Extended BFers - when did you stop pumping?

[jfh]

I love BFing but I hate pumping. When is it possible to stop pumping but keep BFing? I'm hoping to send him to daycare with WCM or an alternative at 1 year - will I still be able to BF when he's not at DC? Or will I dry up? I need to see a light at the end of the pumping tunnel!

[laurack]

I hear ya! I'm definitely done with pumping by 1, she has no issue with dairy that I can see so I don't see any issue with sending WCM with her to daycare.

I am not sure if it will be the beginning of the end as any story I've heard of people who stop pumping before 1, then the milk starts to dry up and within a month or so there isn't any left and they have to supplement at night/morning too.

Not sure if when they are 1+ dropping day pumps doesn't affect supply so much?

Also even 1 is still 4 whole months away. Sometimes I think I'll never make it that long pumping at work, but hey I've made it this far so who knows.

[lauranicole91]

I am dying to know the magical answers to this. I won't be allowed to pump at work after a year and I dread pumping altogether so I doubt I'll be able to convince myself to pump at home.

[formerlyllizzyb]

I think I'm about to stop pumping at work, but I only work two days a week.

Here's my nursing schedule on days that I work:
sometimes a feed at 4 a.m. if he wakes
nurse just before I leave at 7 a.m.
pump 8-10 oz at 11 a.m.
nurse at 4 p.m.
nurse at 7 p.m.

I don't think my supply will suffer too much if I quit pumping just those two days and nurse on demand when I'm home the other five days. But I realize my situation is unique.

I think we're going to mix my freezer stash with formula for his two 4 oz. bottles those days. That should get us through 3-4 weeks, and then straight formula bottles while I'm gone.

[Dorothy Zbornak]

I can't quite remember ... I always had my pump in my office and pumped when I felt engorged. I think by the time she was over a year I wasn't pumping regularly anymore.

Sent from the future.

[hass2001]

I've dropped a pump session at work, so now I'm down to two. It still sucks! After a year though I plan to go down to once a day at work, and then hopefully down to zero.

My friend who has a 15 month old just nurses at night and she is still producing just fine, even with only one nursing session a day.

[laurack]

I usually pump twice a day, at lunch (i stay on the pump a long time and usually get a good amount) and then once in the afternoon. But I haven't been doing my afternoon pump and I'm eating into freezer stash. Blah. Just sick of pumping. Even if I do the afternoon pump I get like, 2-3oz from it and then I feel like there's nothing in there for her when I get home.

I might start looking into some lactation cookie recipes again and start taking fenugreek/smelling like indian food.

A year is a loooong time to be pumping at work! Especially here in the US where its all about business.. sometimes I feel like it's so unprofessional of me to still be pumping. I'll be done pumping then I'll get KU again and it will be same again for another 2 years.. pregnancy brain... maternity leave.. mom brain.. pumping! ha.

[kdrake8]

Jan 3, 2013 14:24:52 GMT -5 hass2001 said:

I've dropped a pump session at work, so now I'm down to two. It still sucks! After a year though I plan to go down to once a day at work, and then hopefully down to zero.

My friend who has a 15 month old just nurses at night and she is still producing just fine, even with only one nursing session a day.

Two sounds luxurious. Ahhh I'm jealous. I do three... Two of mine are close together but I still can't bring myself to give up that last pump... I get 2-3 oz and I neeeeed them, let me tell you.

We just upped to 3 meals a day, though, so maybe that will change?

[laurack]

Jan 3, 2013 15:08:39 GMT -5 kdrake8 said:

I still can't bring myself to give up that last pump... I get 2-3 oz and I neeeeed them, let me tell you.

Do you feel like when you get home there's nothing in there? I wonder if they still get a decent amount even when they feel super deflated.

I feel like before bed she should be getting a good milk feed but they never feel at all full if I do my afternoon pump for that 2-3oz

[christidee]

I am interested to see if there are anymore responses. I don't plan to fully wean DS until August, but I think I will drop one of my two work pumping sessions after spring break. It will be the first week of April and he was born the 9th. I've still got 4 freezer bags full of frozen milk in the outside freezer that I am rotating through and one additional bag in the inside freezer.

[hass2001]

Jan 3, 2013 15:08:39 GMT -5 kdrake8 said:

Jan 3, 2013 14:24:52 GMT -5 hass2001 said:

I've dropped a pump session at work, so now I'm down to two. It still sucks! After a year though I plan to go down to once a day at work, and then hopefully down to zero.

My friend who has a 15 month old just nurses at night and she is still producing just fine, even with only one nursing session a day.

Two sounds luxurious. Ahhh I'm jealous. I do three... Two of mine are close together but I still can't bring myself to give up that last pump... I get 2-3 oz and I neeeeed them, let me tell you.

We just upped to 3 meals a day, though, so maybe that will change?

I might go back, because I really need those oz too. I'm just testing it for now. I can manage 4.5 to 5 oz (each pump) with 2 pumps a day vs. 3 oz for each pump, 3 times a day. So I figure why the extra pump if I don't get anything more?

[kdrake8]

Jan 3, 2013 15:13:19 GMT -5 laurack said:

Jan 3, 2013 15:08:39 GMT -5 kdrake8 said:

I still can't bring myself to give up that last pump... I get 2-3 oz and I neeeeed them, let me tell you.

Do you feel like when you get home there's nothing in there? I wonder if they still get a decent amount even when they feel super deflated.

I feel like before bed she should be getting a good milk feed but they never feel at all full if I do my afternoon pump for that 2-3oz

I *think* she gets enough.... She seems to?? We nurse 2-3 times after school. We only get three in if I force it; she's content with two.

[nilex0102]

So having nursed DS for 16 months and pumped at work ... I think the deflated thing is fine. Generally they take the big amounts of milk in the morning when your production is highest. As long as they are content/ gaining and have enough diapers I would not worry.
As far a pumping goes I had a little break between jobs and went back right before DS turned one last time. When I went back I did not pump and just nursed morning evening and before naps/ on demand on weekends. No issue with supply there. But I had a large stash to send with him since the transition to whole milk took him a couple of months. I will do the same this time.
Sorry to post and run back to work. Feel free to ask questions I can answer later tonight

[spaghetticat]

This is a huge worry of mine. I despise pumping so much. I do it once in the MOTN, once in the AM, twice at work and once at night, after she goes to bed. But I only get 5-6 oz. total at work, so I need to pump that much to keep up. My fear is that she will not be able to have cow's or soy milk and I will need to keep feeding her large quantities of breast milk. I'm glad that it seems possible to just nurse in the morning and at night, though.

[EllieArroway]

(butting in) I stopped pumping when DS turned one & switched him to WCM during the day, but kept nursing him in the mornings & at bedtime (and later just in the mornings) until he was 18 months.

[wildcatprincess]

I went from 3 sessions to 1 at a year with DD and maybe a month after that stopped altogether. She was getting a mix of frozen BM and goat milk at that point. I've only had 2 sessions a shift this time around and will probably stop right after a year. I have a bigger stash this time and he has started only taking 3-4 oz while I'm gone anyway. I only work 1-2 days a week so it didn't seem to harm my supply.