After being tied to your breast pump for weeks or months, it can be hard to know what to do when you’re ready to wean. I’ve written a step by step process for stopping pumping, but sometimes it’s good to see how it can work in practice. Here’s my personal experience weaning from the pump.
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Making the decision to stop pumping
The goal that I had in the back of my mind when I started exclusively pumping was to pump until my son turned 12 months old, and then switch him to cow’s milk. I knew that 12 months was an ambitious goal and I might need to wean earlier, but that was what I was generally aiming for.
Therefore, I was really excited for my baby to turn one, because I’d been looking forward to weaning pretty much the entire time that I’d been pumping! I was so excited for all of the extra time I’d have on my hands once I wasn’t tied to a breast pump for two hours a day and washing millions of pump parts and bottles every night.
I especially couldn’t wait to give up my least favorite pumping session – the early morning one. I hated getting up half an hour early to pump before my baby woke up, and then being stressed out the whole time that I pumped that he would wake up before I was done.
But even though it was a relief to be “off the hook” for pumping when my son turned 12 months old, I was still a little hesitant to wean for a couple of reasons:
- My son had a difficult transition to solid foods, and was still drinking quite a bit of breast milk – about 30-35 ounces – when he turned one. He didn’t really like purees and couldn’t yet self-feed. (I had to resort to holding Cheerios in my hand for him that he would swoop in and chomp with his mouth). While we worked on getting him to eat more solid foods, I felt that if we transitioned straight to cow’s milk, he’d be drinking too much of it and have issues with constipation and possibly anemia.
- I had issues with infertility and recurrent miscarriages before I had my son, and I didn’t know if I’d be able to have another baby. Part of me felt like by weaning, I’d be giving up the physical connection that we’d had for almost two years, and maybe it would be the last time that I would ever have such a connection. (Luckily, I was wrong, and I got and stayed pregnant the first month we tried for #2.)
- I loved being able to eat 700 extra calories a day! The way that I looked at it, I could run 7 miles a day, or I could burn the same number of calories sitting on my butt pumping and watching The Real Housewives of Something.
Starting the process
Because I wasn’t sure about weaning completely, I decided to just start the process by giving up all pumping at work. I dropped down to two sessions per day, one in the morning and one in the early evening, about 12 hours apart.
I used the cold turkey method of dropping the daytime pumps.
I figured that I’d see how it went and go from there, and it was great! So freeing to not be carrying bottles back and forth every day.
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Dropping to one session per day
I did the two pumping session per day schedule for about a month and it worked really well. Then two things happened: first, my son started feeding himself and became a lot less dependent on breast milk, and second, the waking up 30 minutes early every day thing got really old. I decided to drop the morning pumping session, which I did by gradually reducing the amount of time that I pumped until I was only getting two or three ounces during that session.
The first day that I totally skipped the morning pumping session, I felt sort of … guilty. I’d spent the last year obsessively sticking to a schedule to make sure that I got enough milk and didn’t get a clogged duct, so it felt strange to skip it and sleep in instead.
(However, I quickly got rid of the guilt when I realized how awesome it was to have all that extra time!)
I was careful to wear breast pads that first day, but I didn’t have any problems with leaking. When I came home and pumped that night, I got more than I usually would get, but not a tremendous amount more.
While I loved my new schedule of just one pump a day, done right after my son went to bed, I noticed that my supply was slowly tanking. I went from getting 10 ounces in that single session to about 3 ounces in 3 weeks. It was starting to feel like it wasn’t worth my time to get hooked up and wash everything, especially given that my baby was now a toddler and didn’t really need the milk anymore.
Stopping pumping altogether
I had already decided to quit when I got a positive pregnancy test, which took a lot of the angst out of weaning. I had morning sickness from very early on – it started two days after I tested! – and one should never have to hook oneself up to a breast pump when one feels the need to throw up. The pregnancy also destroyed whatever was left of my supply, making weaning a fait accompli.
I dropped my last session by just not pumping one night – since I was only getting 2 or 3 ounces, I decided to just see what happened. If I felt full, I’d pump the next morning; if not, then I was done. I didn’t feel the need to pump again until three days later, so I pumped then – and that was the last time (for nine months, anyway, until baby #2 was born)!
So that’s my experience weaning from the pump! How long do you intend to exclusively pump? Are you looking forward to weaning?
Want more information about weaning? Worried that you’ll get a clogged duct or mastitis when you stop pumping? Do you want a weaning plan template to help you create your own plan? Grab my one-of-a-kind guide here.
Comments & Chitchat
This website encouraged and made it possible for me to exclusively pump I just never wanted to nurse and I would’ve fed formula over nursing so thank you for that. I have been pumping for 3 months now, initially wr supplemented with formula in the first week as there is no way my son’s stomach was the size of a cherry at birth then we went to exclusive pumping. I have gotten tired of being chained to the pump though and I am ready for more free time with my son. I have changed my schedule to pumping every 4 hours and it really hasn’t hurt my supply over much. I am supplementing formula 4 ounces (1 ounce in each 4 ounce bottle through the night) and he seems to be tolerating it really well (he didn’t tolerate first formula well). I would love to cut out my one night time pump and just pump 3 times during the day but I’m worried I will completely lose supply. So I guess my question is how did other moms add in formula ? at one point did you feel confident that the formula was agreeable with babe ?
Hi Alicia! I would try 3 times a day for 30-40 minutes and see how that goes – I think that might help you maintain some supply. I think you’re adding in formula exactly the way that most moms do but I’ll approve your comment in case anyone else can chime in! congrats on your sweet baby!
When dropping sessions with the intention to wean – how does the daily time work? I know it is 120 minutes a day recommended, but I’m at 13 weeks, regulated, with oversupply, and need to cut back and possibly wean for my mental health. As I drop sessions slowly does that affect the amount of time I’m pumping and how do I gauge that? (such as I know dropping my first session I added the time in to the other session but do I just do that indefinitely down to two 60 minutes sessions)
Thank you in advance – this page has been an answered prayer with having to go EP immediately afterbirth unexpectedly!
Hi Cass! If your intention is to wean and therefore not maintain supply, you don’t have to add the time back. You only add the time back if you do want to maintain supply. I hope that makes sense and is helpful!
Thank you for sharing. After 14 months, I stopped exclusively pumping over a week ago, before flying with the family to start work in a new country. I did have to do one 5 min pump a few days after I thought that I was done (I think that was a week ago) and felt fine for a number of days after that. Now for the past few days I have felt rather uncomfortable with hard lumps under the breasts that express milk when massaged. I can get through the discomfort but am nervous about mastitis in this new remote location where I don’t yet have a doctor. I followed the guidance on this site and did gradual weaning so it should be fine but I just don’t know if these tender hard lumps 1.5-2 weeks after stopping are normal. Should I be massaging them out or does that just keep the milk coming?
Hi Emily! I would try to get them out, only on the affected breast. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this! Are you taking lecithin at all?
I am not taking lecithin. I actually left that in the US when I left as I had previously used it to help supply and didn’t think that I needed it anymore but now I do remember that it was advised for clogged ducts as well. Should I only be concerned if the area becomes red and I feel ill or should I be doing something to address it before that time?
Your story on weaning sounds very similar to mine! I’m ready to be done however my 8 month old daughter is not taking to food that well. Any suggestions on what you did to improve your son wanting food?
Hi Katlyn! Honestly it just took some time – it started to get a lot better at 12 months, just on it’s own. I hope it just clicks with your baby as well!
I know you ended up getting pregnant again so that impacted your supply, but when you started to drop sessions (I’m currently at 6 a day with a 7.5 month old) did you notice a decrease in your supply? My daughter still drinks a fair amount of milk only being 7.5 months so I’m nervous to start eliminating a pump (I had planned to try to drop one a month moving forward so I’m at 2 when she’s a year) and having my supply drop too much.
Hi Laura! I didn’t notice a drop until I went to 3 sessions, and then there was a drop every time. I hope that helps!
I am already down to 2-1 hour pumps per day. I produce around 22 ounces per day. My son eats 4 bottles per day and anywhere from 20-22 ounces per day. I am ready to transition him to sippy cups of cows milk and wean from pump. You think I can start by doing 2-30 minute pumps? Then drop to 1-30 minute pump and then decrease from there?
Hi Cathy! I think that should work! Good luck!
I absolutely love your website, and reading through the comments makes me feel much less alone in this pumping journey! My daughter is almost 3 months now, and I’ve been feeling more and more stressed about pumping. Trying to pump during the day is nearly impossible sometimes with a baby that’s wide awake and needs attention 😉 I just dropped from about 5 to 3 pumps per day, seems to be going ok. I had planned to gradually wean and stop pumping completely, but after reading the comments I wonder if I can just stick with 2-3 pumps per day for awhile? Feeling a lot of guilt about not providing any breastmilk and only giving her formula, so this may be a good option for me. I’ve never been able to produce very much so I don’t have a good freezer stash either. But a little breastmilk every day is better than none right? 🙂
Absolutely! I think it makes sense to drop sessions until pumping doesn’t seem so onerous any more, then hang in for a bit. Or if it doesn’t stop feeling super annoying, keep going and wean. Good luck! 🙂
Thank you so much for your articles on both pumping exclusively and weaning off the pump. I didn’t think I️ would make it past 3 months of pumping. Currently at 6 months of pumping and i want to stop! The problem is I️ feel so quilty! I️ am supplementing and I️ don’t have a stash… I️ have struggled with breastfeeding from tongue tie to LO never latching to finger feeding, nipple shields of all sizes( which LO hated) I️ own 4 breast pumps the recent one I️ have had for two months ( the willow) I️ got so I️ could be mobile. I️ am so stressed out and depressed with life as it is and now I️ am feeling so quilty of quitting. My main reason of feeling depressed is because i have gained so much weight I️ look in the mirror and I️ don’t feel confident as I️ did before. Everyone keeps telling me I️ can’t diet while breastfeeding. I am not myself but I feel so terrible too as if I am putting myself before my child. Please advice anyone I’ll take any i can get. We just got back from vacay from Hawai‘i and the 13 hours flight plus layover and being on the move constantly and not pumping and just life itself and it’s stresses have decreased my supply drastically( I feel bad about that too which I maybe shouldn’t) I don’t ses the need of sitting for almost an hour per session when I get less than 4 ounces per session so I am unconsciously pumping just 3 times a day since i got back… even that I am not getting even 12 oz per day in total. LO isn’t loving solids that much either and my husband though buys the Formula don’t like the idea of formula he’d rather BM( he has no idea how frustrating and pumping is so i can’t blame him much though it’s annoying!)
I feel like a total mess and failure !
Hi! You sound miserable. I think making it 6 months is amazing!! I think you should have a CTJ meeting with your husband about formula and consider dropping one session and see how you feel. It is better for your little one to have a few more ounces of formula vs breast milk and have a happy mom than the reverse. Whatever you decide to do is the right decision. Good luck!
Thank you so much for your post! It is so encouraging to read about so many people going through my exact experience. I started exclusively pumping after my son was 1 month old because breastfeeding was just too painful. My original goal was to go 1 year but then he started eating way more then I could pump so we hard to start supplementing with formula. He’s almost 5 months now and I have only been able to pump 5-6 times a day with starting work again and I just absolutely hate pumping. I’ve only lasted this long because I know he likes my milk and I gelt guilty stopping because I hated it. However it stresses me out, its painful and I always have to use my free hand to help squeeze my boob to get enough milk out. Is it okay to drop from 5 pumps to 2 pumps a day? Would it be better to just gradually drop a pumping? Thank you so much!
Hi! You absolutely can go from 5 to 2 sessions a day – I would just do it gradually (i.e. one at a time rather than all at once). Good luck!
When you pumped the last time 3 days later, how long did you pump?! I’m trying to drop my morning pump and do it gradually. I just want to be done but I feel like I have bags of rocks on my chest. So I will start doing it more gradual than cold turkey.
I think probably just a few minutes? There wasn’t much left at that point, but that might be because of the pregnancy.
Just a couple more questions… Does the order at which I drop the pumps matter? Do I need to re-space the remaining pumps so they are evenly spread out throughout the day or do I keep the same schedule essentially just skipping pumps? So, for example if I drop my 5 p.m. pump would my schedule still be 1 a.m., 5 a.m., 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. or would I spread them out differently?
You do need to re-space them, but exactly how you do that totally depends on your schedule. Just try to make sure they are reasonably evenly spaced. I would do the 1am first, personally.
When you’re down to 3 sessions, you want to have a morning, midday, and before bedtime session. Then you drop the midday one next. Then you can pick morning or bedtime for the second to last one to go.
Hi! I want to be done pumping by December 1 so I am already thinking about how to start the weaning process. My daughter is 14 weeks old. I pump about 9-11 oz per pumping session and have had clogged ducts in the past and my breasts get engorged easily.
My current schedule is 1 a.m., 5 a.m., 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Do you have any good tips for weaning? When should I start if I want to be done by December 1?
Hi! I would give it one week for each pumping session if you’re prone to clogs. So, I would start about mid-October.
All my tips are here, let me know if you have any specific questions!
https://exclusivepumping.com/weaning-from-the-pump/
Just wanted to say a big thank you for all your post on exclusive pumping. i felt like an utter failure when my son could not latch on and i decided to exclusively pump. but i found so much inspiration and guidance from your posts.
he’s 6 months now and I’m just really tired of pumping now. started supplementing with formula as well though i have quite a store house of frozen breastmilk too. I’m down to a pump a day…not sure how long to go till the milk dries out. any suggestions?
Hi! It sounds like you are over pumping so I think you could just start decreasing the volume over a couple of days and see how you feel? Hopefully your body should get the message. Congrats on making it 6 months! Good luck!
Thank you so much for this post. My son is 10 weeks and I’m Eping and I hate it (you can tell from the fact that I’m already reading about how to wean…)! I mean I’m glad I can give him my milk and I have a good supply so I’m lucky but I really hate to be tied up and unable to move when I could be doing so many other things and especially holding him. Also for me double pumping works little because in order to effectively drain my breasts and avoid mastitis I have to pump one at a time and press and squeeze with the free hand. My initial goal was so give him breastmilk exclusively for at least six months, but we are going to visit family in Hong Kong in December and I figured I’ll have to reduce pumping sessions by then if I want to survive the 16-hour flight and be able to be out and about for longer than 3 hours while we’re there. At any rate I feel so understood by reading about similar experiences; I have so much guild about not being able to breastfeed that I feel like I should just pump the hell out of my breasts and suck it up. I was never able to say ‘out loud’ how much I dislike it — but you don’t have to like something in order for it to be good for your baby, right?
Regarding Anna’s comment – its the same for me that double pumping does not work, as i do have to massage and squeeze my breasts in all directions to ensure a proper pump to avoid any clogs and obvious ducts that feel like giant straws in my breasts (especially on the sides near the armpits!).
Each session then typically takes 40 minutes per breast, 35 minutes if i am having an especially good flow.
Is this normal? Am I over-worried and pressing my breasts too much?
I am quite prone to clogs too – missing anything more than 3 hours would most likely result in some lumps, and i’ve woken up with clogged ducts for no reason too.
Have you tried lecithin at all for the clogs? It might help. Sorry that you get them so often!
I don’t think you have to worry about pressing your breasts too much – you won’t hurt yourself. Can you use a hands-free bra and double-pump while switching sides massaging? Or will that not work?
Thank you for this post. I am just starting to ween. My daughter is only 6 months, but I’ve had to supplement from day 1 (well, technically day 4 or 5 which was when we realized she wasn’t getting enough from me). I had a breast reduction and I have PCOS…I went into this with the attitude of, “if it works, great! I’d not, no big deal.” But I very quickly became determined…power pumping, taking supplements, eating oatmeal, etc. my goal was now to try and last at least 6 months, or to last as long as my baby was getting more breast milk to formula. Since I only produce about 10-15 oz per day, the scales have tipped and my baby is getting more formula than breast milk. This is NOT an easy decision. In some strange way, I’m addictted pumping BC I know every drop helps. That said though, it’s time to live my life and enjoy my FED baby and my husband. I know he’ll be happy to have his wife back.
Absolutely! Making it to 6 months is a huge accomplishment! And enjoy your time 🙂
Hi, thank you for your website, lots of information needed as in the U.K. There’s not a lot about exclusive pumping.
I’ve been expressing for my little
One for nearly 9months now as he wouldn’t latch and had tongue toe. I have managed to reduce the sessions from 8 to 3 times a day. I’m hoping to Carry on until he is at least one however I’m a bit worried how I will reduce the supply and eventually stop. Any advice would help, currently express between 7&8am, 3pm and then a final express between 9&10pm
Many thanks
Hi Jo! I laid out a plan here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/weaning-from-the-pump/
Let me know if you have any questions!
Hi , my baby is very young (3 Weeks to be exact) and I’m over this breast feeding thing. While I enjoyed bonding with her the stress of breast feeding is too much for me. Now I’m looking to ween her off the breast milk. I went from 3 pumping sessions a day to 2 sessions a day (12 hours apart) cold turkey but my breast are so engorged and painful especially in the middle of the night I could barely sleep. Any advice ???
Hi Nat, you could either wait it out (try cabbage leaves and Sudafed if you do) or add the 3rd session back in and drop it more gradually. Good luck!
Hello!! I’m so happy I found your website. Love your post and all the great info. Everything you said about weaning your little one is totally how I’ve felt so I really feel I can relate! Lol. My baby girl is turning 1 today!! I am trying to wean off breastfeeding altogether but I also think I want to continue feeding her just in the morning and at night maybe for the next 6 months since I’m pretty sure she is going to be our last baby. 🙁 but I’m scared that I can get a breast infection easily so any advice would really be appreciated! I have pumped or fed the baby every three hours for the last year. I feed her in the morning and at night and then pump at work all day. I’ve had three breast inf in the past
So I’m just worried about that to wean. You said you just quit the day/work pumpings cold turkey? You didn’t get too engorged or feel sick or anything? Do you think I’ll still make enough milk to feed her in the morning and night if I cut out all the day ones??
Hi! I did quit the day sessions cold turkey (but not all of them at once, one at a time). I think you can drop one at a time and see what happens. You can do it cold turkey or slowly reduce volume. I would probably slowly reduce volume since you’ve had a lot of breast infections.
It can really go either way on morning/night feeding – the good news is that since she’s one she can have cow’s milk with breakfast and dinner so it’s not all on you. Good luck!
Hi, I just want to thank you for your website. With my first child I never had to pump but my second was born ten weeks early and never took to the boobs. I’ve made it pumping for 8 months! I’m so grateful he gets the good stuff (although I’m only producing half of what he drinks now so I supplement.) Just want to thank you for all the great advice; it’s been so helpful to me as I’ve been in new territory. With all the emotions surrounding breastfeeding it has been great to have your website to look to.
Thanks Katie!
I ran out of steam around 7-8 months pumping after going down to 1 a day and getting less than 8 hours for an hour of pumping. AFter discovering homemade formula with goats milk (closest thing to mothers milk) and other organic and healthy ingredients I no longer felt the guilt. She loves the homemade formula and purees. One thing that’s been wierd though is I have massive breasts so I’ve been waiting for them to go back down in size, I still feel the tinkling and its a month later so I must still be producing. I’m looking forward to going back to my 32 G! When I think about having number two, I wonder if I should even try BFing since I have huge breasts and flat nipples, wearing nipple shields and hiding while BF is not my idea of fun, so it’s nice to know that I can just pump and not stress the next time around.
I’m 7 weeks pp and I keep getting clogs. I’m doing everything I can to prevent them but they just keep coming back. I’m thinking I need to end this journey. I’m currently at 8 pumps per day. I was planning on gradually increasing the time between pumps each week. Right now I pump every 2.5 hours during the day. Does that seem like a smart way to do this? Any other tips or suggestions? Thanks!
Thank you for your website! It is so good to read comments that aren’t trying to persuade me to continue pumping or attempting to get baby to latch onto the breast! My baby is 7 weeks old today and I’ve just started weaning from the pump. Due to my second bout of mastitis I’m pumping every 2 and a half hours which is a bit of a killer, especially as baby is sleeping 3 hours plus through the night! I was told by the health visitor and a specialist to drop a pump a day which seems quite fast given that I’ve had mastitis twice in 6 weeks and been on 4 lots of antibiotics. So far I’ve dropped two pumps in 2 days and pumping for 30 mins for the remaining ten. I’m a bit concerned as the pump following the dropped one has resulted in double the amount of milk I normally pump…will this reduce? Quite worried this will lead to engorgement and mastitis? Also, should I be reducing the time I pump as well as drippings pumos? Or should I leave it to 30 mins due to the speed of dropping pumps? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!
Hi! I would keep it at the same length since you’re dropping the pumps so quickly. As for the amount – it should reduce. Did your doctor suggest cabbage leaves or Sudafed? I would definitely try them.
Hi,
Thanks for the fast response. I’ve dropped 4 out of 10 pumps now and it seems to be going well. For the pumps I’ve dropped I hand express some milk to reduce lumps. The remaining pumps range from 70ml to 200ml of milk depending on whether the pump follows a dropped pump or a scheduled pump. I’m hoping the volume will reduce soon still. I’ve tried cabbage but I don’t think I used them for long enough in a day to make a difference? Due to expressing using a pump I have very sensitive skin due to friction etc and the cabbage made me very itchy.
I am so happy I found your website! I just wish I found it sooner! My twins are 7 months old (4 months adjusted) and I am getting ready to go back to work in a month. We have a freezer full of breastmilk, but the hoarder in me is feeling horrible about quitting. I know my stash won’t last long with twins, too. I want to take this month to wean. I am a flight attendant and very prone to mastitis (I have had it 4 time in 7 months) and I don’t want to risk getting it while flying. I have been at a loss as to how to even start weaning. I pump every 3 hours for 30 minutes 7 times a day. I guess I will start expanding the times between my sessions to every 4 hours. How long should I take before I increase it to every 5 hours and then every 6 and so on? I am so scared about getting mastitis again.
Also, you said something in another post about the emotional attachment to pumping. I am in tears right now thinking about quitting. It’s not that I like doing it.. but I love knowing that I am providing for my babies. Also, it feels like the end to a huge part of our lives. It also feels like a major accomplishment as I have watched my deep freezer fill up with JUST breastmilk. I am so excited to quit for so many reasons, too. Gah! Hormones! Anyway, thank you for your blog. I feel like there is someone out there who actually understands.
Hi Jenna! Congratulations on your twins! I would maybe go a week or two in between dropping sessions? Congratulations on making it this long! You did (and are doing) awesome!
Hi, thanks for all the great info! I am going on a trip in November and would like to be done completely pumping by that time. I am now pumping twice a day and my supply has definitely gone down since I got period back. How long of a process do you think it will take to be completely weaned off the pumping? I’m just trying to figure out when I should start the process or lessen what I am doing now. Thanks!
Hi Ruth! I would say about a week per pumping session is all you need. 🙂
Thank you so much for this post! I have EP’d for my twins who are now 10 months old. I am in a wedding 2 weeks after their first birthday and don’t want to be tied to a pump so I am considering weaning now 🙂 they already get more formula than breast milk since they eat more than I produce, and they also aren’t the biggest fans of baby food so we are trying to give them more food off the plate. I just want to thank you for this post. I feel like I’m the only person I’ve heard of who just pumped. Nice to know I’m not. 🙂
I EPed my first child for a year but only made it to 7 weeks with my second child (weaning now). Unlike the first time around, pumping was making me miserable; then you add a thrush infection and I called it quits. (Not without a lot of guilt and sadness, though).
I’ve been trying to decrease my milk supply as I’ve been weaning this past week and have used cabbage leaves and lots of sage tea. I also just got back on the BC pill. It’s been painful on occasion (have taken Ibuprofen a few times and an oxycodone once) but not unbearable. The worst was/has been not being able to hold my baby as much as I’d like (one misplaced kick and I was practically in tears!). I’m 28 hours without pumping now… the end is near!
Good luck to you!
Hi!
Thanks so much for this post and your website. It is awesome and encouraging information. I have been exclusively pumping for my 2nd child as I did for my first. I’m 7 weeks post partum and after much back and forth and self guilt tripping, I’ve decided to wean. Obviously not as successful as you and others but I cry every time I get near the pump and it’s just not worth it. I have 2 kids to take care of now plus husband and household duties. Anyway, I don’t think I really have a question, just wanted to praise you for this whole website. I am now down to pumping for 10 mins every 6.5 hours and desperate for it to just be over already with minimal pain. I produce about 4 ounces total each time (3 from just one boob). Any tips? I will try cabbage leaves tonight.
Thank you so much Aaliyah! I think you have done a great job pumping for this long, and if pumping makes you cry then you definitely need to stop! The best thing that you can give your baby is a happy you. 🙂
I think cabbage leaves are a great idea. Do you happen to have any Sudafed, or could you pick some up? That is supposed to help, too. Good luck!!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I have been ep’ing for my daughter and we just made it to the one year mark! I would like to continue but I’ve barely been able to keep up with her lately and my freezer supply has been wiped out. I’ve tried all the tricks to boost my supply that worked this past year (adding extra pumps, eating more, pumping longer) whenever I had a dip in production but I can’t seem to get any more milk. I have no idea how to wean my daughter from my milk if I’m not able to pump enough for her. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Jenifer! Thank you so much for reading and your comment!
I had the same experience with not being able to bring up my supply after a while – actually after I got my period back. It was kind of a slow decline after that no matter what. Have you gotten yours?
As far as weaning, what I did was put a splash of whole milk in my son’s breast milk bottle and then gradually increased the amount. Could you top off her bottles with cow’s milk (or whatever milk you transition to)? Then if she takes it okay, you can gradually wean yourself from the pump.
Congrats on making it to the one year mark – what an awesome accomplishment!!!
Thanks for your response! I’m thinking my period is the culprit: it came back months ago and I usually notice a lower supply during that time each month. I’m due to get it next week (super irregular cycle though so who knows lol) so I’m thinking that could be it? Trying to hold out and see if it rebounds but not sure I want to risk running out of milk and forcing my LO to transition abruptly. As hard as it is to let go I think it might be time to start gradually making the switch. One more question, if she doesn’t take to the cows milk, do you know if soy is the next option, and if so what kind? Thanks so much for your time!
I know what you mean about having a hard time letting go – I think I would have continued for longer if I hadn’t gotten pregnant again. 🙂
As far as milks go, check this out – it sums up all of the options really well! I think I probably would’ve gone with goats milk or maybe hemp milk:
https://kckidsdoc.com/the-alterna-milks-cow’s-milk-alternatives-for-toddlers.html
Thank you so much! Excellent resource! I’ve been splashing cows milk into her bottles all day and she seems to be doing just fine 🙂 I’ll probably continue to pump for a while so she’s still getting mostly bm. I truly appreciate your help!
Thanks for your awesome website. I am trying to wean from the pump and noticed that your schedule from a previous post had you pump at your regular schedule then skip the night one. I would like to do that but am scared of a clogged duct. I am down to pumping every 5 hours but am scared to not pump in the middle of the night. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
Hi Julie! Thanks for reading!!
Hmmm – if you’re scared of a clogged duct, what about stretching the length of time in between sessions instead of skipping it altogether? So if you’re pumping at 10pm, 3am, and 8am (for example), you could do something like:
First day: 10pm, 4am, 8am
Second day: 10pm, 5am, 8am
Third day: 10pm, 6am
Do you think that would work? I guessed at the times that you are pumping, obviously, but that is the general idea of what I might try. 🙂
Great post! I am officially down to 3 pumps per day! It feels great to be able to go 7-8 hours between pumping sessions! And to not have to pump at night…amazing. Thanks for sharing your story!
That is awesome! Yay for not pumping at night!
This post is very timely for me, as I’ve been considering weaning recently. I made it to my goal (and it was so much longer than I had ever thought I could make in the beginning!) and at this point it’s such a routine that I feel I could go longer, however, it’s summertime and I live in Minnesota and after this horrible winter, I don’t want to waste time pumping when I could be exploring the outdoors with my son!
Do you have any suggestions on what to do if I am unable to lengthen the time of my remaining pumps to make up for dropped ones? I am lucky enough to have a mother’s room to use at work to pump, but the time I can reserve it is only for a total of 30 minutes each pump because other mothers need to use it too.
And what is reasoning behind needing to pump for a total of 2 hours a day, regardless of the number of pumps? Would this mean I would need to pump for 2 hours when I drop to 1ppd?
Thank you for your blog, I’ve found it very helpful!
Hi Sarah! Thanks so much for reading and for your comment!
About the reasoning for needed to pump for a total of two hours per day – that’s a good question. I should clarify that this is only true if you want to keep your supply up to (close to) the same amount that you were getting before you dropped the pump. So if you’re going from 5 to 4 pumps but want to keep the same number of ounces you should lengthen the pumping session. It doesn’t apply if you’re weaning. So, if you are going to 1ppd when you wean, you don’t need to pump for 2 hours, you would just pump for however long you were pumping before.
I hope that makes sense, and I will clarify this on my post on dropping pumps!
(As for where the two hour per day rule comes from, I read it on the iVillage Exclusively Pumping message board quite a few times when I was EPing, and it has worked for me, but it’s not written in stone or proven by science or anything. 🙂 I found that when I did not increase the time and dropped pumps, my supply dropped quite a bit, but this didn’t happen if I increased the time.)
Finally, congratulations on making it to your goal!!! Awesome work!
This is going to sound bizarre and crazy, but have you ever thought about pumping and driving? I save lots of time by doing that!
Great idea!
I did it (driving and pumping) with my first baby. The hands-free pumping bra is essential for this – I can’t imagine driving and pumping without it. Pumped on the way to work for a while to save time. I would throw a wide scarf around myself while the pump rode shotgun. I stopped after getting pulled over … while the pump was running! With my second child, I only pumped in the car as a passenger.
I’m currently weaning from EPing my second child (an active case of thrush had me throwing in the towel) and have now gone 27 hours without pumping. I’m uncomfortable but it’s not unbearable (so far). I started dropping pumps per day and length of pumps a week ago. The first few days were painful (I dropped pumps too quickly so was engorged. Am using sage tea and cabbage leaves to decrease my milk supply) … I’m hoping this last part won’t be. We shall see.
Good luck and congrats on the great work for the babies!