Life

6 Benefits Of Exclusive Pumping

by Olivia Youngs

Pumping tends to get a bad reputation among parents. It seems impersonal and somewhat distant to feed your baby your own milk. Exclusive pumping has an even worse reputation. Pumping moms have heard it all and although exclusive pumping can seem like a "middle of the road" option between nursing and formula feeding, there are actually a lot of benefits of exclusive pumping that most people don't consider before making a judgement call.

Breastfeeding has somewhat of a learning curve for new moms and their babies and, for some, the difficulties are insurmountable. Exclusive pumping can be a much easier route for making sure your baby gets all of the essential nutrients in breast milk, without dealing with the pain, learning curve, or difficulty many moms experience while breastfeeding.

New moms are often faced with a false dichotomy, Belly Belly noted. They believe they must choose between exclusive breastfeeding or formula feeding. However, like most things in life, feeding your baby is rarely that simple. Exclusive pumping offers a great alternative for moms who don't want to (or can't) breastfeed or use formula, and their choice to do so is as valid as all of the other feeding methods out there. But if you feel the need to respond to the haters, let them know about the following benefits of exclusive pumping. (Then tell them to eff off, because it's none of their business.)

1

You & Baby Can Still Reap The Benefits Of Breast Milk

Breastfeeding just isn't an option for some moms. For those who choose not to breastfeed or simply can't, exclusive pumping is an amazing way to give their baby all of the nutritional benefits of breast milk without actually nursing. Similarly, mother's bodies reap the benefits of lactating as well. According to the Dr. Sears website, reduced risk of breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer, and osteoporosis, and quicker postpartum healing are a few of the physical benefits for lactating moms.

2

You Won't Have To Deal With Soreness

It seems insignificant, but for some moms, breastfeeding is very painful. More often than not, this is due to improper latch and other issues that can be fixed, according to La Leche League International (LLLI). Sometimes, however, there are preexisting conditions, prior trauma, or other factors that make breastfeeding more painful than it should be. In cases like these, exclusive pumping can be a great (and much less painful) option.

3

You Know Exactly How Much Milk Your Baby Is Drinking

Most breastfeeding moms worry that their milk supply is too low, that they're dealing with a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, or that their baby isn't getting enough milk. When you exclusively pump, you know exactly how much milk your baby is getting. As long as you're careful to avoid overfeeding, since Kid Spot noted that bottle fed babies don't self-regulate as well as breastfed babies do, exclusive pumping can be a great indicator about the state of your milk supply and to ensure your baby is eating enough.

4

You Can Save Money

According to The Simple Dollar, feeding your baby exclusively with formula can cost over $1,700 per year. Exclusive breastfeeding, however, though more expensive than exclusive nursing simply for the cost of the breast pump and storage bags for milk, is significantly less than that.

5

You Can Be Away For Longer Periods Of Time

Exclusive breastfeeding is an ideal solution for moms who work outside the home and still want to give their baby breast milk. You can pump from wherever you are, store the milk for later, and know that your baby is getting the benefits of your milk even while you're away.

6

You Can Still Bond With Your Baby

Many moms who don't breastfeed worry that they won't be able to bond with their baby as well, since breastfeeding is heralded for it's incredible bonding ability. However, according to Belly Belly, there are tons of ways to bond with your baby while bottle feeding, so you have nothing to fear.