Bottle feeding and nursing to exclusively pumping?

Have any of you had to switch to exclusively pumping and/or been doing that from the start? My little guy has fully started teething and exploring his world now and it’s incredibly hard to get him to latch during the day and I’m considering switching to exclusively pumping. He gets so distracted while I’m trying to get him latched and then He gets really fussy and I honestly hate “forcing” him to do it if he’s done nursing.

The only problem with all of this is that I feel like I’m losing out in the connection that I have had with him since birth.

I had a short term goal of 6 months and he’s going to be 5 months on the 17th… should I just let it be okay that we made it this far and try to continue with my pumping? My mom says I should be proud that I could do it at all but I’m really struggling closing this chapter of my journey. Anyone else deal with this at all? How do I cope because I’m really struggling.

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Have you tried taking him to a dark, quiet(ish) room to feed him? I have to do that with my 4.5 month old or he won’t nurse either. It’s hard bc I have a 2 year old as well so I just give my toddler a quiet activity we do together while nursing my baby

i switched from BF to EP and was worried about the connection but it’s honestly not bad at all!! you can still make feeding a special time. I sing her songs, hold her in a nursing position, all the same things. yeah she gets distracted sometimes but when she’s tired she still snuggles up and has a quiet moment. Also if you want to preserve that special time you can always be the only person to feed her still! we’ve also increased contact naps around here because sometimes I miss that closeness and it’s really helped.

I have pretty much been exclusively pumping from the start. I still offer him the boob and sometimes he wants it but usually not. I don't feel like our connection is any less than it was or would've been. Really I think it's better now that he's not getting frustrated at the boob which made me frustrated. Much more peaceful. We love our contact naps as well.

thank you for your advice. I think I’m going to try to do the contact naps and see if that helps make the transition easier.

how have you liked exclusively pumping? And what pump do you use? I’m using the spectra s2 currently and I like it a lot but wish I was able to go hands free/mobile. My husband still wants me to try to offer the boob but I get easily overwhelmed and frustrated when little man doesn’t latch or stay latched. So I think I’ll try to still offer it but try to rein in those feelings of frustration i know they don’t make little man any happier either. Thank you for your words 💚

I’ve been trying that too but hell still find ways to move or distract himself! I think I’m going to try to keep offering him boob but not forcing him if he’s not wanting it. Thank you for your response!

I’ve been EP from the start. My daughter has lip ties and it was hard for her to latch and the couple times she did it hurt sooo bad. I decided to stop trying to latch her at 1.5 months because of my mental health. I really wanted to nurse for the connection and health benefits but our love for each other is unconditional. Yes EP is a lot of work I won’t lie to you. All the dishes and countless hours of pumping but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Be proud you made it this far and you’re still able to provide for your LO through pumping. Only you know what is best for your baby but no matter what you decide your boy will know you’re always there for him and you’re an amazing mom!

@Delaney honestly pumping isn't my favorite but it's worth it to me. Plus I like that dad or grandma can feed him if they want. I rented a medela for a while now I use the zomee which isnt hands free but a lot more portable bc of its small size. I don't know that it's the greatest pump out there but it gets the job done.

thank you so much for the reassurance 🥹 I’m incredibly proud that I’ve made it this far.. and my mom said the same thing. She said to try to focus on the positives instead of this minor negative. I’ve already started upping the contact naps and it makes me feel so much better about this transition!

I know this wasn’t directed towards me but i use the spectra s2 too and it’s awesome. idk about hands free bc i’ve never tried it but i heard they sometimes doesn’t have as strong of a suction. I have yet to get a clogged duct that hasn’t resolved itself within 24 hours with the S2 so I call that a win just because people who EP are more prone to them.

I had to switch at 3.5 months bc my son just started refusing to latch at all (we were dependent on a nipple shield so rough times from the start).
It took about 2 weeks to learn a decent flow and I'm still getting myself organized but I'm relieved now that we've made the switch and still get to snuggle while bottle feeding

that’s what I’m realizing is that not only am I feeling a little bit better because he’s not fussing while I’m trying to get him watched but I’m also finding different ways that I get to cuddle with him and spend some one-on-one time. I’m missing it but not as much as I thought I was going to.. it kind of feels like a weight has been lifted.

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