Is there any benefit to pumped breastmilk?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think super fresh pumped milk would be more or less the same but once you get to be a few days old (or frozen) probably not, honestly. Do what works for you. However you feed your baby is great.

OP here. I pump every 3 hours ( 8 times a day) right before he wakes up to eat. He eats the fresh pumped milk within 30 minutes of me pumping, but I do save any extra in the fridge for 1-2 days and then freeze it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I pumped 9 months and kept the freezer stash rotated. You have options and can do what works for you. Can continue as you are. You can gradually reduce the amount of pumping and add in more formula. You can stop pumping and work with a mix of your freezer stash and formula. Make sure to try a frozen one soon to see it your milk frezzes okay and no lipase isuues.

OP here. I don’t have enough of a freezer stash or formula to quit pumping. He has a bottle of frozen milk every night.

[Anonymous]

DCUM is generally pro-formula, anti-“pressuring” someone to breastfeed. But the science is clear - clearer than anything on Covid which this group also liked to triumph - that breastfeeding, and breastmilk, is far superior to formula. So if you “follow the science”, then yes it’s important. Make of that what you will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they're still getting antibodies from you. OP, if you need formula, can you post here what brand you're looking for? Maybe if someone has extra they can get it to you.

OP here. Everything I read said that direct breastfeeding is more beneficial because your body can tailor good bacteria and ward off illnesses by baby’s saliva. Pumped milk that is frozen degrades over time and that many of the antibodies and nutrients are lost. Some studies say women have less fat content in pumped milk. I also read that it’s harder to keep up supply with a pump longterm.

lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM is generally pro-formula, anti-“pressuring” someone to breastfeed. But the science is clear - clearer than anything on Covid which this group also liked to triumph - that breastfeeding, and breastmilk, is far superior to formula. So if you “follow the science”, then yes it’s important. Make of that what you will.

Respectfully I really disagree with this. There are a lot of differences between the average person who breastfeeds and the average one who does not. They’ve done some fascinating sibling studies in the last few years that suggest more minimal benefits.

[Anonymous]

If I had it to do over again, I think combination feeding once you go back to work is the ideal - gives you flexibility, plus antibodies. I spent a ton of work time trying to pump enough for her total needs and it was absolutely time poorly spent in retrospect. You might still have to pump some to retain the ability to nurse at night - but that won't require hours of pumping at work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I had it to do over again, I think combination feeding once you go back to work is the ideal - gives you flexibility, plus antibodies. I spent a ton of work time trying to pump enough for her total needs and it was absolutely time poorly spent in retrospect. You might still have to pump some to retain the ability to nurse at night - but that won't require hours of pumping at work.

Nurse at night? OP isn’t nursing.

[Anonymous]

Why are you pumping so much, OP? I would pump twice at work, and baby would drink that the next day and usually a bottle of formula too.

I never pumped outside work, I bf and would occasionally feed a formula bottle. I'd say my babies were about 75-80% bf and the rest ff. I nursed them past a year (gave up the work pumps around 7-8 months). It just sounds like a lot of extra work pumping so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Why are you pumping so much, OP? I would pump twice at work, and baby would drink that the next day and usually a bottle of formula too.

I never pumped outside work, I bf and would occasionally feed a formula bottle. I'd say my babies were about 75-80% bf and the rest ff. I nursed them past a year (gave up the work pumps around 7-8 months). It just sounds like a lot of extra work pumping so much.

Oops, I'm tired tonight and missed that OP is pumping not nursing. OP, do you know why baby isn't nursing well at the breast? Sounds like your supply is good, has baby's latch been checked and also checked for tounge tie?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Why are you pumping so much, OP? I would pump twice at work, and baby would drink that the next day and usually a bottle of formula too.

I never pumped outside work, I bf and would occasionally feed a formula bottle. I'd say my babies were about 75-80% bf and the rest ff. I nursed them past a year (gave up the work pumps around 7-8 months). It just sounds like a lot of extra work pumping so much.

Oops, I'm tired tonight and missed that OP is pumping not nursing. OP, do you know why baby isn't nursing well at the breast? Sounds like your supply is good, has baby's latch been checked and also checked for tounge tie?

OP here. He turned 5 weeks old. We tried everything - multiple lactation visits, devices for inverted/flat nipples, different positions, etc., and he never got the hang of it. I also have a slow letdown and this made him angry. I finally gave up at 4 weeks and have been pumping for a week.

I pump 8 times a day because that seems to be the standard. He eats every 2.5-3 hours 8-10 times a day so I pump every 3 hours.

My question wasn’t about latching though. It was about whether pumped milk has the same it’s nursing or if I should just formula feed.

[Anonymous]

Yes there's some benefit, but I personally think the costs usually outweigh the benefits. I think moms, including me, often do it to make themselves feel better/assuage guilt about not breastfeeding more. The one benefit I can see is that it allows an EBF baby to get used to bottles, which is essential to start early on if they're ever going to be in daycare or cared for by someone else (almost all babies). And it allows you to get a bigger chunk of sleep if you are EBF

[Anonymous]

I echo everyone who says do what works for you.

But just a note on pumping - I pumped exclusively for my first and did it 4x a day for 30 mins. 8-10x a day would make anyone insane. If you choose to pump I’d look into getting your body used to a more feasible schedule.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, they're still getting antibodies from you. OP, if you need formula, can you post here what brand you're looking for? Maybe if someone has extra they can get it to you.

OP here. Everything I read said that direct breastfeeding is more beneficial because your body can tailor good bacteria and ward off illnesses by baby’s saliva. Pumped milk that is frozen degrades over time and that many of the antibodies and nutrients are lost. Some studies say women have less fat content in pumped milk. I also read that it’s harder to keep up supply with a pump longterm.

Think of it this way. You're around your baby constantly. You're being exposed to the same germs and viruses as they are, and your immune system will respond to that, and that will pass through your breastmilk, regardless of whether your baby touches your nipple. But, yes, of course those antibodies and nutrients are lost over time, so the immediate transfer will have the highest benefits. That is why there are recommendations for how long stored milk can be frozen. Then there's the question of whether passed antibodies are actually absorbed by the baby. Most of what I've read says that after the first 4-6 months, beneficial antibodies are no longer absorbed through the gut.

Babies also get more effective at nursing, where they can nurse for a few minutes and be done, where as pumps efficiency will remain the same. You need to swap out valves and other pump parts every couple of months, or else the suction will degrade, which will cause your supply to dip.

OP, as others have said, if you look, you can find studies that support whichever feeding method you'd prefer. Your baby will be fine regardless of your decision. Feed them the way that works best for you.

[Anonymous]

I had a ton of problems with latch and had to EP until about 6 weeks - then suddenly baby got it and things got so much easier. I still wish I hadn’t pumped at work though - waste of time in retrospect because formula would have been fine. Pumped breast milk is as good as nursing in terms of nutrition and immune benefits - but obviously much less convenient. Based on my experience, if you ever want to nurse, I’d keep trying until 8 weeks, just occasionally, nothing worth breaking your sanity over. Then if it doesn’t work, do formula or mostly formula with no regrets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Why are you pumping so much, OP? I would pump twice at work, and baby would drink that the next day and usually a bottle of formula too.

I never pumped outside work, I bf and would occasionally feed a formula bottle. I'd say my babies were about 75-80% bf and the rest ff. I nursed them past a year (gave up the work pumps around 7-8 months). It just sounds like a lot of extra work pumping so much.

Oops, I'm tired tonight and missed that OP is pumping not nursing. OP, do you know why baby isn't nursing well at the breast? Sounds like your supply is good, has baby's latch been checked and also checked for tounge tie?

OP here. He turned 5 weeks old. We tried everything - multiple lactation visits, devices for inverted/flat nipples, different positions, etc., and he never got the hang of it. I also have a slow letdown and this made him angry. I finally gave up at 4 weeks and have been pumping for a week.

I pump 8 times a day because that seems to be the standard. He eats every 2.5-3 hours 8-10 times a day so I pump every 3 hours.

My question wasn’t about latching though. It was about whether pumped milk has the same it’s nursing or if I should just formula feed.

I had 8 visits to lc, slow let down, tried, nipple shields, triple feeding, etc...and about week 5.5 baby figured it out. The lc told us to continue 1 pumped bottle a day so she doesn't begin to refuse the bottle but otherwise she's now fully nursing ( currently 6.5 weeks).. I think her getting bigger helped. It may not be too late but I do know many people that exclusively pumped.