weaning from the pump

nbartlett47

My LO will be 1 on Tuesday, and while we didn't have an easy start and some bumps along the road, he has been EBF from day one. I returned to work when he was 15 weeks and have pumped 3x a day at work since. Now that he will be one, I'd love to ditch the pump and only nurse when we're together.

Is this possible? How do I stop pumping? I have had clogged ducts and mastitis, so I know I need to do it gradually, but I don't even know where to begin.

Thanks in advance for any tips you may have!!

CLLDLL

I started by moving my 1st pump of the morning back 1/2 hour. After my body got used to that I started pumping 5 minutes less at my middle of the day pump. I kept that up for a few days to a week, then shortened that same pump another 5 minutes. Repeat again. Once I got to where I was only pumping for like 5 minutes in the middle of the day I dropped that pump all together and moved my last pump and hour sooner.

Once things regulated to only two pumps, I slowly moved my 1st pump later and my last pump earlier until they were close enough together that I felt comfortable dropping the last one. Finally I slowly pumped for shorter and shorter sessions until I could drop the last pump.

The whole process took me like 6 weeks, but I was really prone to clogged ducts and I was also in no huge hurry to quit pumping.

ETA: Yes stopping pumping and just nursing together is totally doable. We've been doing it for almost 9 months now!

flcl

Congratulations OP!  I hope to be at your point one day

PPs: when did you start cutting out pumping sessions?  

surpriseaddition

I also dropped the pumping sessions at work at a year, similar to PPs. I could only pump 2 times per day, but I was getting less and less each time as I got to the year mark. I simply merged the two sessions into one session halfway between the two. Part of this was because I was a teacher and could only pump twice between 11:40 - 1:30 (when my students had specials, lunch, and then recess).  After dropping the work pumps, I had no issues BF on weekends midday or any other time.  Congrats on making it to a year!

BootsOrHearts

Yes just cut back slowly on the pumping sessions, go to 2 for a while, then 1, etc. If you do it over the course of a month or so you should be able to maintain your supply/

eggmankate

My DD is 9.5 months and just today I cut down to 2x/day from 3x/day. I used to pump 9,12 and 3. I've decided to do 10:30 and 3pm now. Today was OK so we'll see if I feel discomfort this week. I have 200oz. in the freezer and plan to quit pumping at 1 year and do only morning and night nursing. DD is still taking same amounts at daycare, but I have a work trip in October away from DD and would like to not be pumping so frequently.

nbartlett47

Thank you for all of your advice!

I'm on vacation from work this week, but will start weaning from the pump next week.

How do you all handle WCM in combination with nursing? Just at meal time? All the time except morning and night? How much?

opheliainwaders

casey78 said:

nbartlett47 said:

Thank you for all of your advice! I'm on vacation from work this week, but will start weaning from the pump next week. How do you all handle WCM in combination with nursing? Just at meal time? All the time except morning and night? How much?

We can't do WCM due to allergies, so we use oat milk.  The principles are the same.

During the transition, I would pump what I can and then top off with other milk.  Those went to DC with LO in bottles.  As I pumped less, the bottles became more other milk and less bm.  Then, LO just refused them.  We tried straw cups, sippy cups, and bottles of BM, combo milk, other milk -- hot, cold, medium -- etc.  Since she was refusing BM from cup and bottle, I just started sending straight-up sippy of other milk, and dc offered it several times a day. About two weeks in, it clicked.

Now, she nurses in AM, upon return home most days, and PM.  If I work late, she gets a bottle of BM from stash, and I pump to replace.  She takes oat milk in straw at DC (about 8oz a day); water is available throughout the day.  If we are out and about, I bring a cup of water or oatmilk and encourage her to take that.  If we are home, I generally nurse 1-2 extra times on the weekends.

This is basically what we did (though with WCM, we have no allergies), but DD never actually went back to taking a bottle at all. She eats cheese and yogurt as her dairy products, and drinks water, and now she nurses 2x/day (morning and bedtime). I periodically try WCM, or sneak it into smoothies.