How To Master Breastfeeding and Pumping
When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, my daughter, I had not clue what to expect. Pregnancy alone causes so many bodily changes, but when you add in the unknowns of breastfeeding into the mix, things can feel pretty scary. Looking back with the knowledge I have now, I wish I could go back and have all this information from the start!
So, if you are looking for good information on breast pumps, this is going to be the right place for you! In this post I’ll be covering:
My personal full-time pumping story ( Momcozy breast pump )
Different breast pump options
3 pumping myths
Deciding what the best pump for you is
Creating a breastfeeding plan that suits you
This post contains affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure here
I’m putting this promo here in the blog post because I just found out that Momcozy is having a CRAZY winter sale!
My Personal Full-time Pumping Story
So, you’ve come to the point of actually searching stuff about breastfeeding. This is a scary topic with so many taboos, social standards, and even personal biases. Don’t worry, this is a safe place and I have go through it all. Let me start by sharing my own Breast pumping/breastfeeding story.
I’m 21 years old and have just given birth to my daughter Nora. I have no clue how to breastfeed, I have a lactation consultant at the hospital quite literally guiding me in breastfeeding my daughter for the first time. Things were not working… she wasn’t latching, and if she did, it wasn’t for very long.
I knew mothers have told me that nursing may hurt or be tough at the beginning, but this was HARD. I left the hospital worried that my daughter wasn’t getting what she needed right away.
I tried to continue breastfeeding for about 5 days to establish my milk supply. The supply was there… but my daughter was struggling to latch and I was struggling mentally with the burden of keeping her fed! After many sleepless nights and a lot of tears later, I used my sit-down breast pump, gave her a bottle of the milk, and sat in awe as our daughter slept peacefully for the first time since being home… She was finally fed, full, and satisfied.
At this point I decided… I will pump and give her bottles. Now, full-time pumping was not something I ever imagined doing. But it offered me the quickest relief from my anxiety of nourishing my daughter.
The first major problem…
After a month of only pumping, I realized how horrible it was to sit on a room and pump for 20 minutes multiple times a day. It felt so isolating, so lonely, and very awkward. I quickly realized that there had to be other options for this… Other mothers must have come to this conclusion a long time before me right?
Along came MOMCOZY
After searching the internet for what seemed like days trying to find a portable breast pump, I felt defeated to say the least. I was not in the financial position to fork out $300 for a breast pump. How was I supposed to find freedom in my pumping journey without breaking the bank account…
I came across a blog page where a mother talked about her portable Momcozy breast pump. FASTEST purchase ever. I have never been so excited to receive a package!
As you can see.. my supply jumped when I started using the Momcozy breast pump… (notice my old wall plug pump collecting dust on my side table)…
ordered the S9 Pro Wearable Breast Pump to try to start with the most affordable option they offered. I was amazed!! I was able to pump while I did chores around the house, while I cooked and ate meals, and even while I was hanging out and visiting with family.
It was so easy to just have them plugged in on my nightstand and grab them for each pumping session. They also were so easy to grab and put in the diaper bag and take places! I’ve pumped in the car, at the beach, at my family gatherings, etc.
Not only was I successfully feeding my newborn daughter, I was actually created a bulk supply of milk that I was freezing and saving for later use!
Different Pump Options
Momcozy offers a wide range of products, but I will always stand by their wearable breast pumps.
Click here to browse their amazing options. There are so many reviews and personal testimonies of these pumps. You will not struggle to find what is best for you.
3 Pumping Myths
Your baby won’t get as much nourishment from pumping as latch feeding.
WRONG!!! I personally have done both.. I full-time pumped with my daughter, and then full-time latch fed my son. They both received the nourishment they needed as well as the 1 on 1 time that they needed with me.
Pumping with hurt really bad and be uncomfortable.
Pumping doesn’t have to hurt! By having a good pump to use, you can have a very positive pumping experience. Momcozy offers different nipple size options and all their pumps have different expressing options. You can have a very soft and gentle pump or a fast and more aggressive pumping session. The experience is really up to you and what you feel comfortable with!
Pumping should be your last resort.
This was a sentiment that really broke my heart when I found myself searching for a resolution to my breastfeeding issue. I felt like a failure for choosing to pump. I’m sorry… WHAT?! I wish I could go back and shake my old self! No matter how you feed your baby, you are nourishing them nonetheless. You are a superhero! Pumping can be a valuable solution for any mother, whether you are working and need to express milk to maintain a supply, or whether you are like I was and just wanted to be free from the sit-down pumping norm. Pumping is not the last resort, it is an amazing option. Don’t ever feel shame for choosing to pump!
So, now you have this information and what can you do with it…
Let’s create a pumping plan and take action!
I would start by browsing the Momcozy storefront and looking at all the wearable pump options and all their products for that matter. See what you like, look at the different price points, and decide what might work best for you!
Order your pump and get set up!
Once you have your pump, start using it and see how it works for you!
I found that creating a little pumping schedule helped me out so much! When my daughter was a newborn I would try to pump every time she would feed. So about every 2.5 hours. At each feeding session I would give her a bottle of milk that I pumped the previous session. For more tips on pumping and storing Breastmilk, please see my post.
ENJOY FREEDOM!
Pumping doesn’t have to be a burden and it doesn’t have to be awkward and annoying. I truly hope that this has been a helpful read for you coming from a mother who has been through the hardships of breastfeeding.
Let me know if you have any questions or have any feedback regarding this post and stay in the loop by signing up for my newsletter! I send out great resources on all things motherhood.
Here’s to Hopeful Motherhood
-McKinsey Burchett
