Breastfeeding is not always possible or the best choice for families. Exclusive pumping is a valuable feeding alternative for babies and can provide them with breastmilk from a bottle.  It’s also not something that is widely discussed and when I was navigating this approach with my first, I came across very little information on how to be a successful. Because of this, alongside it being something I never planned for, I was only able to keep it up for 10 weeks before I transitioned to formula. With my second, I have been able to exclusively pump for 8+ months  – and we’re still going strong.

While exclusive pumping comes with many benefits for baby, it is also incredibly challenging and time consuming. Comments from other moms like ‘why wouldn’t you just breastfeed”, can also make the process incredibly isolating and lonely. Instead of feeling supported, you’re met with negativity and judgement.

So first things first… Why am I exclusively pumping?

With my son, breastfeeding was hard. It was a combination of him struggling to latch and then when he did, my letdown being so intense that he would immediately come off the breast again. I became so engorged because he wouldn’t latch that I had to pump to empty. I fed him his first bottle and we both stopped crying. We tried that dance again before I had to pump and bottle feed once more. It was in that moment that I knew this was the feeding approach I wanted to take. 

With my daughter, I didn’t even try to get her to latch. I went in with every intention to exclusively pump. I am sure you are wondering why I wouldn’t just try to breastfeed again, “it can be easier the second time” – to quote what a few moms said to me. I simply didn’t want to. I like the freedom that comes with exclusive pumping and sharing those middle of the night feeds and I like knowing how much they are eating every time.

What pumps am I using?

PRIMARY: Pumpables Genie Advanced

One of the reasons I was unable to go beyond 10 weeks with my first was that I felt a slave to my pump. I felt very trapped and restricted being attached to an outlet and large pump which made me start to resent pumping. I would skip pumping sessions because I couldn’t bare to do it again which ultimately led to a significant decrease in my supply. This time, I chose a pump that fit my lifestyle. I needed something that was strong enough to empty me, small, hands free and gave me the flexibility to move and multi task. 

There’s a reason why everyone loves this pump. It’s gentle, powerful and I respond really well to it. It comes with a belt and lanyard to make it easy to move about the house with. I pair it with the Legendairy milk cups for even more flexibility. I personally hate the flanges coming out my bra.

WEARABLE: Eufy S1 Pro

If you plan to exclusively pump, then a wearable is an absolute must have. I never got one with my first and it was a game changer round 2. I respond very well to wearables so I have found that I have always got the same output across both my primary and wearable. This is not the case for everyone and a reminder that they are not meant to fully empty you in the same way that a primary pump is. The motors typically are not as strong and the fit/mechanics of it just isn’t the same as true hospital grade pump.

PRO’s: The pump is a closed system pump which means the milk cannot get to the motor and it includes a heat flow technology to help with the milk flow – I LOVE this feature. It holds 5oz, although I have pushed this to 6oz by overfilling the lines and it does just fine as long as you’re not trying to pick anything up from the floor. 

It has 3 cycle speeds, 4 rhythms and 7 suction levels and heat settings which makes it very customizable. It gently heats up over time and moves between stimulation and expression. The pump strength is 300mmHG and it is definitely strong given my output.

If you’re on the go a lot then you will love the charging case too. I think its more of a nice to have rather than a neccessity.

CON’S: the heat flow technology drains the battery fast, milk can spill if you pour it slightly wrong when emptying the cups and it doesn’t have an auto shut off once the cups are full like some of the other wearables. 

In full transparency, I did receive this product for free but would only promote it if I genuinely loved and used it daily (which I do). 

My top 5 exclusive pumping tips

Below I share what has worked for me and what I have learnt along the way. By no means is this professional advice and I encourage you to look into some of the methods discussed below further so you can make your own informed decision. Here is what I would recommend to every new pumping mom:

1. Set a schedule and stick to it

This is especially important at the beginning when building your supply. The recommendation is to start with pumping every 2-3 hours, just like if you were nursing. And yes, to express colostrum/transition milk you can do this via the pump. Personally, I found this easier to do with a hand pump but I still stimulated the milk production prior to it coming in via the pump. I started with 8 pumps a day, each pump session lasting around 10 minutes. Since I initially have an over supply, I was able to keep my sessions relatively short.

To be clear, when you start pumping you are not going to be producing 5oz a side from the get go. Remember baby is only eating 1-2oz a feed at this point so you will likely start with a supply that matches that. During the first month, babies gradually eats more until they are eating around 28-30oz a day and with that your supply will – hopefully – begin to increase.

Here’s an example of my schedule with 8 pumps a day:

6am
8:30am
11am
2pm
5pm
7pm
9:30pm
2am

My current schedule with 3 pumps a day:

5am
12noon
8pm

2. The pitcher method or ‘pooling milk’

Pooling breastmilk into a pitcher is an easy and safe way to combine your milk from different pumping sessions over a 24 hour period. It’s also a way to evenly distribute nutrients from each pumping session i.e your daytime and nighttime milk.

I started doing this from week 1. Every time I pumped, I would add the freshly pumped milk straight in the pitcher and place it in the fridge. I was always producing a little more than she ate so this method allowed me to collect the surplus of milk so that I wasn’t pumping on demand. Over the first 2 weeks, I was able to build this surplus up so that I was a full day ahead with my pumped milk. I would have 1 pitcher for collection that day and 1 pitcher to feed from. Anything left over from the day I would add to my freezer stash.

The CDC guidelines recommend you should chill freshly pumped milk first before combining with already chilled milk. The concern is that pooling could increase bacteria growth by slightly warming already chilled milk. However, the CDC recommendations like to err on the side of caution and the guidelines given don’t have the research behind it to support this. I’ve linked an article that summarizes the study here, which finds that temperature fluctuations do not lead to increase bacteria count. Breastmilk is amazing and is filled with so many antomicrobial and protective properties. Ultimately, it comes down to what you are comfortable doing. Personally, I have had no issues combining the temperatures.

Here are links to everything I use to pool milk at home and on the go:

Glass Pitcher (I use this to collect fresh milk)

Dr Browns Pitcher (I pour from this one the day I am using the milk as I love the mixer attached)

Ceres Chill Cooler (for on-to go, or pooling the night time pumps during the early months)

3. Measure for correct flange size

The standard breast shield sizes that come with each pump are typically 24mm, however many women will need a different size. They are sized based on the diameter of your nipple in millimeters not breast size – so of course – the one size provided is not going to fit everyone.

Using the correct size is important. If the flange is too large you will experience pain with pumping, damaged nipples, decreased milk output and clogged milk ducts from not being able empty efficiently. Pain also inhibits your let down.

Here are some signs that you are wearing the incorrect size:

• Pain with pumping
• More than a little areola is pulled into the breast shield or your nipples stretch far into the flange
• Your breast do not feel empty after 15-20 minutes of pumping

I used this at home tool linked here to measure my nipple size and order the inserts for my primary and wearable that suited best. You can also get a lactation consultant to measure, however be weary of the ones based in the hospital as I have heard many stories about them still measuring women wrong or not measuring and just looking at the nipple and giving a size.

If you are in between sizes, I would recommend ordering the size below and above to see which one feels most comfortable for you and provides the best output. For example, I have used both 17 and 19mm inserts. If you are further into your exclusive pumping journey and notice a decrease in your supply, remeasure as your size can change.

4. The fridge hack

Seriously, it will save your sanity. With exclusive pumping comes ALOT of bottle and pump part washing, especially when you’re pumping 8 times a day at the beginning. With the fridge hack you are putting the pump parts straight in the refrigerator after use instead of washing them.

Again, the CDC advises against this method and suggests washing after each pumping session. There is very little evidence to suggest harm from this and goes back to being something that you are personally comfortable doing.

• Do not rinse with water before storing as this actually increases the chance of contamination. Breastmilk has all the immune components that reduce bacteria and is much better than any sitting droplets of water.
• Store in a closed container. Not everyone does but personally I feel more comfortable putting them in a zip lock back or tupperware to make sure that no other hands or food touch them while in the fridge.
• Use for a limited time or uses. I would do 3-4 pumping sessions when I was doing it 8 times (around 8 hours). Now that I am on less pumps in the day I typically wash after 2 pumps or the equivalent time.

Other considerations I take are:

• A completely separate basin for washing bottles. Always in hot, soapy water
• Using a dedicated bottle brush
• If the fridge hack isn’t for you, consider purchasing spare pump parts so you can rotate without having to clean every time. I recommend doing this anyway as it will especially be helpful when you are still doing those middle of the night pumps. The last thing I wanted to do was go up and down the stairs at 10am, 2am and 4am!

5. Freeze in different amounts

Building a freezer stash is not a requirement or necessary – in fact I donated my entire oversupply (twice). It can be hard to not put the pressure on yourself to create one and if you’re anything like me, it’s also something that you can become a little obsessive over. It’s almost like a numbers game.

However, if you are building a stash, I recommend freezing in different amounts so that when it comes to thawing, you are not wasting any milk. Remember, once you have thawed the milk your baby will need to consume it within 24 hours (from the time of no more ice crystals). *never refreeze the thawed milk. If I ever have any left over, I typically don’t pour it out and instead use it for a milk bath. My son has eczema and it’s helped his skin a lot.

I freeze in 2oz, 4oz, 5oz, 6oz.

Prior to pouring it into the bags I make sure to measure the amount with the bottle vs just using the lines as a guide. This is to ensure I am labelling and freezing correctly. The last thing you want to happen is to think you’re thawing 5oz for it to turn out to be only 3 or 4oz – especially if sending milk off the daycare.

I then use the counter top edge to get all the air out of the bag so that I can freeze it flat and I am not wasting space in the bag. Since I pool the milk, I just label it with the date and amount and do not add a time.

You’ve got this mama…

No matter where you are on your pumping journey, whether weeks, months or a year… you’re doing amazing. It’s also not an all or nothing approach and if you’re having to combo feed, you should still be proud. I hope that by sharing my exclusive pumping journey online (follow along on instagram: @emsnell) it has helped you in some way and made you feel supported.

I’d love to hear your pumping story to help encourage other moms on their pumping journey below.