Exclusive Pumping: What You Should Know

 When working with clients in pregnancy and in talking to friends, pumping comes up a lot. Sometimes I speak to  mothers who wants to exclusively pump. While I commend any mother for choosing to give her infant the most optimal nutrition possible, there are some important things to consider about exclusively pumping.

• Pumping is a lot of work

 I know women who have pumped out of necessity for medical reasons, and most will tell you they would prefer not to. You have to pump, feed your infant, clean the pump parts and bottles and then repeat the process in a few hours. It is nonstop.

• You run the risk of losing your supply.

 Babies naturally regulate their mothers supply to fit their needs perfectly. In a healthy breastfeeding mother and baby, babies are more efficient at establishing and maintaining this communication then even the best breast pump available. For this reason, maintaining a good supply long term while exclusively pumping is very challenging. Many mothers report a decrease in as little as three months if they are not given proper support to maintain it.

• Pumping is more expensive. 

 While it is is still cheaper then formula feeding, you increase your feeding costs when you factor in the cost you may incur for a pump, for storage bags or containers to hold the expressed breast milk safely, and other associated costs.

• Pumping takes time away from bonding with your baby.

 Women who need or choose to pump spend about 15 minutes every 2 to three hours pumping, they do this in addition to preparing and cleaning. This takes time away you could be spending with your precious baby. Breastfeeding at the breast is a  bonding experience especially in the early weeks. The closeness helps you learn your baby's personality.





If you feel strongly about pumping exclusively it is important to really identify your reasons, maybe the problems you have about breastfeeding at the breast can be solved with some support and counseling. In any case if you need to pump, even a little bit, it is important to discuss these with a qualified breastfeeding support person or lactation consultant. 

Capturing A Moment: Are Nursing Photos A New Trend? Maybe Not As New Of A Trend As You Think.

Photo Credit: Katherine Hunt, Studio 412 Imagery

Recently my friend, pictured above, had these gorgeous breastfeeding photos taken at a local breastfeeding support  fundraiser. I would have loved to have had the wonderful moments and loving feelings associated with my breastfeeding experience captured in photo, but unfortunately it just wasn't that common. I asked around for some photographers who would do a breastfeeding photo shoot for me, and the only response I got was puzzled looks. In the last few years however, an increasing number of women are seeking to immortalize their experiences of becoming new mothers in pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding with  photography. Some think it is a little odd or dismiss it at a new fad that will pass. In doing some research recently, I learned something surprising, breastfeeding photos are far from new. Check out some of these amazing photos from our past.

This one is my favorite...

 

[Sources: Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University (direct link to daguerreotypes here); Marvelous Kiddo; liveauctioneers]