MY BREASTFEEDING/PUMPING JOURNEY + ROUTINES
I cherish so deeply each moment I get to nourish Shelton! This is us when he was almost 3 months old.
I’ve had it on my heart for a while to write about my breastfeeding/pumping journey but have been hesitant. People have so many opinions about what is “right” and “wrong” and it feels like if you’re not on the same side as someone then the amount of judgement from them is palpable. I’m not saying this is always the case, it’s just something I’ve observed since working in the social media space.
I transparently shared about my journey of pumping milk to prepare for being away from my son on a work trip to Dubai, as well as pumping while away from my son and transporting it all successfully back home, and while the majority of comments were very positive and encouraging, I’d say these videos have the most discouraging and judgmental comments out of any of our other content.
So let me kick this off by saying that I’m not writing this to say it’s the “right” way to feed your baby. I’m writing to share a journey that maybe you can relate to, or maybe you can’t and either one is okay! I think the more stories that are out there the more we all realize we are never alone in just trying to make the choices that are best for our kids, our families, and ourselves.
Part 1- Expectations:
Expectations, while unavoidable I believe, can also create such discouragement when they don’t match reality.
When I was pregnant my expectation was to breastfeed Shelton for at least the first year of his life. I had never thought about the idea of pumping or whether I would or not…I was honestly terrified to put on a pump so I kept putting it off!
After I gave birth and settled into the routine of breastfeeding, while I think it’s miraculous and absolutely LOVE that mommas are designed to nourish our babies from our own bodies, I did not enjoy that I was the only person who could feed Shelton.
In that newborn season, I felt like feeding him was my sole purpose, which I know for many women is empowering but for me it felt isolating.
A controversial statement I think sometimes because many argue that when we have a newborn, feeding and attending to them IS our sole purpose.
I personally think this is different for every woman.
I know many woman who get great purpose and total fulfillment from the newborn season of life that is so hyper focused on feeding especially, but I did not have this experience.
I wanted to do other things besides feed my baby. I wanted to feed my baby AND also organize/decorate his room.
I wanted to feed my baby AND do work that felt like an expression of the gifts God gave me.
I wanted to feed my baby AND get more than 2.5- 3 hours of sleep at a time.
I wanted to feed my baby AND also have dinner out alone with my husband.
I wanted to feed my baby AND do many other things, which when I was exclusively breastfeeding, didn’t feel possible for me and started to negatively impact my mentality.
These feelings were never part of my expectations, that nasty word again…so I struggled with a lot of guilt surrounding them. I felt like there was something wrong with me that I wasn’t loving breastfeeding the way so many women do.
Part 2- The Introduction of pumping
The first time I pumped I only did it in preparation for Micah and I to go on a date night.
I will never forget that first time putting on the pump. I was terrified beforehand. I don’t know WHY I thought it was going to hurt, but I had really over dramatized in my head
How difficult the pump would be to work and
what pumping would feel like
Turns out, the pump is very simple to operate and it doesn’t hurt at all when the fit is right! Hallelujah. I was so happy after I pumped for the first time.
That first date night out I felt so much like my old self! I loved that my baby was with someone I trusted, still drinking my breastmilk, but I didn’t have to be the ONLY one to give it to him.
For me, that first pumping experience brought a lot of hope and excitement because I realized I could still exclusively feed Shelton my breastmilk AND share the feeding effort.
After that date night I started to pump more and more until we were giving him mostly bottles and he was only breastfeeding on the boob once or twice a day.
In this transition I didn’t experience any less of a connection to Shelton, I actually felt more of a connection because I now really looked forward to those breastfeeding moments we had together!
By the time he was about 5 months old I was exclusively pumping to give him bottles and I loved our routine. He’s almost 10 months old now and we still have this same routine, just with some solids thrown in between bottles.
(When this published he had actually just turned one, so our routines have changed quite a bit, but I am still pumping and going to do so for as long as I can!)
Me and Shelton during some sweet bottle time when he was 11 months old
Part 3- The Pumping Routine
I write this last part with the disclaimer that I am not a pumping or baby feeding expert of any kind. This is based on my personal experience. Shelton is now over a year old so my routine has shifted with him eating more solids, but what’s laid out below was my routine as an almost 10 months postpartum momma who has what I would consider to be a “normal” supply.
So I have a work life that can sometimes be the same for days in a row and can also be be wildly different everyday.
On the days when I can, I pump every 3 hours or so. Almost never for less than 30 minutes. For me, this 30 minute timing is HUGE.
I have seen many a video on social media of moms pumping for less than 10 minutes at a time and getting out 8+ oz!!!! That has never been my body’s experience.
I can be at minute 22 of pumping and barely have anything in the bottles and then from minute 22 to minute 30 I get 5oz+.
The timing that is optimal obviously varies wildly from woman to woman, but that 30 minute pump has been a MAJOR key for me maintaining my supply.
I also don’t stop at 30 minutes if, at that time, there is still milk actively coming out of my breasts. If I haven’t already earlier in the pumping session, I usually start to help the pump along with some hand expression in conjunction with the electric pump.
There are many days on which my schedule doesn’t allow for a pump every 3 hours and on these days I simply pump as I can throughout the day and try to do it for a length of time that leaves my breasts feeling empty. I haven’t noticed this variation impacting my supply negatively.
Another routine for me that I have implemented, because as Shelton has started eating more solids I have noticed my supply dropping a little bit, is a "power pump” before I go to bed.
There are pretty standard definitions across the internet for a “power pump” and the only thing I changed is that I start with a 30 minute pump instead of 20 minutes.
How it works:
Pump 30 mins, take a 10 minute break, pump 10 mins, take a 10 min break, pump 10 mins.
This has been a very helpful practice for me, and I’m usually able to go to bed with two bottles ready for Shelton for the next day.
The only other thing that I notice impacting my supply is hydration and electrolytes. When I take my electrolytes, my supply is so much more consistent.
Outside of that, I haven’t seen specific nutrition or supplements impacting my supply to a noticeable level.
Final Thoughts:
My goal with this post is to answer many of the questions we get on our social media about my routine, but also to encourage.
I know every mom’s feeding journey can look different but many of the emotional rollercoasters we all ride are the same and you’re never alone in what you’re experiencing.
Momma, you’re doing awesome and your babies are blessed to have you!!!
WE THINK YOU’LL ENJOY. . .
