“It Took A Toll On My Mental Health” First Time Mom Regrets Exclusively Pumping

One woman regrets obsessing about pumping instead of spending her time making memories with her newborn

The Backstory

Exclusively pumping is a huge commitment, but it’s not without its rewards. For many moms, pumping offers the ability to feed their babies on their own schedule, but for others, it can be a huge burden. A recent Reddit post highlighted one mother’s story of regretting not stopping earlier.

In a post on the r/beyondthebump subreddit, one mother recounted her story of exclusively pumping for her son. She said she felt drained both physically and mentally. She explained, “I was exclusively pumping for 8 months and it really took a toll on my mental health. I was so exhausted all the time, and often felt like a milk machine.”

The mother also said that she felt guilty for not being able to breastfeed her son, but that she eventually realized that she had to put her mental and physical health first. She wrote, “After months of pumping and feeling like a failure, I finally stopped and switched to formula. It is the best decision I have ever made. I feel so much better, I have energy now and actually enjoy my time with my baby. I just wish I stopped sooner.”

Her story resonates with many mothers who have felt the same pressures as she did, and it serves as a reminder that taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your baby. The decision to stop exclusively pumping is a personal one and should be made according to what is best for each individual mother.

The post also serves to remind mothers that there is nothing wrong with opting to use formula instead of nursing or pumping. As the mother in the post wrote, “It’s ok to stop pumping, it’s ok to formula feed, it’s ok to do what is best for YOU and your baby.”

The post has garnered over one thousand upvotes and dozens of comments, many of which communicate similar sentiments of struggling to exclusively pump, feeling guilt, and ultimately deciding to stop. Many mothers have expressed their gratitude for the post, saying it helped them find the strength to make the same decision.

It is clear from this post that many mothers feel immense pressure to exclusively pump, but it’s important to remember that ultimately, the decision of whether or not to pump should be made according to what is best for the mother. Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your baby, and it’s okay to opt for formula if that is what is best for you. The support from other mothers that this post has received is a reminder that many other women have gone through similar struggles, and that it is perfectly okay to choose a different path.

In the comments on the post, many others have shared their own stories of struggling with exclusively pumping. One user wrote, “I wish I had stopped at 4 months because I felt so drained and exhausted. I was so stressed about not being able to produce enough that I was constantly anxious and felt like a failure.”

Another user shared, “I felt the same way. I was so focused on my baby getting enough breast milk that I didn’t realize I needed to take a break for myself too.”

Many other mothers echoed these sentiments, saying that they felt immense guilt for stopping exclusively pumping, but eventually realized that their mental and physical wellbeing needed to be taken care of before that of their baby.

The post serves as a reminder to mothers that they are not alone in this struggle and that it is perfectly okay to opt for formula if that is what is best for them. It is also a reminder that taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your baby, and that it is not a sign of failure if you decide to stop exclusively pumping.

Read Next:

9 Tips On How To Lose Weight While Breastfeeding

Her In-Laws Are Adamant That She Should Breastfeed – She Refuses

Source: Reddit