Breast Pumping Frustrations

(this by the way is the exact pump I have)


Since we brought Victor home it has been great except the part where I have constant interrupted sleep.
I am pumping and giving him bottle with breast milk. I must say pumping is even more frustrating than the interrupted sleep at night or having to feed Victor every 3 hours. Such a huge dependency.
I decided on pumping to give breast milk instead of formula. But I didn't realize that it would be so frustrating. It hurts my nipples, my boobs become so puffy and engorged when they feel up and I have to pump every 3 hours otherwise I get these lumps in my breast where the milk clogs up and it can lead to an infection called mastitis. The lumps are painful. Needless to say my breast are in some constant pain over the day and night. On top of that I have more milk than what he eats that I don't know what to do with. I have been storing it in the freezer but how much space will I need? I know that breast milk is preferred to formula but this constant breast irritation is not helping me to handle myself. I've already had the thoughts of my milk to stop coming.
The pumping process is quite frustrating itself as well. I have to lean forward for 20 mins, while the pump sucks the milk out through my nipples as it pulls them in they hurt. Because of my leaning forward position my back starts to hurt. Then it's putting the milk away, rinsing the equipment. By the time I am done I have to feed Victor, who takes like 30 mins to eat his 3 oz bottle. Than dipper change (on top of that he somehow wets himself when he pees, so now it's a whole outfit change). Doing this repeatedly over the day while fitting my normal schedule in and SLEEP....can be pretty frustrating.
I noticed that breastfeeding makes me very thirsty, so I am constantly looking for things to drink and they have to be cold. My eating schedule is off as well. I have been getting stomachaches especially over night time since I wake up and I am hungry but don't have time to eat myself.
It has been 3 weeks now and I am overall frustrated especially with the pumping sessions.
What I find interesting is that some people that have very low breast milk supply would "kill" to have more. And I went online looking for ways to lower my milk supply, however most sites that pooped up were how to increase milk supply. At a good pump session I can pull out up to 8 oz, and he at the moment only drinks 3 oz.

I came across a website that sells different opening for the pump. Apparently there are different sizes. I wondered if the size I have is too small for my nipples since it keeps rubbing them on the sides and irritates the hell out of them. I ordered the kit. This is the website: http://www.pumpinpal.com/
I have not received it yet but will share my results once I try it out.

To add to this frustration, I have figured out that I just want my body back to myself. I spend nine months in pregnancy and being cautious with food, drinks, going out, moving myself around. Now after delivery my vagina is healing, which I have to wait for before engaging in sex again. It has been forever since I have been able to enjoy sexual intercourse because of the pregnancy, now the healing process. And the boobs filling with milk every 3 hours causing a huge body discomfort are not very pleasurable to touch which is somewhat of a turn off to sex because it's painful. So yea, having my body back to myself would be great.

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