So.. do you actually enjoy...

[maabell]

pumping??

I just want to say... I know that it provides my baby milk when I am not with him and I am beyond happy that he is only on breast milk...

but ...

I HATE PUMPING.

There I said it, I hate it.

It takes forever, I feel like an acrobat balancing my pumps, and I spill milk once a week.

I come on here and think about DS, so that makes it better, but not much.

So... do any of you actually enjoy pumping?

-Margarita

[ashtonsmom]

Well, I used to like it b/c it burned so many calories, but I have always used a manul at work so I could control how fast the milk came out.

But after 8 months of it... It freaking sucks!!!!!


But I try to remember this is only for a limited time ;)

[momoffaith]

I hate it!!! At first I didn't mind and was strutured with my schedule. Now I hardly have time and dread it which causes me to put it off when I do have time. I can honestly say I'm torn on what I will do next month when DD turns 1. I love nursing her but I'm ready to hang up the horns.

[maabell]

I am so glad I am not the only one.

My goal is 1 year of pumping, my goal for breastfeeding is 1 year or more.

momoffaith:whatever you do, you should feel great about. You are almost at that one year mark.

[Mary_Mary]

I doubt if there's anyone who actually 'enjoys' pumping.

I'm just glad that I CAN pump.

I know one lady who actually had to quit work when her daughter was an infant because she could not pump. It did not work for her. What's more her daughter would NOT take a bottle anyway. It was so bad that her doctor and her daughters doctor worked together to get her on disability so she would qualify for public assistance because she really couldn't afford to not work at that time in her life.

I'm not really to the point of actually HATING pumping yet because I work such a random schedule that I don't pump regularly. I think that I would soon get downright sick of it if I were doing it every day and especially mutiple times per day.

[Stephanie]

I don't like it. But, I have been doing it for so long between both kids that it is just a part of my day.

[ChestyLaRoo]

I can't say I enjoy it... but I have come to find some release in sitting down and pumping. I read a nice light book or magazine while I do it. I also use a hands free band thing. I have 3 sets of horns. I store them in the fridge so I can use the same ones all day, and wash and sterilize every three days. I hate washing the horns, bottles, etc.

Keeping my supply for the weekends is the main reason I keep doing it. I plan to do it for 1 year. With ds #1 I did it for 10 months. It as a very tough transition for him to take a bottle from me on the weekends. We continued to nurse at bedtime and mornings until 28 months. Stopping pumping does not mean stopping nursing altogether.

I do look forward to the day I can take a real lunch break.

[StElmosFire]

I don't enjoy it but I don't hate it. I actually only pump to keep my supply up and donate to a former poster from here, once she says nay, I will stop pumping...

[sferguson17]

I hate it. I'm so glad I'm not the only one. It is borderline painful for me. I'm lucky that so far I can get all I need in two sessions. I also feel like I'm not as good an employee as I could be b/c of the time I spend pumping, but I can live with that. I don't mind hooking up or cleaning the supplies, but the pain gets to me. I hope to pump wean by 1 year.

I often count up how much I have in the freezer, and try to figure out when I can stop pumping. I wouldn't do it though. As long as DS keeps taking 3 bottles a day, I'll keep pumping until one year. While I would like to do baby led weaning, I must admit that I will probably wean from the pump at one year no matter what. DS can BF in the morning, evening and on weekends as much as he likes after that, and hopefully I'll have plenty of freezer stash to meet his needs.

[paigesmomma]

I wouldn't say I hate it. With dd at about 5 mo, she refused to nurse anymore, so I ended up exclusively pumping for her and I HATED it! I had to drag that stupid pump everywhere with me! With ds, I only pump while I am at work, 3x /day M-TH. It's a little break and I come on here, so it's not that bad. I don't pump at all F-Sun. Luckily, I have very good pumping output, so it feels good for me to know that every time I pump I am building up my freezer supply.

[nellie]

I hated it with my first because I was always searching for a place to pump and struggling to have enough milk. With ds#2, I had my own office and could pump whenver I felt like it. So if I was running low, I'd just sneak in an extra session at work. In summary, I couldn't wait to stop with the first one, and with the second, I didn't mind at all.

[maabell]

well. I am glad those of you who may have needed to vent, got to. I needed to, that is why I started the thread.

[KaraJ]

I know this sound weird, but I think I prefer pumping to actual BF. First off, my oldest (16months), acts like a total heathen when I'm trying to nurse Nathaniel, but feeding with a bottle is SO MUCH FASTER! At least for me, even combining that time with pumping!

[EllysLunch]

I like pumping, but I've got an oversupply so I get more relief from in than nursing the baby-and its quicker. I used to hate it though...a few years ago.

[debrosskyle]

It's a LOVE/HATE relationship for me. I love that pumping let's me work and still exclusively feed my son breast milk, but I HATE pumping. I do it 7 times a day during the week and once or twice a day on weekends. I hate "hooking-up" in my business suit for my 45 min morning drive. I live in So. Cal, but 70 is cold to me. Brrr. And I hate pumping when I'm sleepy and want to go to bed.

Note: a hands free bra or homemade contraption will revolutionize your pumping experience.

[cmstuhr]

don't hate pumping - but like it that would be a stretch --

I do hate the packing and unpacking, the cleaning, the washing, the dry-cleaning bills (I am forever dripping on my slacks. (I know that I could remedy this by tucking a towel into my pants, but somehow I have never worked it into the routine).

Did I mention that it drives me nuts when I

a) Forget to re-pack and leave milky parts in my desk drawer
b) DH forgets to run the dishwasher at night with my pump parts
c) or I sit down to pump get all hooked up and realize all my bottles are in the break-room fridge.

ARGGHH.

That being said - I should not complain as I work on the eighth floor with a lock on my door so I can surf while I pump.

[steelady]

I use to like since I had my own office and I would get to put up my feet and actually nap.

In fact, my bf.com addiction started during my pumping days. I rigged up a hands free (two large paper clips and some long rubber bands, I swear it works) system and would web surf or just take a nap.

[sweetawreet]

I hate it. I'm always trolling around looking for an available room, and I am paranoid that my coworkers resent me for all the time I spend pumping. I am already coming in a half hour early every day, but I decided today that I'll come in a full hour early twice a week. The guilt and stress is hard on me, and I really am falling behind at work. I'm also thinking of pump weaning down to one session a day (instead of two), now that mister is doing well on solids.

We're planning to adopt in the future, and I want to nurse, but at the same time think that all the problems I'm having now with perceived coworker resentment would be much, much worse.

Aargh! Pumping at work sucks it. I don't mind doing it at home, but I can't stand how public it is in the workplace.

[sweetawreet]

As far as me vs. the pump goes, I loathed it at first, but after about four months, it started to be a physical relief. I'd be a-little-uncomfortable-to-slightly-engorged, and it just felt good to pump that off. Lately, work has been crazy, and sometimes I'm full-on engorged by the time I get to the pump, so ultra relief on those days.

[workingmom33]

I have to say that it is a nice down time for me. It gives me a little time away from my work day and I always feel better after I pump. As for spilling milk and balancing bottles I use www.pumpingpartners.com bands. They allow me to make my pumping time more productive. I am sure the hands free bras work as well, but I am cheap! HA...hope it gets better for you...you are doing what is best for your baby that should help you feel wonderful.

[BrandiJR]

I HATE pumping!!! I do not want to go anywhere without dd because of having to pump! I start school on the 12th and I go twice a week. One day I will have to pump once or twice and the other day I will have to pump two or three times....depending on how long I can get her to wait till her last nightly feeding.

I hate pumping because I can only ever get about 5 ounces TOTAL when I pump. It always freaks me out that I only ever get that much (after only 3 hours). I know when she nurses from me she gets plenty because she goes about every 3 hours between nursings. But I get so upset only being able to get the 5 ounces...if I even get that much...

[jodyvo]

I HATE IT!!!!!!! My DD wened herself at 10 months and I have been exclusivley pumping. It is very stressful and has REALLY brought my supply way down. I used to pump 10 plus ounces in the AM and now I am lucky to pump 3oz and about 1.5 to 2 ounces every session after that. The only thing that has saved me is the HUGE suplly I had in the freezer. I had 14o 5oz bags and now I have 6.
It is great to give our LOs the best but the pumping stinks

[kellyjoinky]

No, I didn't like it and don't look forward to it this time (although I will do it). I remember the first day I came to work without it, i was cheesing all day long!!!

[lolabear]

i used to not mind it when i could pump most of the time at home in between running back and forth between work and school and since i worked in the same bldg as ds daycare i could also just go nurse him when i was there instead of pumping but now that i graduated and am working only, and i go from one client to the next i am pumping in the car all the time with a single manual pump instead of my electric double and its a pain, i want to get a car adaptar for my double but i dont know how to double pump in the car lol some of my clients are close together and i dont think id have enough time to hook all that up. my ds is almost 6 months old, i get discouraged when i think about the next 6 months and beyond as i plan to let him nurse as long as he wants. im really passionate about him only having bm so it feels good to know that im doing the best thing for him but at the same time i got spoiled with my girls and his early months

[KerryS]

I also hate it. I hate it less when my supply is good and I'm able to actually pump 3 oz. at a time, and it gets more hateful when I'm only able to pump 2 oz. It's discouraging and demoralizing. I will hate it less when I'll only pump once or twice instead of three times every time I work. Just a couple more months...