Avoiding pushy hospital lactation consultant?

[Anonymous]

Why exclusively pump? Breastfeeding is so much faster! I pumped a lot at work but it’s painful and takes forever. FWIW I didn’t want to breastfeed but baby had other ideas. She refused every single bottle ever presented to her before she was 4 months (when she was forced by our nanny).

If you don’t want the lactation consultant, just say you’re not interested.

[Anonymous]

If you are planning on pumping exclusively, you could talk to the LC about that. You may have questions about lactation that don't include hands-on assistance breastfeeding your baby.

I delivered at Sibley and never even saw a LC. They said one would come by, but that never happened. I would try to be less concerned that someone is going to abuse you at the hospital and more concerned about getting what you can out of the expertise being offered you.

And the poster with the litany about breastfeeding should get bent. That is not helpful for the discourse in the slightest. Gives everyone else a bad name.

- nursed 1 baby for 6 months and 1 baby for 3 years and 6 months

[Anonymous]

I do remember people grabbing my boobs, and I can’t remember whether they asked. I would just make it clear to the nurses that you want permission before anyone touches you, and make sure they write that on the board in the room. That said, you may need help learning to use a pump, which may require a lactation consultant to touch you.

Like others have said, “baby friendly” hospitals get funding based on how many people they convince to breastfeed. I was unsure of a feeding plan when my first was born, and I definitely felt some pressure to try breastfeeding. (Which ultimately didn’t work for us.) However, with my second I was more confident, and once I made it clear that I would be using formula, they backed off. There was even formula in the room for me to use. I also was more confident about using the nursery to get some rest.

[Anonymous]

Hated breastfeeding. Found pumping MUCH easier.

For many women, breastfeeding is hell.

[Anonymous]

There are many threads about EPing. Take a look. Many say their main regret is that they did it instead of formula.

[Anonymous]

I agree with previous posters that I would never do EP. If you don’t want to breatfeed, just do formula. Note a lots of the benefits of breastfeeding come from the really quite amazing communication that happens between baby and your body — milk production and the actual formulation of your breast milk changes with what’s happening with baby. It’s quite amazing.

Can I ask why you want to pump but don’t want to try to directly feed?

I will say in the middle of the night it was so much easier just to whip out a boob rather than have to try to make a bottle with a wailing baby.

[Anonymous]

I'm adding to the chorus of "EPing is the absolute worst of both worlds". It really really is. Pumping is more uncomfortable, involved, and takes longer than nursing past maybe the first or second week.

If you're interested in nursing or pumping I recommend talking to one of those lactation consultants who comes to your house..

But also, formula is 100% more than fine. We got on the subject with my son's first grade fellow moms and I am telling you there is no way you'd know any difference. Fed is best.

[Anonymous]

Pumping is awful and I only did it to facilitate being able to breastfeed. I can’t imagine being like “yay pump, boo closeness with my baby.”

Formula/bottle feeding is absolutely fine. But why would you choose the worst of all possible things, exclusively?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pumping is awful and I only did it to facilitate being able to breastfeed. I can’t imagine being like “yay pump, boo closeness with my baby.”

Formula/bottle feeding is absolutely fine. But why would you choose the worst of all possible things, exclusively?

Yeah I did some pumping at work and the weird hormonal let down sadness I got was kind of surprising. I didn't get it while nursing. I also found I didn't empty fully with the pump so I tended to be a little uncomfortable until I could nurse again.

Pumping also just takes way longer, particularly factoring in the cleanup part. I could read while nursing, pumping takes both hands because even in the pumping bra you can need to do some massaging.

Everyone's experience is different but I'm currently pregnant with my second and I'm hoping to pump as little as possible this time.

It's 100% okay to formula feed, seriously.

[Anonymous]

Not sure what hospital you're going to but I had a great experience with the LCs at Washington Hospital Center. They're LACTATION consultants not BREASTFEEDING consultants. They are also there to teach you how to pump, give you tips on how to increase supply (via pumping!), etc. Just tell them what you do and do not want up front and reiterate it. Ask your support people to back you.

A agree with a few other pps - as someone who has breastfed, pumped, and combofed I think going straigh to just pumping without any real experience for what that means is nuts. Breastfeeding is much better than pumping in the very early days and weeks when baby eats so often. The pump time + feed time means you will get so little sleep. I would either go striaght to breastfeed + formula to sumplement/give you a break when someone else does a feeding or just go 100% formula from day 1.

[Anonymous]

I just think its funny that you dont realize that they will also need to examine you and try different flanges and size you for pumping. And breastfeeding is not a low touch experience. You will need help and sometimes that help will be positioning or showing you how to flip the nipple or put on a shield.

Its okay to say breastfeeding isnt for you.

From a mom who breastfed #1 until 2.5 (EP because baby wouldnt latch until 4 mos) and still BFing #2 at 20mos even after almost dying of hemorrhage and having non-existent supply so I used formula for the first few days while recovering and also, while baby was in the NICU. Breastfeeding is exhausting and lovely. Pumping is the devil.

[Anonymous]

OP, I so sorry. It seems that many of the people commenting here are as pushy as any LC might be.

You do you and stand firm for what works for you.

Wishing you a healthy delivery, and joyous days and peaceful nights with your baby-to-be!

[Anonymous]

for my first i was pushed formula by the LC and triple feeding (nurse, pump, give what i pumped, which wasn't much at all, and formula... every 2 hours until my milk came in). for my second the LC was "off shift" by the time i delivered and no one scheduled as it was president's day the next day so i got discharged early to go see one privately...

so no no one pushed me to breastfeed. i did eventually exclusively pump for my first child as she self weaned at 6 months and it was miserable.. didn't pump until 4 months with number 2 and it was soooo much nicer (And still nursing at 15 months).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hated breastfeeding. Found pumping MUCH easier.

For many women, breastfeeding is hell.

I also preferred pumping to breastfeeding as pumping didn't hurt but breastfeeding was excruciating. But, as many have pointed out, pumping takes more time. So eventually, I stopped pumping and just used formula. The LCs weren't pushy, they just weren't very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hated breastfeeding. Found pumping MUCH easier.

For many women, breastfeeding is hell.

I also preferred pumping to breastfeeding as pumping didn't hurt but breastfeeding was excruciating. But, as many have pointed out, pumping takes more time. So eventually, I stopped pumping and just used formula. The LCs weren't pushy, they just weren't very helpful.

Breastfeeding is only excruciating in the phase when baby doesn't know how to latch. Which is what lc is there to help with!