My daughter is 6 months old and recently started eating solid foods. So far she eats rice cereal, bananas, carrots and green beans. I am also breastfeeding her and pumping while I'm at work. But in order to have enough milk for her while I'm gone, I also have to get up once in the night to pump. So what I'm wondering is when will she start to drop some of the breastfeedings/bottles in favor of her baby food meals? I have no problem breastfeeding when we're together and my goal is to continue to breastfeed until she's at least a year, but I'm really looking forward to when I can cut back on pumping!
I was breasfeeding my son until he was 14 months old, I tried to pupm more at work and than after the last feeding. Unil he was 1 years old he never cut off on bottles...after year old yes, I even stop pumping during the day but by this time he took few bottles of cow milk too.
good luck
lili
M. Hello,
The breast will adjust to whatever you choice to do in 36 hours. You can switch you pumping time if you like to something that is a little more comfortable to you. Like right before you go to bed, before you go to lunch, before you go to work. Your choice, however, the body will still fill up for that night time feeding for about 2 and a half days. What you can do to relieve yourself? Just pump a small amount at the night until you are comfprtable, tiny amount, the stimulation has to be less and less for your body to adjust. Or You can cut it our cold turkey, and wait out the 36 hours, just pick up another time to pump. One has less discomfort than the other, they are both simple adjustments.
I am a breastfeeding counselor you can call me if you like ###-###-#### I.
Before a year old, she shouldn't be dropping any feedings. Solids in the first year of life are purely supplemental. Breastmilk should be her primary source of nutrition at this age.
Hi M. - I feel your pain! I work full-time and am breast-feeding a one year old. Here are some things that helped me get through when I was so sick of pumping:
This may not be an option for you, but co-sleeping was a huge help for me. This meant that baby was doing a bit of reverse-cycling and nursing during the night to make up for milk she didn't get during the day. Rolling over and putting my boob in her mouth wasn't too disruptive to my sleep, or hers. Some nights she was an extremely restless sleeper and those nights stank, but on the whole I think we got more sleep having her in the bed with us. It helps to have a partner who is willing to take baby on the nights when she's really flailing and the boob hasn't helped.
At 8 months, I cut down my pumping sessions at work from 3 to 2. The diminish in my supply was minimal, but the increase in my peace of mind was huge! I also only left baby whatever I'd pumped the day before. I figured that would even out the supply and demand cycle so that she would nurse more heavily in the mornings and evenings when I was home, and it seemed to work just fine. There were days when she was not happy with the amount of milk in the bottle, but other days when she wouldn't drink all that I left her. Overall, she adjusted well to consolidating her feedings to every 4 hours.
On evenings and weekends I let baby nurse on demand.
It would be great if you could elimiate that middle of the night pump session. Even if you don't want to co-sleep, have you considered nursing your boo in the middle of the night instead? Baby will save you the trouble of pumping, and will get all the milk and more that you were going to offer in the course of 24 hours. I know, the thought of risking a wide-awake baby in the middle of the night stinks, but it's a thought. Alternately, like someone else suggested, you can pump first thing in the morning before baby nurses. Baby is a lot better at getting milk out of your boob than the pump. One mama said she had a routine of pumping first thing in the morning, then taking a shower (the warm water helps stimulate milk flow) and then nursing baby before she left for the day. It worked well for her. After a few days, your boobs will know to make more milk at that time of day rather than the middle of the night.
Good luck! Send me a line if you want to chat about this. I am trying to figure out how to proceed with my work pumping, since I plan to continue nursing until baby is 2 or older. We will probably face some of the same issues.
D.
Hi M. - my son is 9 months old and I have been waiting for him to cut back a feeding now that he is eating more solids. Unfortunately, this has not happened. He still nurses just as many times during the day as he did before solids (five times) and when I am at work he still takes the same number of bottles and pretty much always finishes them...he is a good eater! So...it's possible that your LO might continue to take the same amount of breast milk, although everyone is different of course.
Just make sure you have her nurse before she has solid feedings. I didn't and my supply suffered because of it. I don't have advice on when she will cut back. I think it depends on the baby. But the breastmilk should still be the main source of nutrition at this point.
Hi M.! I just want to say "Good for you!" for deciding to continue breastfeeding even though you are working full time. My daughter is 6 1/2 months old and I went back to work when she was 3 mo. I called a lactation consultant because I was worried I would not be producing enough for her during the day. I only have 1 chance to pump at work (I am a teacher and have a 40 minute prep period 1/2 of it is dedicated to pumping). The advice about you controlling your supply is completely true. I would pump and only come up with 1/2 an ounce or so and thought my supply was going away! The lc said to pump directly after feeding her, this would trick my supply into "thinking" my daughter was eating more. She said to keep pumping for about 5-10 minutes, even if there was nothing coming out.
My daughter is now eating solids and I have dropped all night feedings. I pump first thing in the morning and then I get ready for work. I will then feed her before I leave so that she gets some milk before we go. At child care she eats breakfast and lunch with 2-3 supplementary bottles. I pump once during the day at work. Then I feed her when we get home. She will eat dinner and breastfeed right before bed. I pump after that feeding and then once more before I go to bed. It is a lot of work and a huge commitment, but I feel it is worth it! The lc said to combine the milk if it is a small amount just be sure it is the same temperature. I will leave the milk the the fridge for at least 8 hours to make sure it is the same temp. I have froze a lot of milk, I feel like it is mildly an addiction, I always want to make sure there is plenty in case of anything! I hope this helps!!
Sorry I may not have the answers for you. Each baby is so different from my own experiences so I can't give you a definite time, however I did want to give you a "way to go, mama!" for being so committed to breastfeeding even while working. I know pumping is so hard and annoying and it takes a wonderful mommy like you to stick with it for atleast a year. Just know that the minimum recommended is one year and the average age for weaning internationally is 4 years old. So keep up the awesome work and kudos to you for trying to give your girl such a wonderful experience (and food!) I personally am still breastfeeding my 2 babies and my older one is almost 3. Yup, tandem nursing. Nuts, huh? It is truly a special bond nothing and no one can take away from you and your babies. Yay for you!!!
