I did NOT set out to breast pump for over a year. I imagined a loving, tender, and easy nursing journey with my little one. Not only did that not happen, but it honestly kind of scared me from that whole “breastfeeding world.” My son came out of the womb with a stubborn, intense personality. He would be fed when he wanted it, wanted to be held only when he wanted it, and would only nurse when he wanted it. 16 months later his main name is …stinker… yep, it fits him perfectly!
Breast Pump Portable sytem
After two months of trying my hardest to breastfeed my son, I tried to go to formula. When I tried to move his milk to formula he became even MORE of a stinker. He would become irritated, unsettled, and even angry at times, for no apparent reason.
Thinking back to his early days makes me shudder and a little hesitant for any more children. He was not necessarily dairy intolerant but dairy definitely didn’t do well in his system. So we switched to type of formula that was for dairy intolerant babies but it was crazy expensive and tasted (and smelled) horrible… as you can imagine that didn’t last long because he literally just wouldn’t drink his bottle.
Mind you, all this time I was pumping because I wasn’t sure if he would maybe come back to the breast after trying all these formulas. That is where my journey with breast pumping came to be. I started with one of those mac daddies that plug into the wall and your stuck in the one spot for 15-20 minutes (or however long your pumping session was). Now I will say, in order to keep my supply up I had to use one of those plug-in pumps at least once or twice a day to make sure I pumped out all my milk efficiently and not leave anything stagnant in my breast.
Once I learned that my little one was not coming back to the breast and the formula game was not happening I decided to go dairy free and pump like it was a full time job!
Ameda Mya Joy became my new best bud. Let me tell you, I did not realize I could have been so close to a breast pump. I used that pump for about a year and I still feel like its power was just as strong and when I first used it too. It does come with a couple different replacement parts but if you find yourself needing additional parts, then Amazon or their website (which I’ll link below) has all that you need.
I was not an over producer by any means but I was able to maintain my supply with ease with the Ameda Mya Joy becasue I was able to MOVE! I got my self a pumping bra (Yes, they do make those) and was able to get some stuff done while I pumped. I would actually cook dinner while I was pumping. My main activity was scrolling through the internet because I was able to have both of my hands free. This pump is so little that you can put it just about anywhere and it not be in the way.
I could not recommend this product enough. Even though I was not able to nurse my son for a year, I was still able to give him breast milk for over a year. I felt like I gave him my all while saving a TON of money! While this journey is not one I am looking to repeat in the near future it gives me peace of mind knowing that if breastfeeding doesn’t happen with my second, I know I can still provide my babies with breastmilk. This pump helped me have what I didn’t think was possible, a life while also still breastfeeding.
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AskNurseLauren 