Pumping vs. Breastfeeding – Pros and Cons

May 11, 2018 /

Written by Jana Angeles 

As a mother, you’re faced with the tough decision of making the “right” choice for your baby. But no matter what choice you pick, you feel like you’re being scrutinised by making it in the first place. You will come across people with different opinions on things and one of the ones you’ll hear more about is how you should be feeding your baby. Whether you like to believe it or not, it all depends on circumstance and what your preference is.  

Nobody should be judged by how they choose to feed the baby. Either way, we should stick to what we know as mothers and not feel like we have to place so much pressure on ourselves from societal expectations. We’re just doing our best, right? As a guide only, this article informs you about the pros and cons of breastfeeding. In the end, it’s all about prioritising what you believe is best for you and your baby. 

Pumping 

Pros 

  • You can monitor it easily – when you’re feeding your baby after you have pumped some milk from your breast, you can see how they have consumed and keep track of it. You’ll know how much milk they require for each feeding session. 
  • You save time – team work has never been so easy. While you have those mid-dawn shifts when attending the hunger of your baby, you can ask your partner to bottle-feed your child while you pump for the next bottle. You get more minutes of sleep out of it, which is always a plus. 
  • Get family and friends involved – having a bottle of breastmilk already comes handy, so if you’re visiting relatives or close friends, you can hand them the bottle for a feeding session while you pump breastmilk. It gives them the opportunity to bond with your baby as well.

Cons 

  • Contamination – unfortunately, the milk you produce is not directly coming from the breast and there’s a possibility that contamination can happen either from the pump parts and bottles. 
  • You still need to clean up – washing more bottles on top of your own dishes is not fun. 
  • It can feel isolating – unlike breastfeeding, you can’t multitask when you’re pumping. You have to do this to maintain your privacy and it can feel lonely sometimes, especially if you want to keep talking to your friend but you baby needs feeding and you haven’t pumped milk yet. 

 Breastfeeding 

Pros 

  • You don’t need to carry the extra weight – it saves you from dragging around heavy pump equipment and ice packs. All you need to bring is your breastfeeding wrap and you’re all set. 
  • You don’t need to use bottles – imagine the time and water you’ll save by not having to wash and sterilise them because you’re breastfeeding! 
  • You’ll feel a closer bond with your baby – breastfeeding is great for bonding with your baby. You can’t resist their cuteness, plus skin-to-skin contact does them good! You’ll feel the bonds between you and your baby form while breastfeeding.

Cons 

  • Nobody can help you – when you’re breastfeeding, you’re on-the-clock every few hours when it comes to feeding your hungry baby. You have to arrange your appointments and errands that suit your feeding schedule of your child, which can be challenging. You are the food supplier after all! 
  • It takes a lot of time – compared to pumping, breastfeeding will feel like an eternity. You don’t know when it’ll end. When you’re feeding on the bottle, it’s much easier to keep track of when they’ll be finished and satisfied from their hunger. 
  • Difficult to do it in a public setting – believe it or not, there are still places/individuals who shame mothers for breastfeeding in public. Let’s face it, it’s hard to be discrete and people know when you’re doing it.  

Even though we’ve addressed the pros and cons of pumping and breastfeeding, it honestly depends on the mother and her decision on what works for her. If you feel that you like one option more than the other, don’t let another person’s opinion change how you feel about it. Both come with great benefits, so make a decision that sits right with you.