With my first child I didn’t even know exclusive pumping was an option. All I knew was this whole breastfeeding situation wasn’t working out the way I thought it would and there had to be an alternative. I was honestly over trying to breastfeed and being unsuccessful but I really did want to give my child the benefits of breast milk!

Eventually I did find out about exclusive pumping and realized that apart from it solving the traditional breastfeeding ‘problem’ there were several perks to it for me personally. Some are more serious than the others that could probably be considered trivial, but I’m sure they’re all things we may think about. Here they are in addition to some others that may influence a moms decision to exclusively pump.

1. Latching Issues

For one reason or another, whether it’s a cleft lip and palate or tongue tie amongst other issues, you may have a challenge with the baby latching adequately to your nipple. In the modern age we live in while there are alternatives to help with the latching process you may still decide that exclusive pumping is your preference.

2. Control

Personally I’ve realized that I have a control issue and so exclusive pumping allows me to be in control of some portion of my day. Life gets crazy with a newborn, especially when there are other kids in the picture; so for me it was a win. Although it takes so much time out the day I could determine the bits of time that it did for myself!

3. Alternative feeding options

Bottle feeding the baby takes the full reliance off of me that would be experienced with breastfeeding. I have no issues with those who breastfeed but honestly when it comes to feeding on demand I imagine that it can be overwhelming, especially when the baby wants to nurse for comfort. I like having the option of someone else having the opportunity to feed the baby so I can get some rest.

4. Avoiding nipple confusion and rejection

In case you didn’t know, babies can get confused switching between breast and bottle. For me, I knew I had to go back to work in a matter of months, so apart from the issues, while it may have been nice to exclusively breastfeed via nursing, I decided I didn’t want to go through possibly having the baby confused and rejecting bottles. I know of coworkers who have had to leave work during the day multiple times to go feed the baby and while I acknowledge that there’s nothing wrong with that, I’d prefer to avoid the stress associated with that.

5. Milk Stash

As a working mom, I wanted to ensure that I established a milk stash before returning to work. Exclusively pumping, I’m able to track my total output and also increase my supply if necessary. I felt like with my first child I was constantly trying to figure out if I was making enough milk because it never seemed that she was getting enough. I honestly thought that I was always trying to play catch up with my supply.

6. Premature Babies

If you have a baby that is in the NICU chances are you still want to supply them with breast milk. Considering that you’re not with the baby 24/7 and may only be allowed to visit for short stints, in this instance exclusive pumping is the perfect option for you. It will allow you to express and supply milk to the baby while they’re in hospital. This way, the baby can still get the benefits of breast milk and essentially everyone wins.

So that’s just my take on choosing to exclusively pump. If you’re an exclusive pumper or someone interested in trying it, let me know your reasons down below in the comments.