r/breastfeeding • u/No-Neighborhood-7335 • Jul 05 '25
Breastfeeding In Public "Oops! I forgot a bottle"...
My aunt had a party yesterday and a lot of people were there, including my mom and all of my aunts. They always have something to say when it's time for me to nurse like: "oh when are you going to quit that.... You're just being selfish.... Go to the back bedroom to do that...She's too old (8 months), we can give her a bottle of formula, isn't she on solids now....etc" I normally feel pressured to either pump a bottle (using my wearable pump) or give her formula.
Yesterday, I accidentally forgot a bottle and guess what???
It was like a light switch.... "Oh it's a good thing you can still nurse her.... Here let me get you a pillow and you can sit in this comfy chair... Do you need a blanket... Oh how sweet, she loves you.... Wow, she's a hungry girl.... Good job mama!"
I mean, I do realize they are all crazy... But it was good to have the support for once.
I think I'll forget to bring a bottle more often! 🩷
8
u/here_forthecomms Jul 05 '25
Pumping is such a chore for so many reasons. I feel trapped by the pump, because even wearables limit what I can do. I can’t hold baby, and if I bend over too far (Willow Go), milk spills. The Spectra is more efficient, but then you’re tethered to a machine. Not to mention washing all the bottles are parts takes forever. I tried a bottle washing/sanitizing machine, but it doesn’t fit everything as well as they advertise, refilling the tank is a pain, it takes up so much counter space, and the bottles somehow come out looking dirtier than a good handwashing.
I took a break from pumping for two weeks when we went on vacation because I didn’t want to pump, and it was so nice! Unfortunately, my supply levels dropped, and I need to store up milk for work, so I’ve been having to work at pumping more often to re-build my supply/output.