most & I know it's so hard to keep going some days💕
I spent 90 hours of pumping last month and an extra 12 hours of bottle washing. Not even including the time it takes to put away and label the milk after. I don't want to hear it being the easy way out.
Does anyone think it's the easy way out? It's so much work. I used to go to GF house, who was exclusively pumping for twins, and I would sit her down with a drink and just run through a cleaning cycle of bottles for her because, far out, you don't need that with a newborn.
@@mamavibetribe8878Bless you for doing that!! I nurse, pump and bottle feed and afterwards looking at all the bottles and nipples in the sink makes me even more tired.
@@mamavibetribe8878 i wouldn’t say it’s easy but easier in many cases. My little one feeds 12 times a day for half an hour to an hour each time which means I spend around 8h a day breastfeeding, so around 250 hours a month. Also, while pumping I can do other things like work on my computer or if you have a pump that you don’t need to hold in your hands and can walk around in, you can do dishes etc while pumping. When your baby is latched to your breast, you can’t really do much during that time. So I think pumping is a bit more convenient. But that’s just been the experience for me personally.
@@mamavibetribe8878 everyone is pretty positive on her channel but there are vicious "breast is best" people out there who will tear us down. Same ones who think mothers are less for using formula. Like I am sorry I was born with nipples that my baby can't latch onto. 😅
I don’t think anyone thinks it’s easier. Everyone knows it’s harder. Much harder. I don’t even pump at all because I hate it. lol. Exclusively breastfeed my first and now my second.
I agree wholeheartedly. On top of all the regular work and discomfort, and no one ever talks about how many bottles and apparatuses you have to clean. That's freaking work y'all.
It took me 6 hours in total to pump and wash stuff each day. 6×7=42 hours a week, that's a fulltime job on top of recovering from a major abdominal surgery, without sleeping for more than 2-3 hour stretches and taking care of a newborn. Thank god we managed the latch after a few weeks.
I tried to pump and breastfeed to build up a supply for emergencies and date nights…but dang, I found pumping harder than breastfeeding! I’m so proud of all the mammas who are able to giver their baby breast milk via pumping, it is no small task!
I had to pump for my 31 weeker. Thankfully the NICU had a whole "dairy" set up with great electric pumps so at least twice a day i got to do it in the hospital. As many of you may not already be aware the sucking reflex doesn't kick in until at least 32 weeks so feeding can be a real issue in premmies. Once they've been tube fed for a period it's almost like it's harder from the start.
I’m mostly breastfeeding with just supplemental pumping and honestly I find pumping is just as hard if not harder- extra work to clean and prep bottles and pump parts and I also find it more uncomfortable now that I’m used to breastfeeding
I exclusively pumped as my baby wouldn't latch. The pain, shame and looks I got from the nurses at the delivery will haunt me for life. This was over 15 years ago. They made me feel bad bc I decided to pump. I felt violated every time they tried to force my baby to take the breast. I'm surprised I never got bruises from how hard handed they were to my breast.
I was the opposite. I didn't breastfeed either of my first 2 (15 and 10) because I just didn't know how important it was and nurses were so quick to offer formula and tell me how it's "just as good" that I didn't put in the effort I should have. Will always regret it. Not the not breastfeeding particularly but not even pumping for them. My 3rd wouldn't latch so I pumped for 9 months, round the clock every 2 hours, hardest thing I ever did but totally worth it! I'm supposed to be induced today, although hospital was supposed to call at 8 and it's 10 and the phone still hasn't rang 🤷♀️, but I'm fully prepared to do it again. There is no shame in formula, both my older kids are fine, but I'm glad there's more knowledge on BFing in my area bc I feel like a lot of Moms didn't just because they got zero encouragement or education on the subject for so long. But at the end of the day, fed is best!
I have to admit as someone whose done both. Pumping is harder than breastfeeding. At least with the contact i got the endorphins. But with pumping i was drained and angry afterwards. Breastfeeding makes me happy now. I think its similar but different. Just my perspective. Im so grateful my son never refused to nurse even after being bottle fed as well for months. Its rough out there! Respect to women who pump. Wouldnt even try it again wih any future kids only did it to try and up my supply bc i had to do formula for a few moths too. It was so emotional and tiring doing all three
I never understood how moms make everything a competition between each other. It’s breast milk so I don’t understand how it matters how it gets to the baby?
13 днів тому
It's not a competition. But pumping is not breastfeeding. People are trying to make them the same because mom will shame themselves if they cannot say they are breastfeeding. They are doing their best and that's what matters; but it doesn't change the fact that they are NOT the same in many ways.
pumping is breastfeeding. the baby is getting milk from the breast even if they aren't eating from a fleshy nipple. i would have kept breastfeeding my girl but she bites, bit from day one. was so painful that i was in tears and trying to not yeet her away from me each time. husband said that was enough, got formula and a pump. sadly i dried up at three months but our little angel/demon didn't mind, she switched to formula easily and is now a tiny monster for any and all food.
Awww I kinda had a similar experience! I had to be induced 3 weeks early & I could never get my baby to latch consistently, so I pumped but then my supply also dried up around 3 months just like yours, and we fully switched to formula. I still feel bad, like maybe I did something wrong. 😕 But I try to ignore the guilt & I’m so thankful my baby is now 16 months & he’s healthy & doing great. 🙂
@@zolltan2929 i was induced 2 weeks early. never feel guilty about not giving your own milk. nothing to be ashamed of. my step sister couldn't even produce milk for her son and he's now 7 years old. you are an amazing mom and a beautiful person!
I exclusively breastfed my four, and I think bottle feeding, pumping or not is a huge amount of work. Breastfeeding is instantly ready without the fuss of all the stuff.
The food is from your breasts, you're still experiencing the hormones, the production, soreness, and chapping that you would if it was a baby instead of a pump getting it out. But I also understand why someone would say it's not breastfeeding. I say leave it to the mom on how she wants to describe it.
Pumping is incredibly hard, and I found it to be much harder to keep up pumping and bottle feeding my twins, then putting them straight on my breast. The reason I was pumping was because my boys were 8 weeks premature and spent almost four weeks in the NICU. Establishing a milk supply for twins with challenging, to say the least. It took 8 weeks to teach one twin to latch, so I had to pump. Whatever the reason, I think it's beautiful that there are multiple ways to give babies food, including breast milk.
I bet. Hell, it took me 2 months of pumping after nursing to establish a milk supply for a single baby just because my milk came in 1 or 2 days too late and I had to start supplementing
As a mum who exclusively pumped due to having a disabled child who can’t take food by mouth, I can say pumping is not breastfeeding but feeding a baby breastmilk is breastfeeding. I longed for the ability to have her latch. I grieve not being able to breast feed her in the latching sense. But she was fed by me and I still felt the depletion in energy and the need to eat constantly from pumping as you would when you breastfeed. So I think I’d say pumping is breastfeeding but breastfeeding is not pumping. Pumping I think is a lot harder. You have to wake up to an alarm clock instead of a crying baby, you have to listen to the sound of a pump suction every 3 seconds for 30 Mins, only to get 30 ml or so! You can’t cuddle your baby while you pump, you often are alone in a bathroom doing it. My baby was In the NICU for months and months and I had to look at photos of her or watch a movie while expressing at 12am, 3am and 6am before visiting her with the bottles of milk I had In the fridge. Only to have a nurse call me one night to tell me she had accidentally dropped a whole bottle (250ml) from the freezer and how sorry she was! I forgave her straight away but it did make me think how long it took me to make that. It’s kinda like meeting KPIs at work. When you breastfeed your baby is simply weighed each week or so to make sure they’re growing well. When you pump in the NICU the nurses will call you and say “you haven’t got enough milk for baby today, can we give her some formula? And you feel the guilt!”
Pumping _is_ breastfeeding. But I can understand that you yearned to be able to nurse your child directly. I know that must have been hard. But please don't let anyone or anything downplay what you did to nourish your child. You're strong, and there's no need for you to feel any shame ever.
As someone who did exclusive baby to boob breastfeeding for 9 months and now has to pump one day a week, I am fully on team pumping is breastfeeding and 1000% times harder! Women who exclusively pump, partially pump, or anything in between are literal heroes to their babies 🎉 you all are doing the work of an angel.
I pumped for 9 months with my son. Hardest thing I ever did! Even when baby starts sleeping through the night, you don't because your supply tanks (or at least mine would). Many, granted not all, exclusively BFing Moms can get by with 1 extra pump at that point, mine was still every 2 hours even at night. I will NEVER tell a pumper they aren't breastfeeding or taking the easy way out!!
I feel like pumping is way harder than breastfeeding! I have only breastfed (feeding at the breast) no pumping but I know hard that must be and it is a lot of effort due to cleaning and making sure the storage is proper too. You mamas out there doing that are awesome because you are giving your baby the best food there is!! Don’t give up it is hard work!! ❤❤❤
I started out triple feeding my boy to get my milk and his latch better- now we just exclusively nurse. Anyone who exclusively pumps is an actual goddess. No exaggeration.
Pumping is hard! I pumped with my first baby and then never used one again. Breastfeed is just natural and while it’s not hard…it is a commitment that takes a lot of you. It’s a beautiful gift for you and your baby!
I'm a severe under-producer (I get about 5oz a day, total) on top of the fact that my baby doesn't like to breastfeed because she doesn't get hardly anything. So, I pump 95% of the time and try to get her to latch for at least 30 minutes. It's a lot of work for so little reward 😢 pumping is definitely breastfeeding, but not necessary the other way around
When I went back to work after having my son I found pumping to be extremely difficult compared to breastfeeding him. It was way more emotionally taxing as well. Plus, my supply took a hit from the stress of going back to a job I resented (bc I wanted to stay home with my baby) and the stress of seeing a dip in my supply didn't help. I got bullied for "pumping too frequently" (every 3 hours for 15 minutes, with a hands free pump that I continued to work thru my pump breaks). I don't know how exclusive pumpers do it.
Gosh yeah the industries do not support families. That’s so not cool of your work to be bullying you! You have a right to pump!! Definitely would look into that to make sure there’s no des crimination happening.
I pumped first few months of my sons life because he was a preemie and pumping is harder! You’re not only burning as many calories you are also having to feed the bottles to your baby then either pump same time or after and then clean all the pump parts too it’s so much more work so hats off to all you pumping mummas!
When I went to a breastfeeding consultant because I had a hard time exclusively breastfeeding and had to pump, the first thing she said was that pumping also counts as breastfeeding. The problem I have with pumping is that it’s incredibly difficult and you can’t do it in the long run. I would probably never pump beyond one year, but I will gladly breastfeed until self weaning.
As a new mom of a 4 month old, pumping and breastfeeding are not the same thing. Breastfeeding is/was 1000x harder in my own personal journey. Latching, their movement, distractions, them getting pissed off by gas etc. while trying to feed etc. I breastfeed and pump (for storage/a bottle when she is feeling lazy or too tired to work for it.) I still wash/sterilize tons of bottles/pumping parts etc. for pumping or feeding here and there. I still would say breastfeeding is way harder in my opinion. But, every journey is different and I think that you’re allowed to be completely opposed to that point of view and still be 100% correct. I definitely wouldn’t trade the experience/connection of breastfeeding for anything even though at the beginning I definitely wanted to give up the first couple months. LOTS OF TEARS! Even with my postpartum depression I have stuck it out because I never wanted to give up that connection, and it was worth the struggle.❤
It's always taken me 3x times the amount of time to pump than it did for baby to nurse and empty a boob. I nursed and pumped for the first 4 months then switched to breast only. It was so much easier. Pumping is freaking hard !!!! Kuddos to the mommys that can do it !!!
In the beginning when baby had a hard time latching and my nipples were chapped and bleeding, I can say pumping was easier, it was a life saver for me (no more mental breakdowns lol), my baby (no longer hungry), bonus points for it helping my husband no longer dealing with a frustrated mom and a screaming hungry baby. But after we settled and baby was able to breastfeed, I can say that logistically speaking, pumping is way more annoying with all the washing and the planning. I stopped pumping for a while until a couple weeks ago, now I am building a small stash by freezing one 6 ounce bag a day, and we are no longer doing bottles. Bottom line, breastfeeding and pumping are both easy and hard in their own way, and the most important thing is that our babies are thriving regardless of the feeding method and whether or not it is breast milk or formula.
As a pumping mum... one thing I love about it is that I can pump on a schedule and feed my little on demand with a bottle...kinda great....breastfeeding is hard pumping is breastfeeding with extra steps
I like that I can actually see and measure out how much milk my baby is eating. When I was exclusively chest feeding she would get irritable when milk wasn’t letting down/full flow. She wants the control of the flow Of milk.
I have really sensitive nipples and my baby doesn't have a good latch so its either be in pain all day from ONE feeding ( so him doing it all day leaves me in tears) or pump for him. I chose to pump. He gets fed either way. Unfortunately I still have to supplement since I get anywhere between 1-3 oz but you know what at the end of the day his tummy is full and I am okay with that.
Um pumping is SO MUCH MORE WORK!! All the sanitizing still makes me shudder. It's not harder per se, I mean I never had difficulty latching a pump 😅 but yes, it is definitely the same thing.
I only pumped 1-2 times a day as a way to build a backup supply for if someone else was caring for my child, and to help keep my supply up, and even that felt like a lot so I can’t imagine having to pump all day long!! That’s dedication and commitment!!
Yes! I only pump three times a day and exclusively breastfeed the rest of the day and it is still so exhausting and a lot of work. Exclusively pumping mamas are rockstars!
Currently pregnant as a first-time mom - Do you (or any other mommas!) have recommendations on what to look for when choosing a breast pump? Your content is such a blessing, thank you for your dedication to education ❤
A strong motor. I have the Spectra S1. Make sure you measure yourself to get your correct flange size. It is ideal to start with something sturdy and strong until your milk “comes in” and you are no longer producing colostrum or transitional milk. After your milk is in, you can try wearables or manual pumps when it is convenient for you.
Would depend on how much you’re pumping. If it’s a lot of pumping you plan to do definitely a corded electric double pump! Spectra and Motif are great.
Spectra s2 for mobility-it has battery that lasts up to 3h and momcozy m9-m5 has a better price, m9 works with app. The best pumps❤ ps: measure your nipples!
Exclusively breastfeed 2 babies forever. With baby 3, I've returned to work ... pumping it is definitely breastfeeding.i think it takes a lot more work. Baby latches anytime I'm with her but I pump when I'm away. I don't know how the Exclusively pumping moms do it. It takes so much effort and preparation. Kudos to them.
I'll NEVER understand that idea! The ONLY people saying CSections are easier have NOT done both!! Period! I refuse to believe otherwise! I have done both! Vag birth is 1000% easier than C Section!! I would give birth vaginally 100 times before I'd do 1 CSection if I had the choice!! My C Section was traumatic, they had to fully knock me out bc my epidural became dislodged unknowingly and wore off mid-procedure, I was 2 days before I remember a dag gone thing and couldn't get up without help for DAYS. My VBACs, I'm up and moving on my own in a few hours and practically healed within a few days, and I tore pretty bad with both. As long as baby gets here with Mom and Baby healthy it's a successful birth IMO, but no way in Hot Haiti is a C Section "easier". If you have an "easy C Section" you're a friggin' unicorn!!
@amysnews6808 whilst I agree with you that all methods are valid ways to give birth , I don’t think your generalisations are helpful. I must be a unicorn because I have had both a natural and c section birth and my experience was my c section was easier. My baby and I nearly died from the natural one and I still suffer the effects today so many years on. I think all births are different and all birthing methods are valid and someone might have a better experience from any ( so I’m not invalidating or disagreeing with your experience). I’m sorry to hear your c section was traumatic but please don’t generalise it’s not helpful. Mothers are superstars whichever way they birth or feed and we should stick together not compare.
@sarahmason4850 I'm not including "almost died" in natural labor, that's not common. And I was referring to recovery time and pain with a normal c section vs normal vaginal birth. Yea, my c section was traumatic and it's also NOT common for an epidural to become dislodged, so I'm not even talking about that part, if everything else had gone perfect though the C Section was still way harder recovery wise and almost always will be when comparing typical to typical. That's not a generalization, that's a fact. A c section is a major surgery and takes up to 6 weeks for pain to subside fully. No one going through a normal natural birth is having bad pain that far out. There's a reason you go home after about 2 days with a vag birth and are in the hospital 5-7 for c section, also a reason they give moms Tylenol and Advil for vag birth and percocet for c section. Of course there are outliers where things didn't go normally and complications arose that would make a vag birth harder but when comparing apples to apples, there is no comparison. I'm sorry you experienced that and I'm not saying your experience doesn't matter just that isn't the experience I'm referring to, I'm referring to when everything goes as planned.
@@amysnews6808 thank you for clarifying you meant only vaginal births without any complications and not all… it wasn’t clear in your comment as your PERIOD made it sound like there wouldn’t be any cases when someone would or could hold a different view to you if they had indeed also experienced both a c section and a vaginal birth, which I have. Thank you for clarifying your comment only stands for certain situations. Wishing you all the best in your journey.
Might be an unpopular opinion, but for the sake of keeping things clear I would separate breastfeeding, pumping and formula feeding. Doesn’t mean that one thing is worse or easier than the other, it just confuses me personally when people say BREAST-feeding and mean feeding pumped milk from a BOTTLE. Again, all options are valid and all are hard work.
13 днів тому
This! I don't see why we need to try to convince people pumping is something it is not. Saying it's not breastfeeding is not downplaying anything; it's NOT the same thing, that's all.
I’m a new mama whose baby is going through it with not wanting to latch, we finally got her to latch a few days ago and now my breast milk is bothering her belly, so I’m continuing to pump and freeze while she (hopefully) gets over this hurdle
I pumped with my first because he wouldn't latch until my milk dried up and we switched to formula and now with my second I have mostly just breastfed him exclusively. Pumping is definitely breastfeeding, you are literally still feeding the baby with your body but with more steps. Pumping is hard and a lot more work in my experience. Each path has its hardships and benefits but in my experience pumping is the hardest path from just exclusively nursing or formula feeding. This is just my experience of course.
Currently exclusively pumping for my second (shes 4.5 months ) i mad rit 5 months with my first ep before i got shingles from stress and had to quit.... Going a bit better this time but most of us that end up EP did not choose it we had to for some other reason.
There’s evidence there are differences in nutritional outcomes for exclusively pumped milk vs latched to feed infants. Pumping is *part* of breastfeeding, but these are not perfectly interchangeable terms. Pumping tech has come a long way but it isn’t a perfect one to one one milk production & composition either.
Pumping is definitely breastfeeding, is just that (exclusive) pumping is just mine, a different method of breastfeeding. Still feeding with breasts, though. This is just like the vaginal vs. C-section thing, in that, they're both birth, & difficult, they're just most difficult at different points in the process & easier at different points, but neither is easy. Feeding with exclusive pumping might be easier in the area of nipple pain (for some, not all nursing moms have a lot of nipple pain necessarily), & easier in that you don't have to struggle to get a proper latch & you don't have to be the one to feed every/almost every time, don't necessarily have to whip the girls out on public when you may not be comfortable with that, etc., etc. (& personally, I don't like the feeling of nursing, physically, it feels really weird to me & I don't know why, I just don't like it, but I like how good it is for baby, so did it anyway) --- BUT, pumping is harder in other ways. Like, now it takes way more total time to feed, because you have to extract the milk for maybe 20+ minutes each time PLUS then actual feed time, & a LOT of moms struggle to get a proper flange fit (I found a solution to that one, though for this go around! 😂), you often aren't able to empty as much as well every time, you can get mastitis more because of that, you can have supply issues because of that, etc. Then, if you're relying completely on pumping, you have to worry about storage, you have to find time to do it during work or whatever you're doing at home, you have to potentially buy bottle expensive pumps trying to get one that works well for you, etc., etc. And you're missing out on the oxytocin boost with baby with you, missing some bonding time, etc., warming milk up, keeping track of when it'll expire, and on & on. So, there are hard & easy parts to all these things, pros & cons. Nothing in motherhood is easy.
Or do it like me and combine most of the hard parts of all 4 things by being in labor 32 hours, then having a C-section, breastfeeding to increase oxytocin but also needing to pump afterwards to completely empty the breasts to increase milk supply because you had a C-section... Haha sorry, I just had to rant real quick, some people don't get how hard it can be
Nothing easy about pumping. I am so grateful all of my babies latched and are well fed. My first had a NICU stay which I had to pump for......no thank you.
Nursed, then pumped while hubby formula fed. Then gave what 1 or 2 oz I produced before the next formula feeding. Did that for 6 months with the first and 4 months with the second. SO MANY DISHES. Eczema and bleeding hands ended it for number 2. When you can’t hold your baby or catch your toddler from running into traffic, something has to give. Know that whether it’s your milk or formula, and regardless of delivery method, your baby is nourished and will be just fine.
I HAD to pump because I had waaay too much. After a few full bottles and a few liters per b00b later, the lactose nurse said to please stop. Our sons are 15 and 18, and still iff they don't feel well I produce milk🤦♀️🥴 Not much, but it's milk. Weird? Yes, it runs in the family with us women
I exclusively pump bc my baby had latching issues that caused me to crack and bleed and develop clogged ducts and mastitis the first week so I completely switched to pumping. Plus I had so much anxiety about how much he was actually eating, so while pumping gives me some peace of mind in some ways, it's still a challenge. I have to stick to a schedule or my supply dips, so I still pump through the night and even when I've been sick. It helps me know how much he's eating but I only make enough to feed him through the day, so we have to make a few formula bottles at night. It's been nice to be able to pump while at work and also allow my husband to feed our child but it means we have so many parts and bottles to wash and so much stuff I have to lug around on trips and to and from work. And it's nice to know I can fully empty myself and develop less of a risk of clogged ducts, yeast infections, or mastitis. It's not the easy way out at all, it has its challenges but it also has his positives, too!
I mean, the milk is still coming from the breast; only difference is what baby is latching directly to. So we could consider pumping breastfeeding if you're not referring to a breast latch. But I think when people say "exclusively breastfed" they usually mean directly from the breast. Some women "exclusively pump." I definitely don't think we ought to be comparing the struggles of one to another, but given the current terminology, there is a difference. I hope this makes sense.
It is 100% breastfeeding. I was completely pumping until my girl turned 6 months old. She then suddenly wanted to nurse 1 to 4 times a day, so I'm pumping and breastfeeding since then. It's the same. And I do have to add, you have so much more work with pumping/feeding with a bottle. You're not just putting the breast back in, you'll also have to wash up, fill the milk in bottles, feed the bottle, wash up again and it takes soooo much time.🤷♀️
EPing is harder than nursing (for me). Both have good and bad but the emotional roller coaster of pumping when wishing to nurse made me feel numb and like a failure
Pumping is breastfeeding because the baby is still being fed from the breast, just not directly. That would be nursing. Moms should be supporting one another whether it’s pumping, nursing, or formula feeding because having a baby is hard. It’s not a competition.. I’m currently almost 7 months into exclusively breastfeeding, with pumping once a night until baby was 5 months old. This route has been way easier than with my first baby where I exclusively pumped until he was 18 months old.. If you’re a pumping mama, I applaud you because I was so depressed and stressed over it!
I think you are breastfeeding but from someone who switched from 100% pumping to 100% breastfed, they feel so different. One i felt like a cow/milk machine constantly plugged into the wall and washing dishes, and the next i just get more cuddles with my baby.. but good latch is hard. Kudos to those that pump exclusively. My letdown would sometimes take 15 minutes while pumping. i was a just enough supply too. Nightmare everytime his oz amount increased.
Pumping is so hard! After six children people still ask me why I don’t pump… because I hated the headache I had to deal with in order to work full time but give my babies breast milk.
Well the biochemical feedback is not there, so i would say no they are not the same thing. Pumping is harder. Breastfeeding can be more annoying if they bite or kick or twiddle.
It is so incredibly hard ;-; I’m on temporary pause of nursing my baby because of issues with how i am handling the sensation of his latch and sucking, and even the pumping is starting to irritate me in the same way my baby’s sucking did. Its exhausting and still takes the same energy out if you.
same argument that c section is not really giving birth. 36 hours of labor to an emergency c section that was stitched too tight, here i am three months later still trying to heal. all birth methods are equally brutal!
Milk from boobs = breastfeeding period. I had to pump exclusively for 3.5 months because we didn’t learn to latch before going home. Y’all, that was MISERABLE. When we finally learned to latch, things got so much better.
Pumping is CRAZY hard 🥲 I had to solely pump for first 5 weeks as baby didnt latch due to tongue tie and it was terrible... Pumping is harder than directly breastfeeding. It is also... weird. I never knew what to reply if people asked if I am breastfeeding. Because kond of I did not but in the same time... I did! 😅
Pumping is better than formula for sure. It’s not exactly the same as breast feeding though. But there’s a ton of reasons a mom might want or need to pump.
I exclusively pumped with my second baby for 1 month and supplemented after with only 1 formula bottle a day for the next month. We’re now on month 4. And I’m doing 1/2 and 1/2. Baby had a weak latch and honestly I hated breastfeeding maybe we could’ve worked harder on the latch but I was frustrated and she was hungry so I find it easier to pump. I use a hand pump because it’s more comfortable for me and do it 3x day. Lots of dishes in the dishwasher and steamer every day but it’s worth it.
For me it is actually HARDER! I hate it so much, I just breastfeed bc it's just quicker and I hate cleaning everything and algo just having a machine sucking on my boobs 😅 I admire those that can pump!
I agree that pumping is breastfeeding, but once breastfeeding is established, feeding from the breast itself is way easier and less time consuming. I always said that I breastfed because I was lazy, and that’s something a person who exclusively pumps or even frequently pumps probably wouldn’t relate to. Don’t get me wrong, the way I did it also had it’s challenges, they were just different.
Pumping is the same as breastfeeding because the food comes from your breast. Props to people who pumped exclusively because in my opinion, you did all the hard work of making the milk without getting the reward of having that extra closeness with your baby by nursing. To be clear, there are plenty of ways to have closeness with your baby besides breastfeeding. That's just one of the main reasons I like doing it. Also not having to wash the bottles and the pump stuff and storing it and warming up the milk later and all that extra stuff. Honestly one of the reasons I pushed myself to breastfeed was ironically laziness and not wanting the extra work of pumping exclusively or the extra cost of formula. 😅
Pumping is 1000% breastfeeding, just the climb Everest, MMA cage match, Complete the Ironman version of it. Nursed three babes, had a wide variety of challenges and still my hat is completely off, bowing I am not worthy to Moms who had to do it 100% pumping. Y’all are the badassiest of badasses. Your children should worship you later in life. Not playing, not even a little. ❤️🔥❤️
13 днів тому
Did breastfeeding AND pumping for my 5 kids, including my twins. No, it's not the same. It's just different. It's not in theory, it's not in practice, and it's not the same benefits. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but it's the truth.
Pumping all the time, washing then sterilizing all the parts and taking care of your newborn is so difficult!! It’s for sure breastfeeding and actually more difficult because you need good time management to make all of it work!
The food they are fed is coming from the breast. 100% breastfeeding via different methods of delivery. Reverse engineer it. Is it formula? No. Does it come from a breast? Yes. Breast-fed.
I like this logic. When my little girl was waiting for her open heart surgery, they wanted her to grow as much as possible before they couldn't delay the surgery any longer because full-term newborn hearts are the size of a small strawberry and that's really hard to operate on. Her NICU nurses mixed formula with my pumped breastmilk as though my milk was the water and gave her approximately 21 calories more per ounce than formula alone. This could not be done with doubling the concentration of formula to water or increasing the amount she was being fed because we had to be really careful with the amount of liquid her tiny unrepaired heart had to deal with in her body. Her NICU nurses treated that breastmilk like ambrosia from the gods.
My baby was born 3 months too soon, so I pumped for her during the months she was in the NICU and then directly breastfed her after she came home. Pumping for me was a million times harder than directly breastfeeding (I guess the story is different for babies with latching problems). For me at least pumping was easy but incredibly annoying and time consuming, and made me feel like I couldn't do anything because it was always time to pump again. Directly breastfeeding however didn't have any mental load for me, when baby wanted, she got the breast and we had a nice cuddly bonding moment together. Also, I can go anywhere with baby and feed her when necessary, but pumping kept me always close to home. That is my experience of course, your mileage might vary :)
They are different but get to the same outcome. Not being able to be away from your baby for more than 3 hours is VERY different from being able to pump and go on long outings
With my first child, my mother-in-law fed my child from a bottle before I could have a chance to breastfeed her. So I used a nipple shield from that moment on.
Yes, in the same way that c-section is birth. But vaginally birthing and c-sections will have different pros and cons. Pumping is breastfeeding, but it's waaaaaay harder than just direct boob to mouth (in my personal experience.)
I always feel hungrier and more tired after pumping than i do directly breastfeeding. Also, the amount of time it takes to wash bottles and pump and then sterilise it all is just 😮💨
I was working FT (3x 12hr shifts/wk) when I was pg and bfing, and I really wanted our babies to have only my milk if possible. I was able to pump enough for them while I was working (despite the challenges of trying to do that as a 911 paramedic). When I was home I only bf them. Pumping can be really hard, even if it's going well. I had DMER when I pumped, but not when I bf. My midwife and LC couldn't explain it definitively, but both thought it might have been due to lower oxytocin levels when I was pumping.
I exclusively breastfed and am still breastfeeding my 15 month old. I only pumped the first 3 months and once a week when attending church/going to an event or extra if I had a damaged nipple and didn't want her sucking. I hated cleaning the equiptment and bottles. Prefer contact breastfeeding so much more!
I breastfed all of mine. No, it's not the same at all. It's not the best way, but it's far better than the alternative of formula. MotherNature's way is easier for both Mama & baby and enhances bonding. Not attacking anyone either. We grew up in a society that pushes bottles are better for a long time to sell more formula. After a time, mothers didn't teach their daughters, and the next generations were already bottle believers. Now many woman are in the workforce trying to do both jobs hence pumps have become more commonplace. I'm thankfull I got to go live with my grandparents on a farm and just being in that atmosphere nature taught me it's naturally what mammal mother's do. Had I not had that firsthand experience, I probably would have bottle fed or pumped cause that's mostly what's pushed more in society and makes others money.
I mean both you are producing milk with your body, so that is hard. I literally don't pump because all of the sanitizing and crap is way to much work for me. 😅
I mean it's got its obvious differences. Getting breastmilk and being fed off the tap are totally different precesses. Which is harder is an immature argument.
I have done both for my first because I was going back to work. For my second, I took a long maternity leave because NO WAY I was pumping that much again. Seriously, pumping is not fun, nor nice, it is something you do FOR your baby only. So yep, pumping is waaay harder from my point of view.
I breast fed directly and via pumped with my first and plan on doing so again with next thats due in the next couple of weeks. Pumping is so much harder and feels like more work than direct breast feeding!
As a mom who exclusively pumped with my first (wouldn’t latch) and is now nursing my second, pumping is 100% breastfeeding.
As a mom with a breastfed baby I can say with 100% certainty I wouldn't have been able to keep up with pumping. It was like 99.99% worse than just breastfeeding.
Yes it is! BF is so much easier than pumping! I’ve experienced both and can definitely agree.
Breastfeeding with no complications- easier than formula-feeding.
Pumping and feeding bottles- harder than formula-feeding, assuming all supplies are available.
Having done all of the above.
A family member asked me why I didn't just pump cos it's so much easier and I'm like dude I got ADHD issues, I'm fortunate enough to be able to stay home with my kids. If my husband woke up to feed the baby is still be awake, cleaning all that stuff, taking all that stuff with you everywhere and then it didn't make sense while sitting there with some machine on my nipple and being uncomfortable I could be looking at my beautiful babe and stroking his face.
Pumping is so much harder!
I exclusively breastfed both my kids, and up until now did not consider pumping to be breastfeeding-HOWEVER definitely always thought pumping was WAY harder than nursing by 1000%. The dishes, the planning, the time! Ya’ll deserve gold medals ❤
I agree 1000%..😂❤
Thank you for acknowledging this.
Agree! They are different in that even though the start and end are the same, pumping has a gigantic middle. (I exclusively breastfeed and avoid bottles because breastfeeding is easy for me and bottles sound like SO MUCH WORK)
I rarely pump because it’s so much work. I had dreams of freezer milk so I could have dad feed him. But then I realized I’d just have to pump to make up for that feed anyway. 😅
I have to say from the other side, watching my wife do both, breastfeeding is way more time-consuming. Pumping is more expensive, yet nicer for me, when mommy is gone, so I can feed the baby shark! 😂😂😂
I exclusively pumped or hand expressed for my full-term NICU baby for 14 months.
I'd say pumping is breastfeeding but breastfeeding is not pumping in the same way that all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares.
No one pumps because they think it's a good time. It's done to balance the many needs of mamas and babies while giving babe the best possible food--including bubs from other mums.
i love the comparison of the rectangles. i agree. i'm currently expressing for my 5 months baby in ICU
I have never heard this. Breastfeeding is pumping but nursing is not pumping but both are breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is an umbrella term for ways babies are fed with breast milk. There's nursing (suckling of the breast) and pumping it hand expression (baby is fed breast milk with a receptacle like a cup, bottle, or syringe).
@@turtlebot10000 You haven't ever heard it because it's literally just my opinion. Sounds like your own opinion adds an extra layer of nuance.
I respectfully just have to disagree. Don’t get me wrong it doesn’t mean breastfeeding exclusively is superior, but as someone who had to hand express for their newborn, it’s completely different then breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is where they come mouth to nipple contact and feed. Hand express feeding is bottle feeding or spoon feeding. Pumping and feeding is bottle feeding. And feeding formula is formula feeding. Does that make any of these processes wrong or less than another? No way in hell, but I can definitely say that hand expressing and feeding from your boob are two completely different experiences. Just because you use the same ingredients, doesn’t mean it’s called the same thing.
@Malloryann2003 When they come mouth to nipple to feed it's called nursing. Any OB or LC will tell you the same thing. Nurse Tina is saying that in this video. I also exclusively hand expressed and pumped. My hospital chart stated I was breastfeeding, my medical chart at my OBs office stated I was breastfeeding, the LCs I saw all said I was breastfeeding. Breastfeeding includes hand expression, pumping, and nursing. People mix it up all the time but we're all commenting on a video of a L&D nurse who is also calling it breastfeeding. Fed by the breast. It's breastfeeding. Suckling of the breast is nursing, which is a way to breastfeed.
From a medical standpoint pumping is breastfeeding cause you are providing the food from your breasts, it's just not direct. Hate how many people consider it a lesser form of feeding your baby.
Thank you for saying that❤
It's not a lesser because it's difficult and time consuming too. But the reality is in order for your baby to get the full benefits of breast milk they need to latch onto your breast so that your nipple can do it's job and scan your baby's saliva and adjust your milk according to your baby's changing needs especially when it comes to aiding their immune system
Except it IS a lesser form of feeding. It's better than formula feeder, but it's NOT breastfeeding.
There any MANY benefits to breastfeeding that are not replicated with pumping. That is just the simple truth. It doesn't mean one is harder than the other, it means it's different, and not the same.
I think pumping is 1000 x harder than feeding at the breast. It's a lot more work!! -- coming from a mom whose done both. Of course, they are both breastfeeding. But shout out to my pumping moms. You guys are doing the most & I know it's so hard to keep going some days💕
I spent 90 hours of pumping last month and an extra 12 hours of bottle washing. Not even including the time it takes to put away and label the milk after. I don't want to hear it being the easy way out.
Does anyone think it's the easy way out? It's so much work. I used to go to GF house, who was exclusively pumping for twins, and I would sit her down with a drink and just run through a cleaning cycle of bottles for her because, far out, you don't need that with a newborn.
@@mamavibetribe8878Bless you for doing that!! I nurse, pump and bottle feed and afterwards looking at all the bottles and nipples in the sink makes me even more tired.
@@mamavibetribe8878 i wouldn’t say it’s easy but easier in many cases. My little one feeds 12 times a day for half an hour to an hour each time which means I spend around 8h a day breastfeeding, so around 250 hours a month. Also, while pumping I can do other things like work on my computer or if you have a pump that you don’t need to hold in your hands and can walk around in, you can do dishes etc while pumping. When your baby is latched to your breast, you can’t really do much during that time. So I think pumping is a bit more convenient. But that’s just been the experience for me personally.
@@mamavibetribe8878 everyone is pretty positive on her channel but there are vicious "breast is best" people out there who will tear us down. Same ones who think mothers are less for using formula. Like I am sorry I was born with nipples that my baby can't latch onto. 😅
I don’t think anyone thinks it’s easier. Everyone knows it’s harder. Much harder. I don’t even pump at all because I hate it. lol. Exclusively breastfeed my first and now my second.
I agree wholeheartedly. On top of all the regular work and discomfort, and no one ever talks about how many bottles and apparatuses you have to clean. That's freaking work y'all.
Oh man so much washing and effort!!
It took me 6 hours in total to pump and wash stuff each day. 6×7=42 hours a week, that's a fulltime job on top of recovering from a major abdominal surgery, without sleeping for more than 2-3 hour stretches and taking care of a newborn. Thank god we managed the latch after a few weeks.
I am not a parent but I can only imagine it also upping the water bill astronomically!
Totally agree. Pumping takes SO much out of you. Kudos to all the people out there doing what they have to do to feed their babies!
I tried to pump and breastfeed to build up a supply for emergencies and date nights…but dang, I found pumping harder than breastfeeding! I’m so proud of all the mammas who are able to giver their baby breast milk via pumping, it is no small task!
Omg - Pumping 24/7 is so hard 🥲
Props to any mom out there that gets it done via the pump.
I had to pump for my
31 weeker. Thankfully the
NICU had a whole "dairy" set up with great electric pumps so at least twice a day i got to do it in the hospital.
As many of you may not already be aware the sucking reflex doesn't kick in until at least 32 weeks so feeding can be a real issue in premmies.
Once they've been tube fed for a period it's almost like it's harder from the start.
I’m mostly breastfeeding with just supplemental pumping and honestly I find pumping is just as hard if not harder- extra work to clean and prep bottles and pump parts and I also find it more uncomfortable now that I’m used to breastfeeding
I exclusively pumped as my baby wouldn't latch. The pain, shame and looks I got from the nurses at the delivery will haunt me for life. This was over 15 years ago. They made me feel bad bc I decided to pump. I felt violated every time they tried to force my baby to take the breast. I'm surprised I never got bruises from how hard handed they were to my breast.
I was the opposite. I didn't breastfeed either of my first 2 (15 and 10) because I just didn't know how important it was and nurses were so quick to offer formula and tell me how it's "just as good" that I didn't put in the effort I should have. Will always regret it. Not the not breastfeeding particularly but not even pumping for them. My 3rd wouldn't latch so I pumped for 9 months, round the clock every 2 hours, hardest thing I ever did but totally worth it! I'm supposed to be induced today, although hospital was supposed to call at 8 and it's 10 and the phone still hasn't rang 🤷♀️, but I'm fully prepared to do it again. There is no shame in formula, both my older kids are fine, but I'm glad there's more knowledge on BFing in my area bc I feel like a lot of Moms didn't just because they got zero encouragement or education on the subject for so long. But at the end of the day, fed is best!
I have to admit as someone whose done both. Pumping is harder than breastfeeding. At least with the contact i got the endorphins. But with pumping i was drained and angry afterwards. Breastfeeding makes me happy now. I think its similar but different. Just my perspective. Im so grateful my son never refused to nurse even after being bottle fed as well for months. Its rough out there! Respect to women who pump. Wouldnt even try it again wih any future kids only did it to try and up my supply bc i had to do formula for a few moths too. It was so emotional and tiring doing all three
I never understood how moms make everything a competition between each other. It’s breast milk so I don’t understand how it matters how it gets to the baby?
It's not a competition. But pumping is not breastfeeding. People are trying to make them the same because mom will shame themselves if they cannot say they are breastfeeding. They are doing their best and that's what matters; but it doesn't change the fact that they are NOT the same in many ways.
How?
pumping is breastfeeding. the baby is getting milk from the breast even if they aren't eating from a fleshy nipple.
i would have kept breastfeeding my girl but she bites, bit from day one. was so painful that i was in tears and trying to not yeet her away from me each time. husband said that was enough, got formula and a pump. sadly i dried up at three months but our little angel/demon didn't mind, she switched to formula easily and is now a tiny monster for any and all food.
Lol
Awww I kinda had a similar experience! I had to be induced 3 weeks early & I could never get my baby to latch consistently, so I pumped but then my supply also dried up around 3 months just like yours, and we fully switched to formula. I still feel bad, like maybe I did something wrong. 😕 But I try to ignore the guilt & I’m so thankful my baby is now 16 months & he’s healthy & doing great. 🙂
@@zolltan2929 i was induced 2 weeks early. never feel guilty about not giving your own milk. nothing to be ashamed of. my step sister couldn't even produce milk for her son and he's now 7 years old. you are an amazing mom and a beautiful person!
I exclusively pumped for 2/3 of my kids. We're often forgotten in breastfeeding discussions, so thank you.
I exclusively breastfed my four, and I think bottle feeding, pumping or not is a huge amount of work. Breastfeeding is instantly ready without the fuss of all the stuff.
The food is from your breasts, you're still experiencing the hormones, the production, soreness, and chapping that you would if it was a baby instead of a pump getting it out.
But I also understand why someone would say it's not breastfeeding.
I say leave it to the mom on how she wants to describe it.
Pumping is incredibly hard, and I found it to be much harder to keep up pumping and bottle feeding my twins, then putting them straight on my breast.
The reason I was pumping was because my boys were 8 weeks premature and spent almost four weeks in the NICU. Establishing a milk supply for twins with challenging, to say the least. It took 8 weeks to teach one twin to latch, so I had to pump.
Whatever the reason, I think it's beautiful that there are multiple ways to give babies food, including breast milk.
I bet. Hell, it took me 2 months of pumping after nursing to establish a milk supply for a single baby just because my milk came in 1 or 2 days too late and I had to start supplementing
It really is a beautiful thing ♥️
As a mum who exclusively pumped due to having a disabled child who can’t take food by mouth, I can say pumping is not breastfeeding but feeding a baby breastmilk is breastfeeding. I longed for the ability to have her latch. I grieve not being able to breast feed her in the latching sense.
But she was fed by me and I still felt the depletion in energy and the need to eat constantly from pumping as you would when you breastfeed. So I think I’d say pumping is breastfeeding but breastfeeding is not pumping.
Pumping I think is a lot harder. You have to wake up to an alarm clock instead of a crying baby, you have to listen to the sound of a pump suction every 3 seconds for 30
Mins, only to get 30 ml or so! You can’t cuddle your baby while you pump, you often are alone in a bathroom doing it. My baby was In the NICU for months and months and I had to look at photos of her or watch a movie while expressing at 12am, 3am and 6am before visiting her with the bottles of milk I had In the fridge. Only to have a nurse call me one night to tell me she had accidentally dropped a whole bottle (250ml) from the freezer and how sorry she was! I forgave her straight away but it did make me think how long it took me to make that. It’s kinda like meeting KPIs at work. When you breastfeed your baby is simply weighed each week or so to make sure they’re growing well. When you pump in the NICU the nurses will call you and say “you haven’t got enough milk for baby today, can we give her some formula? And you feel the guilt!”
That's so hard! Kudos for you to have pushed through that!
Pumping _is_ breastfeeding. But I can understand that you yearned to be able to nurse your child directly. I know that must have been hard. But please don't let anyone or anything downplay what you did to nourish your child. You're strong, and there's no need for you to feel any shame ever.
As someone who did exclusive baby to boob breastfeeding for 9 months and now has to pump one day a week, I am fully on team pumping is breastfeeding and 1000% times harder! Women who exclusively pump, partially pump, or anything in between are literal heroes to their babies 🎉 you all are doing the work of an angel.
I pumped for 9 months with my son. Hardest thing I ever did! Even when baby starts sleeping through the night, you don't because your supply tanks (or at least mine would). Many, granted not all, exclusively BFing Moms can get by with 1 extra pump at that point, mine was still every 2 hours even at night. I will NEVER tell a pumper they aren't breastfeeding or taking the easy way out!!
I feel like pumping is way harder than breastfeeding! I have only breastfed (feeding at the breast) no pumping but I know hard that must be and it is a lot of effort due to cleaning and making sure the storage is proper too. You mamas out there doing that are awesome because you are giving your baby the best food there is!! Don’t give up it is hard work!! ❤❤❤
Pumping is breastfeeding without most if not all the nice sides of breastfeeding! Kudos sisters!
I started out triple feeding my boy to get my milk and his latch better- now we just exclusively nurse.
Anyone who exclusively pumps is an actual goddess. No exaggeration.
Pumping is hard! I pumped with my first baby and then never used one again. Breastfeed is just natural and while it’s not hard…it is a commitment that takes a lot of you. It’s a beautiful gift for you and your baby!
I'm a severe under-producer (I get about 5oz a day, total) on top of the fact that my baby doesn't like to breastfeed because she doesn't get hardly anything. So, I pump 95% of the time and try to get her to latch for at least 30 minutes. It's a lot of work for so little reward 😢 pumping is definitely breastfeeding, but not necessary the other way around
When I went back to work after having my son I found pumping to be extremely difficult compared to breastfeeding him. It was way more emotionally taxing as well. Plus, my supply took a hit from the stress of going back to a job I resented (bc I wanted to stay home with my baby) and the stress of seeing a dip in my supply didn't help. I got bullied for "pumping too frequently" (every 3 hours for 15 minutes, with a hands free pump that I continued to work thru my pump breaks). I don't know how exclusive pumpers do it.
Gosh yeah the industries do not support families. That’s so not cool of your work to be bullying you! You have a right to pump!! Definitely would look into that to make sure there’s no des crimination happening.
Employers have to support breastfeeding moms. It’s the law!
I pumped first few months of my sons life because he was a preemie and pumping is harder! You’re not only burning as many calories you are also having to feed the bottles to your baby then either pump same time or after and then clean all the pump parts too it’s so much more work so hats off to all you pumping mummas!
When I went to a breastfeeding consultant because I had a hard time exclusively breastfeeding and had to pump, the first thing she said was that pumping also counts as breastfeeding. The problem I have with pumping is that it’s incredibly difficult and you can’t do it in the long run. I would probably never pump beyond one year, but I will gladly breastfeed until self weaning.
As someone who exclusively pumped for her first and exclusively nurses (and pumps for others) with second. Pumping is WAY more work and dedication.
As a new mom of a 4 month old, pumping and breastfeeding are not the same thing. Breastfeeding is/was 1000x harder in my own personal journey. Latching, their movement, distractions, them getting pissed off by gas etc. while trying to feed etc. I breastfeed and pump (for storage/a bottle when she is feeling lazy or too tired to work for it.) I still wash/sterilize tons of bottles/pumping parts etc. for pumping or feeding here and there. I still would say breastfeeding is way harder in my opinion. But, every journey is different and I think that you’re allowed to be completely opposed to that point of view and still be 100% correct. I definitely wouldn’t trade the experience/connection of breastfeeding for anything even though at the beginning I definitely wanted to give up the first couple months. LOTS OF TEARS! Even with my postpartum depression I have stuck it out because I never wanted to give up that connection, and it was worth the struggle.❤
Definitely. I exclusively pumped for 2 months before my baby learned how to nurse properly and i got my supply up. Its so difficult.
It's always taken me 3x times the amount of time to pump than it did for baby to nurse and empty a boob. I nursed and pumped for the first 4 months then switched to breast only. It was so much easier. Pumping is freaking hard !!!! Kuddos to the mommys that can do it !!!
What is the pump you used??
Omg pumping is so much harder. 😊
In the beginning when baby had a hard time latching and my nipples were chapped and bleeding, I can say pumping was easier, it was a life saver for me (no more mental breakdowns lol), my baby (no longer hungry), bonus points for it helping my husband no longer dealing with a frustrated mom and a screaming hungry baby. But after we settled and baby was able to breastfeed, I can say that logistically speaking, pumping is way more annoying with all the washing and the planning. I stopped pumping for a while until a couple weeks ago, now I am building a small stash by freezing one 6 ounce bag a day, and we are no longer doing bottles. Bottom line, breastfeeding and pumping are both easy and hard in their own way, and the most important thing is that our babies are thriving regardless of the feeding method and whether or not it is breast milk or formula.
As a pumping mum... one thing I love about it is that I can pump on a schedule and feed my little on demand with a bottle...kinda great....breastfeeding is hard pumping is breastfeeding with extra steps
I like that I can actually see and measure out how much milk my baby is eating. When I was exclusively chest feeding she would get irritable when milk wasn’t letting down/full flow. She wants the control of the flow
Of milk.
I have really sensitive nipples and my baby doesn't have a good latch so its either be in pain all day from ONE feeding ( so him doing it all day leaves me in tears) or pump for him. I chose to pump. He gets fed either way. Unfortunately I still have to supplement since I get anywhere between 1-3 oz but you know what at the end of the day his tummy is full and I am okay with that.
Um pumping is SO MUCH MORE WORK!! All the sanitizing still makes me shudder. It's not harder per se, I mean I never had difficulty latching a pump 😅 but yes, it is definitely the same thing.
I only pumped 1-2 times a day as a way to build a backup supply for if someone else was caring for my child, and to help keep my supply up, and even that felt like a lot so I can’t imagine having to pump all day long!! That’s dedication and commitment!!
Yes! I only pump three times a day and exclusively breastfeed the rest of the day and it is still so exhausting and a lot of work. Exclusively pumping mamas are rockstars!
the food is coming from the breast - breast feeding
Currently pregnant as a first-time mom - Do you (or any other mommas!) have recommendations on what to look for when choosing a breast pump?
Your content is such a blessing, thank you for your dedication to education ❤
A strong motor. I have the Spectra S1. Make sure you measure yourself to get your correct flange size. It is ideal to start with something sturdy and strong until your milk “comes in” and you are no longer producing colostrum or transitional milk. After your milk is in, you can try wearables or manual pumps when it is convenient for you.
I have the momcozy m5 - 10/10 I definitely recommend
Would depend on how much you’re pumping. If it’s a lot of pumping you plan to do definitely a corded electric double pump! Spectra and Motif are great.
Spectra s2 for mobility-it has battery that lasts up to 3h and momcozy m9-m5 has a better price, m9 works with app. The best pumps❤ ps: measure your nipples!
These are all really helpful, thanks so much! 🙌
Exclusively breastfeed 2 babies forever. With baby 3, I've returned to work ... pumping it is definitely breastfeeding.i think it takes a lot more work. Baby latches anytime I'm with her but I pump when I'm away. I don't know how the Exclusively pumping moms do it. It takes so much effort and preparation. Kudos to them.
Or when people say you didn't give birth since you had a c section 🙄
I'll NEVER understand that idea! The ONLY people saying CSections are easier have NOT done both!! Period! I refuse to believe otherwise! I have done both! Vag birth is 1000% easier than C Section!! I would give birth vaginally 100 times before I'd do 1 CSection if I had the choice!! My C Section was traumatic, they had to fully knock me out bc my epidural became dislodged unknowingly and wore off mid-procedure, I was 2 days before I remember a dag gone thing and couldn't get up without help for DAYS. My VBACs, I'm up and moving on my own in a few hours and practically healed within a few days, and I tore pretty bad with both. As long as baby gets here with Mom and Baby healthy it's a successful birth IMO, but no way in Hot Haiti is a C Section "easier". If you have an "easy C Section" you're a friggin' unicorn!!
@amysnews6808 whilst I agree with you that all methods are valid ways to give birth , I don’t think your generalisations are helpful. I must be a unicorn because I have had both a natural and c section birth and my experience was my c section was easier. My baby and I nearly died from the natural one and I still suffer the effects today so many years on. I think all births are different and all birthing methods are valid and someone might have a better experience from any ( so I’m not invalidating or disagreeing with your experience). I’m sorry to hear your c section was traumatic but please don’t generalise it’s not helpful. Mothers are superstars whichever way they birth or feed and we should stick together not compare.
@sarahmason4850 I'm not including "almost died" in natural labor, that's not common. And I was referring to recovery time and pain with a normal c section vs normal vaginal birth. Yea, my c section was traumatic and it's also NOT common for an epidural to become dislodged, so I'm not even talking about that part, if everything else had gone perfect though the C Section was still way harder recovery wise and almost always will be when comparing typical to typical. That's not a generalization, that's a fact. A c section is a major surgery and takes up to 6 weeks for pain to subside fully. No one going through a normal natural birth is having bad pain that far out. There's a reason you go home after about 2 days with a vag birth and are in the hospital 5-7 for c section, also a reason they give moms Tylenol and Advil for vag birth and percocet for c section. Of course there are outliers where things didn't go normally and complications arose that would make a vag birth harder but when comparing apples to apples, there is no comparison. I'm sorry you experienced that and I'm not saying your experience doesn't matter just that isn't the experience I'm referring to, I'm referring to when everything goes as planned.
@@amysnews6808 thank you for clarifying you meant only vaginal births without any complications and not all… it wasn’t clear in your comment as your PERIOD made it sound like there wouldn’t be any cases when someone would or could hold a different view to you if they had indeed also experienced both a c section and a vaginal birth, which I have. Thank you for clarifying your comment only stands for certain situations. Wishing you all the best in your journey.
Might be an unpopular opinion, but for the sake of keeping things clear I would separate breastfeeding, pumping and formula feeding. Doesn’t mean that one thing is worse or easier than the other, it just confuses me personally when people say BREAST-feeding and mean feeding pumped milk from a BOTTLE.
Again, all options are valid and all are hard work.
This! I don't see why we need to try to convince people pumping is something it is not. Saying it's not breastfeeding is not downplaying anything; it's NOT the same thing, that's all.
I’m a new mama whose baby is going through it with not wanting to latch, we finally got her to latch a few days ago and now my breast milk is bothering her belly, so I’m continuing to pump and freeze while she (hopefully) gets over this hurdle
I pumped with my first because he wouldn't latch until my milk dried up and we switched to formula and now with my second I have mostly just breastfed him exclusively. Pumping is definitely breastfeeding, you are literally still feeding the baby with your body but with more steps. Pumping is hard and a lot more work in my experience. Each path has its hardships and benefits but in my experience pumping is the hardest path from just exclusively nursing or formula feeding. This is just my experience of course.
Currently exclusively pumping for my second (shes 4.5 months ) i mad rit 5 months with my first ep before i got shingles from stress and had to quit.... Going a bit better this time but most of us that end up EP did not choose it we had to for some other reason.
I wouldn’t say breastfeeding is pumping, but I agree that pumping is breastfeeding. 😊
There’s evidence there are differences in nutritional outcomes for exclusively pumped milk vs latched to feed infants. Pumping is *part* of breastfeeding, but these are not perfectly interchangeable terms. Pumping tech has come a long way but it isn’t a perfect one to one one milk production & composition either.
Pumping is definitely breastfeeding, is just that (exclusive) pumping is just mine, a different method of breastfeeding. Still feeding with breasts, though. This is just like the vaginal vs. C-section thing, in that, they're both birth, & difficult, they're just most difficult at different points in the process & easier at different points, but neither is easy. Feeding with exclusive pumping might be easier in the area of nipple pain (for some, not all nursing moms have a lot of nipple pain necessarily), & easier in that you don't have to struggle to get a proper latch & you don't have to be the one to feed every/almost every time, don't necessarily have to whip the girls out on public when you may not be comfortable with that, etc., etc. (& personally, I don't like the feeling of nursing, physically, it feels really weird to me & I don't know why, I just don't like it, but I like how good it is for baby, so did it anyway) --- BUT, pumping is harder in other ways. Like, now it takes way more total time to feed, because you have to extract the milk for maybe 20+ minutes each time PLUS then actual feed time, & a LOT of moms struggle to get a proper flange fit (I found a solution to that one, though for this go around! 😂), you often aren't able to empty as much as well every time, you can get mastitis more because of that, you can have supply issues because of that, etc. Then, if you're relying completely on pumping, you have to worry about storage, you have to find time to do it during work or whatever you're doing at home, you have to potentially buy bottle expensive pumps trying to get one that works well for you, etc., etc. And you're missing out on the oxytocin boost with baby with you, missing some bonding time, etc., warming milk up, keeping track of when it'll expire, and on & on.
So, there are hard & easy parts to all these things, pros & cons. Nothing in motherhood is easy.
Or do it like me and combine most of the hard parts of all 4 things by being in labor 32 hours, then having a C-section, breastfeeding to increase oxytocin but also needing to pump afterwards to completely empty the breasts to increase milk supply because you had a C-section...
Haha sorry, I just had to rant real quick, some people don't get how hard it can be
Nothing easy about pumping. I am so grateful all of my babies latched and are well fed. My first had a NICU stay which I had to pump for......no thank you.
Nursed, then pumped while hubby formula fed. Then gave what 1 or 2 oz I produced before the next formula feeding. Did that for 6 months with the first and 4 months with the second.
SO MANY DISHES. Eczema and bleeding hands ended it for number 2. When you can’t hold your baby or catch your toddler from running into traffic, something has to give.
Know that whether it’s your milk or formula, and regardless of delivery method, your baby is nourished and will be just fine.
I HAD to pump because I had waaay too much. After a few full bottles and a few liters per b00b later, the lactose nurse said to please stop.
Our sons are 15 and 18, and still iff they don't feel well I produce milk🤦♀️🥴 Not much, but it's milk.
Weird? Yes, it runs in the family with us women
I exclusively pump bc my baby had latching issues that caused me to crack and bleed and develop clogged ducts and mastitis the first week so I completely switched to pumping. Plus I had so much anxiety about how much he was actually eating, so while pumping gives me some peace of mind in some ways, it's still a challenge. I have to stick to a schedule or my supply dips, so I still pump through the night and even when I've been sick. It helps me know how much he's eating but I only make enough to feed him through the day, so we have to make a few formula bottles at night. It's been nice to be able to pump while at work and also allow my husband to feed our child but it means we have so many parts and bottles to wash and so much stuff I have to lug around on trips and to and from work. And it's nice to know I can fully empty myself and develop less of a risk of clogged ducts, yeast infections, or mastitis. It's not the easy way out at all, it has its challenges but it also has his positives, too!
I mean, the milk is still coming from the breast; only difference is what baby is latching directly to. So we could consider pumping breastfeeding if you're not referring to a breast latch. But I think when people say "exclusively breastfed" they usually mean directly from the breast. Some women "exclusively pump." I definitely don't think we ought to be comparing the struggles of one to another, but given the current terminology, there is a difference. I hope this makes sense.
It is 100% breastfeeding.
I was completely pumping until my girl turned 6 months old. She then suddenly wanted to nurse 1 to 4 times a day, so I'm pumping and breastfeeding since then. It's the same.
And I do have to add, you have so much more work with pumping/feeding with a bottle. You're not just putting the breast back in, you'll also have to wash up, fill the milk in bottles, feed the bottle, wash up again and it takes soooo much time.🤷♀️
EPing is harder than nursing (for me). Both have good and bad but the emotional roller coaster of pumping when wishing to nurse made me feel numb and like a failure
Pumping is breastfeeding because the baby is still being fed from the breast, just not directly. That would be nursing. Moms should be supporting one another whether it’s pumping, nursing, or formula feeding because having a baby is hard. It’s not a competition.. I’m currently almost 7 months into exclusively breastfeeding, with pumping once a night until baby was 5 months old. This route has been way easier than with my first baby where I exclusively pumped until he was 18 months old.. If you’re a pumping mama, I applaud you because I was so depressed and stressed over it!
As someone who couldn’t do either keep it up momma! Fed is best.
From a nutritional perspective it 100% is, from a bonding perspective it's still just bottle feeding. I plan on doing both once mine is born.
I think you are breastfeeding but from someone who switched from 100% pumping to 100% breastfed, they feel so different. One i felt like a cow/milk machine constantly plugged into the wall and washing dishes, and the next i just get more cuddles with my baby.. but good latch is hard. Kudos to those that pump exclusively. My letdown would sometimes take 15 minutes while pumping. i was a just enough supply too. Nightmare everytime his oz amount increased.
Pumping is so hard! After six children people still ask me why I don’t pump… because I hated the headache I had to deal with in order to work full time but give my babies breast milk.
Both. It is still breastfeeding, but it's not EBF. Which can be a risky form of contraceptive, or delaying menstruation.
Well the biochemical feedback is not there, so i would say no they are not the same thing. Pumping is harder. Breastfeeding can be more annoying if they bite or kick or twiddle.
It is so incredibly hard ;-;
I’m on temporary pause of nursing my baby because of issues with how i am handling the sensation of his latch and sucking, and even the pumping is starting to irritate me in the same way my baby’s sucking did. Its exhausting and still takes the same energy out if you.
same argument that c section is not really giving birth. 36 hours of labor to an emergency c section that was stitched too tight, here i am three months later still trying to heal. all birth methods are equally brutal!
Milk from boobs = breastfeeding period. I had to pump exclusively for 3.5 months because we didn’t learn to latch before going home. Y’all, that was MISERABLE. When we finally learned to latch, things got so much better.
I'm a working mom and do both, and personally I would always dread pumping but I love breastfeeding😂
Super random but I am obsessed with Alice In Wonderland so it makes me weirdly happy that you used audio from the Tim Burton movie ❤
Pumping is CRAZY hard 🥲 I had to solely pump for first 5 weeks as baby didnt latch due to tongue tie and it was terrible...
Pumping is harder than directly breastfeeding. It is also... weird. I never knew what to reply if people asked if I am breastfeeding. Because kond of I did not but in the same time... I did! 😅
Pumping is better than formula for sure. It’s not exactly the same as breast feeding though. But there’s a ton of reasons a mom might want or need to pump.
I find pumping harder than breast feeding 😭 I do both and I’d take breast feeding over pumping any day in terms of comfort!!
I exclusively pumped with my second baby for 1 month and supplemented after with only 1 formula bottle a day for the next month. We’re now on month 4. And I’m doing 1/2 and 1/2. Baby had a weak latch and honestly I hated breastfeeding maybe we could’ve worked harder on the latch but I was frustrated and she was hungry so I find it easier to pump. I use a hand pump because it’s more comfortable for me and do it 3x day. Lots of dishes in the dishwasher and steamer every day but it’s worth it.
For me it is actually HARDER! I hate it so much, I just breastfeed bc it's just quicker and I hate cleaning everything and algo just having a machine sucking on my boobs 😅 I admire those that can pump!
I agree that pumping is breastfeeding, but once breastfeeding is established, feeding from the breast itself is way easier and less time consuming. I always said that I breastfed because I was lazy, and that’s something a person who exclusively pumps or even frequently pumps probably wouldn’t relate to. Don’t get me wrong, the way I did it also had it’s challenges, they were just different.
Hey I have those!!! 😂❤
They're pretty nice 😊
Pumping is the same as breastfeeding because the food comes from your breast. Props to people who pumped exclusively because in my opinion, you did all the hard work of making the milk without getting the reward of having that extra closeness with your baby by nursing. To be clear, there are plenty of ways to have closeness with your baby besides breastfeeding. That's just one of the main reasons I like doing it. Also not having to wash the bottles and the pump stuff and storing it and warming up the milk later and all that extra stuff. Honestly one of the reasons I pushed myself to breastfeed was ironically laziness and not wanting the extra work of pumping exclusively or the extra cost of formula. 😅
Pumping is 1000% breastfeeding, just the climb Everest, MMA cage match, Complete the Ironman version of it.
Nursed three babes, had a wide variety of challenges and still my hat is completely off, bowing I am not worthy to Moms who had to do it 100% pumping. Y’all are the badassiest of badasses. Your children should worship you later in life.
Not playing, not even a little.
❤️🔥❤️
Did breastfeeding AND pumping for my 5 kids, including my twins. No, it's not the same. It's just different.
It's not in theory, it's not in practice, and it's not the same benefits. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but it's the truth.
Pumping all the time, washing then sterilizing all the parts and taking care of your newborn is so difficult!! It’s for sure breastfeeding and actually more difficult because you need good time management to make all of it work!
The food they are fed is coming from the breast. 100% breastfeeding via different methods of delivery.
Reverse engineer it. Is it formula? No. Does it come from a breast? Yes. Breast-fed.
I like this logic.
When my little girl was waiting for her open heart surgery, they wanted her to grow as much as possible before they couldn't delay the surgery any longer because full-term newborn hearts are the size of a small strawberry and that's really hard to operate on.
Her NICU nurses mixed formula with my pumped breastmilk as though my milk was the water and gave her approximately 21 calories more per ounce than formula alone.
This could not be done with doubling the concentration of formula to water or increasing the amount she was being fed because we had to be really careful with the amount of liquid her tiny unrepaired heart had to deal with in her body.
Her NICU nurses treated that breastmilk like ambrosia from the gods.
I actually found pumping hurt me so much more than just feeding oddly.
My baby was born 3 months too soon, so I pumped for her during the months she was in the NICU and then directly breastfed her after she came home.
Pumping for me was a million times harder than directly breastfeeding (I guess the story is different for babies with latching problems). For me at least pumping was easy but incredibly annoying and time consuming, and made me feel like I couldn't do anything because it was always time to pump again. Directly breastfeeding however didn't have any mental load for me, when baby wanted, she got the breast and we had a nice cuddly bonding moment together. Also, I can go anywhere with baby and feed her when necessary, but pumping kept me always close to home. That is my experience of course, your mileage might vary :)
They are different but get to the same outcome. Not being able to be away from your baby for more than 3 hours is VERY different from being able to pump and go on long outings
With my first child, my mother-in-law fed my child from a bottle before I could have a chance to breastfeed her. So I used a nipple shield from that moment on.
Pumping is HARDER than nursing. Either are good for your baby if you can do them! If you can’t, that’s okay too.
Breast milk is breast milk. Feeding a baby breast milk is breast feeding, plain and simple.
Yes, in the same way that c-section is birth. But vaginally birthing and c-sections will have different pros and cons.
Pumping is breastfeeding, but it's waaaaaay harder than just direct boob to mouth (in my personal experience.)
I always feel hungrier and more tired after pumping than i do directly breastfeeding. Also, the amount of time it takes to wash bottles and pump and then sterilise it all is just 😮💨
I was working FT (3x 12hr shifts/wk) when I was pg and bfing, and I really wanted our babies to have only my milk if possible. I was able to pump enough for them while I was working (despite the challenges of trying to do that as a 911 paramedic). When I was home I only bf them. Pumping can be really hard, even if it's going well. I had DMER when I pumped, but not when I bf. My midwife and LC couldn't explain it definitively, but both thought it might have been due to lower oxytocin levels when I was pumping.
I exclusively breastfed and am still breastfeeding my 15 month old. I only pumped the first 3 months and once a week when attending church/going to an event or extra if I had a damaged nipple and didn't want her sucking. I hated cleaning the equiptment and bottles. Prefer contact breastfeeding so much more!
I breastfed all of mine. No, it's not the same at all. It's not the best way, but it's far better than the alternative of formula.
MotherNature's way is easier for both Mama & baby and enhances bonding.
Not attacking anyone either. We grew up in a society that pushes bottles are better for a long time to sell more formula. After a time, mothers didn't teach their daughters, and the next generations were already bottle believers. Now many woman are in the workforce trying to do both jobs hence pumps have become more commonplace.
I'm thankfull I got to go live with my grandparents on a farm and just being in that atmosphere nature taught me it's naturally what mammal mother's do. Had I not had that firsthand experience, I probably would have bottle fed or pumped cause that's mostly what's pushed more in society and makes others money.
I mean both you are producing milk with your body, so that is hard. I literally don't pump because all of the sanitizing and crap is way to much work for me. 😅
I mean it's got its obvious differences. Getting breastmilk and being fed off the tap are totally different precesses. Which is harder is an immature argument.
You could always give your babies formula.
I have done both for my first because I was going back to work. For my second, I took a long maternity leave because NO WAY I was pumping that much again. Seriously, pumping is not fun, nor nice, it is something you do FOR your baby only. So yep, pumping is waaay harder from my point of view.
I breast fed directly and via pumped with my first and plan on doing so again with next thats due in the next couple of weeks. Pumping is so much harder and feels like more work than direct breast feeding!
I do both. Breastfeeding is much easier and more convenient.