Breastfeeding and pumping

I breastfeed my baby, however I don't do it the traditional way. I strictly pump and feed him the breastmilk in a bottle. My first son was a preemie, so I didn't have much choice while he was in the NICU. Once he came home, he still had a weak suck and he was used to the bottle, so I just kept pumping. This time around I gave the traditional way a chance for a couple of days, but I prefer pumping. I just didn't have the time or patience. Pumping & giving the breastmilk in a bottle is just easier for me. I don't have to worry about how much he's getting. I can see it. I also don't have to worry about engorgement. I just pump a little longer if need be. The important thing with pumping is to set up a schedule and stick to it. My son is on an every 3 hour eating schedule, so that's when I pump. I hook up to the pump and bottle feed my son while he's sitting in my lap. Multitask and it works out pretty well.
If you are going to pump full time, one thing you need is a good pump. The first time I used the Medela Pump in Style Traveler backpack. Apparently these pumps are single use only, so you can't save it for a few years & use it again for the next baby and you can't use someone else's pump. Milk can back up into the pump and bacteria can form, so it's safer to just buy a new pump. Really sucks as they are expensive. This time I bought the Medela Pump in Style Advanced backpack. Great pump. The amount of milk I pump out is amazing. Got it for $225.00 at BestBuyBaby.com. They are based in New Jersey. Medela won't let sellers list pump prices on websites anymore, so if you are price shopping, you most likely will need to email the website for a price list.



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