Exclusively pumping isn’t easy, and it’s completely normal to look forward to the day that you can wean from the pump. But what if you want to wean, but still feel conflicted about stopping? Here is what to think about when deciding when to wean from pumping.
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What to think about when you want to stop exclusively pumping
When you’re deciding whether or not to wean from the pump, you probably have a bunch of different competing considerations that you’re trying to weigh.
For example, you might be wanting to spend more time with your baby (instead of being chained to your pump) but are worried about the cost of switching to formula.
Or maybe you really want to meet your goal of breastfeeding for a year, but you’ve been getting mastitis repeatedly and don’t want to keep getting sick.
Or maybe pumping is going well, but you haven’t gotten your period back yet and would like to start trying for another baby.
You’re the only one that can know what the right choice is, because all of these things are so personal. And to be clear, if you’re not unsure and decide you want to wean, I support you completely.
Make a weaning pros and cons list
The tricky thing about deciding to wean when you’re conflicted is that, once you do decide to stop, you can lose supply quickly. If this happens, you may not be able to change your mind and get back to where you were.
To help you decide what to do, my suggestion is to make a pro and con list for continuing to exclusively pump. Put all the good things about pumping in the pro column, and all of the reasons you want to stop in the con column.
Then you can evaluate:
- Are there any possible solutions to make the things on the con list better or easier?
- Are the pros worth the cons?
Potential solutions to make things easier
Below are the most common issues and some ways to mitigate them.
1. You are tired of being chained to the pump because you can’t get out of the house
If you feel like you can’t get out of the house because you have to pump every 3 hours, see if you can adjust your schedule so that you can.
For example, if you want to run errands or go to an activity in the afternoons, you could try going a longer stretch without pumping at that time, and then maybe pump more frequently in the mornings to make up for it.
You can also try pumping on the go and see if that gives you more freedom.
2. You want to spend more time with your baby and can’t because you’re always pumping
Consider whether or not you can spend time with your baby while pumping. (More on how to manage this here.)
With a newborn, you might be able to put your baby in your lap while you pump with a hands-free bra, hands-free cups, or a wearable pump.
With an older baby, you might be able to put her in a high chair (so she can’t reach your tubing) and play with her while you pump.
3. Working and pumping is too hard with your job
You could try not pumping during working hours for awhile, and see if that works.
For example, if you work 8am-4pm as a bus driver and you don’t think you can manage pumping then, you could try doing four sessions at 7am, 4pm, 8pm, and 11pm.
While you may lose some supply, it might be better for your mental health.
4. Recurrent clogged ducts or mastitis are making you miserable
If you’re getting recurrent clogged ducts or mastitis, you can consider taking lecithin – it may help make your milk less “sticky” and result in fewer clogged ducts.
If that doesn’t work, and the clogs/mastitis tend to be focused on just one side, you could consider weaning from that side and continue to pump on the other.
What to do if you’re not sure about weaning
If you’re really conflicted, I suggest drop one pumping session and then reassessing.
Things might be a lot easier with one less session per day. If they are, you can stay where you’re at.
If they aren’t, you can drop another, and so on – until you’re happier, or until you’ve stopped pumping.
Just take it slow and see how you feel as you go. More on this here.
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Before you decide to go ahead and wean, do this
If after going through the pro and con list, you decide to wean, make sure your baby will take the milk that you’re going to transition her to before you start the process.
I have gotten a ton of emails over the years from moms who were weaning from the pump and feeding their baby from their freezer stash.
Then, when they were almost done, they tried to give their baby formula, and baby wanted nothing to do with it.
Avoid that stress! Make sure your baby will take whatever she’s getting next, whether that is cow’s milk, formula, or even your freezer stash (in case you have a lipase issue), and then start weaning.
What issues have you struggled with when deciding when to wean from the pump? Tell us in the comments!
Thinking about weaning from the pump? No idea where to start? Worried that you’ll get a clogged duct or mastitis when you stop pumping? Grab my one-of-a-kind guide here.
Comments & Chitchat
Becca says
Hi! I have an 8 week old baby boy! I have been breastfeeding at night only with him. He doesn’t seem to take to the breast during the day. I’m not sure if it’s the positioning or what is wrong. But it’s okay, because I’ll be going back to work so he’ll have to take bottles during the day. My supply has significantly dropped in the past 2 weeks. I get very stressed when I only produce a half ounce in a pumping session. I absolutely HATE pumping. However, my reason for being on the fence about weaning is breastfeeding my son. I never got the chance to breastfeed my daughters because they were born at 28 weeks. I exclusively pumped and hates it then, too. My reason is very selfish, I know, but I want to try and breastfeed until
I’m ready to stop. Do you have any advice? Thank you! This post was very helpful!
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Becca! Congrats on your sweet 8 week old! I don’t think that’s a selfish reason at all! It’s hard to say what you should do – i think if you want to keep nursing, you probably have to keep pumping somewhat frequently, and you’re the only one who can decide if it’s worth it. I fully support you if you decide pumping’s not worth it. Maybe you could drop a session and see if that makes it more bearable? Good luck!
Erin says
Hello. My baby just turned 15 months and my EP schedule has looked very similar to yours overs the months. I’m now down to two sessions, 7am and 8pm. After recently switching to two, I’ve noticed a decrease in supply. Im going to continue the two for a bit but how do I plan for making the switch to one? I figure it will be best to pump in the morning and drop the one before bed? Will my body naturally adjust?
Amanda Glenn, CLC says
Hi Erin! Congrats on your 15 month old! So you can pick either session to drop first – I would just pick whatever is more annoying to you and drop that one. (I dropped morning first because I didn’t like the idea of going to bed “full”.) To drop to one, I would start decreasing the time/amount you pump at the session you’re dropping, leaving everything else the same.
More on this here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/weaning-from-the-pump/
Congrats again!
Cynthia says
Thank you for posting this. My baby is 9 months old. I’m exclusively pumping and trying to decide if, when, and how to wean. this post was very helpful. I’ll drop from currently pumping 5x/day to 4x/day and see how it goes.