Breastfeeding or offering formula in a bottle are not the only ways to feed your baby. Moms can decide to exclusively pump and give their baby all the benefits of breastmilk without having to nurse.
The midnight nursing ritual is nothing new to Shafonne Myers, a mom of three from Fishers, Indiana. For more than a decade she has snuggled and rocked one of her three children back to sleep in a dimly lit nursery. But now with her youngest instead of hearing the cooing and suckling of a feeding baby, Myers listens to the whirr of a breast pump extracting her breast milk while the baby in her arms drinks from a bottle.
Myers is one of many new moms who is exclusively pumping her breastmilk rather than direct-nursing her baby. Her doctor suggested she would need to supplement with formula , a prospect she dreaded. Breast milk is the ideal standard for infant nutrition, and the World Health Organization encourages exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life. But breastfeeding doesn't always come easy for every mom—many women find it inconvenient, painful, or even impossible for various reasons.
In fact, only Veronica Haywood, R. There are some circumstances like after radiation treatment, or breast surgery, or when taking certain medications, when women may be prevented from breastfeeding,. To commemorate those 12 months, I wanted to put together 12 bits of advice to help you on your exclusive pumping journey:. You will be tired. Your life will revolve around your pumping schedule, and that may mean pumping in the middle of the night or pumping 12 times a day so you're increasing milk production.
Your hormones and emotions will be all over the place. You may struggle with intimacy. I never thought exclusively pumping would take as much strength, discipline, and dedication as it did. Find a support system that will lift you up on your journey. With all the bottle parts and pump parts that need cleaning, your sink will always be full.
If you have a partner , put them in charge of this. From friends to coworkers to neighbors, they will all get used to seeing your breasts and hearing your pump. Try to not be discouraged. I would often pump while driving or schedule pumping sessions around social plans so I could fully enjoy my time between sessions.
Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. If you are an exclusively pumping mom, this either-or option can leave you feeling unsupported, confused and hopefully not in tears. This gray area of breastfeeding does not get the credit, recognition and support it deserves.
Exclusively pumping is three times the work as options "A" and "B" with more dishes and less sleep. If you think that sounds time-intensive, it is. Babies are fed breast milk by bottle, NG tube or other means, rather than directly at the breast. It is a viable option for many mothers and requires strength, discipline and dedication. How you choose to feed your baby is a personal choice and one you should never feel guilty about — especially if you are exclusively pumping.
The body makes milk around the clock because babies are designed to nurse frequently. Some can pump five times a day and maintain a full supply i. It all depends upon how much milk you store in your breasts. Make sure that the options you choose work for you.
Your mental health is paramount. Just be sure to ask for exactly what you want: help with exclusive pumping, not with feeding at the breast.
Some premature babies are not healthy or strong enough to nurse. But it was complicated: at the same time, I felt I needed to prove to those around me that I was not taking the easy way out.
The reality is, pumping is hard. What would have been a minute breastfeeding session becomes an hour of pumping, bottle-feeding, and sterilizing. Depending on what your body needs, your pumping schedule can continue to be gruelling even as your baby starts to sleep longer stretches.
I remember one particular night in sharp detail. My husband had finished the 2 a. I sat in the cold, dark bedroom, strapped to an uncomfortable machine, dying for some shut-eye, while listening to them both snoring softly. With all the difficulty involved, exclusive pumpers should try to enjoy the benefits EPing does have. Anytime you have someone who can hold your baby while you pump, you can spend that time reading, watching your favourite show, or partaking in some other luxury such as, say, being alone in a quiet room for more than five minutes.
Exclusive pumping is the energy equivalent of running eight kilometers every day, the hormones are for real, and there are many times when your pumping location will be less than ideal.
The beauty of exclusively pumping is that your baby is accustomed to taking a bottle , and anyone can give it. This perk made a huge difference in my life, as my husband was able to care equally for our child, and I was able to leave them for several hours at a time when I needed a break.
Seven months later, my exclusive pumping journey came to an end.
0コメント