Some things to consider before choosing to EP-

Recently someone I love told me she plans to exclusively pump. Her only reason was she doesn’t want to be the only one to feed the baby.

There are lots of good reasons to EP. Lots. And I am fully supportive of women making the most empowered decision with their partner to do what works for them. I’ve done just about everything to feed my babies from EFF to EBF.

Something I want to tell the mom who just doesn’t want to get touched out being the only one who can feed baby, combining pumping with nursing has been the most liberating approach to feeding my baby and let me tell you about it.

I have never been a massive supplier. My first I ended up EFF quite quickly because of many reasons, low supply being one. Supply has always been a worry for me, and supply is truly the biggest stressor many women face. The second is how much work it takes to feed your baby breastmilk in any capacity.

So, if you’re considering EPing as a pregnant mom who’s never fed a baby, let me tell you why I’d wait before jumping right onto the pump in the hospital and never latching. If you don’t latch baby early and often, you will likely not be able to go back and try nursing without significant support from professionals. It’s a learned skill, one babies quickly swear off after birth if they never do it. If you even think you might want to nurse sometimes, nurse from the beginning.

Why do I love nursing AND pumping? I can feed however I want, whenever I want, as much as I want whatever milk I want. It’s the best of all the worlds when it comes to feeding. You can nurse on the go and skip prepping bottles when you don’t want to, you can leave the baby with other adults to feed them breastmilk or breastmilk/formula combo. You can opt out of night feeding if you need, and give dad a bottle of pumping or combined milk to feed when it’s early recovery. You can return to work and pump there, and go home and bond with baby nursing. You can bond when you feel like it by nursing, you can bottle feed and bond too. You basically get to decide.

And in 2025 there are numerous pump options for the mom on the go. I’ve attended events with friends, with family, and brought my wearables for the empty I would’ve missed. Laws are not restrictive in 2025, and many employers are supportive of lactating moms.

Basically. Combining pumping with nursing is the best of all worlds. The only hard part is establishing nursing early on really thoroughly so your supply is nice and solid. But if you want to feed breastmilk, pumping or nursing, establishing your supply is a labor of love.

So if you ALREADY want to feed breastmilk, and you ALREADY are planning to make that labor of love, do yourself a favor, and don’t jump straight to EPing.

I know there’s tons of good reasons to EP, and it’s a valid and wonderful way to feed baby. But I have seen new moms who don’t know that it’s possible to have this much freedom as a mom who feeds breastmilk who think EPing is the only way to not being baby with them everywhere if they want to leave for a bit. In fact, I haven’t known an EP mom who thinks it’s easier. I had only heard it’s one of the hardest labors of love, in fact- it’s one I don’t think I’d ever choose. I think EP moms are heroes.

But if you think the only way to have “me time” is to swear off nursing and EP, it’s not! You can have flexibility and do a combo of everything (nursing, pumping, formula, etc)!

Any EP moms have thoughts they’d add? Hopefully it’s clear EP is truly a beautiful way to feed baby. Would you recommend it as a first option? What say the breastfeeding mamas?