One of my very favorite things to do as a new mom is to relax into a comfy chair and breastfeed my newborn baby. Having a 7-week old baby gives me lots of time to indulge in another of my favorite pastimes – reading. I have breastfed my 7 babies for 18 mos, 2 yrs, 4 yrs, 2 yrs, 18 mos, 9 mos, and 7 weeks (so far). These moments are some of my most cherished memories! Breastfeeding hasn’t always been easy for me, however. I have struggled with an increasing pattern of low milk supply starting with my 4th baby, and had to give my 6th baby formula supplements starting at age 3 months. Through these experiences I have developed a strong compassion for and a desire to help other mothers who struggle.

So when I read this article about mothers who choose to exclusively pump their milk and feed it to their babies from a bottle rather than breastfeed, I have mixed feelings. Part of me questions why a mother would not want to breastfeed their baby, since the majority of my experiences have been so positive with my own children. But another thing I am slowly learning as I grow older (and hopefully wiser) is that people are different, and have the right to make different choices in their lives. I have to really admire moms who, for whatever reason can’t or don’t want to breastfeed, are making the time-consuming choice to pump their own milk in order to give their babies the best start possible.

For anyone considering this as an option, I would caution you that exclusive pumping may work for some women, but it is also very likely to be difficult to keep up a full supply over a long period of time. Supplementation may be necessary at some point, and that needs to be something the mother seriously considers at the outset. But for those who don’t see breastfeeding as an option no matter what, exclusive pumping and bottle feeding the breastmilk to your baby is obviously much better for the baby than giving formula.

What do you think about this? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Contact me here.