My daughter just turned one year. I have breastfed her - I work, so the caregiver has given her bottles of my milk twice a day for the past 6 months. I have loved breast feeding her and I don't want to stop...however, I am really ready to stop pumping. I am a teacher so I get home around 3:15. I have been nursing her when she wakes up around 6am and then pumping at about 6:30 am. I go until 11:40 when I have about 12-15 minutes to pump. I nurse her immediately when I get home and then again before she goes to bed around 6:30pm. Sometimes I pump after that. My question is, if I eliminate the 11:40 pumping but keep everything else the same, will I be able to keep up the supply? Will the supply meet the new demand?
I have already tried whole cow's milk and she was fine with it, so I wonder if she could drink that during the day when I am away, and then drink breast milk at the times when I am at home.
I know that probably all of us are different and what worked for some may not work for me, but I'd love some advice. Thanks!
I think you'll be fine eliminating one pumping at a time. I worked part-time when my kids were little, and it was truly amazing to me how my body could adjust to a kind of crazy and unpredictable schedule. By a year, I never pumped, almost never got engorged, and yet had plenty of milk when I was at home.
at one, nursing is really more about bonding than full nutrition. In fact there are some items in cow's milk that aren't in breast milk and so likely your pediatrician may recommend you giving her some cow's milk provided there are no allergy issues. You have done fabulously providing her breast milk so long. So really it is about preference. Scientifically, there is basically no great additional benefit to nursing more versus less at this stage. So I would do whatever is best for you. It is also important for baby that mom be less stressed rather than more stressed.
Funny, my name is E. S also! I worked 30 hours when my two children were infants (now 20 and 22). I never pumped, I used the collection cups when they were very small and then supplemented with dry formula later on. I never had a problem with supply when I was with the babies. Your body should adjust to the demand. I did have to watch my liquid intake when I was away from them so I didn't get gorged. Good luck to you.
I am going through the exact same thing, my boy just turned one, I pump at work once a day. My supply has dwindled now that he eats 3 solid food meals per day. I used to get 7-12 oz when I pumped, now I usually pump 5oz. I suspect that eliminating the demand during the day will only accelerate that trend. I the LLL forums usually have all the best info, or www.kellymom.com. Awesome site.
Good luck! D.
Hi E.,
I am in the process (I think) of weaning my son. I stay at home, but on the days that my mom watches him (about once a week), I stopped pumping about 6 months ago.
If you cut out your mid-day pump you should be just fine with the a.m. and pm feedings. My son drinks soy milk when I am away from him.
That sounds like a great solution. You may feel a little like Dolly Parton the first few days that you don't pump, but your body will adjust. :-)
Best of Luck,
B.
I did a similar thing. I stopped pumping at work because it was such a pain & I hated it. Quickly after that, I stopped the evening pumping as well (I really hated pumping!)I started subbing the breastmilk with organic toddler formula in his bottle and he did fine. The sitter gives him his bottle before his nap, just as I would give him the breast before his nap and he falls right asleep. I considered even switching to a sippy cup but we decided to keep it in a bottle to closely resemble nursing as much as possible. I still nurse about 4-5 times per day now that he's 16 months old. My supply kept up fine. Our bodies really are amazing that way! Good luck and kudos for you to continue nursing past a year :) Too bad so many people are brainwashed into thinking that our babies don't need breastmilk after that magical 1st birthday!
First, know that your body will continue to produce milk for your daughter whenever she wants it. If you stop pumping all together you will still be able to nurse her to sleep and when she first wakes up in the morning. I stopped pumping when my older son was 10 months (stopped producing much for the pump long before that) and he always had the milk he required when we were together. My husband gave him bottles of formula mixed with the little breast milk I could get before he turned 1, and cow's milk after that. He continued to nurse until he decided to stop.
I am a determined breast feeder, but I also believe that the regular feeding schedule should apply, with nursing as a big bonus. Keep you bonding time while freeing yourself from the machine. If that is what you wish. Good Luck!
I stopped pumping at 12 months for my daughter but still continue to nurse her on demand on a daily basis now (she is 15 months). I just couldn't handle pumping anymore with very little results.
My experience is that neither of us (my daughter or myself) have any issues. When I am not around, she is happy to drink cow's milk from a sippy and when I am around, she is welcome to ask to nurse if she wishes. I still nurse every day when she wakes and before she goes to bed. Some days she chooses to nurse during the day 1 or 2 times and sometimes she doesn't care too. The choice is hers. I intend on continuing this till about 2 years if she chooses. But not pumping has become a non issue for us and I am happy to eliminate that from my otherwise hectic life.
Good luck.
hi-
i was 39 when i weaned my 2 year old... i emailed my local la leche rep who gave great advise and was very supportive! for me ( i know we are all different), i did wean one feeding at a time.
i had no problem with supply the other times and eventually went to one feeding before complete weaning. my body kept up with that. acutally- it literally took about 8 months before i was completely "dry" and had my own breasts back. as far as the milk schedule, follow your gut-your idea of cow milk day and breastmilk when you are around sounds great to me.
good luck
I am still breastfeeding my 21 month old son and am just completing the weaning process...last week at once a day.
I stopped pumping months ago and have had no trouble keeping up the supply. My body has adjusted to the new decreased demand, and so has my son.
I am pregnant again, which is why I am stopping. I've slowly weaned him over the past 3 months from 4 times per day (morning, after work, before bed, middle night) to just before bed. My son was very distraught when I tried to wean him earlier, and despite public scrutiny, I decided to continue as I know that it is beneficial well beyond the 12 months that is recommended.
Good luck with the extended breastfeeding. Your body is made for this and will adjust to the changes.
For more information on extended breastfeeding, go to www.mothering.com.
Hi It is I.,
Again I will say your breast/body will adjust to whatever you do in abour 36 hours. To eleviate as much discomfort as possible eliminate one feeding at a time about ever two three days, if you want to stop pumpimg as quick as possible. Your body will adjust to just nursing when you are home. Do not give bottles when you are home. Allow her to nurse to keep up the supply when you are home. You body will produce milk after your 8 hour breaks. You will however fill up by 3:15.
I.
Yes, you should be fine if you cut out that one pumping time. I was afraid my supply would suddenly run dry when I stopped pumping all together when my son was 17 months, but it didn't at all. As long as you nurse your baby at least once or twice a day, you'll have enough milk for a long, long time!!
Good luck and happy nursing!
That's what I did with my son. At age 1 he drank whole milk during the day, and I nursed him in the morning and at night. Supply met demand; it worked great. We did this until he was a little over 2.
