When R was born in 2021, I was so excited to be able to breastfeed. We were strapped for cash at this time, as well, due to my husband not working because of his health. So the concept of affording formula was quite stressful.

We worked with four different lactation consultants and had her evaluated by the lactation consultants for tongue tie but we just could not get the hang of nursing and couldn’t figure out why. I cried every single night trying to get her to latch, trying every trick in the book.

As a new mother, I felt like I was failing. My sister’s first child did have a tongue tie and so she exclusively pumped with him. She kept recommending I try it, but the lactation consultants all told me I couldn’t pump or it would ruin my milk supply. I needed to just keep trying (unsuccessfully) to nurse R. Finally our pediatrician told us that we needed to use formula because nursing was not working and I was devastated.

I asked the pediatrician to let me try exclusive pumping before we go straight to formula, and she gave me 3 days for R to start showing weight gain or she would push for us to start using formula.

We went home and I hooked myself up to my Spectra S1 (the blue one) and started texting my sister for ideas on how to exclusively pump.

At our weight check 3 days later, R had gained noticeable weight and the pediatrician was very happy with her progress.

And so began my first exclusive pumping journey.

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During that journey, I learned a few things:

• If a lactation consultant tells you that you can’t pump, seek a second opinion from a lactation consultant that has experience with pumping moms.
• You are not failing if you can’t nurse. Feeding your child in any way is a success. Breast or bottle. Milk or formula.
• Washing bottles is just awful. Before I had my twins, I prepared myself by investing in the BabyBrezza Bottle Washer Pro. It is a lifesaver, particularly when exclusive pumping for multiples.
• In-the-bra pump cups are a necessity. They allow you to pump while holding your baby.
• If you believe exclusive pumping is for you, don’t let anyone talk you out of it. There are pros and cons to all methods of feeding babies: nursing, pumping, and formula feeding. it is up to us individually as moms to use our motherly instincts and find the best one for us and our babies.

All in all, exclusive pumping worked so well for me, I chose to do it a second time around and I would choose to do it again.