weaning from the pump

[ijack]

So I decided yesterday I'm done pumping, but I'm not sure what exactly to do. Some mornings Q is up to nurse before I leave, but most often she isn't and I can't figure out if I should cut out the pumping session I do if she doesn't eat in the am or just cut out the ones at work. Right now I pump 2x a day, maybe a 3rd if she doesn't eat first thing. I guess I'm torn because sometimes she wants to eat before I leave and obviously she nurses on the weekends.
I think I'm just having a hard time letting go (even though I HATE pumping) and need someone to tell me to just stop over thinking this.

[Deleted]

If you want to continue nursing on the weekend I would pump before work if she's not up to eat. My thinking is if you nurse all day Sunday and then she's not up Monday morning I think you'll be awfully full/sore by Monday evening if you don't at least pump that morning before you leave. I think you'll have an easier time training your body if you just aren't pumping while at work. But that's only based on my experience.

[psyck]

When I was weaning from the pump, I just gradually dropped pumpings, until I was finished. So I was pumping seven times a day, I went to six pumpings, then five, etc. Drop a pumping for a few days, then drop another one. Make your first morning pump the last one that you drop. I felt so good after I wasn't tied to the pump all the time!

[Deleted]

How old is your baby? I went back to work at 12 months and just never pumped. He does always nurse in the morning, though, and I am pretty full by the time I get home (about 9 hours later). So I would start by dropping the other pumps and keep one on mornings she doesn't eat for a while. Then try a day without it.

I've had zero issues going back and forth - he still nurses quite a lot.

[ijack]

She's 10 months old. I didn't pump at all at work yesterday (though she ate in the morning and before bed) and then felt super full when I woke up today. So I pumped this morning and I guess I'll just nurse again tonight. I love that she sleeps in, but I hate it means I have to pump

[Deleted]

I dropped sessions slowly. I was pumping 5x a day at one point. Gradually went down to 4, 3, 2, then just once at work. It took about a month IIRC.

[mrshandy]

I would just cut out pumping at work.

Your body will adjust.

I stopped pumping at work at 14 months and DS (23 months) now only nurses mornings, evenings, and weekends. Around 15 months I didn't nurse one time in the morning and it hurt like a mother f*cker.

Now I could probably not nurse in the morning and it wouldn't be too bad. So maybe eventually you could drop the morning pump, but I would just start with dropping work pumping and go from there.

[nabum]

This is a good question because I'm about at the end of my chain with pumping also.

So if I nurse on demand all weekend, am I going to be a leaky, sore mess on Monday at work if I don't pump?

[Deleted]

Jun 12, 2012 11:55:54 GMT -5 nabum said:

This is a good question because I'm about at the end of my chain with pumping also.

So if I nurse on demand all weekend, am I going to be a leaky, sore mess on Monday at work if I don't pump?

I'm full at the end of the day, but haven't leaked and I can still bike 20 minutes home. I was concerned it wouldn't work before I came back, but it's been fine. I also have good boobs that don't seem to mind going back and forth between lots of nursing and little nursing - no clogged ducts or mastitis or anything. If you're prone to those things it might be more of a problem.

[mrshandy]

Jun 12, 2012 11:55:54 GMT -5 nabum said:

This is a good question because I'm about at the end of my chain with pumping also.

So if I nurse on demand all weekend, am I going to be a leaky, sore mess on Monday at work if I don't pump?

Once I was done pumping, I never really had this problem. I was sore for maybe the first few weeks, then I was fine. I've gone on vacation where DS nursed a lot more for days and days, but gone back to work and not nursed for a whole day and been fine.