Top Ten Reasons EPing is easier than BFing for me

Now, I'm not going to say that EP is better for baby than BFing, because it's not. There are certain immunological and orthodontic advantages that can only be had by placing baby to breast. However, I'm a firm believer in happy mommy=happy baby, and EPing makes me much happier than BFing for these reasons:

10. I can have wine with dinner every now and again because I know exactly when my next pump is going to be (and I can delay it if necessary).

9. Even though I have to get up in the middle of the night to pump, I can do it on my schedule instead of hers, especially now that she's sleeping longer.

8. I can leave her home on weekends while I go run errands and not worry about what my poor husband's going to do if she gets noshy.

7. I don't have to worry about making other people uncomfortable in public. Yeah, I know, breastfeeding in public is every woman's right, yadda, yadda, but I don't like making people uncomfortable. It's rude. And incidentally, I have pumped in public (on the train), but because it's a machine instead of a baby, no one really knows what's going on, or even notices anything strange.

6. I know how much she's eating. This gives me some peace of mind.

5. No worries about nipple confusion.

4. The pump always latches properly.

3. I have built-in breaks in my schedule. Pumping is not the most fun thing in the world, but it forces me to sit down and do close to nothing (writing in this blog, reading, occasionally knitting).

2. If (when) my nipples get sore, I can ease up on the suction and give them a little rest.

1. I can feed her in a moving vehicle without worrying about her hurting me or vice versa.

Today's tip: make sure both your ob and pediatrician know you're planning to do this. Don't just tell them once, tell them repeatedly.