Is it possible to only pump when breastfeeding?

Probably stupid question, but curious all the same… I’m 12 weeks pregnant, already have 2 kids (12&3) but I never breastfed them, was wondering if you could only pump the breast milk and bottle feed them. I want my husband to be 50/50 with me, so he can get up and 2am feedings too. I’m just not too sure because I’ve never done this, and I honestly don’t want to, but because of the formula shortage and the bad formula, I feel like this is my only option. Just help me out with an answer, and please no negative feedback because of my last option choice about this topic

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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. https://answers.mamasuncut.com/t/is-it-possible-to-only-pump-when-breastfeeding/21511

I did that with my first son, worked great for us :blush:

I’ve known several mom’s who only pumped and did great.

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Yes. I’ve done it for all my kids. I recommend using a double electric pump tho not a manual.

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You absolutely can exclusively pump! I have heard it is hard but worth it.

Exclusive pumping. Search for the group. tons of info!

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You can strictly pump, make sure to pump on a set schedule, and eat and drink to increase supply

Exclusively pumping is definitely a option just twice the work in my opinion if your doing all the feedings

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I did exactly this! I knew from the day we found out we were expecting that I wanted to pump so my husband could feed our child as well! It’s absolutely possible!!!

Exclusively Pumping Moms !

Exclusively Pumping Mamas - Education & Support Group is a great group for pumping moms! Pumping is breastfeeding! :heart:

Yep! I did it for 15 months for this reason. I had to religiously pump every 4 hours to keep my supply up - it was a pain to be consistent and painful when I missed or was late, it really tied me down but it worked and was free.

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I exclusively pumped for 2 years.

Absolutely it’s possible!!
Your going to want to get a electric pump for sure, the key is to pump just as much of not more then you would if you were putting him on the bRE-ast
The absolute KEY to remember is nursing is supply and demand there’s no special key to it if you wanna make milk you gotta get it out and keep your water intake up!!

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First three months I had to pump to give my daughter milk cause she had trouble latching. Worked really well until I went to a specialist. Then my supply was nonexistant cause of how unsuccessful it was trying to feed her. Had to switch to formula. But it was working really well before that.

You can absolutely do that :blush:
Its a great way to still give the baby breast milk and have help. I would pump on a schedule and definitely look into power pumping and proper storage for the breast milk so you’re prepared.

I only pumped for 8 months and fed from bottle only never latched

My daughter does both.

Yes, just find something your comfortable doing it anywhere anytime because engourgement is no joke.

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Yes it’s possible. My SIL would only pump and bottle feed :blush:

Yes it is. My bub was in NICU for months and I used to pump for tube feeds.

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Yes you can pump most women work, pump and caregiver gives bottle

Neither of my kids latched on so I exclusively pumped for almost a year with each.

Yes. You can pump and bottle feed.
Regarding formula, many areas never ran out. My shelves, at all 6 stores, were stocked with no issues. None of the recalled formula is sold in my area. Always check bc sometimes recalls involve certain product codes that are sent to certain areas in the country. :hugs:

I strictly pumped for both my kids. My son wouldn’t latch and 4 years later, I didn’t even try for my daughter. I knew the routine and what I had to do so didn’t even bother trying with her. I recommend getting extra pump parts that way you don’t have to wash right away and can rotate them. I honestly found that to be the hardest part. I put myself and both babies on a schedule that worked for us. At first, you will fill like your always attached to a pump but once you build a supply, you can slack off - or at least I was able too - I produced A LOT A LOT so didn’t have to pump hours on end. It takes dedication but I found this was best for me and my family. Best of luck!

Out of genuine curiosity, what do you mean by “bad formula”? Is there some bad batch going around? :sweat_smile::flushed:

You can but the thing is it doesn’t really help at the 2 am feeding as you need to be consistent with pumping as the bay eats to keep your supply you will feel like ally you do is pump and bottle

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Yes you can pump and bottle feed it what ever you want and the one thing i love about bottles is you really know how much your child drinking each feeding. Good luck mama

My daughter had a lip and tongue tie and a hard time latching so she just never really did. I exclusively pumped for 9 months!

You can. But you’d still have to get up in the middle of the night to pump.

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My niece has 500oz in her freezer. Her baby is 1yr.

Absolutely! You can exclusively pump and bottle feed! Your milk production is solely based on your bodies need to produce breast milk. The more you stimulate your bodies biological response to create breast milk the more your body will create/ produce your breast milk! At the beginning definitely pump every few hours about as often as a baby would feed if you were breast feeding! Make sure you invest in a pumping bra! It will allow you to pump hands free and let you bottle feed while pumping!

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Id recomend doing both so you dont dry up to soon. Ur bby latching keeps you producing what bby needs.

Exclusive pumping is definitely a thing.

You can but that won’t help with the 2 am feedings you will have to consistently pump every 3 hours to keep your supply up regardless

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Yes, you can. I rarely breastfed my oldest, I usually pumped and fed him that way. I didn’t like not being able to see how much he was actually eating, but I wanted him to get the breast milk.

Look up some breastfeeding paged on FB. It gives loads of advice to include dad!!

Yes you can. Date and freeze the breast milk

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I pumped with all mine.
Sadly I could only keep up with it for about 6 months for each.

You can exclusively pump, exclusively breastfeed, or you can do a mixture of both. I find that a mixture of both is most convenient if you want help feeding occasionally. Keep in mind though that for the first few weeks - month you still need to pump or breastfeed at night to get your supply established.

Yes I solely pumped while my baby was in nicu and she was bottle fed

Hell yes its possible. I will always say breast is best, but honestly I’m team feed your baby. It’s 2022. You feed your baby what works for your situation and your family. I wanted to breastfeed but suffered severe postpartum depression and the meds I was put on my baby couldn’t have. So I had to formula feed. Kids are doing fine in school and athletics.

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I exclusively pumped with both my breastfed babies because I could never get them to latch ans by the time I did with my first she was too used to bottles ans lazy. Look for exclusively pumping forums. And I slept 4-5 hours at night at first until my milk established which took about 3 months then I’d try to sleep 6 hours before I got up to pump. It’s most definitely possible or you can do a little of both. Otherwise I normally went every 4 hours between pumps unless I was feeling engorged before then.

Exclusively Pumping Mamas - Education & Support Group

Yes.
Pumping is still breastfeeding.
Nursing is feeding from the breast.
Both are still breastfeeding. :two_hearts:

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I would suggest to start pumping your l’milk at 36weeks along! It will also help the contractions going! Also tips they don’t give while breastfeeding while baby is drinking out a bag over the other boob because it will leak and you don’t want to waste it! Even when baby is done drinking keep pumping milk to trick your body into making more milk! It will give u a bigger supply!:blush:

Absolutely you can! Personally, I just found it annoying constantly washing and sanitizing so much. But yes!

Yes you can :slight_smile: very important in the early days to pump often, every 3 hours even through the night to get your supply up! It does make a bit extra work in the beginning because you have to pump and then feed but definently possible!

I pumped and bottle fed both of mine. First she was in the nicu for 30 days so that was the only option. Second I tried to breastfeed but he wouldn’t latch so I just pumped for him as well. But you will still need to pump during the night.

I exclusively pumped for 16 months with my first. There are some amazing Facebook groups to help you and to inform you the best way for it to be done

It’s possible hun as long as you respo d to.the pump I never did so I had to supplement with formula once my supply dropped

from personal experience my feedback is: yes it can be done but it’s just as much work, if not more, than breastfeeding. good luck mama x

You can always pump an just bottle feed. But it is always best to actually nurse bc that can guarantee that your flow of supply isn’t compromised and it lets your body know what the baby needs from you in quantity and quality. Especially if they’re sick with even just a small cold your body adjusts your breast milk to best support your babies needs when you nurse. Honestly though I wouldn’t worry too much about it till you’re closer to delivering. So although breast milk is the best for a baby health wise it’s also important that they’re fed in general. I breastfed an thought it would be weird but I ended up living it an my babies benefited greatly from it. Just know you can do both nursing an pumping and it not bother the baby at all but also know sometimes babies can be really picky and refuse bottles bc they prefer the breast so be sure to nurse an pump to bottle feed from the start. That’s just my experience that makes life easier for you especially if you have to work.

I did it with my 2nd child as he couldn’t latch properly… I disagree with starting to pump early because that very 1st milk that colostrum you want that going straight to your baby

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yes you can exclusively pump. But it definitely takes a lot of work & dedication, especially to keep up your supply. Youll wanna keep up your hydration too. My son was a NICU baby, and I exclusively pumped with him for quite some time & i overproduced.

Yes you can pump and save

Yes, you can exclusively pump, but even at 2am if you aren’t feeding you’ll likely have to pump to avoid engorgement and to keep your supply consistent.

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I exclusively pumped for my son because he would not latch and I did it for about nine months so yes if you want to spend time doing that then go on ahead ! I did it And could’ve done it for longer but decided not to.

I did for my first son and it was a nightmare. He made it 12 months and I felt like a cow pumping every two hours and getting up at night to pump

Yes but I couldn’t. I made way too much milk for that. So I think it’s best to wait and see what your body does before getting attached to any one method

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Totally possible! It’s called exclusively pumping! Hands free pump is best with other kids!

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Yes you can . I did for awhile then did half and half

Pumping is so hard and painful

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Exclusively Pumping Mamas - Education & Support Group

Yes! I exclusively pump… going on 5months

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Absolutely you can pump and put bags in freezer and thaw for a bottle feed. :clap:

You can do both. Breast feed during the time you can and pump for hubby to have a bottle @2a.m. If you have a good supply, pumping shouldn’t be an issue but it can be painful at first. Good luck. I’m sue you’ll do what you believe is best for baby.

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Yes but it’s a ton of work bc of all the pumping you have to do to keep up with baby’s appetite

Sure can momma I’ve done it but heads up the do smell the milk supply and try to snatch the boob

You need to choose. Once you bottle feed it’s REALLY hard to get a baby to breast feed. Not impossible, but more challenging. Get a very good breast pump.

A coworker of mine pumps while on breaks at work and then regularly breastfeeds while with the baby. You could definitely do both.

Yes it’s possible. But I also highly recommend EBF for the first little bit untill your supply is fully established. Hubs can still be 50/50 …he can get up and get you pillows and some water or a snack or just sit and watch TV with ya. :heart:

Yes you can! I highly recommend to invest in a Willow or Elvie pump though so you are not hooked to an outlet the whole time you pump.

It’s possibly and so is doing a combo. Personally I did a combo because actually breastfeeding was better at keeping my production up but doing some pumping allowed my hubby to get up with some of the late night feedings

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You can do both. If you exclusively pump, you will need to pump every few hours to keep your supply up. If you do both, he can still do night feedings, too.

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5.5months postpartum, exclusive pumper! It is possible :two_hearts::heart:

Yes I exclusively pumped for my second daughter. There are a ton of groups you can look into for help. I only did it back she was a NICU baby and got use to the bottle over the breast. My baby now refuses a bottle and only wants the breast.

It is all is out supply and demand. When baby eats you need to pump also, until you get a freezer stash built up. If you go this routine look into a good breast pump, & stock up on milk storage bags.

I exclusively pumped. Did it for both of my kids. Latching just hurt. Iike really hurt no matter what. So I only pumped and it worked great. It’s just exhausting. :joy:

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This is a thing, yes. With extreme consistency.
But for a large majority of mothers, when their milk plateaus (around 6months) they struggle really hard to get supply back up to where it was. The boobies know when it’s not the baby & sometimes it’s like they have a fit over the falsity :joy: however, Legendairy Milk has amazing supplements that work even better than fenugreek because it doesn’t upset the baby’s tummy if they are sensitive.
Cash cow, pump princess & lactivist got my supply up from 3-4.5oz each after 30min; up to 8-9.5 oz per each side for 30min. Don’t forget to massage while your pumping !
Hope this helps 🫶🏼

Sure can! That’s what I did with my last two babies :heart:

If you’re getting up every 3 hours to pump you should let him sleep. I say this because it could be dangerous if you’re both totally exhausted.

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Of course it is. You will want to try and get baby on though probably once a day to keep your supply good. I pumped exclusively and saved 4 gallons total of milk and donated it to a mom who adopted. My daughter was sensitive to it no matter what I did and my supply would go down and I had to try teas and other things to up it again but I would get 4-5 oz each breast each time she ate I would pump… Let down sucked… Lol.

You will still have to get up at night to pump. Just easier to breastfeed at night IMO. I tried the pumping thing a few times.

It is very exhausting mentally and physically to exclusively pump, but it’s doable! I have an oversupply from pumping everytime my baby ate (every 2-3 hours) You are constantly on a timer to pump when baby eats so your body knows how often your baby eats and how much to make.

I know several people that exclusively pumped. It was a LOT of work.

I did it for a year with my first, because we could never get him to latch. Basically you would just have to pump the same number of times you would feed the baby. It’s a lot of work, but it can be done. My second kid is breastfed when I’m home and gets a bottle while I’m working.

Exclusively Pumping Mamas - Education & Support Group

It’s definitely possible!!

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My sister pumped when I was in Germany when my niece was born and I bottle fed her I would put the milk she pumped into The bottle and fed my niece

I mostly pump, but I also have her latch some through the day to keep my milk production up! I prefer to pump bottles so I know for sure she is getting what she needs.

I did for a while with my oldest (NICU & tongue tie. It’s WORK. Like every 3 hours around the clock, 30-45 min at a time, plus washing pump parts, etc.

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This is what I’m doing! I just had twin girls 4wks ago and they r tiny and had a hard time latching and still can’t latch very well so I pump and bottle feed…

My baby is nearly 17weeks and been expressed breastfed since 2 weeks old, to keep a good supply you need express with every feed, I always fully drain both breasts and was filling up a freezer with the excess- filled the equivalent to 2 undercount freezers and been binning the excess milk for about a month now as no room to freeze! It’s twice the effort of just breastfeeding, personally I’d breastf Ed naturally atleast 3-4 months before going onto expressed - wanted do that this time but daughter tongue tie made me do it sooner :slightly_smiling_face:

Yes you definitely can!

I exclusively expressed for my son for 19 months, ita definitely possible but does take determination. There are plenty of expressing groups on facebook with knowledgeable mums who can offer tips and support

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My daughter in law did

I have been strictly pumping with my 2nd. He’s 8 months. Every 4 hrs for 15 min each boob. They still get breastmilk and he loves his mama. We have an amazing attachment. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

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Pumping and bottle feeding is absolutely an option! You don’t have to nurse to supply breast milk. However, you won’t start producing milk until after baby is born

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Smelling your baby is the biggest supply boost, in my experience.

PS - there are lots of valid reasons for whatever you choose.
The Leaky Boob is an excellent resource for all kinds of baby feeding and care questions.

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Absolutely! I did it for a year. It’s exhausting, but it’s doable!

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Definitely!! My daughter would not take bottles at all!!! But I would still pump to help out with the milk supply!!! And would use to make soaps and milk baths!!! Even if you baby will not use q bottle you can still find ways to use milk that has been pumped!!! Milk bathes are so good amd helps with the skin and everything even for you not just the baby and also soaps you can make. Or even Popsicles for the baby when he/she starts teething!!!

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