The exclusively pumping grind

After breastfeeding off the breast didn’t work out for me, and baby wasn’t gaining weight fast enough, I decided to give exclusive breast pumping a try. I really wanted, and still want, my baby to get all the benefits and the protections of breastmilk. Initially, I was so relieved that it worked like a charm, along with very little formula supplementing, to get baby back on track with weight gain and growth that I didn’t internalize how much work it takes. Between the actual pumping, the prep, and the washing and sterilizing, it ends up taking at least 4 hours a day. On top of that, actual feeding still needs to happen, which also takes about the same. So, you end up with a full time job with no days off, vacation, or sick days. Additionally, the mental and physical toll are remarkable. Unless you milk it, no pun intended, like many influencers do these days, you end up with fully booked days exclusively on the account of baby feeding. 

As bad as it sounds, it gets worst. Once baby starts solids, prepping, cooking, and feeding solid foods is added to the to do list. And all the cute spilling babies do when they start solids also make laundry way more fun, and frequent! So, I’m left wondering, how sustainable exclusively pumping is longterm for a non breastmilk/pumping influencer. 

As I sit here, at dawn, no light but my computer’s, and a cup of coffee, after feeding and pumping, I ponder how long am I going to be able (and willing) to keep up. It has been a bit easier because my partner is on parental leave but his leave end in 10 days. Then, I will have to take on more to allow him to have a bit more sleep so he can concentrate at work, so he can do the job that puts the money in the bank.

Exclusively pumping is one of the most physically taxing jobs I’ve ever had and I’m not sure how long it’ll be before I turn on my two weeks notice.