Need Advice on Pumping Breastmilk--How Long Did You Pump

I pumped at work for about 3 1/2 months then got tired of it. I switched to pumping at night while he was asleep but that also ended not to long after. I figured I would nurse as much as possible while I was with him and give him organic formula while I was away at work (2 1/2 days per week). He had reduced his bottles down to one a day while I was away and substituted solids so it worked out fine. I'm still nursing at 17 months and plan to nurse until he gives me the sign or until he's 3, whichever comes first. I can talk more with you if you'd like to send me a message. Gotta go. HTH!

I work full time away from home, so I quit pumping when my son turned 1. However, I continued to nurse him until just after his 3rd birthday, when he self-weaned. He did drink cows milk, but it took him a while to develop a taste for it. He also loved yogurt and cottage cheese, so I never worried too much that he wasn't getting enuf calcium.

For me, nursing a toddler was way better than nursing an infant, since I knew he had other sources of nutrition, besides mommy milk. I also hated that darn pump, and was very glad when I could kick that thing to the curb. Actually, I sold it on ebay, and got a nice chunk of change for it!

Feel free to kick your pump to the curb as well! And enjoy nursing your toddler.

D.

You can stop pumping! Your body will adjust to the new breast feeding schedule - and its great that your boy will take milk too. Good job momma!!!! I stopped around the same time. It was hard to stop, but my milk adjusted and I am still BF 1-3 times a day and my girl is 22 months.

I stopped pumping for my son when he was around 13 months old, and nursed him until he was 20 months old (he self-weaned and I was 6 months pregnant - my boobs needed a break before the next baby!) Until he was around 16 months old he would nurse mornings, right after work, and before bed. (Maybe more on the weekends). Eventually we were down to mornings and evenings, and then just mornings.

I "weaned" from the pump over a 1-2 week period by pumping for only 10, and then 5 minutes per day, no matter how much I got out in that time period. At this point your supply is very well regulated and since you're only getting around 2 oz you probably just need to pump for your own comfort.

Good for you for keeping it up this long! I was VERY happy to be done pumping, but I loved nursing my toddler.

I stopped pumping about the time my son turned a year. (I too was getting a lot less when I pumped close to the 1 year mark) I continued to nurse until he was a little over 2. He had cow's milk during the day while I worked. Supply met demand.

I don't work outside the home but it was probably around your son's age that I decided that pumping wasn't worth my time anymore. She got enough milk from me that I thought water was fine when I couldn't be there. I guess it depends how much he nurses when you're together. You don't want to short-change him
nutritionally but I would think that water is fine as long as
he nurses regularly. I never give cow's milk. I personally would rather substitute with yogurt or greens or anything else with lots of calcium. Cow's milk makes me a little uncomfortable. My daughter is 26 months and still nursing and has never had cow's milk and is really healthy.