My Own Pumping Journey: Part 1 Ardo Carum

Breastfeeding is often portrayed as a natural, beautiful journey—something that just clicks for every mum. But as I learned shortly after my daughter was born, that’s not always the case. Like many new mums, I found myself navigating a sea of challenges, from latch issues to milk supply concerns. And while I hadn’t initially planned on pumping, circumstances quickly changed, and I found myself thrust into the world of breast pumps, completely unprepared.

This is the story of how my pumping journey began in the hospital, with an Ardo Carum pump and a lot of frustration.

The Beginning: Struggles with Breastfeeding

My daughter struggled to latch effectively right from the start. We were still in the hospital, and I was determined to breastfeed her despite these early challenges. The midwives gave me an Ardo Carum pump to help express milk, but beyond pointing me to the haiku on he pump, there wasn’t much guidance. I didn’t know anything about flange sizes, nipple fit, or what to expect when using a pump.

To make matters worse, my daughter was placed on antibiotics for a week, so we stayed longer than most families. I created my own pumping, formula, and breastfeeding schedule to boost my milk supply and ensure my daughter was fed. It was exhausting, especially without proper tools. I didn’t have a pumping bra, so I held the pump flanges in place manually while listening to a Bob Dylan podcast to pass the time. It felt like everything in the world was a trigger for tears—I was emotionally drained, running on empty.

The Carum is massive and took up a fair whack of floor space.  Also, holding pump flanges is your actual hands is awful.  

The daytime view, getting moved to a window was pretty game changing. 

A Moment of Frustration

The exhaustion started to take its toll. I was pumping every three hours, getting little to no sleep, and still trying to breastfeed in between. I vividly remember one sleep-deprived moment when I proudly showed my husband the 50mls of breastmilk I’d carefully pumped, telling him how precious it was, only to accidentally dump it out moments later. The devastation I felt in that instant was overwhelming.

I hated pumping—it felt more like an obligation than a solution. No one was available to teach me how to use the pump effectively, and I was constantly warned about oversupply and mastitis. It didn’t help that the pump I was using was actually intended for NICU mums, but because I had insisted on doing everything I could to breastfeed, they let me use it in the hospital.

Hooo boy, I do not miss these early days.  100% worth it though. 

Lesson Learned

Looking back, I realize that was my first big lesson: ask for what you need, and be clear about your goals. I wasn’t getting the support I needed at the time, but I learned that being vocal and persistent is crucial in this journey. I wasn’t about to give up, no matter how overwhelming pumping felt at the time.

Conclusion

The hospital was the first chapter of my pumping journey, and while it was an incredibly tough experience, it taught me that perseverance is key. I left the hospital still committed to breastfeeding, but the challenges didn’t stop there. In the next post, I’ll share my experience transitioning from the hospital’s pump to my first personal pump, the Medela Swing Maxi, and the challenges I faced along the way.