Why Do I Pump?

...because I would rather ride this wave of oversupply than let my milk dry up and potentially damage my nursing journey.

Moms who pump are a fringe on the tapestry of breastfeeding. (I really prefer to call it nursing--breastfeeding is simply feeding at the breast BUT nursing is feeding and nurturing.)

I nurse AND pump.

I don't mind answering questions about either.

Seriously, I study breastfeeding and breastmilk constantly. I am always trying to find the most current info. I'm passionate about it and love sharing what I'm learning.

But!

I don't like being questioned about why I make a personal choice.

For me, pumping was just that--a personal choice I made. It's purely selfish in nature, too. I literally pump milk because I hate the full feeling I get when  baby hasn't nursed in a while. She's mainly a night feeder, so during the day I pump for my comfort. The stash itself is nice but irrelevant, just an outlier to something I do that is for me first.

I don't do it because I'm lazy. (It's a lot more work than simply latching.)

I don't do it because I enjoy it. (I legit do not.)

I don't do it for likes.

I don't do it for approval.

I don't do it to show off how much milk I can move. (Because that's not how much I make--no pump removes 100%.)

I don't do it because it's easy.

I don't do it because it's fun.

Every once in a while I'll share a stash photo here or on my social media. And every time, I'll get the obligatory comment about how it isn't fair to brag when *insert reason why my stash photos offend*

I ignore those.

Know why?

Because Tiger Lily and I are my why.

I do this for my comfort, but also for her nourishment.

The better question is, why does it bother you how I feed my kid, if it doesn't cost you time, money, or energy???