Exclusive pumping can be more challenging than nursing in many ways. However, weaning from the pump is one area where it actually can be easier!
For one thing, the decision on when to do it is completely up to you – you don’t need to worry about your baby adjusting to no longer nursing. Additionally, there may be less of an emotional hurdle for you as the mother. Finally, you can completely control your pumping output and carefully decrease it, whereas if you were nursing, it’s difficult to know whether your baby is getting more or less than the day before.
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When you have decided to stop pumping, you will need to “wean” from the pump just like a nursing mother would wean her baby. (I definitely don’t recommend weaning from pumping cold turkey!)
How Long Does It Take to Wean from Pumping?
Your goal is to slowly reduce the amount of milk that you’re producing in order to minimize discomfort and issues with clogged ducts, mastitis, and engorgement. In general, I would give yourself about a week for each session that you need to drop.
If you’ve had issues with clogged ducts and mastitis during your pumping “career,” it might take you a little longer. If not, you may be able to go more quickly.
(If you need to wean faster than this, I would recommend trying some of the methods for decreasing milk supply like taking Sudafed and using cabbage leaves or No More Milk Tea (use PUMPING15 for 15% off), along with the steps below.)
Weaning from the Pump in Six Steps
Below is the process that I used, laid out in six steps. (If you’d like to read more about when/how/why I weaned from the pump with my first baby, I wrote a separate post about my experience here.)
Step 1: Drop Pumping Sessions Until You are Down to Two Pumping Sessions Per Day
If you are currently pumping three or more times per day, start by dropping down to just two sessions per day, preferably about 12 hours apart. (Obviously, you can skip this step if you are already at two pumping sessions per day.)
Here is some detailed information on how to drop pumping sessions, but the most common ways to do it are to reduce the amount of time that you pump at a given session (reduce by a few minutes each day) or the volume (reduce by an ounce or two each day) that you pump. I would recommend using volume if you are prone to clogged ducts or mastitis, or if you have oversupply, to make sure your breasts start to get the message that they should be making less milk.
After you drop one pumping session, it’s a good idea to wait a few days before dropping the next unless you need to wean quickly.
Step 2: Gradually Reduce the Length and/or Volume of One of the Remaining Pumping Sessions
Since they are about 12 hours apart, you can choose the one that you are most eager to get rid of. (For example, I was pumping at 7pm and 6am and decided to drop the morning one so I could sleep a little longer.)
Keep the one session you are not dropping the same length while gradually decreasing the length of time or amount of milk that you pump for the other one.
Step 3: Drop Down to One Pumping Session Per Day
When you are down to just a few minutes/a few ounces on the pumping session that you’re dropping, try skipping it completely and just doing the one longer pump per day.
If you feel uncomfortable, go ahead and pump, but just enough to relieve the pressure.
Step 4: Hang Tight for a Few Days
Let your body catch up with you.
Step 5: Gradually Reduce the Last Pumping Session
Gradually shorten your last pumping session (again, by time or volume, whatever has been working for you) until you’re getting only about 1 or 2 ounces from it.
Step 6: Stop Pumping!
Once you’re down to a few ounces, see if you can skip a day completely, then do one last pumping session 36-48 hours later.
Hopefully, after this, you should be all set to stop. However, if you feel uncomfortable a few days or a week later, you can pump again if you need to.
Bonus tip if you are already getting your period and experiencing a supply drop along with it: Try timing the weaning process to correspond with that drop in supply. Your body is already making less milk, so encourage it to continue to do so! You can drop a session at the beginning of your period and maybe another one at the end, if you think your body can handle it.
Weaning from the Pump: An Example
One of my readers sent me a visual she put together of how she planned to wean from the pump based on the above six steps. I think this is much more intuitive for visual learners, so I asked her permission to share it here.
Image courtesy Tiffany Lloyd
On the top in the “Current” column, she has outlined the six sessions that she has at the time she starts to wean from the pump. Each of them are 20 minutes long, so she’s pumping for a total of 120 minutes per day at the beginning.
Then, she has planned out the order in which she’s going to drop each session, with a red X signifying that she’s dropping it or has already dropped it. She will drop one session per week.
At the end of the chart, she ends up at the end of Step One above, with two sessions about 13 hours apart. She can pick whichever she’d like – the 8am or the 9pm – and drop that one, then repeat with the final session.
At the bottom she has outlined the number of minutes that she’ll pump at the session she’s dropping as the week goes on. On day one, she’ll pump for 15 minutes and then stop, and each day after that she’ll reduce the time by 5 minutes until she’s at zero. Then she gives her body a few days to catch up until the week is over.
A Few Final Thoughts on Weaning
One last thing: it’s normal to have mixed feelings about weaning. On one hand, you might feel a loss of connection with your little one – especially if you are weaning before you’d like to. It is also normal to undergo some hormonal changes.
On the other hand, your life is about to become so much easier – no more hauling a breast pump around, no more trying to wrangle a baby while pumping, no more pump parts to wash. Try to focus on the good work that you have done by pumping for your little one.
Congratulations mama! Do a photoshoot to celebrate, if you want!
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.
Hi! Just wonder if I could get some clarification on step 3. You mention once you try dropping from two to one you’d “ just do[ing] the one longer pump per day.” Would I be pumping longer once I’m down to one and I’m waiting a bit to adjust/start decreasing the time of the last one? Or do I keep it the same duration? I’m currently at 4ppd at 30min each.
Hi Katy! You don’t ever increase the pump time and you only decrease the length of one session at a time and keep the others exactly the same. Does that help?
Hi! I appreciate this so much. Last time i quit cold Turkey and i don’t want to do that.
This time around, I was making 80-90oz a day pumping 7-8 times. I needed my supply to drop as I was running out of storage. After many clogged ducts, im ready to wean all together and I’m down to 5 sessions a day but still at about 70oz a day. I don’t pump any more than 15 mins. Hopeful that this plan will work for me! Thanks for sharing all the info.
Good luck Kim!
Hi! Your website has been such a help to navigate exclusive pumping! I think this is a silly question but just checking, in the weaning example you give that starts with 6 sessions, as the time is dropped down for the session being removed each week, is the time being readded to other sessions? i.e. At the end of each week, does the total time being pumped drop by 20 minutes each week, so when you get to the last 2 sessions, it is only 40 minutes being pumped per day? Thanks again!!
Hi Caitlin! You don’t add the time back when you’re weaning, no. Hope that helps! Congrats on weaning!
This plan has been so helpful, thank you!!! I’m an over producer, and have had mastitis twice within 6 weeks of my baby being born. So I’ve make the decision to switch to formula. I’ve dropped down to 4 pump sessions a day, and I’m still producing 55oz a day. My 4 sessions are spaced 6 hours apart. However, around 4.5-5 hours into the gap between session, my left breast becomes unbearably engorged, like it wakes me up bc I’m in so much pain. Is it okay to pump for 2 min just to relieve the pressure? Or is that sending the body the wrong message? Should I just tough it out? I’m already using Cabo Crème and drinking tea. Thank you!
Hi Beth! Yes, if it’s hurting that much, I would go ahead and pump to relieve the pressure. Good luck!
Hi there! I purchased your program. Thanks so much for pulling together this resource. To confirm, I’m in the process of stretching from 6 sessions/day to 5 total. A few questions:
– do the hours in between need to be consistent? Like every 5 hours or can they fluctuate between 4.5 hours and 5? Does the consistency need to be there to train your breast?
– I’m still getting engorged in between waiting for sessions. I feel “bumps” not sure I’d classify them as full on clogs as they seem to release during my pump sessions, but I have been prone to mastitis and clogs. My question is whether I should wait to extend more time until the engorgement passes? How long does it take for the body to typically understand this is the new “norm”? Or do I continue to push the time?
– I’m emptying my breast completely at each pump session. It still seems like I’m producing the same amount of milk. When does this begin to taper off? Im using other recommended remedies like cabbage leaves around the clock, Sudafed and sage tea.
Thanks in advance for your help and answers!!
Hi there! Yay – congrats on weaning! To answer your questions:
– The hours do not need to be exactly consistent. Close is good (like 4.5 and 5 hours), exact is fine but not necessary
– Yes, wait to extend more time until the engorgement passes.
– It takes time and is not super predictable, but it does happen.
Good luck!!
Hi there!
I’ve been trying to wean for 2 months now. I’ve followed your guide and have gotten down to 3 pumps a day from 8+ but my body is producing just as much. I get engorged daily and get clogs constantly. I don’t have an oversupply. I’ve tried taking Sudafed, drank no more milk tea, and sleep with cabbage leaves. Nothing is helping. Lactation consultants & drs just said to stop cold turkey. I feel so helpless and overwhelmed. 😭 what can I do?
Hi Ashlee! So sorry about that. What’s your schedule and how long is each session? Have the length of the sessions changed?
Hi Amanda! Thanks for getting back to me.
My current schedule is 6am, 2pm, 8-830pm. I’m working on dropping the 2pm by reducing oz. Just got down to stopping at 1oz on each side. I have to pump until empty the other two times or it’s a almost guarantee I’ll get clogged. At this point I’ve probably have had hundreds of clogs and is why I’m weaning now. I just feel stuck. I know the more I remove the more I make. If I don’t remove it all then I get clogged and have to add more pumps which is counterproductive. Every time I’ve dropped a session I just pumped that much more the next time and repeat. I just don’t see an end ☹️
Hi Ashlee! Okay, I understand. I would honestly just keep going. Your body will eventually get the message, but progress is not linear and it can feel like nothing is happening even when you’re doing all of the right things. So I would drop the 2, give it a few days, and then pick whichever is more annoying – morning or night, and then do the same thing. Are you taking lecithin already?
Hi Amanda,
I’m planning to wean from the pump soon, and just purchased your “weaning from the pump” guide together with “sample weaning schedules” guide, currently trying to plan out a weaning plan with your template but I’m a bit confused regarding spacing out pumping time evenly after dropping pumps and also trying to work out how to end the remaining pumps 12hrs apart, therefore wondering if you can help me with out. FYI I am looking at your “weaning plan B , violet” schedule example and on a very slow track.
Currently I’m pumping 8 times a day,
Schedule: 7am, 10am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, 12am, 4am
The following sequences is how I plan to drop each session: 1) 10am 2) 3pm 3) 12pm, 4) 6pm, 5) 9pm, 6) 12am 7) 4am 8) 7am. I’m dropping the 4am and 7am last, as the milk volume I get pumping at these 2 timing is the highest. Therefore how should I be spacing the pumping times ?
Thank you!
Hi Dini! Congrats on weaning! I not suggest dropping them in that order, you want to have two sessions that are about 12 hours apart last. I would look at it like this – you want to get to three sessions that are something like: 7am/3pm/12am. So I would drop everything around those first, starting with the ones where you get the least milk (probably 6pm first). Then you’d drop the 3pm and move the 12am up to 6/7/8pm or whatever works for you.
Thank you for your response Amanda, it’s very helpful. One last question I have for you is – I noticed the time gap between the new pumping session can be quite drastic even though it’s been rearranged in a manner that each pumping time are spaced out evenly. Will this big time gap cause any issue for clog ducts, really painful engorgement etc? Thank you
Hi Dini, This is possible, but that’s why we go super slow. If you’re decreasing the time or volume in the session that you’re dropping slowly, your body should start to adjust. I would make sure to listen to your body and not make changes that make you uncomfortable or where there is pain. I hope that helps!
Hello Amanda,
I have successfully weaned following all the tips from your excellent website. My right breast gave up almost a week or two before and the left one is on its way. It’s been more than a week since I pumped on the right breast and three days since I pumped the left one.
Recently I noticed that my right breast was paining slightly, thinking it was engorgement I pumped but nothing came out and the breast itself is soft without any lumps. Even hand expression Didn’t give out much but just a few drops. The I noticed there was small tear at the base of the nipple where it joins the areola. And it seems that is causing the pain. Is it expected or normal to see tear/crack after weaning? Please advise.
Hi Max! Congrats on weaning! I’m so sorry to hear about that tear. It’s not something I have seen or heard often, but that doesn’t mean it’s not normal. I think in your shoes I would probably give it a few days and if it’s still causing issues, see your doctor just to see what’s going on. I hope that helps!
My “last” pump was Wednesday morning, but last night my right breast felt uncomfortable so I pumped a little. My left feels fine, but the right just keeps giving me problems. Is it possible I have to spend more time weaning the right breast? This was always the one that produced more milk. I just keep getting a feeling of being full.
Hi! It’s definitely possible to have to spend more time on one side. It’s fine to treat them totally differently because milk production is controlled in each breast separately.Good luck!
Got it thanks! I think my “slacker” is shutting down which I appreciate, hope my other one gets the message too!
Hi Amanda,
I am slowly working towards weaning. I used to pump 6 times a day (totalling over 120mins) a month ago now. I have now reduced my pumping to 4 times a day for 80mins but still find I am producing quite a lot of milk (at the height of pumping 6x I was producing 40oz and at the moment I am averaging 37oz). I dropped the overnight pump about 3 weeks ago too.
I find That my breasts are very engorged every time I pump so I feel the need to properly empty them. Is it normal to still be producing so much milk even when I have cut down on pumping so much? Should I carry on trying to cut down the time?
Hi Mel! HAve you reduced the length of your remaining sessions in addition to dropping the 2 sessions (that’s what I interpreted from your comment but my math might be off)? If so, I wouldn’t do that – I would just drop one session at a time and keep the others the same. So going forward, stick with 4×20 for now until you stop feeling engorged, then start dropping the fourth session so you’re at 3×20. I hope that helps!
Hi Amanda,
Big fan of you here and on Instagram – thanks for all the useful info throughout my journey! I had an oversupply but started weaning 6w ago. I pumped for the last time last Wednesday, my period started Thursday and hand expressed on Friday. It’s Monday and my boobs are feeling the “nursing pangs” again. Is it ok if I continue to hand express? For how long? When my period ends will my body try to go back to producing more (maybe why I’m in pain now?) When will the milk “dry up?”
Hi! Sorry for the delay in answering – I’ve been on vacation. I think it’s fine to hand express whenever you feel discomfort – I think it’s unlikely that your period ending will cause production to ramp up again and it might just be weird hormones with the “nursing pangs.” Everyone is different though so it’s hard to say for sure.
Hi! I am wondering when to start weaning if I want to EP until my baby turns one April 21. Should I start the process/reduction now or wait until she’s 1? I have some milk frozen if I need to bridge the gap between breast milk and cow’s milk but would love advice.
Hi Jane! I would probably wait until you’re close enough that your frozen stash can cover the gap completely but I tend to be risk-averse. 🙂 Supply can sometimes drop faster than you’d think it would. Hope that helps!
Wondering when to be “officially done” weaning. It’s been 48 hrs since my last pump and I think I could pump again to relieve a little pressure but I don’t think it’s 100% necessary. Maybe just pump a little and assume I’m done?
Hi Danielle! I think that sounds like a good plan!
Is it ok to drop my middle of the night pump first and go nearly 12 hours between pumps? I currently pump 5x per day around 8am, 12p, 4p, 9p, and 3a. I so want to stop getting up in the middle of the night! Or should I drop a day time pump first?
Hi Kaley! How old is your baby?
My baby is 7.5 months. She still gets up once at night most nights to feed. I have almost 3 months supply staffed in the freezer. My goal is to be done pumping around May 9 (when she’s 9 months). I’m currently pumping about 40oz/day. I’ve been thinking about it more and will drop a day time pump first and move another so I’m pumping 3-9-3-9, then drop the nighttime pump. It takes me about 30 min to fully empty my breasts so I’ll probably need to decrease the time pumped slowly and take a few days to drop each pump.
That sounds like a great plan!
Hello! Your articles and instagram has been so helpful during my EP journey. I am currently trying to wean so I feel like I have some sort of life lol. My current pumping schedule is: 5am, 10am, 3pm, 9pm then at 5am again. Which one of these pumps can I drop? Also, my slacker boob barely makes any milk. Can I stop pumping that breast and just pump my one boob?
Hi Mia! I would drop either the 10am or 3pm and move the other one closer so that you have something like 5am, 1pm, 9pm. Does that make sense?
This is amazing and your guide is an invaluable resource!
Question: I’ve always had low supply. Currently down to 3ppd (5am, 1pm, 9pm) and I only produce 2-3 ounces combined in a 20 minute session. Decreasing by volume seems irrelevant for such a small amount already and when I tried to reduce minutes in the past I got mastitis. Should I just move my 1pm closer to my night session 9pm to get down to 2 and then move the 6am session by an hour per day, closer to a 6pm to get to 1 session? Once at 1 should I just see how long I can go without pumping and use cabbage leaves for engorgement, perhaps?
Thank you!!
Hi Nicole! Thank you so much! I do then that your plan could work well! I would give it a try, and then see how it goes and if necessary readjust from there. But I don’t have any concerns about it. 🙂
Hi – thank you for this post and all the helpful tips! I have been EP since January because I had two surgeries due to a breast abscess on each breast. It has been difficult to say the least and I really only switched to EP to maintain status quo while I healed. I knew I wanted to wean immediately. I’ve gone from 8 to 4 pumps and I’m curious your thoughts on a few things. First, my supply tanked this week (was consistently producing 6-7 oz total at each session, no matter time of day (12a, 6a, 12p, 6p) and now I’m getting a total of 3-4 oz at each). I’ve been taking Sudafed for about 2 weeks now and wondering if that could’ve kicked in to help? I think I’m just caught off guard at the drastic change especially since I’ve been pumping at 4x/day for about 15 days now with no schedule changes. Second, I thought I felt a pea sized lump in my left breast and have been aggressively massaging during and after pumping to work it out in case it’s a clog. When I do massage after pumping, milk comes out. Is this a red flag? (I’m worried the clog could potentially be reason for my dip in supply, though the milk that gets expressed when I massage is not nearly 3oz worth). I appreciate any insight you might have here! I purchased your guide and it has been more helpful than anything as I’ve navigated this process.
Hi Emily! First, congrats on your baby and I’m so very sorry about the abscesses!
I think it could be a combination of the Sudafed and your body just finally catching up with the decreased demand? It could also partially be the clog in the affected side, and as they can affect supply. I don’t think it’s a red flag that massaging after pumping causes milk to come out – that is pretty normal. It sounds like things are going well, minus the clog! Are you taking lecithin at all?
Hello Amanda,
I’m following your articles ever since I gave birth and had to EP for my LO because breastfeeding directly never worked for us.
I have been exclusively pumping for around 2 months now. I would like to wean from pumping but dropping sessions leaves me with big lumps in the left boob and it takes atleast two or three session to clear it out. Also each of my pumping session lasts for 30-35 mins. I can’t seem to empty my breasts in less than that time.
Currently I’m pumping 6 times a time and would like to get down to 5. How do I go doing that without getting lumps? Will taking the no more milk tea help with clearing out the lumps as well?
Hi Mini, the tea and something like Cabo Creme might help. How are you dropping the sessions when you’ve tried before?
Hi Amanda, it’s me again :/ sorry I got a clogged duct again when trying to focus on dropping a specific pumping session down and was considering that moving my pump times further apart might work better for me. I believe your reply to my other post said that spacing out the time in between the pumping sessions is another recommend way to wean, right? When you say work on dropping one session at a time and keep everything else the same for the remaining sessions, do you mean when starting the new spacing schedule, ensuring that I’m not spacing out the time in between my 8 pumps so much that within my first day of the revised schedule that I go from 8 pumps a day to 6? I was thinking I could start with increasing the time between each pump by 15 mins to begin with, for the first two or three days seeing how my breasts feel and ensuring no clogged ducts and then increase the spacing an additional 15 mins (total of 30 mins increase to original pumping spacing) the next 2-3 days, 45 mins the next 2-3 days and so on. Does this method work well for those prone to clogs? My thought is that with this method I can then fully empty but with more time in between my pumping sessions my breasts won’t make as much milk? Is this the right thought process? Does this sound like a good plan?
If I calculate it out this method would take me around 8 weeks to eliminate all my pumps.
Hi! Yes, I think this can work well!
I’m just curious about how long the length of the final pump should be after waiting 36-48hrs since the last 5minute session. Should I be aiming for 20mins? Or just until I feel comfortable?
Thanks again!
Hi Katie! You can do either – this is more of an art than a science. So I would just go with your gut and do whatever seems right to you.
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for your reply! I have been anxiously waiting 🙂 Does my below schedule make sense spacing the remaining? Once I pump 20m, 15m, 10m, 5m, and wait a day for my body to adjust without that pumping session, do I reorganize the surrounding pump times on the day of waiting or leave them as is and adjust them the next day that I start working on the next pumping session to drop?
I havent tried the sunflower lechitin, I have ordered it but didn’t want it to increase my supply. Should I take this as a preventative? I asked the local lactation nurse and she said that if I am weaning and not emptying my breasts that the sunflower lechitin wont help to prevent clogged ducts. What’s your advice?
CURRENT PUMPING SCHEDULE: 7:30 AM 10:30 AM 1:30 PM 4:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:30 PM 1:30 AM 4:30 AM
PUMPING SESSION DROP PLAN:
(dropping 1:30 PM session first) 7:30 AM 10:30 AM 1:30 PM 4:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:30 PM 1:30 AM 4:30 AM
(dropping 1:30 AM session second) 7:30 AM 11:30 AM 3:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:30 PM 1:30 AM 4:30 AM
(dropping 3:30Pm session third) 7:30 AM 11:30 AM 3:30 PM 7:30 PM 11:30 PM 3:30 AM
(dropping 11:30Pm session fourth) 7:30 AM 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 11:30 PM 3:30 AM
(dropping 1:30Pm session fifth) 7:30 AM 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 1:30 AM
(dropping 1:30Pm session sixth) 7:30 AM 7:30 PM 1:30 AM
(dropping remaining two sessions one by one) 7:30 AM 7:30 PM
Hi Amanda,
Instead of working on a specific individual pump to drop at a time, Do you recommend adding time in between pumping sessions over so many days in order to eliminate a pumping session or even dropping the same amount of time on all sessions over so many days ?I have only been pumping for 4 weeks and have had two clogged ducts ( one on each side). I am trying to find the quickest way to wean off my 8 pumps but also the best way to avoid getting a clogged duct in the process. I pump 20 mins on each session currently.
Also for the pumping sessions that remain do you recommend to stop pumping once it seems all milk is out (even though that may be at 15mins), should I be lowering pumping settings to draw less out or will adding too much changes like this with trying to eliminate the pump session cause clogged ducts?
Hi again! I definitely do NOT recommend reducing the time of all the sessions at once, but moving them further apart can definitely work. I would only work on dropping one session at a time and keep everything else the same for the remaining sessions. Are you taking lecithin at all for the clogs?
Hi! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! This has been so helpful. I am currently pumping 8x a day (1:30am, 4:30am, 7:30am, 10:30am,1:30pm,4:30pm,7:30pm,10:30pm) at 20 mins per pump, producing about 30 oz daily total. I’m planning to leave the 10:30am and 10:30pm as my last two pumps. I was then planning to eliminate the following pumps each week in order: 4:30pm, 4:30am, 7:30pm, 7:30am, 1:30am, and 1:30pm. Does this seem like the best option as far as order to eliminate them? Also should I be moving the remaining pump times around once I eliminate one each week? Any advice on how to go about this?
Thank you!!!
Hi Mags! YEs, that totally makes sense, and yes, I would respace as you drop them. So if you’re dropping the 4:30pm, maybe you move the 7:30pm up to 6:30pm and your 1:30pm back to 2:30pm. But obviously it all depends on what works for your schedule. Hope that helps!
Hi, thank you so much for this resource! I’m 7mpp and 4ppd. My biggest problem with continuing EP is that I despise the pump before I go to bed around 10pm. I’m wondering if I could change my schedule to make my evening pump my last pump which would probably be 5pm. In the morning I either pump at 5:30am (3 days a week) or 7:30am depending if I work. Do our bodies adjust to going 12-14 hours overnight without pumping? I would also probably drop to 3ppd if that long of a gap overnight is okay.
Hi Christina! This makes me a little nervous – both for supply and for clogged ducts or mastitis. It could be okay, but you’d kind of have to test it out and see – I can’t tell you for sure. I wish I could give you a clearer answer!
Hi Christina. I currently pump twice a day at 5am and 5pm. I did lose supply when I dropped from 3ppd to 2ppd. I lost approximately 70 to 90ml a day. However it gives me alot more time for other stuff and I feel comforted that I’m able to do so for my babies. I lost about 50ml initially per day when dropping from 4ppd to 3ppd. It took about 3 days or so for me to notice the difference. I hope this helps.
Thank you so much for your replies! Zaahra- thanks I think I’m overall ready to start weaning since I almost have a years supply frozen. I want to start at 3ppd for a while and then 2ppd like you do and if my supply dwindles I guess that will be okay. I think my hesitation is just getting the weaning process started since I do feel a little guilty stopping but I’m ready.
To say I have the ultimate mom guilt is a gross understatement. I literally have my pro-pumping and my pro-not pumping list next to me and even though my brain and body are done with pumping… my heart is breaking. I want to reclaim my body and my life so badly but I feel so guilty when I see my daughter enjoying my milk. Is there anything I can do to not feel this way??
Hi Irama! One thing that might help is to think about it this way – you have many gifts to give your baby, and breast milk is just one of them. There is also time playing, and time snuggling – and you’ll be able to give more of those gifts if you’re not pumping. It’s not that you’re taking something away, you’re shifting what you’re giving. I hope that helps!
Please don’t feel guilty! Your child will be fine either way you decide to feed! There are so many pressures out there for moms. I wasn’t ashamed to EP instead of nurse- even though people would say you’ll bond better with your child. My child and I could not be anymore in love with each other! Same for my sister- EP and nursing were not for her, so she did formula. Again, loving and healthy mommy and baby. You do what works for you and you have your pediatrician to guide you.
Thank you April and Amanda. I like the idea of “shifting the gifts I will be giving her.” I’ve decreased to two pumps per day. Once I’m over that, I’ll go down to 1… cry some more… and then stop pumping and start cuddling. Or :::gasp::: SLEEPING!
Thank you for this! I have been pumping exclusively for 10 months and I had a goal of 1 year. I really can’t wait to be done with it… I’m just doing a little research because I am excited for this upcoming step. I pump 5 times per day but lately I can get away with enough milk doing 4 times a day. I will plan on cutting one session out each week until I’m down to 2 times per day. I’ll stick with that as long as I can still have a good attitude about it! My baby still loves milk and doesn’t eat that much food so I do love giving him the breastmilk… He won’t touch my frozen milk so I just started scalding the milk in order to see if that improves the flavor.
Congrats Emily!
Do you have any key indicators for when it may be ok to not pump for a day & see how I feel? I only pumped for 4.5 weeks, so my weaning process has gone fairly quick. I am still getting some milk out but am down to pumping every 6 hours, with minimal milk and not really feel engorged. Thank you for all of these tips!’
Hi Megan! When you’re down to one session and getting less than 2oz is when I’d stop. I hope that helps – congrats!
Hello!
I just wanted to say thank you for having this blog. I am a first time mom and my son would never latch so decided to EP from day 5 and it took away my anxiety.
Being a first time mom is already overwhelming and that doesn’t include the breastfeeding journey whether your nurse or pump. So having information from woman that have went through it and their advice was just such a relief.
Thank you so much Starlet!
When you drop a session should you rearrange the time of the other sessions? I’m currently at 6, 11, 4, 8. I’m going to drop the 11 by reducing the time but once I’m done with the 11 should I move the 4 to around 1pm until I drop that one?
Hi Katy! That’s what I would do!
Hi there when you dropped down to expressing twice a day, do you know how much milk you were producing in a 24 hour period?
Hi Zaahra! It started at 20oz and dropped to 10 over time.
Hello Amanda
I need advice on help weaning off pumping. I’ve been pretty much exclusively pumping every 3 hrs for 20 mins (give or take) for nearly the last 3 weeks (with the exception that we tried breastfeeding for a few days but it did not work out). I did previously attempt to wean by going down a few minutes and noticed a large burning lump so I went back up to 20 and now I don’t know where to begin. Can you offer advice/suggestions on a schedule. I can’t keep up with pumping and bottle feeding 😫
Hi Amanda! When you say you tried going down a few minutes, was that on just one session or all of them at once? You could also consider lecithin for avoiding potential clogs.
Do you offer plans that include drinking the No More Milk tea? I started drinking it 2x a day, and noticed my production going down by day 2. But now, day 3, my supply is back. I also had a clogged duct (so uncomfortable) for those wo days I started the tea, and finally getting both to be almost empty. Should I start on both breast being completely empty? How do I start over?
Hi Vanessa! I would pump your normal time except at the session that you’re dropping 🙂
Hello! I was just wondering if I don’t pump for 48hours, and then I pump, is it okay to give my baby that milk or will it taste different? Thank you!
You can give it!
Hi Amanda! Thank you for all of your helpful resources. I am 6 months postpartum and am currently pumping 3x a day, 10 oz each time. I want to wean, but also want to give my baby one bottle of breastmilk a day if I can. Is it possible that if I were to wean to just 1 pump per day that I would produce some milk indefinitely, or would I eventually dwindle down to nothing even if I kept the time up for that pump? I’d only need 4-5 oz.
I know that everyone is different, but just wondering if you know of others that have tried to do this and if it was successful for them! Thanks.
Hi Alex! Everyone is different – but for me, supply dwindled down to nothing when I tried that. (Though I did get pregnant near the end, which might have hastened things along.) I’m sorry! I wish I had a clear answer for you. If you do try it I would make the session pretty long. Good luck!
I’ve so appreciated all your advice! I weaned about a month ago with no problems! However, even though my last pump was over 3 weeks ago, milk still comes out if I hand express even one or two squeezes. Is this normal? When will it stop??
Hi Emily! Congrats on weaning! I’ve done polls on this on instagram and some people did say that they were leaking about a month afterwards. I hope it stops soon! I think it’s normal (talk to your doctor though if you’re concerned) but I hope it stops soon!
Thank you for this post!! I am six months post partum and looking to wean, but I produce about 60-70 ounces a day with just about five pumping sessions a day, 20-25 minutes a session for both breasts. I experience engorgment pretty quickly. Do you think I can wean a little more slowly than this plan suggests? Thank you so much again!!
Hi Yaara! Yes, absolutely. Cabo creme might help for the engorgement too!
Hi Amanda! I have 6 months pp and am pumping 4x per day: 6am x 40 min (wake up early for this), 12:30pm x 30 min (lunch break at work), 6pm x 30 min (drive home), 10:30pm x 30 min. My supply has been dropping by about 3oz each month since my initial peak at around 3 months. I’ll probably have to start supplementing soon, but I’d still like to keep up half the bottles as breast milk if possible, but I also want to decrease pumping sessions. Do you think it would be too risky to drop directly to two pumps/day (I’d eventually like to do 6am/6pm)? Since I’m still trying to maintain supply, how long should I be pumping for each of those two sessions? Thank you!
Hi Holly! I think it would be moderately risky? I would try three and see what happens. I’d do three sessions that are 40-45 minutes each. If that goes well, and you want to drop to 2, you can try it. But I would be okay with stopping soon afterwards in case it causes your supply to go down a lot and you can’t recover it. I’m sorry! I hope that helps!
Hi! I’ve gone from pumping every 2-3 hours for 20 minutes to 4-5 hours for 10 minutes over the last week. I only get 1.5-2 oz per session. I’m struggling with what my next steps are to wean. I don’t have a set schedule like the example. Today is the first time I started experiencing engorgement pain at about the 3 hour mark between sessions. Any advice appreciated!
Hi Morgan! I wouldn’t reduce the time of the sessions along with the number – I would just drop sessions. So I’d stay at 10 minute sessions, and you could continue to stretch out the time between them, or you could put yourself on a schedule close to what you’re doing now and follow the steps in the post. I hope that makes sense and helps!
After 2 weeks of pumping and breastfeeding, my journey is over. Unfortunately, I have PPD and my doctor put me on meds. I don’t want it getting into the milk, so I need to start weaning. I just dropped down to two 12 hour pumping sessions. I’ve also invested in no more milk tea and no flow supplements to dry up my milk. Today was my first day doing 8:30am/8:30pm, for 20 minutes and it hurt so much! 🙁 So, does this mean tomorrow I will drop down to 8:30am 15 minutes and 8:30pm 20 minutes. And everyday it goes down 5 minutes until I’ve gotten rid of one of the pumps?
Hi Jennifer – if you’re having pain, I would hold off on reducing time until your body adjusts. Good luck!
This sounds like a great plan and it actually the same time schedule that I am pumping. The only thing I am a little confused about is pumping at the sessions that’s being dropped.
So Week 1, the session being dropped, you would pump 5 minutes less each day (until 0 minutes) during the week?
Then Week 2, the 2nd session that’s being dropped, you repeat the same process? and you stop pumping entirely during the 1st session dropped during week 1?
Hi Cindy! Yes, that’s right!
Thank you for this incredible site I have been ep for seven months weaning currently you site is the best resource no question
I did my last pump but got a clog…. I think. I don’t have a bump really but I have pain to touch it. I also have been rubbing it to try and get what I thought to be a clog out so it’s pretty red…. It hasn’t been 48 hrs yet since I got it… but when I get it out and if it’s within the 48 hrs how do I proceed? Do I just not pump anymore since I was on my final pump? Also it’s only on one side. It’s on my right boob so the left seems to be fine ans I haven’t done anything to it. Do I just work on the right boob after the clog is out?