My Story: “Breastfeeding will be easy RIGHT?”

During pregnancy, I knew I wanted to breastfeed and planned on exclusive nursing my baby. While I did have some concerns and fears around breastfeeding, I thought it should come naturally.

When I left the hospital with my baby, I brought home a beautiful 8 lb healthy baby and starting nursing him at home. However, latch was painful those first few days. I was told at the by my doctors and nurses that this was normal and would sort itself out shortly. I continued to nurse through the pain, but knew something was off. I started to see lactation consultants and doctors regularly to help with our latch issue. It was determined his latch looked “OK” and he had no lip or tongue ties. However, at 5 weeks old he was barley back up to birth weight, and his pediatrician said we needed to start formula supplementing right away.

From under 10 oz to > 50 oz a Day: My Pumping Journey

It was at this time that I decided to try pumping. At 5 weeks postpartum, when I first started pumping, I nearly lost my supply completely, producing just a few drops at each session. But I refused to give up.

Through trial and error, I discovered pumping hacks, upgraded my pump, and found the tips that worked best for me. Slowly, my supply increased: first to 5 oz, then 20 oz, and finally over 50 oz a day with ups and downs over the time period of 2 months. I ended up exclusive pumping with enough to bottle feed my baby and thousands of oz to donate to my local mother’s milk bank.

Now, I’m passionate about helping moms like you navigate the challenges of pumping with confidence. Whether you’re exclusively pumping or nursing and pumping, this guide is here to empower you every step of the way.

Personally → I changed my flange size, got a new pump that worked better for me (BabyBuddha), added massage while pumping, kept to a strict 2-3 hour pump schedule, power pumped, ate better (and more), and took my prenatal vitamins. I added comfort while pumping: coconut oil in the flange tunnels (or get a pumping spray) and used pump cushions are some of the changes that I made.