Weaning from pump

[linz]

I'm down to 2 sessions a day...morning and before bed. How do I cut these? A friend said to just not pump till empty, but I've already been getting clogs since I'm so full so I'm afraid to do that. My supply has been slowing down but I'm still getting about 10-12 oz per session.

[ssmjlm]

AmyRI may have some good tips.

Are you getting less at 1 session vs another? I slowly reduced the pump time of the smaller session first. Say 20mins to 15, then 15 to 10, then cut that one.

When I was at 10min for the lower session, I reduced the other session by 5 minutes. I did this over the course of a couple weeks, reducing every 2-3 days.

Are you taking lecithin already? I went back to the full dose of 4 pills while I was reducing, when I was previously just down to 1 pill a day.

[kaycee]

I came in to say that I just dropped it cold turkey, but I was not getting nearly that much a session. I would probably drop one completely and just make sure to massage any potential clogs out during the other then in a couple days drop the other.

[turtlegirl]

I think at some point I just stopped pumping st certain times and just went as long as I could without feeling like I was going to explode. Then I would only pump a few oz to releave pressure. After a few days I was able to completely stop.

[pinotgrig]

I think you'll have to stop pumping before you're empty, since when you empty your breasts you're telling your body to make more. I did what ssmjlm suggested about shaving off a few minutes each time. You might need to do it more slowly since your output is relatively high, though.

GL! It was a great feeling to finally be free from the pump.

[AmyRI]

Honestly, if you're still engorged before the sessions and getting plugs, I think you need to cut back more gradually. Give yourself a week at the current schedule. Then either pump less (both time and volume) at those 2 sessions or go 16-18 hours between pumps instead. Just go really slowly or clogs will be a big problem.

[linz]

Sept 28, 2015 7:44:06 GMT -5 RexManningDay said:

I'M SO EXCITED FOR US.

I'm excited but sad. It's been so freeing cutting back from pumping 5x a day but our babies will be 1 in 2 weeks! I'm pretty proud of myself for making it this far though. I never thought I'd still be pumping and have freezer milk at this point. 

[shortstax]

My suggestion is to drop 1 pump session per day each week.

i did this right after labor day, and now I've been pump free for 4 days. I thought I'd be in pain and sad, but I feel like I have my life back!

Good luck!

[nessness]

Sept 28, 2015 9:18:39 GMT -5 linz said:

Sept 28, 2015 7:44:06 GMT -5 RexManningDay said:

I'M SO EXCITED FOR US.

I'm excited but sad. It's been so freeing cutting back from pumping 5x a day but our babies will be 1 in 2 weeks! I'm pretty proud of myself for making it this far though. I never thought I'd still be pumping and have freezer milk at this point. 

I'm super proud of you too! EPing for twins sounds like a ton of work.

I cut down to 2X/day last week and it already feels much more manageable. I'm planning to introduce cow's milk this weekend. She's already drinking BM from a sippy cup exclusively at daycare, so hopefully it will be a smooth transition!