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I’m coming to the end of my EPing journey, but thought I’d chime in with my story and tips and tricks that I’ve learned for those other EPers out there. I know when I was going through it I sometimes felt like I could use the support and encouragement of others who are out there.

Like most, we struggled with BF and after 3 months of trying to get it to work, I decided to EP. My son would not latch correctly during the first few days of his life and his first weekend home was difficult. My nipples were classified as flat and they were beyond sore from improper latching. I could tell that he was not eating enough. Not to mention I was so engorged, that didn’t help things. We went to a lactation consultant and they told us that we had a few things working against us, he was tongue-tied, he was a lazy nurser and he was a boy (apparently boys are slower in EVERYTHING). All this coupled with my flat nipples made it tough for us. He had lost even more weight since leaving the hospital so they said I needed to do something before seeing the pediatrician the following day or they would probably suggest that I start him on formula. I didn’t want that so I chose to pump and bottle feed.

We continued trying to nurse throughout my 12 week maternity leave with the help of a nipple shield. Sometimes we would have 1 ½ hour marathon feeding sessions that hardly left my breasts any less full than when we started. I continued to supplement with pumped BM. Those early days of EPing were tough, but luckily my supply was great and I felt good knowing that my son was getting the milk he needed with freezer supply to spare. Once I went back to work I gave up on the BF attempts. I planned to EP for at least 6 months. My son is now just over 11 months and I’m finally down to 1 pump x day. Around 7 months I started having to supplement with formula. I still pumped and mixed the formula with my BM. It took him a few days to get used to the taste with the formula, but he eventually came around.

Some tips:

• Invest in a hands-free pumping bra. Great to use for when you’re getting ready in the morning/pumping or if you need to do anything else while pumping. In a pinch you can always re-attach your nursing bra once the pump shields are in place. You do what you gotta do!
• I bought two sets of pump parts and sometimes would rinse and store the parts in the fridge after using just so I wouldn’t have to wash the parts after every. single. use. Believe me, you’ll be washing enough baby dishes!
• Freeze your milk in the bags lying flat. I kept mine stored in Ziploc bags and wrote the date range on the outside
• Travel – you are allowed to bring BM through security check points if traveling with baby. Just let the agents know up front as you go through security. When traveling without baby the medela storage bags are a lifesaver! Pump right into them and label. Most hotel rooms will put a mini fridge in your room for free if you request it at check-in or while making your reservation. I brought ice packs and an insulated lunch bag with me and packed most of my milk (in Ziploc bags) in my checked luggage and never had a problem. Always pack extra batteries for the pump and a nursing cover. I have had to pump on the plane (8 hour flight with a stop but no plane change!) and in airport restrooms. Family restrooms are the best if you can find them!
• And also, if in a hotel, make sure you deadbolt the door, especially if you forget to hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door and housekeeping tries to enter your room after they didn’t hear you yell “Come back in 20 minutes!”
• At some point you’ll probably get clogged ducts. Most of the tricks work – warm compress/shower, massage. But there are times when even those don’t work. I’ve had to try pumping in a different position (lying on my side) and finally resorted to cabbage. The cabbage did the trick for my nastiest clogged ducts. Just kept it in my bra for at least an hour.
• There are some good EP resources online if you google “Exculsive Pumping” I know exclusivelypumping.com and kellymom were a great help for me.
• And finally, don’t get discouraged. I struggled with a lot of regret and disappointment when BF didn’t work for us. A lot of “what ifs”. But in the end, the thing that mattered to me most is that my baby was getting my milk, regardless of the method. BF doesn’t come easy for a lot of mothers and babies, but the decision to EP is something that I believe takes a lot of dedication and commitment. After the round-the-clock washing and sterilizing of pump parts and the seemingly endless rhythmic whooshing of the pump, you’ll do whatever you need to do for the well-being of your baby and that’s all that really matters in the end.

Thanks for starting this thread, @winniebee. Sometimes it's tough to completely relate to BFing moms!

My LO is almost 7 weeks, and I've been EPing for about 6 weeks. I had some issues with my LO latching while I was still in the hospital but after working with 2 LCs there, by the time I went home, LO was latching okay but we needed to bait her with formula or breast milk via a medicine dropper.

After a couple of days LO refused to nurse from my right breast, and my nipples were destroyed. We met with an LC at our pediatrician's office, and she suggested I use a nipple shield to help LO latch. That didn't work, and after a day or 2, LO started to refuse the other breast. She would scream and scream whenever I tried to BF her, and it was just very emotionally draining. I would try every few days and sometimes she would latch and nurse, but it was never long enough for a full feeding, and the times she wouldn't latch she would scream uncontrollably. I stopped trying 2 weeks ago.

Managing the logistics of pumping has gotten better. During the day I use the same set of shields/valves and store it in the fridge, and use a separate set overnight. I take fenugreek, which I think has helped, as I am able to pump about 45-50 oz a day. My goal is to pump for 6 months and then feed with whatever supply I have built up in the freezer.

I wish BFing had worked out for me and my LO but I am just thankful I am able to feed her my own milk for now.

@junebuglim weaning off the pump is definitely a slow transition and i mainly did it by increasing the time between pump sessions. I worked my way from 3 hours to 4 hours around the 3 month mark. I would maintain my two pump sessions at work (our lactation room is on a schedule) but only pumped when i woke up, got home from work and before bed. Eventually i dropped the after work pump and stuck with the 4x a day for quite a while. At about 7 months i dropped one of the work pumpings and went to 3x a day. I eventually dropped the mid-day pump completely at about 9 months and now only pump 1x per day. Keep in mind I haven't been able to keep up with my son's demand, but I have been able to wean with relatively little discomfort and no clogged ducts. Surprisingly the majority of my clogged ducts were when i was pumping pretty consistently!

I'm not sure I'll be an EP, but I am definitely going to try for it. I had a breast reduction 20 years ago and was unsure if my milk would be able to express or not, and just how much I would create. I am 6 days post delivery and just got a pump to work on this. I might be behind by a couple of days so I am pumping every 4 hours to see what I can get and to see if we can stimulate production as I am able to get small amounts by manual pumping. LO has latched, but doesn't always and its very stressful to try and know what she is getting, if anything, from BF which is why I'm leaning towards EP. We will supplement if we need to, but our preference is to go with as much breast milk as possible.

So great to see so many EP mommies on Hellobee! I started to EP from the very beginning on day 2. My LO did not come to the breast and didn't know what to do with my nipple. It was also difficult to bottle feed because he didn't have the sucking reflex needed to drink. It was extremely difficult for the first week. I spent so much time encouraging my LO to go to the breast, and it didn't work. I made the decision to EP and not spend so much forcing my LO to breastfeed.

Initially I had small goals -- make it to 4 weeks then 3 months. At the time my ultimate goal was 6. I had to supplement for the first month with formula, and eventually I produced enough that my LO was drinking all breast milk. I decided that I would quit pumping if I couldn't produce at least 50% of what he was eating. Luckily my supply always caught up to his needs, and I was able to EP for a full year.

Of course it wasn't easy, and I spent so much time at the pump. I dealt with mastitis and so many clogged ducts. Finding time to pump always proved difficult. Before I started to wean I was still pumping 5x a day.

Now that I look back on my experience, I give myself a pat on the back. EP requires a lot of hard work and dedication. If I could do it all over again, I would do it in a heart beat. Of course I know a lot more now than I did when I first started so it would be much easier.

@junebuglim: Mrs. Bee exclusively pumped for Charlie and weaned off the pump in 2 weeks. Weaning for me took much longer because I was so scared of clogged ducts. I was also still pumping 5x a day and slowly increased my time between pumps. I tried to keep it at a steady 20 minutes for pumping (in case that would help with the clogs) and eventually decreased the time to 10 minutes. I had an occasional clog, but a little epsom salt soak would clear it.

@yin: Wow, a full year is amazing! That IS dedication! May I ask, when you say you pumped 5x a day do you mean 5x in 24 hours? And if so, were you always on that schedule, or did you gradually space out your pumps to get down to 5x? I'm pumping every 3 hours (started out every 2 hrs), but would like to stretch it to at least 4 hours and am not sure how to go about doing it without messing with my supply and encountering clogged ducts!

Thank you so much for starting this! I plan on EP when my little one comes in a few weeks for a few reasons. Quite frankly, the idea of BF freaks me out a little bit. But mostly, I want my husband to share in the feeding of our son. I think it's important for both of us to bond in that way with him and not just me. Plus this will give the g'parents a chance to feed him : ) It's great to hear other people's stories and advice!

I might be joining you all soon. I've struggled with M from the beginning. She has the hardest time remembering to open wide to latch on and most of the time, her latch hurts me. This week I have noticed she is getting less and less from me and she is sometimes not taking the second boob.

I'm going to read through some of the suggestions because I think I may need them soon.

I'm actually moving towards breastfeeding more and pumping less. I'm still pumping 4 times a day but it's wearing me out.

Well, I'm definitely on the bandwagon. It feels so nice not to have to worry about her fussing about and not taking the breast. @yin, I can't believe you EP'ed a whole year! That's awesome.

I have a friend who EP'ed her twins. She did it for 5 months and has been helpful to talk to. She did say to try putting olive oil in the flanges. It helps lube things and lessens the chances of mastitis and clogged ducts.

Hi there! I'm going to go ahead and pop in and introduce myself as a new *mostly* pumper Today was my first half-day back at work, next Wednesday I'll start full-time. I plan to still try to nurse two times a day as time/baby J allow. I don't get much when I pump each time but I'm going to try to continue to up my supply so I can meet his needs. Currently I'm taking fenugreek and drinking the mothers milk tea (ick!). Since I'm working only part time this week my schedule for pumping is changing the way our schedule has been and so HOPEFULLY after next Wednesday I'll be able to get both J and I used to things...