Expecting my 1st - Pumps freak me out!

[FloridaBorn]

Just like the title says... every time I see ads for pumps or see them recommended as part of "what you should buy for your nursery" I get creeped out.

This will be my first child (due mid-July, so yeah, I got some time left) and I definitely want to BF, but really am turned off by the idea of pumping. It makes me feel like I'll be hooked up like a cow. Not to mention that pumps are damned expensive!

I asked my mom if she used a pump back in the day and she said no, that when she left me for a few hours with my grandparents they gave me juice or water. She said I never would take a bottle, so if they gave me something else to drink, it was from a sippy-cup from day one.

Anyone else feel this way? Am I weird, lol?

[bajamergrrl]

I use a pump because I'm a WOHM and I want my son to exclusively have breastmilk until we're ready for solids. That said, I wouldn't use one very much if I wasn't a WOHM. I do feel a bit cow-like when I pump. like anything else, I think a pump is a tool that when used should be used judiciously.

That said, a pump isn't the only way to express milk, you could do it manually. Some women's bodies prefer that method over the pump.

[Pookietooth]

You don't have to pump if you will be with your baby all the time (with only very short separations until the baby is eating enough solids around a year).

[mambera]

I was totally creeped out by pumping. Knew I'd have to do it though, since I WOH. Ended up with supply issues and having to pump WAY more than anyone should ever have to, ugh. I still hate it, but I do it. You do what you have to.

If you SAH and don't have supply issues, the only reason to pump is if you need to leave the kiddo for any reason. I wouldn't give a kid under 6 months juice, and they can't go too too long without eating. But how often are you going to be separated anyway?

If you don't have a reason to pump routinely I wouldn't get a big pricey pump. Just get a little manual pump like an Isis or something in case.

[pagodafish]

NAK I am laughing with you... The pump was probably my biggest fear as far as baby gear was concerned. I had to have the lactation nurse at the hospital show me how to use it. I was totally unprepared for what it would be like when my milk came in and boy, was I happy I had the pump. I had a ton of milk and even constant nursing didn't alleviate the pain/supply issues. Plus, the pump allowed me to collect and start a great storage for future use. I guess it would be kind of like being lost at sea, and then being resuced by a cargo ship carrying livestock and large hairy men. Certainly not glamorous, but very welcome none the less.... And it's definitely not the weirdest thing I've dealt with in my initiation in to motherhood. PP's suggestions about choosing a pump based on your situation are great. Do not be afraid

[lifeguard]

My mom always hand expressed & even donated bm to the hospital for premies (this was back in the 70's) so I figured that's what I would do. But I found it harder to do than I anticipated & after about 3 weeks we went & purchased a pump. I certainly never enjoyed pumping but it wasn't as weird as I anticipated it being.

[BetsyS]

With my first, I used a (manual) pump for very a very brief time to relieve engorgment until I got my over-supply sorted out. It made me much more comfortable, and it was worth it. I didn't buy it until after the baby was born,a nd I needed it, though (not sure why? I thought I was going back to work, and yet I didn't buy a pump...LOL)

With my second, I never pumped.

I left my first son at about 9 months for a time period when he would need to eat (before that, it was always for a very brief time, or I was nearby). He was able to eat food/water/juice for the like 5 hours or so I was gone. He never took a bottle, just a sippy cup.

With my second son, I had to be emergently hospitalized when he was 9 months old for 5 days. He took to a bottle with milk (wouldn't drink formula) no problem (had never had a bottle before). He also ate baby food when I was gone, though he didn't normally.

So, for us, the pump isn't necessary. But, that totally depends on whether you're working/SAH and your lifestyle.

[curious&eager]

I think having a manual doesn't make me feel like I'm a cow because I'm controlling it. Also, if you're always with the babe, you can pump while he's nursing and then your attention is on him and not on pumping and it works great. I don't pump often, but I found it was a stress reliever to have a small stash is the freezer just in case something happened. Like, I got pneumonia recently and thought I was going to be put in the hospital. I know my baby could have come somehow, but it's just easier knowing that milk is there for him in any event. New mommyhood is tough. You may just want a tiny break here and there and a tiny stash will allow you to do that. I got depressed postpartum and pumping helped me.

[Sarah W]

To be honest, the whole idea of BFing kind of skeeved me out while I was pg. I knew that I was going to try and tried to prepare for it while not really thinking about it.

I LOVED BFing. I work FT so I ended up pumping daily. It didn't bother me at all. It was nice to take a break and pump and get a little reading in.

[JessicaS]

I never used a pump with my first.

When my son was born he had to be in the NICU for a bit and I quickly got over pumping. I think it is a situational thing....unless you want or need to it isn't necessary.

I don't think you are weird at all, pumping wasn't my favorite thing in the world.

[sunshadow]

You can probably get by without a pump. My daughter never took a bottle except in the very beginning when I was trying to get my milk to come it. I had to pump to get my milk to come it. I felt a little like you and then when she was 3 days old found myself in the hospital hooked up to one with a bunch of nurses and interns running around about me. There wasn't even any milk coming out, so I felt really silly. Though, by that point so many people had grabbed my breast it didn't matter as much. :P

[treemom2]

I do totally see what you are saying about pumping weirding you out. However, in the beginning I do like to pump and freeze the extra milk. I always worry about the what-ifs. . .like what if I have to take some medicine and can't BF or what if I have to be away for some unforeseen reason. . .so I always pump in the mornings (when I have a lot of milk) for the first few months. Neither of my children ever took a bottle and nothing ever came up. . .so I guess I didn't need to do this but it was a comfort to me.