Yoselin This post is about exclusively pumping tips from a exclusively pumping mom that were total life savers that helped me exclusively pump for 12 months.
Throughout my pregnancy, I had no knowledge that there was such a thing as an exclusively pumping mom. I thought breast pumps were used alongside nursing for when you need to pump when leaving the baby for an extended period of time.
Needless to say, no one around me had done what I was about to do.
When my daughter was born, she had a very weak latch, despite my milk coming hours after she was born. We tried a nipple shield, both breasts, and syringe. The lactation specialists at the hospital came to help 2-3 times during my stay there.
Additionally, when I got home, my doula also helped us get a deeper latch.
But it was hard. For a number of reasons, such as a possible tongue tie, my nipple shape, and a very stubborn case of thrush.
Exclusively Pumping Tips
How I Began Exclusively Pumping
When I first used the breast pump, I was desperate. My daughter was crying in hunger and I simply could not get her to latch correctly.
In a desperate attempt, I asked my partner to grab my breast pump. Within 5 minutes, I had 1 oz of breastmilk to feed her. And in less than 3 minutes, she devoured that.
I kept on pumping because that was the only way I could feed my daughter. I believe because when I was pregnant, I was so set in stone in breastfeeding, it never occurred to me to offer my daughter formula, instead my natural reaction was reaching for the breast pump.
Regardless, I stopped offering my breast to nurse because it was not a good experience for either of us, and pumping seemed to work. I had good milk supply and she was happily fed.
As weeks went by, I began learning more and more about what I was doing. And how it was called “Exclusively Pumping.”
With the chaos of motherhood, being a first time mom, and very little outside support, I chose what was easiest for me at the moment, which was to keep pumping and not deal with the struggle of my daughter and I learning how to nurse.
After 2 months it occurred to me that she will need to drink breastmilk for about a year… And if I was to keep providing her breastmilk via breast pumping, then I needed to find ways to make my life easier and ways that will help me push through 12 months of having the breast pump as my best friend.
Exclusively Pumping Tips
Below you will find my how to exclusively pump tips for an extended period of time.
I incorporated these tips everyday and referred back on them constantly. After all, exclusively pumping is considered to be the hardest, most difficult way of feeding your baby, as opposed to nursing and formula-feeding.
1. Have a Schedule, But Allow Flexibility
When it comes to exclusively pumping, you need to follow a schedule in order for you to not lose your milk supply.
During the first 3 months, you should pump every 2-3 hours for 20 minutes, with one 4 hour stretch at night. This looks like pumping 8-10 times a day.
Yup, that’s quite a lot of times.
I downloaded an app named “Nara Baby.” This app allows you to input when baby fell asleep, when they woke up, when they ate and how much they ate, as well as, you guessed it, when you pumped and for how long.
With the ever growing mental load of motherhood, the Nara Baby app helped me not worry about keeping track of a schedule.
I maintained this schedule of pumping every 2-3 hours for 6 months. Some days I was pumping 8 times, others 10 times. I was flexible depending on my day-to-day chores.
Some day I would even go up to 4.5 hours in between my pumps. This was not often, but once in a while is fine for those extra busy days.
2. Go Hands-Free
Investing in a good hands-free nursing bra is a must if you exclusively pumping. If you want to go an extra step like I did, also buy some nursing shirts and/or dresses.
Even if you are not nursing your baby, if you are exclusively pumping, you need easy access to your breasts quite often.
With a hands-free nursing bra, you can keep moving and using your hands.
RELATED: 17 Must-Have Breast Pumping Supplies
3. Milk Collection Cups
Buying Legendairy Milk Silicone Collection Cups was the biggest GAME CHANGER I experienced in my exclusively pumping journey.
I was using the Spectra S2 and once I used the milk collection cups for the first time, I felt to free. Before, I could not hold my daughter while pumping. I used to put a distance between us because she’d pull the cords or the bottles would get in her way.
With milk collection cups you also do not need to use a nursing bra, but the are still helpful because when you put them on, you need to perfectly align your breasts to the milk collection cup.
4. Portable Pumps Make All the Difference
I don’t know if you are noticing a trend here. But I was slowly incorporating things to make pumping less restrictive.
When you are pumping, you typically have to sit down and are unable to move. Therefore, I began incorporating ways to get some of my freedom back.
This is when I switched from the Spectra S2 to the Baby Buddha breast pump. And let me tell you what a difference it made!
I combined the Baby Buddha breast pump with Legendairy Milk Collection Cups and it was a match made in heaven.
Throughout the months I went back to Spectra and invested in the Spectra S1 (which, btw, I was able to buy for $30 at Mercari, what a steal!)
RELATED: Best Portable Breast Pumps
5. Stick to What Works
Talking about purchasing the Spectra S1, when you are exclusively pumping, specially during your night pumps, it can be easy to get caught up in what other moms are using to pump.
Oftentimes, what works for others may not work for you, and that is okay.
I had previously used the Spectra S2 and it worked great for me, so I went back to it and invested in the Spectra S1 due to its portability features. (The Baby Buddha breast pump was great for a while, until it wasn’t, and that was okay.)
During my EP journey, Willow Go also came out, so you best imagine the amount of self-control I had to have to not purchase it. I was falling for their marketing to get one myself, after all, all these moms on TikTok were raving about what a great breast pump it was.
And it is a great pump, but I opted not to purchase any other pump because I already had a breast pump that worked for me. There was really no reason for me to purchase another breast pump when the one I had worked perfectly.
RELATED: 17 Must-Have Breast Pumping Supplies
6. Set a Deadline and/or Goal
And to conclude my exclusively pumping tips list, I highly recommend setting goals to keep you motivated.
I personally consider exclusively pumping one of the hardest things I had to do in my life. It can be a very lonely journey as well. And many times you wish you did not have to pump or carry your breast pump to every outing.
The amount of times I broke down wanting to quit… I did not take it lightly.
But I created and gave myself goals to keep me going and motivated.
I was an oversupplier, ranging from 35-45oz per day. I initially gave myself a goal of EP for 6 months and build a freezer stash to use after.
Once the 6 months were up, I decided to go for 10 months since I did not have enough breastmilk frozen.
When I had EP for 10 months, I felt I might at well go for 12 months (lol) since I was so close already (and I felt like my daughter was still a baby and I wanted her to have to benefits of breastmilk for as long as possible).
My last pumping session was the day after my daughter turned 12 months. From there, we began using my freezer stash by mixing plant-milk with frozen breastmilk until my daughter was 18 months old.
RELATED: What is a Breast Milk Brick and Why Should You Make Them (I also include pictures of my freezer stash in this post.)
Having and making goals for yourself allows you to give yourself some grace and is not as daunting to think of how many more months you still have if your end goal is to pump until your baby is 12 or 18 months old.
Exclusively Pumping Tips
When I began exclusively pumping, there was no one around me to give me these exclusively pumping tips, which I had to learn all by myself.
I recommend reading What is a Breast Milk Brick and Why Should You Make Them next to help you organize yourself if you are planning on or are already building your freezer stash of breastmilk.
If you are finding yourself in a similar position, leave a comment below if you have any questions I can help out with! I truly sympathize with you if you are having a hard time to keep going. Just know that this is a phase and will be over before you know it.
Other Pumping Posts:
- How to Organize Breast Pump Parts
- How Much Does Milk Supply Decrease During Period
- How to Increase Milk Supply During Period
- How to Wean From Pumping Schedule
- 17 Must-Have Breast Pumping Supplies
- What is a Breast Milk Brick and Why Should You Make Them
- Best Lactation Supplements to Increase Milk Supply
- How to Save Money on Baby Products
Other Breast Pump Reviews:
- Genie Advanced Portable Breast Pump Review
- Legendairy Milk Cups Review
- Legendairy Milk Barrier Bags for Breast Milk Storage Review
- Best Portable Breast Pumps
- Motif Luna Breast Pump Review
- Willow vs Elvie Pump: Comparison Post
- Elvie Stride vs Willow Go Breast Pumps: Comparison Post
- Willow Go vs Willow 3.0: Comparison Post
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- How I Treated Postpartum Sciatica After Pregnancy
- Fertility Tea Results After Drinking it for 3 Months for Hormonal Imbalance
- Gifts for New Moms for Every Occasion
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