weaning at 1 year

lauralovesbob

I realize that moms who have weaned probably aren't hanging out in this forum unless you have more than 1 child... but I thought I'd try anyway.

I'm starting to think about 12 months approaching, and wondering about how I can stop pumping at work. My work has been fairly tolerant of my needing breaks to pump, but I don't know that I can justify it after a year. So I'd like to stop (unless I happen to have downtime, I have my own office and see patients who frequently don't show, but I'm not going to "schedule" pumping time anymore). Do I switch to formula (I'm hoping not to) or to cow's milk? Is my supply going to tank if I nurse in the morning and evenings but DS drinks cow/formula during the day?

lcole08

I followed my normal pumping schedule at work until 12 months and then stopped completely at 12.5 months.  I started by waiting longer between pumping sessions until I dropped one session and then dropped two.  I wouldn't recommend just stopping pumping cold turkey.  If you have a freezer stash built up you could easily start this before 12 months.  I didn't have much of a freezer stash - and DD didn't jump straight to cow's milk - so that is why I continued pumping another couple weeks.

DD's transition to cow's milk was a little slow.  I had to do it over a couple weeks - mixing both BM and CM.  I start 1/4 CM and 3/4 BM for 5 days, then 1/2 & 1/2 5 days and then 3/4 CM and 1/4 BM for 4 days before I switched her over to 100% CM.  Other friends had no problems with their LO switching straight to CM but my DD wanted nothing to do with it - she would just spit it out.  So mixing for a couple weeks was what worked best for us.  She also preferred the CM to be warmed and we just gradually warmed it for less time until she would drink it cold. 

I am stilling nursing DD first thing in the morning and once in the evening and the rest of the day she is drinking CM.  Your body will adjust and you will still be able to nurse when you are with your DS.

AmyRI

The general guidance is that once they reach a year, you can wean to whole cow's milk (whether you have been feeding breastmilk or formula).

And I think as far as nursing morning and night, most women I've talked to have been successful at maintaining enough supply for those 2 nursing sessions, although there is no way to guarantee it. 

lauralovesbob

Thanks for the info ladies! I am not ready to be done nursing in the a.m. and evening, but soooo ready to say so-long to the pump.