Pumping at work past 1 year

mittensonkittens

Has anyone kept pumping at work beyond 1 year?  With DS1 I stopped around 12-13 months and kept nursing on demand mornings/evenings and weekends.  That seems to be fairly common.  I'm down to one session/day and not sure if I want to stop.  I'd like to hear your reasons for continuing and how long it was before you finally stopped.  

KiKiGee

I'm interested in this, too.  DS just turned 1 a couple of weeks ago.  I'm still pumping at work but looking forward to dropping at least one or two of my three sessions....  Just not quite ready to wean and afraid my supply will tank if I don't pump... will be stalking this post!

madhatter2003

Not me....I quit pumping right around 1 year for both and just nursed morning and night. DD I weaned completely at 15 months, DS at 18 months.

telfakaye

My dd is 17 mths and I pumped twice a day and nursed her at lunch up until recently bc she stopped drinking pumped milk. I plan to still pump once at work and nurse her til she weans

pitterpatter129

I started weaning from the pump at a13 months and was done very quickly!  I was sad about it, but soooo excited to not drag that pump with me.  If you want to keep pumping, then go for it!  It's probably great for LO during cold and flu months too.  We kept nursing at home (3 times during the week, all day on the weekends) and plan to let him do that until he weans himself.

 

SushiNoMore

My son is 13.5 months.  At a year, I wasn't really ready to stop.  Like you, I wanted to be able to nursing mornings and nights, and I was worried about my supply dropping.  So, I started dropping pumping sessions.

When I dropped down to 2 sessions / day, my supply really dropped off.  I was only getting 2 oz or so total for the day (I'd always been able to keep up), and I just started to think it was pointless.  It was kind of like a switch went off, and I was suddenly just DONE pumping.  So, today, I didn't pump at all, and it was fine.  I'll keep nursing mornings / nights, and we'll see how it goes.

I want to make it through flu season giving some breastmilk because my son was a preemie, and I want him to get the antibodies (getting sick is extra bad for him).  We'd like to start trying for #2 in the late summer / early fall, though, and I still haven't started my period.  I'd also like at least a little time with my body to myself before getting pregnant again, so I may wean fully sometime this summer.  Maybe.  :-) 

WinesNotWhines

I stopped pumping at 1 year and had no desire to continue beyond that, but I still nursed at night and on weekends until my son was 18 months. I could've nursed longer if I wanted to (my supply was still fine). So don't feel like you need to pump just to maintain your supply for nursing when you're together.

Mrs.Greeko

I pumped at work until the day each of my DDs turned one.  Then I just nursed them when I was with them.  DD1 weaned at 15 months.  DD2weaned (with some prodding from pregnant mama) at about 22.5 months.  I still had enough milk when they wanted it. Your body is making it when your baby suckles at that point and not really storing it. 

Mags748

WinesNotWhines:

I stopped pumping at 1 year and had no desire to continue beyond that, but I still nursed at night and on weekends until my son was 18 months. I could've nursed longer if I wanted to (my supply was still fine). So don't feel like you need to pump just to maintain your supply for nursing when you're together.

Same here except my son nursed til 19 months. I was more than happy to give up pumping at work.

I just started giving cows milk in straw sippy cups during the day at a year old. It really is better for their teeth if you can get them off bottles sooner rather than later.

Mrs.Handy

I pumped until 14 months. I just didn't feel like stopping yet, I'm not sure why. I guess because DS hadn't really taken to WCM yet. I actually stopped abruptly one day when I left my pump on the metro. Luckily, they retrieved it, but it took a week to get it back. Since then, I've been a morning, evening, weekend nurser. My supply is still pretty good and DS nurses often even at 20 months.

If you want to keep pumping go for it! I did drop to 2 x a day at 12 months and that made it easier.