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Both are going to make your nipples tender at 1st

I CANNOT imagine EPing~!~ I pumped at work 3 times and 1 time before bed and hated every second of it!

I EP due to my LO having major issues with latching and weight issues. It sucked, not goign to lie. I very much hope baby #2 can nurse so I'm not pumping and then bottle feeding. Those first few weeks felt like all we did was pump and feed!

Neither really hurt. I always much prefer nursing over pumping, because at least while nursing I'm spending time with my LO!

people have lots of reasons for EP'ing, including discomfort from nursing. however, nursing goes really well for some people right from the start. i had some pain for about a week (meaning cracked nipples), but that was before i met with a lactation consultant and we worked on positioning/latch. you can try nursing and if you don't like it but would still like your LO to have breastmilk from you, then EP'ing for sure! but honestly, it's personal preference so if you would rather EP from the get go, there is nothing wrong with that.

I love nursing my little guy - I pump out of necessity. It doesn't feel great to be hooked up to a machine three times a day - in fact, most times it's still darn uncomfortable. But I produce enough milk and I'm almost done. I would say to keep an open mind and hopefully you'll find what works for you!

I liked nursing over pumping. I lived for days when I didn't have to pump 2-3 times a day. Nursing hurt at first, but I got used to it. I have a friend who EP'ed for the first six weeks because of latch issues. I would take nursing over pumping any day of the week.

I thought I might have to EP because my daughter struggled with BF in the beginning. Even early on, BF barely ever hurt (and after maybe a week or two it never did) but my daughter struggled to latch and would fall asleep after barely nursing because of jaundice. After the month or so, BF was sooo easy compared with pumping. I now do both as I am back at work. With BF I can feed her anywhere and the only required prep is that I should wear convenient clothing. No prepping bottles, heating or asking for hot water while I'm out of the house...middle of the night wakeups are quick because the milk is there and ready. Also many moms who EP struggle to meet their goals for duration of the BF relationship as it is harder to maintain that supply/demand relationship when the pump allows it to be slightly less tightly linked (for example, a BF mom gets extra BF time during a growth spurt but an EP mom isn't terribly likely to increase pump sessions at that time).

@snowjewelz--if cost is a big concern, my LO drinks the sams' club formula (same formulation as Similac or whatever) and it hasn't been very expensive at all. They have sensitive and soy, just like similac. I think we'll be at about $700 for all 12 months, or about $60/month.

Nursing was hard for a couple of weeks, but was never really painful. Now it's super easy!

I hate pumping with the fire of a thousand burning suns.

BFing is a thousand times better than pumping. If nursing works for you, there is no question in my mind that it is better - pumping hurts *more* (for me), it's harder to keep up supply, it's annoying to set up/break down, wash all your parts, etc. With nursing, you just do it.

Also, maybe this is dumb, but I don't understand how lactogenesis works if you EP. I pump at work, but it's nursing that keeps up my supply and allows my milk to change as DD develops.

I am with @grizz: I actually love nursing, but I loathe pumping. I am seriously counting down the days until I don't have to pump any longer.

I EP'd for nearly 12 months. There are many ways that it was easier for me since I had twins, and just in general, but there were a lot of extra struggles that I would not have had to deal with if I had nursed instead.

If we end up having a third child, I don't think I could EP again.

I've done both -- EP starting at day 2 with my first and now breastfeeding my second. I prefer breastfeeding and refuse to pump unless necessary now. EP is really time consuming, difficult to juggle while caring for the baby, and oh so stressful. I had mental breakdowns almost daily because it was so hard for me.

I'll admit that I was so scared and unsure if breastfeeding would work with my second. I'm very fortunate that I haven't run into any issues so far and actually enjoy it.

@snowjewelz: If you are looking for more people to say breastfeeding wasn't that bad-- I'll join! It was uncomfortable for about the first 2 weeks. Not super painful or anything like that, but my nipples were sore. I never had to deal with cracked or bleeding nipples, just general soreness as baby and I both learned how to breastfeed. I was very conscious of trying to get a good latch every time, and religious with nipple cream and letting my breasts air dry after each feeding in the beginning. Pumping really wasn't much more comfortable under the best of circumstances, and I had a learning curve with finding the right suction setting so sometimes that was a bit uncomfortable as well. Once we got past the first couple of weeks I love BFing so much more than pumping. I SAH and haven't pumped in a month because it's so much more convenient to just feed her directly, though of course I do love the convenience of pumped milk. The downside of BFing, of course, is I'm the one who always gets up for MOTN feedings-- it's so much easier for me to feed her than for DH to warm up a bottle, then feed her, and BFing helps her go right back to sleep where the bottle isn't as comforting. So, good and bad, in that sense.

So, I would say if you want to give your baby breastmilk, TRY breastfeeding, see how it goes. Maybe it will not be a problem and you will love it. Maybe you will prefer pumping, maybe you will decide to do formula, but if you don't at least try to BF in the beginning you won't be able to make a choice later (since your supply would never be established).

I think it's important to be aware of the issues you can have with BFing, but it doesn't mean it's terrible for everyone.

OMG I would prefer to nurse any day over pumping. I pump every day because I am building up my stash for when I go back to work, and it's a total PITA. I also think pumping is way more uncomfortable than nursing. Nursing hurt for a week or two then it was almost completely pain-free. By 1 month it was second nature. So much easier than pumping. Plus, one of my favorite parts of nursing is having my baby close to me....it's an incredible bonding tool. That said, if you try nursing and hate it there's nothing wrong with EP, but I'd at least give nursing a shot for a few weeks.

I haaaaate pumping with the fire of a thousand suns. You don't have to wash any parts after nursing And pumping actually hurts more to me, once my nips got used to it. The first week sucked but after that, it was no issue.

Breastfeeding hurt for the first three weeks. Just in the beginning when she latched on, and nothing horrible, just ouchiness. Since then? Easy, painless, no problems.

My advice to you would be to push through those first six weeks before you make any decision, because it will likely get WAY easier over that period of time.

I've done a combo of nursing and pumping with both kids- with both kids I started pumping within days of birth, started giving them a bottle of pumped milk a day, and then went back to work early so they were getting pumped milk then.
I actually kind of like pumping, but I still wouldn't want to do it exclusively. I've been pretty lucky in my pumping output, and I find it easy- I don't have to worry about doing it wrong and I can totally zone out, and I also like knowing exactly how much I'm producing vs. using.
That said, it's a pain. I like the flexibility of nursing and knowing that i can feed LO as long as we're together. I don't have to worry about bringing a pump and gear places to ease engorgement if it's been a few hours since last pumping, and I like the fact that I don't have to wake up at night to pump, which I find more disruptive than grabbing LO from the cosleeper, sticking him on a boob for 10 minutes, and replacing him, all without leaving my bed. I also like the self-regulatory aspect of nursing- not everyone is so lucky, but for me, I trust that LO gets enough through nursing without thinking about it too much, even if we have variety in how often or how long we nurse. Whereas with pumping, you have to be a lot more aware of making sure you're pumping often and long enough to keep up your supply.