u/CorrectMechanic1763

This is my first Reddit “post”. I’m not entirely sure how to go about this, so bear with me. Im currently 4 weeks PP and a first time mom. When I was pregnant I was convinced I was gonna be able to easily nurse and I wouldn’t have to worry about pumping/formula. That idea was totally naive and I’m currently exclusively pumping. It was really tough to accept that this was my reality. I will occasionally try to practice nursing with a nipple shield but that tends to make me feel discouraged watching my baby get frustrated and struggle to latch, so I tend to only pump. My supply is currently meeting my babies feeding needs, I pump 6 times a day, every 4 hours and get 4-6oz each pump. I do feel encouraged about that but the pumping itself is really hard. I’m trying to stay motivated in continuing. I was originally pumping 8 times in a 24hr period but that was starting to reck my mental health and further my sleep deprivation. Right now my husband is at home and will be for 4 more weeks, so he has been a big help but I’m so anxious for when he goes back to work. I worry I won’t be able to pump, tend to my baby, and somehow find time to sleep and care for myself. Does anyone have any recommendations for a 24hr schedule that works for them? Again I’m pumping every 4 hrs (12am,4am, 8am, 12pm….etc). My husband will be able to help when he gets home but I really don’t want him to wake up during the night since he commutes to work. So if anyone has a pumping schedule where they are the primary caretaker, that would be very helpful. Also any tips on how to pump and feed a baby at the same time, or just do anything while pumping. I do use my boppy to help prop my baby up when I’m feeding her and pumping at the same time but it all feels inorganic and just overall awkward. I’m currently using the Ameda Glo hands free pumps. They are working for the most part but I have heard wearables aren’t a good primary pump, so advice on that would also be appreciated. Sorry if this post was all over the place, I have so many thoughts and emotions on pumping that it’s hard to organize what I want to say. I’m at a constant battle with myself on whether or not I should continue pumping. So any encouragement or tips would be amazing. Thank you!