Breastfeeders/Pumpers question

bananatiff · March 2012

I was just pumping away a little bit ago at work and realized I now have just under 4 months until LO is a year old.

Which brought a question to my mind: if you are pumping or BFing, will you continue to do so after a year? I plan to still breastfeed as much as I can while I am home (work part time), but I think it will end up being just in the morning and before bed before too long. Once they can drink cow's milk, is there a point to pumping so that they get a few more bottles/cups of BM a day?

I know it's "to each his own", but I'm just wondering what thought processes are out there on this topic.

lucylea · March 2012

I intend to nurse DS for as long as we are both comfortable, but probably not past 18 months or so. I will, however, continue pumping until I either don't have the supply to do so or until our Goddaughter who I donate milk to stops taking BM. I BF/pumped for DD until she was 15 months.

As far as BM versus cow's milk, BM is still much healthier and better suited for a human child than cow's milk even past one year.

BoogieMonster629 · March 2012

My goal is to BF for a year and then reassess after that, its going really well for us so we will probably go for longer than a year.

tawillers · March 2012

I'm planning to make it to a year and then see what happens. I'm assuming it will be the same as last time.

I did it for 12 months and then just did one feeding until 14 months with DD1. It worked out great and she had no issues taking cow's milk.

KahlansMom · March 2012

My goal is to make it to one year, and then anything after that will just be icing on the cake. I think I after a year I will stop offering it, but I won't refuse her if she wants to. It will probably drop down to mornings and bedtime, and then slowly drop off. Hopefully my supply drops as she drops feedings, I have been dealing with an oversupply since almost day one...

bananatiff · March 2012

Sorry, I think my question may have be unclear - I'm asking if you will continuing pumping beyond 1 year, not breastfeeding. Does that make sense? I guess I'm just asking those that pump at work mainly... will you keep pumping for when they are away and BF at home? Or just BF at home and cow's milk when you are working?

I'm trying to assess if I will pack the pump up at 1 year and just BF while with her, and give her cow's milk the days I work. My supply should stabilize, right? Enough just to do morning and night if I choose?

wfdfire607 · March 2012

My goal is at least 2 years but I haven't figured out how I'm gonna do it with pumping at work.

LnR70707 · March 2012

My pump is borrowed (just the pump, I have my own parts) from SIL, who got a surprise BFP this past fall, so I have to wean from the pump in may. I plan to keep nursing in the morning until a year and then re-assess. Honestly, after a year, it would more for me than him. I'm afraid I'll be sad I stopped if I wean early.

jesstellina · March 2012

Audrey's first birthday happens to fall right around the time I'll be starting an extremely demanding job, so I plan to stop pumping. I'll still nurse at home if/when she wants to, but I'm just planning to go into this job not being a pumper.

We have quite a frozen stash of milk, so I'm not sure what we'll do with that. If I don't donate it somewhere, I'll have DH keep giving it to her while I'm at work, or use it gradually for a few weeks before I start my job so I can wean my breasts from daytime feeding/pumping.

AmandaP678 · March 2012

lucylea:
I intend to nurse DS for as long as we are both comfortable, but probably not past 18 months or so. I will, however, continue pumping until I either don't have the supply to do so or until our Goddaughter who I donate milk to stops taking BM. I BF/pumped for DD until she was 15 months.
As far as BM versus cow's milk, BM is still much healthier and better suited for a human child than cow's milk even past one year.

I thought I was crazy for going 13 months with EP but I bow down to you

Right now I do both but phasing out pumping. I plan to bf until 18 months or so.

kitkat145 · March 2012

My goal is bf until my dd self weans - around 2 or so. I am going to wean from the pump at work after her first birthday. I may continue to pump during my lunch break but my employer isn't obligated to give me paid breaks for it after 1.

KahlansMom · March 2012

Hmm, I guess I haven't given it much thought. I suppose I will pump at the beginning at work to relieve pressure, but I will slowly try to wean myself off the pump after July. I have a bit of a freezer stash to help transition from my milk to cow milk though while she's at daycare. I guess I hope to be completely pump free by 14 months? And then like I said, just nurse when she asks. Hope this helps

katie4253 · March 2012

I quit pumping at 8 months. I just couldn't do it anymore. I cried (a lot) when I finally made the decision to quit. In fact, I cried more than just that day. But, after a week I was so happy to be done.

I exclusively pumped for 8 months, and looking back on that, I am really proud. Because I exclusively pumped, I have a lot of frozen milk. It will get us to 1 year. I even moved my stash from Missouri to Massachusetts when we moved.

Mrs.Leah.Maria · March 2012

I pretty much countdown daily. If my pedi clears it, DS will start the transition with 1/2 BM and 1/2 cow milk at 11 months. I will quit pumping exactly at one year. I will continue to BF at home. I really had a hard time emotionally with the transition with DS1, but I crave my independence at this point.

gmc222 · March 2012

I plan to BF/pump until LO is 12 months and then start to wean. I'm hoping to use cow's milk during the day along with my frozen stash, and only BF in the morning and bedtime for a few months. I don't plan on BF after she's 18 months.

boogerbearoriginal · March 2012

bananatiff:
Sorry, I think my question may have be unclear - I'm asking if you will continuing pumping beyond 1 year, not breastfeeding. Does that make sense? I guess I'm just asking those that pump at work mainly... will you keep pumping for when they are away and BF at home? Or just BF at home and cow's milk when you are working?

I'm trying to assess if I will pack the pump up at 1 year and just BF while with her, and give her cow's milk the days I work. My supply should stabilize, right? Enough just to do morning and night if I choose?

My plan is to continue to pump at work after 1yr. I haven't fully worked out what I'm going to do but I currently pump 4x and I will be transitioning that to 2x after 1yr mark. Spacing out and reducing sessions as he starts taking in more solids and less milk.

TBH right now he gets almost zero solids and has very little interest in foods. We give him finger foods but he mostly plays with them. In talking with my Mom/sisters they said it wasn't until around 10m to over 1yr that their various kids started actually eating much.

I think I've read at one year the norm is 75% bm, 25% solids and that transitions to 25% bm, 75% solids by age 2. So I plan to pump for a while yet. By 18m I plan to reduce to one pumping session and then none sometime after that. I don't plan to ever give him cow's milk in place of BM.

Sorry it's kind of vague, I haven't fully figured it out either lol.

maiken1027 · March 2012

I plan on dropping pumping sessions by a year. I'll still BF when I'm with him, but if I'm not he'll get cows milk. I'm a teacher, so in the summer he'll be with me most of the time anyway.

bananatiff · March 2012

Those that exclusively pump - you are amazing. I pump a measly 6x a week and I'm ready to be done.... the cleaning, taking time from working, sitting around, etc. etc. sucks.

I'm a FTM, can any of the BTDT or those who have researched what to do in place of cow's milk after 12 months send me some links to get me started? I'm not a huge fan of it either. Even organic. I don't drink it myself except organic on cereal and cooking. I just thought it was the next step, but haven't looked into it much since we're not there yet...

ShannonMacHappy · March 2012

I work part time, and I plan on continuing to pump past one year as needed. So, if he's still nursing that often on the 5 days I'm home all day, then I'll pump at those times on he 2 days a week we're apart. I hope to BF until at least 2 or whenever he weans. I do not plan on giving cow milk at all and certainly not as a replacement for BM.

ghostof5letters · March 2012

I just stopped EP-ing two weeks ago. Work travel (I have 5 trips this month alone) made it impossible.

I have a freezer stash to get me through 2-3 months depending on her intake.

katiewhompus · March 2012

I'm so mentally done pumping already and I only do it 3 times a day (morning, once at work, bedtime). Once DD starts dwindling her daytime feedings I'm done with the pump. I'm really only doing it to keep the boobs even (she only feeds off the right, always has) and have a full chest freezer of milk.

jillybean222 · March 2012

I will start weaning at age 1. I am going OOT in early September so I hope to be all wrapped up by 13 months. I BF'ed #1 for a year and #2 for 14 months.

krissymac · March 2012

I'm with Leah in that I'm taking it day by day. I work full time and pump twice per day. I also try to get up in the middle of the night currently. I can't wait to be done with that. I just need to build up my stash to get me through a couple of work trips. I only have about 50oz right now, we rotate through it very fast with daycare. Once the weather improves here, I will SO not want to give up my lunch breaks to pump...I'd rather get outside and take walks. Not that anyone monitors me or anything, but I don't want to take advantage. People will probably think I'm weird if I'm still pumping after a year. Every month is a new milestone.

Tikat · March 2012

I EP now - and plan on dropping down to one pump at work once DD hits 12 mths - eventually just pumping AM and PM - so twice in a 24 hr period...once my supply dries up I'll be good and done...I sorta dread not being able to eat whateverthehellIwantwhenIwantit anymore

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