How to drop pumping completely but still feed at night and morning?

colleen724

When DS gets to be 11 months I want to start weaning out my lunchtime pump.  Right now that's the only one I have, and then see how long I can sustain his morning and bedtime feedings.

How do you get rid of your last pump?  Do I just try to decrease the time I pump at lunch?  Right now I get 3-4.5 ounces on each side during that pump.

Can you really be able to feed AM and Bedtime without totally engorging during the day? 

How long were you able to keep up AM and Bedtime-only feedings?

 

THANKS!

madhatter2003

I just cut down on the time I pumped each day until I didn't have to pump by the end of a week (I cut one session out each week while i was weaning from pumping).

I kept morning and night feedings up for 2.5 months until I weaned by choice...my supply was still fine though.  I wasn't engorged during the day, but would be 'full' by bedtime. Not engorged, just full feeling.

Good luck!

julyjennifer

It is totally possible to feed just morning and night when they are older, and I think that you can more or less go on doing it indefinitely.

I can't even exactly remember how I cut out my last pumping session.  I pumped until DD was about 15 months old, down to once a day for about the last 2.5 months (a little longer than I would have preferred, but my DH really wanted me to keep pumping so he'd have a bottle for DD's nap routine (he's a SAHD) so I said I'd keep pumping thru the end of 2008 for him.)  I think that maybe I pushed it later and later in the day, and also decreased the time pumping?  And some days I'd skip it altogether.  Then I just stopped.  For the first few weeks I think I was then pretty darn full-feeling when I got home from work, but it was not bad. 

Now (with  DD at 20 months old) I don't even notice any engorgement, really, though I guess I can tell I'm filling up a bit by the end of the day.  We still nurse in the a.m. and p.m. (and sometimes overnight) with no plans to stop at this point.  Your body will adjust!  Bfing is so easy now, it's the best.  I haven't even worn nursing bras since I stopped pumping, since I only need access to them a few times a day (and often, it's when I'm in my PJs).  It's like, you get all the benefits of bfing with very few of the inconveniences.

colleen724

Thanks guys!! I really hope it works out that way for us

NYBrideInWI

I have been BF only morning & night for about 3 weeks now, and don't get engorged during the day. The first few days when I cut out my lunch time pumping I was really engorged by the end of the day. A few days I pumped mid-afternoon for just a few minutes to relieve the pressure. Advil helped too.

Good luck.