While pregnant I knew I wanted to breastfeed my LO. I've heard some babies who have issues with latching and some women who have problems with supply. I told myself not to blame myself if breastfeeding didn't work out.

My LO never got the hang of breastfeeding, and he spent the first few days figuring out how to suck. After a week he still showed no interest, and to save my sanity, I accepted that he would never get his milk from the source. I decided to exclusively pump and supplement with formula with hopes that my supply would one day meet his demand. It took over a month for that to finally happen, and he has been exclusively drinking breast milk ever since.

Exclusively pumping is a lot of hard work, and there are days when I break down. Pumping is never as efficient as a baby's suck, and I used to have blocked ducts a few times a week. I still pump every 2-3 hours, and I haven't gotten rid of my middle of the night pump.

At first I had no idea that there were other people like me, and I slowly learned of others who had pumped for up to a year. That gave me the encouragement to stay strong. I keep going because my LO means everything to me, and I want to provide him with the very best. I am 2 weeks shy of reaching 6 months.

Are there any exclusive pumpers here? Do you know of a mother who exclusively pumped?