thinking about quitting pumping...

thiswillbe

I've been cutting down the number of times I pump, and am down to pumping once a day now (in the afternoon at work). The babies nurse in the morning and evening. Really, only Little Man nurses; Peanut has not wanted to nurse for a couple of days now .

I'm thinking about dropping that last pumping session. I am making so little milk that it takes me three days of pumping to make 2 four-ounce bottles. By the time I've collected enough to make their bottles, the early output of the batch is going bad (I have lipase issues, but don't scald the milk).

I don't know why, but I am having a hard time thinking about being done pumping. I guess because I know it means the milk will go away completely soon, and that makes me sad. I have fought so very, very hard for so long to give the babies what milk I could, it seems strange to knowingly give up the last little bit.

Thoughts? What did you do/do you plan to do towards the end of BFing?

2brides

You have done an amazing job. I don't think I could have stuck through everything you went through to give them BM.

I stopped pumping at 11.5m. We were going to visit L's parents and pumping there was a nightmare. None of the doors properly shut, the room we stay in was in the basement with people coming and going, and so I pumped while sitting on the floor of a bathroom. I had done it for 2 other visits and was not interested in doing it again. So I stopped pumping at work about a week before our trip and then just pumped at home for a few days to take the edge off. I LOVED not having to pump. I felt okay in that I nearly made it to my 1 yr goal and was ready to move on to another stage in the kids lives.

 That being said, only you can decide if you are done. Good luck with your decision.

Two*True

First off, you should be very very proud of yourself for providing BM for your LOs for this long! I know you've had an uphill battle and your perseverance is amazing.

IMHO, I would give up the pump.  I know it's hard.  When DD stopped nursing I thought about continuing to pump.  In fact I did for a few weeks, but then she dropped her morning nursing session along with the daytime sessions.  My output started to drop and I didn't know if I wanted to struggle to get it back only to be stuck to a pump.

Ask yourself, are the 4oz bottles benefiting the kiddos enough for you to keep latching yourself to the machine? If you can answer that with a yes keep going.  But I get the sense that since you are posting this you might be inclined to think those bottles aren't worth it.

I'm lucky that even though DD stopped nursing I have a freezer stash large enough to giver her a bottle everyday for the next month+.  I'm sure without that stash I would have struggled longer with this decision.

I know I'm rambling.  I guess my point is, if the kiddos are letting it go it's okay for you to let it go too.

babyhyem

Wow, you ladies are amazing at the amount of time you were able to feed your children breastmilk! I am so jealous! My girls never really latched well, and I pumped my little heart out for 4 months, until it took way more effort and time away from my girls then the actual output. I had a very hard time letting go of the idea that they would only get formula, but the time I am able to now spend with them definitely makes up for that loss. It is now 2.5 months later and I rarely think about it. I know so many moms who couldn't provide any breastmilk, so I just remind myself how lucky I was even if it was for a short time.

Only you can make the decision, but I wanted to share my story.

Meegs10.13.06

First, congrats on making it so long! You did an amazing job no matter what you decide!! 

 

Two*True:

Ask yourself, are the 4oz bottles benefiting the kiddos enough for you to keep latching yourself to the machine? If you can answer that with a yes keep going.  But I get the sense that since you are posting this you might be inclined to think those bottles aren't worth it.

This exactly. 

Also, I know a few women who have dropped all daytime pumping/nursing sessions, and still nurse morning and night. Your body can adjust to that, so that is something else to take into account (LM could still nurse those times). 

 

ETA: I notice you asked about what we plan to do towards the end of BF. Gwen is currently still really into nursing, so I'm still pumping 2x a day at work. She has been nursing less during the day though on the weekends, so I'm considering cutting down to 1x a day soon. The morning and evening nursing sessions are so important to her... I'm sure we'll still be nursing at those times for a while, so I definitely wanted to phase down slowly, so that my milk supply cut down during the day, but didn't plummet totally. I probably won't cut out that last pump until she completely stops nursing during the day.

ssg73

As an exclusive pumper I had a hard time giving it up.  I knew it was time and it was stressing me out more than it was worth so I finally did it.  It was so liberating.  After pumping 6-8 times a day for almost 12 months I felt like a new woman.  I knew I had really made a difference for Ella and was sad for her not to have my milk anymore (I wanted to make it to 1 year adjusted) I felt like I could concentrate on being with her and enjoying being a mommy more.  I am so impressed you have made it this long.  Good luck.

2moms2twins

WOW all so inspiring ...Melanie and I can only hope to BF that long with these two on the way. 

She will EBF (tandem ) for the first few weeks and then we will go from there... Hope its  as easy as you all make it sound....

NO MATTER WHAT DECISION you make THISWILLBE - It will be the right one for you !!!

 

- J

nevr2amazin

I don't know if I should be replying, since you are my DW. BUT, having seen what you have done and what you continue to do amazes me. YOU have given our Kiddos a year with ONLY two colds that weren't so terribly bad. YOU have strengthened their immune systems and have prepared them to be "game ready." Their intelligence...let me just say...WOW! That all came from you Lady. You've taken the proper vitamins and supplements and that choice has been evidenced in their growth, stamina, and strength. It's okay to taper off...to feed our Little Man and Peanut when they want until things naturally decrease.

Two*True

nevr2amazin:

I don't know if I should be replying, since you are my DW. BUT, having seen what you have done and what you continue to do amazes me. YOU have given our Kiddos a year with ONLY two colds that weren't so terribly bad. YOU have strengthened their immune systems and have prepared them to be "game ready." Their intelligence...let me just say...WOW! That all came from you Lady. You've taken the proper vitamins and supplements and that choice has been evidenced in their growth, stamina, and strength. It's okay to taper off...to feed our Little Man and Peanut when they want until things naturally decrease.

YOU are an amazing wife!

thiswillbe

Thanks, everyone, for all the support and input. It is such a hard transition.

I think the 3 oz bottle of pumped milk I gave Peanut this morning might be the last bottle of pumped milk... sigh.