is it realistic to pump my breasts instead of baby sucking on them?

Question

I dont like anyone touching my breasts bc of my past. It looks like bc of our current financial situation, I have to breast feed. Can I just always pump them instead of having him suck on them? thanks so much!

Answer 1

Yes you can exclusively pump but I will warn you it takes a lot of time and commitment. If you plan on pumping only make sure you purchase a very good pump (I would reccomend medela). You might ask your hospital about renting a hospital grade one as well.

This webpage ( http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bf-links-excpumping.html ) has a lot of good information and tips about pumping exclusively and also has links to support groups where you can talk to other moms who are doing it as well. I really reccomend reading up on it a little bit before baby comes so you have everything ready and feel confident about your decision.

You may want to give breastfeeding a try when the baby comes. I am not sure of your past but I know lots of women who had reservations about breastfeeding who were surprised how comfortable with it they were. Just something to think about.

Good luck either way!

Answer 2

If you can express milk pumping. I just couldn't do it. Try it. But I also suggest you at least -try- to breast-feed your baby. I'm not going to ask about your past, but you know, building some good memories associated with them being touched would probably be good for you. There's nothing more magical than feeding your baby. There's a connection growing there like nothing else in the world. Just a try wouldn't hurt, and if you can't do it, then switch over to the pump. If that works for you, then go with it. The more you pump, the more milk you produce, so it shouldn't be an issue.

Answer 3

Absolutely........I did so exclusively for 5 1/5 months because my baby was born very permature and was in the NICU for almost 4 months. It was some time before he was even able to take my milk.

The best part about it for me was the fact that I feel I produced a lot more milk then I might have otherwise and I was able to freeze A LOT!! I should have bought stock in those freezer bags before hand!

I have to agree the key to this, is a good electric pump. 15 minutes and done...I'm not going to lie, there was an extremely painful period where I thought I might just have to get them lopped off completely and count my breasts as damaged goods. But I kept at it and it did get better.

I think because of it too, once my baby did come home, we knew exactly how much he was getting and it helped him sleep through the night sooner.....now that's a bonus for sure! Not to mention all the money we saved by me being able to do this.

Answer 4

Technically, you can. But the failure rate is really high.

The best thing you can do is dedicate yourself to nursing from the breast exclusivly for the first 4-6 weeks. This will establish your supply and it will give you ample time to deside how you feel about it.

I hate my breasts being touched as well, but nursing is such a completely different experience. It's really hard to explain, but it's not comparable to anything else. Nursing has actually made it to where i don't mind my breasts being touched as much.

Give it a try. Learn all you can about it. Give yourself a good 6 weeks and then re-evaluate.
Exclusive pumping is really HARD. It's basically like feeding the baby twice. You have to spend the same amount of time (if not longer) pumping, and then you have to feed the baby... you have to mimic growth spurts to up your supply to fit your babies needs... it's not something i would reccomend unles you absolutly HAD to do it.

If you have myspace, check out this group:
http://groups.myspace.com/PumpMoms

And then heres another board about pumping:
http://smf.kellymom.net/index.php?PHPSESSID=976095cfc68fba4c713b451a821e7928&board=15.0

Give it a good try, you may find that it will be a healing experience.

Answer 5

I am sorry for your situation and your past, but breastfeeding is such a special thing to be able to do for your child. I breastfed both of my kids and the connection I feel for doing it is unbelievable. I did have to pump because my daughter got very sick and was in the hospital and we didn't want for my milk to dry up. With my son I had to pump because I produced so much I could have marketed it...lol just kidding. It may become a pain to have to pump out every two hours or so. But you have to do what feels right for you. If there are circumstances that make you unable to breastfeed then you are at least giving your son the best you can regardless of where it comes either the breast or bottle. Another plus to bottle feeding is that daddy can also feed the baby. Just remember that you can freeze your milk and just unthaw it under warm to hot water, never in the microwave because it breaks down the nutrients in the breastmilk.

Kudos to you for do the healthy thing for you baby, you will never regret it regardless of why you had to breastfeed.

Good Luck to you and your beautiful family!!

Answer 6

Yes you can definitely pump! Go for a dual electric breast pump, it's much faster, and make sure to pump every 3 hours. rule of thumb is the more you pump, the more you produce, so make sure you are pumping enough to feed your little one and keep up with the demand! You and your little one will still reap all of the benefits of breast feeding! For a pump, medela is the best brand you can get, definitely worth the price. You may be able to get a better deal on Ebay, if you are trying to keep costs low!

Answer 7

Yes, you can pump instead of breast feeding. You have to make sure you do it regularly to keep your supply up. Teh more you pump, the more you will be able to produce. If you have problems and feel like you are running low...they have a tea called Mothers Milk at nutritional stores, it helped me so much! They also have pills you can take as well. And I don't think it was very expensive. Pumps can be expensive, but if you are going to use it all the time, you need to get a good one.

Answer 8

I understand the "past" thing (a little).

It is a bit strange at first in the hospital, but after the initial rush of hormones, it was easy for me to get over it. I believe that the same hormones that are produced while your child breastfeeds are the same during sex. So, it will be uncomfortable the first couple of times. It's okay to admit that! At least once I did, I didn't feel 'dirty' anymore.

I think there are a lot of people that only pump for their children- especially premies that never learn to latch properly. It is a lot cheaper and easier to breastfeed.

If you haven't tried it yet (basically- haven't delivered yet)- i hope you'll try it for a week and see if you can handle it. It's such a cool relationship to have with your child-- there is nothing sexual about, but I understand why it could be taken that way especially if your past is quite painful.

Answer 9

Of course! A lot of working moms pump so they can be gone all day, but still give their child the many benefits of breastmilk. Your best option is to buy a nice, hospital grade pump (playtex, believe it or not, puts a mini version of one out for abut $150), instead of the many manual pumps available. Some insurance companies will even cover the costs, and occassionally a hospital will rent them out. You can also find them at second hand baby shops. It's your call!

Good luck, and congrats on the little one!

Answer 10

You can produce more milk when you breastfeed your baby, but if you must pump I would recommend using an electronic pump. The sucking effect is similar to a infants sucking motion. I would strongly recommend breastfeeding though because of engorement and pumping will lower your milk at times. I would try to breastfeed and if it is something that you are not confortable doing then try pumping. Good luck