Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I went the whole time with nursing until kids were about 14 months. Even after they started solid foods. And yes, I also remember feeling a little penned in at times but it passed. The honest truth is that I was just too lazy to deal with the pump, washing parts, warning bottles, etc. I was working from home so it wasn’t like I had to prepare the baby for daycare.

If breastfeeding is easy for you just push past the feeling for awhile longer.

1. Same. My DD was only fed from my breasts because I am lazy. No gold stars - I took the path of least resistance.

+1. I found pumping and bottles a pain. breastfeeding on demand was a lazy, easy, enjoyable thing for me to do. I EBF both kids for 9 months and then I continued nursing till they were 3 years old. Of course by the 3rd year it was comfort nursing because they were already having solids and regular milk. I remain impressed by parents who do all the prepping with bottles etc even now. No gold stars for me either.

Anonymous wrote:Yes felt captive. Still feeling captive. DCs are teens.

ha ha! NP here and PP, you made me laugh. I could have written this. I would trade my current prison for the breastfeeding prison, as long as I could be assured that I wouldn't have to revisit the teen prison ever again!

To your point, OP, with my second DC I pulled it off for a year.

(With my first DC, I started pumping at 5 weeks, and then my DC wouldn't go back to the breast. I ended up pumping for a year. Really bad idea; it's super easy to pump with a 2 month old;they sleep a lot. Not so much with an 11 month old toddling around while you are attached to the pump!)

Anonymous wrote:Actually simply baby-at-the-breast for the duration of need? Including after the introduction of solid food and cups of water.

Just curious because I don’t think I’m going to make it! I have a great supply, a growing happy baby, and enjoy the act of breastfeeding - and it’s not like I have any place to go with the virus out there but... I feel a bit “captive”. Baby is almost five months. I’ve never pumped either. I don’t even know if we have the right bottles for her.

Will this feeling pass? TIA

At her age she could drink from one of those tiny medicine/mouthwash size cups. A lot of babies tolerate that who won't tolerate a specific bottle. I wouldn't worry about not having bottles.

I feel like so much of parenting crap is reflected on this thread. Asking a question and some people just really can't imagine doing it differently from how they did it. The thing with parenting is babies and kids are all different, and parents are all different, and we are in the middle of a pandemic which is just very different from what anyone with older kids dealt with when their kids were babies. Basically, if something is working for you, don't rock the boat and worry about it. You would know if it weren't working for you. If you want to buy a pump then buy a pump. You will be fine whatever you decide! Your baby is thriving!

I did this with my second baby. I was a SAHM with that baby and really there was zero reason to pump. I was a WOHM and pumped with my first, it is fine. But why do it if you don't have to???
You are home during a pandemic, you have no where to go. You are fine. Ignore the criticism and keep doing what is working for you.

Half my friends did the same thing. It is really normal and NBD. My cousin did the same thing, but years before me.
You are fine, don't bother pumping.

For people saying what about appts, I had zero appts that I didn't take my baby to. It was just how my life was. It wasn't a sacrifice. It just was how it worked out.

Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine not pumping (or having formula on hand) to have something in reserve for baby to eat. What if you got delayed at an appointment or something and baby was home with DH and hungry? This happened to me just recently.

I always kept a small amount of formula (just the free samples we got from various formula companies before baby was born) just in case but never wound up needing them over 18 months of nursing. I guess the moral of my story is I never went anywhere or did anything without baby for 18 months (not saying I necessarily recommend this )

I can’t imagine not pumping (or having formula on hand) to have something in reserve for baby to eat. What if you got delayed at an appointment or something and baby was home with DH and hungry? This happened to me just recently.

I nursed my 2nd for 13 months. I was SAHM at the time and also those hormones were SO good for me.

My first was a difficult breastfeeder, so I really appreciated the 2nd chance at it and kept it going as long as I could.

I nursed exclusively (no pumped milk or formula bottles) for 18 months with both kids so continued nursing for about a year after they started eating solids and drinking water and about 6 months or so after we started also giving cow milk. Only reason I did it is that for me it was easier to just nurse than bother w the pump and/or making bottles. i was a SAHM and nursing was what my babies preferred and it was fine. If nursing hadn’t been easy or I was working or I didn’t enjoy nursing for whatever reason or there had been any other complicating factor at all, I wouldn’t have hesitated to switch to formula. I tried the pump a few times thinking I’d like to have a stash “just in case” but always hated the pump and never wound up needing the stash anyway.

Anonymous wrote:I’ll own it. I pumped the first few weeks and then went to formula. I never breast fed. Your child will be fine, whatever you decide.

I hear ya sister. I made it to 6 weeks breastfeeding and then gave formula after that.

^ my child never took to anything other than breast milk or water or we might have supplemented at a year. Mentioning jic.

We primarily direct/demand fed. Pumped as needed to regulate supply/have snack bottles for others to feed baby. But I worked part time and occasionally did a solo overnight to sleep (husband traveled internationally for work). So I pumped when apart and a bit to have a day or two of milk in freezer. It was not at arduous as pumping for full time care, so while some work it wasn’t soul crushing. Think I stopped pumping at 18 months and nursing a few months before 3rd birthday.

I bought a cordless spectra double pump out of pocket- worth the investment! It’s a good idea to have a pump around and know how your body responds to it in case of any separations or illness.

Baby #3 refused a bottle. Luckily daycare was in my office building. She bf’ed for 3.5 years (she made up for the first 2 not lasting very long ....)

Most women in the world do this.

And yes, I felt "trapped" with my babies but that's just what it's like having babies. It was a very hard time.

I did because it was easiest for me. No other reason.

Yes, I did (still doing it - 2nd kid, 14 months old). It is honestly not a big deal for me. I'm a SAHM and I like breastfeeding. I'm a introvert/home body, so leaving the house isn't really the break I want. I'm fine with feeding the baby and then retreating to the bath for an hour. I also did co-sleeping naps, so I was able to get some rest in the afternoon while nursing.

You're already at 5 months - pretty soon your baby will be on solid food and you can leave while someone gives your baby some avocado/banana. And then in a few short months they can drink some cow's milk from a cup. It'll go by fast!

Or, if you want to pump and don't mind it, then go for it. I mean, if your baby takes a bottle, why not? I'm just saying, if you don't want to, you don't have to.