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My boobs are giving out

boymamacoboymamaco member
in Breastfeeding
LO is almost a year old and we've been able to make it this far on my milk alone. I always had an over supply - even was able to donate over 200 oz to the local milk bank! As part of my over supply / overconfidence I didn't pump as frequently as I should have during the day - usually I could make enough milk in the morning to supplement any nursing sessions during the day, or I'd just pull from my freezer stash. But, just within the last week or two I've noticed a significent decrease in my output. I'm no longer making enough to cover a days requirement of bottles. We're on the go quite a bit, and also have a nanny twice/week. LO is taking in more food as he nears his first birthday but he still loves the boob! While I was always planning of stopping at 1 year, now that we're here I'm not so sure any more. I dont want to take that pleasure away from him and I'm struggling with the idea of stopping. I could toss this pump out in a second, but I'm worried that my supply will tank even more if I stop pumping. Yet, I also feel like he's going to need more milk - and therefore we should start supplementing with WCM? 

Anyway, what should I do? Should I try to up my supply again by taking some supplements and increasing pumping for a couple of days to see how I respond? Should I just start supplementing with WCM mixed into the BM? Should I just admit that its been a year, I've made my original goal and get on with it? 

Thanks in advance for any advice!!!
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Re: My boobs are giving out

  • surpriseadditionsurpriseaddition member
    edited July 2014

    I'd just hit your freezer stash until it is gone.  It was very generous of you to have donated to a local bank, but personally I'd be giving my LO the BM over WCM now if I had it.  My supply also started dwindling when LO approached a year.  My freezer stash got me through without the need to supplement with formula.  My LO was 14 months yesterday, and I'm still nursing LO on demand and meeting her needs when we are together.  I just couldn't pump enough for work (like PP my LO was taking in 15 oz a day and I was lucky to get 10 oz pumping at work). My LC said that after 1 year, they only need 3 servings of dairy per day....and all you really need to provide is 3 full nursing per day.  Of course you can provide more through things like yogurt, cheese, etc. but WCM really isn't necessary.  To answer your questions - I wouldn't worry about supplements, and I wouldn't quit at a year if it is something you and LO still both enjoy.  Many, many bottle feeding moms continue to give bottles past 12 months....why should nursing moms feel so much pressure to pull the plug on BF at 1 year?  I'll give it up when DD is ready.  For my DS, it was about 18 months, but I was only nursing morning/night by that point.


    **DD1 - 7/9/98**

    **DS - 11/9/00**

    **DD2 - 4/30/13**

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  • boymamacoboymamaco member
    Thank you so much! I appreciate both of your responses! 

    @surpriseaddition - What do you offer LO when you aren't able to nurse? Are you offering water? Or some other type of liquid? If so, how did you transition to that? Sounds like you are nursing morning/night and maybe one other session and/or offering dairy 3 x/day. I am not a huge proponent of WCM but rather feel like I have to go that direction per my pediatricians recommendation. I feel like I should do some research on what to do in lieu of WMC but in the meantime I need to figure out how to make/create enough milk for the 2 days/week that I'm not available to nurse. I only have enough frozen to last me the 3-4 weeks.

    Thanks for both of your input! 
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  • surpriseadditionsurpriseaddition member
    I am a teacher, so my situation is a little different. I was working FT until school ended a few weeks ago. Now I just nurse on demand....which is usually about 5 times during the day and one MOTN. WCM is fine, but I prefer to give water in a sippy. Since LO is getting enough dairy per my peds office (my LC is a NP at my pediatric office) and her doctor there agrees, I just give her full fat yogurt and cheese as other dairy sources. I like the water because if it somehow leaks it's NBD, and you don't have to worry about it getting left somewhere and turning into cottage cheese! I had enough frozen BM to make it to a year, and then did one bottle of BM and one bottle of WCM when LO was still in daycare at the end of the school year. When my provider warmed it, she took it no problem. WCM is fine after a year. If you have enough frozen to last until that age (which it seems you do) I would just leave the pump behind at a year, and do the WCM if you'll still be doing bottles then.


    **DD1 - 7/9/98**

    **DS - 11/9/00**

    **DD2 - 4/30/13**

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  • mommyton&emommyton&e member
    When my DS was 10 months, I started dipping into my freezer stash. At 11.5 months, I had to start topping off his bottles with WCM. On weekends, he nursed fine. At 12 months, I stopped pumping and he nursed when we were together. I made it nursing until 13 months. I just couldn't pump anymore. My DD is 8 months and I cannot wait until I can put the pump away at 1 year.
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  • boymamacoboymamaco member
    Thanks you guys! I appreciate reading through your responses. I think I need to shift my focus to overall dairy requirements rather than just milk requirements. We can nurse on demand five days a week and then I'll just have to somehow extend my freezer stash over the next couple of weeks to make it to a year. 
    I'm probably way over thinking this transition! lol
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