Are you an exclusive pumper who is ready to stop pumping? Here’s what you need to know about weaning from the pump when you are exclusively pumping.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click a link and purchase something, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love! More information here.
Exclusive pumping can be more challenging than nursing in many ways. However, weaning from the pump is one area where it can actually be easier!
For one thing, there is less of an adjustment for your baby. You’re just changing what’s in her bottle, not how she’s eating in addition to what she’s eating.
You can also completely control your pumping output and carefully decrease it, whereas if you were nursing, it can be difficult to know whether your baby is getting more or less than the day before.
Can you stop pumping cold turkey?
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 – this can lead to a lot of discomfort, clogged ducts, and/or mastitis.
How long does it take to wean from pumping?
Your goal is to slowly reduce the amount of milk that you’re producing.
How long it will take to wean depends on how many pumping sessions you currently have each day, your milk supply, and whether or not you are prone to clogged ducts and mastitis.
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. I would give yourself a week and a half to two weeks per session.
On the other hand, if you’ve never had these issues, you might find that you are able to go more quickly.
What if you need to wean more quickly?
There are some methods to decrease milk supply that may help. Examples include:
- Drinking No More Milk Tea
- Using Cabo Creme or cabbage
- Taking an over-the-counter medication containing pseudoephedrine (such as Sudafed)
More on decreasing milk supply here.
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
There are a lot of different ways to drop pumping sessions. You can reduce the time until you feel comfortable dropping a session, move sessions further apart from each other, etc. Much more on how to drop pumping sessions here.
As you drop pumping sessions, rearrange your remaining sessions so that they are more evenly spaced.
For example, say you’re dropping from four sessions per day at 6am, 11am, 4pm, and 10pm. When you drop to three sessions per day, instead of having a long break from 6am to 4pm or 11am to 10pm, you may want to re-space the remaining times so your new schedule is something like 6am, 2pm, and 10pm.
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.
When you’re down to two sessions, you want them to be about 12 hours apart, or as close to that as you can get (for example, 6am and 6pm, or 7am and 8pm, whatever works for you).
Step 2: Gradually reduce the length and/or volume of one of the remaining pumping sessions
It doesn’t matter which session you drop first – you can choose the one that you are most eager to get rid of. (For example, I was pumping at 6am and 7pm 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 pumping session 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 total per breast.
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. It won’t suddenly spike your milk supply.
Do you have to do that last session (36-48 hours later)?
No. Weaning is different for everyone, and therefore it’s is more of an art than a science.
It’s okay to evaluate how you’re feeling and decide not to do it, or, on the other hand, decide to pump once every other day for a bit until you feel ready to stop.
Do you need to express every drop that you make to be done pumping?
No – this isn’t really possible. Your body will reabsorb any milk that you make and don’t express.
You don’t want to leave an uncomfortable amount in your breasts because of the risks of clogged ducts and mastitis, but you don’t need to get every last drop, either.
Timing the weaning process
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 could drop a session at the beginning of your period and maybe another one at the end, if you think your body can handle it.
Want More Help Weaning? Use WEANING for 20% off
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.
- 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
You may leak for a few days after you finish 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! Do a photoshoot to celebrate, if you want!
Comments & Chitchat
Hello, Amanda! I currently have a sweet 6 month old (exactly today actually) and have been exclusively pumping since early October at which I was pumping 7 times a day. Since December, I have been able to drop 1 pump session per month (including the MOTN pump -yayy!) while maintaining my supply. I have gotten ~50 oz per day since I started EP-ing and now at 4 pumps a day (6 am, 11:30 am, 4:30 pm, and 9:45 pm). Each session is 20 min each, and I get 12-15 oz total at each one. My goal is to wean off the pump by late April/early May thanks to a solid freezer stash! I still want to maintain my supply for now since my son just started solids but want to plan out my tentative approach. When do you think I should start weaning? Since I have quite an oversupply, do you think it is necessary for me to decrease my supply first before I drop anymore pumps? Or should I drop to 3 pumps per day in March and see if that naturally decreases my supply first before I proceed with weaning? I also have a history of mastitis and clogged ducts. I had mastitis twice in September and luckily have not had it since. I still get frequent clogs though, so I am thinking when I start weaning, I will have to drop a session every two weeks.
Thank you so much for your website! EP-ing was not something I had planned, and I would have quit by now if it was not for your amazing advice and resources.
Hi Kara! Congrats on your baby! In your situation – if you don’t have a deadline where you need to be done by (like for a vacation), I would wait until you’re pretty close to your goal to make any changes. The thing is that supply is unpredictable and can drop faster than you’d think. So I would wait until you have almost all of what you’d want to have before weaning and then start. If you DO have a deadline, since you have a history of mastitis I’d give yourself two weeks (like you said) for each session you need to drop. So in sum – I wouldn’t start in March unless you NEED to be done in May. It might go faster than two weeks per session, but that’s what I’d suggest giving yourself. Good luck!
Hello, Im 11 months PP and pump 2x a day (9am & 8pm) & nurse in the middle of the night (3:30am). I am wanting to wean due to PPA, PPD, & dysphoric milk ejection reflux.I have reduced my 2 pumping sessions to 14 minutes each. Would the next step be to drop the middle of the night feeding & adjust times for pumping?
Hi Amanda! I would drop the night nursing session, give it a few days, and then pick one of the two (9am and 8pm) sessions to drop, while keeping the other one the same. Once you’re down to one session, repeat with the last one. Hope that helps! Good luck!
I’m 7.5 months post partum- I am down to 2 sessions per day, 7am and 7pm(ish) i feel pretty engorged at each of those but figure my body will adjust after a little bit. I pump for 10 minutes each time and get about 10 ounces total. I am going to drop the evening pump first… would that mean drop to 8 minutes for a couple of days, then 6, then 4, then 2 and then nada?
Hi Jessica! Yes, that’s what I would do! Good luck!
Hi, my baby is 2 months old and getting both my milk (pumped) and formula. I have been having recurrent clogged ducts for almost a month now, even while pumping every three hours. Very frequent and very painful. Now i am trying to wean pumping. I have reduced few pumping sessions, dropping one session per week. But having clogged ducts almost every other day. I am really afraid, whether this will continue, whether I can wean at all? Is the problem trying to wean by 2 months? How to proceed further if I wanna stop?
Hi Miki! Oh I’m so sorry you’re getting all of these clogs. Have you tried lecithin at all?
https://exclusivepumping.com/lecithin-recurrent-plugged-ducts/
Hi Amanda,
Yes, I am taking lecithin every day.
Hi Amanda,
This is so helpful, thank you! I’ve had kind of unique journey in that I chose to do a twice a day pumping schedule since the beginning, and have been supplementing formula with breastmilk (the opposite of what many women do!) The most I’ve ever gotten from a pumping session is maybe 5 oz total, and for the past month or so it’s typically 2-2.5 oz from the left, 1-1.5 oz from the right. Given that I’m already starting at “Step 2” (yay!), but my supply all along has been the amount at which you recommend dropping a session, what would you recommend? I’ve started to cap both sessions at 30 minutes (was at 35-40), should I pick one and pull back on time? How quickly? Thank you!
Hi Lauren! Yes, that’s exactly what I’d do. Pick one (it doesn’t matter which) and reduce the time. How quickly is up to you – depends how comfortable you’re feeling and your history of clogged ducts and mastitis. Once you’re done with one session, repeat with the other. Good luck!!!
Hi there! I’m down to two pumps per day and am15 minutes per pump. I’m going to try and do 10 minutes tomorrow and then 5 minutes the next day on my evening pump. When you say to give my body a few days to catch up, does that mean that I just do the one pump at 15 minutes for a couple days and then go down to 10 minutes? Thank you!
Hi Lindsay! I would drop one session first by reducing time, then let your body catch up, then reduce the other session. I hope that helps!
Hi,
I am currently 11 weeks pp and have been exclusively pumping this whole time. My goal was to make it to 6 months of exclusively pumping, however, this is not working out for my mental health and I need to make a switch to be the best mom I can to my son. Luckily with this journey thus far I have been an oversupplier with pumping every 3 hours during the day and giving myself a 5-6 hour stretch at night. In the last week I had a severe stomach flu that resulted in me dropping pumping times to every 4 hours during the day with a 6 hour stretch at night. I have currently been maintaining this schedule.
I would like to keep providing breast milk for my son with formula supplementation. With all of this being said, could I slowly wean myself down to 1-2 pumps per day (hopefully 1 morning and 1 night) until baby is 6 months old? Or is this schedule not sustainable long term?
Thank you for all of your helpful guidelines
Hi Hannah! Congrats on your sweet 11 week old and on making the best decision for your mental health! the lowest I think I would go is 3 sessions if making it to 6 months is really important to you because two or less can be tough for maintaining a milk supply. (If that’s too much, you could do two and it might be fine – especially if the sessions are on the longer side! But it’s hard to know for sure.) Good luck!
Thank you for this information. I have been EP for 7 months and I’m ready to stop. I am an over supplier and currently am pumping 3 times a day, every 6.5 hours and I don’t pump over night. I am noticing that my left breast (which has been my slacker) has stopped producing, maybe getting an ounce or 1.5 ounces. Can I stop pumping my left breast and just continue to wean my right? My right is a superstar and still gives me 6-7 ounces a pump. I don’t know if that’s possible or if I still need to pump both.
Thanks so much for your help.
Hi Daniela! It’s fine to wean completely from one side before the other. 🙂 More on this here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/weaning-from-one-breast-when-you-are-exclusively-pumping/
Hi Amanda,
I am excited to finally start weaning!
My question is, normally when I pump- I need to hand massage my breasts to get all the milk out otherwise I’m still uncomfortable at the end of 20 minutes. So if the purpose is to wean- do I still hand massage? Or will that confuse my body? Thank you!!
Hi Ella! I would keep everything the same on every session EXCEPT the one you’re dropping – that one you’re trying to reduce your output, so I maybe wouldn’t massage for that one (or maybe do it less – whatever works best for you). Good luck!
Have you had any experience with severe blebs while trying to wean? At least that’s what I think it’s the closest to … to be honest it seems like the entire nipple opening has skin starting to grow over. It’s been making trying to keep weaning nearly impossible. There are no visible “white spots” to try and work at. Pumping hurts because it’s trying to pull the milk through the closed skin. And I have to pump a very long time, at least 45 mins to try and get the milk out. I have gotten so many clogged ducts in my pumping journey and now with these issues I’m dealing with clogs every other day (both breasts affected). I’ve tried lecithin, soaking in Epsom salts, olive oil.
Hi Kandance! I think, given what you’ve said, I would see your OB or primary care doctor and see if they can help. You’ve tried all the normal stuff and something still isn’t right. I’m so sorry and good luck!
Are there any alternative strategies other than decreasing by time? I can’t count on time because it’s so variable in how long it takes me to pump to comfort due to the slow flow that I have. I am at two sessions per day and I was thinking of just trying to cold turkey drop to one. Or at least just go as long as I possibly can?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Kandace! Can you reduce by the volume you pump? (Like stop after you pump a certain number of ounces)?
Ok thank you! I have been trying that… to the best of my ability haha it’s trying to get to a certain number of ounces but then also being able to stop without getting more letdowns. It’s proven to be a very rough balance. If I get another letdown inadvertently then I have to keep pumping a bit or I’ll likely end up with a blocked duct. I guess I’ll keep trying down that road. Thank you!
Question. I’ve noticed since not fully emptying my breast while weening my milk is more foremilk less fat. Is this okay to give to baby?
Hi! Yes, it’s fine. If you’re concerned, you could mix it with solid foods (you can freeze if baby isn’t on solids yet). You can also mix with formula/cow’s milk (whatever you’re transitioning to), if you like. Congrats on weaning!
This post has been beneficial for me, and I went ahead and purchased your weaning guide. This is my third baby, but the first I exclusively pumped for (the other two were nursing champs) – so it has all been a learning experience. Creating the pros and cons list has put things into perspective. During this journey, I’ve had recurring clogged ducts, blebs, and mastitis, specifically on my right side. As much as I wanted to make it to a year, after this latest round of mastitis and an adverse reaction to the antibiotic, I think I need to start now (she is nine months and one week). I’m considering weaning from the right side to start and seeing how that goes – but I’m afraid I’ll find myself with issues again if I don’t stick to a rigid schedule. This whole process, while rewarding, has been increasingly emotional and stressful, and I’m not sure the effect it is having on my own physical and mental health is worth it anymore 🙁 I’ve found immense value in the content you publish, and I just wanted to thank you for your help on this journey.
Thank you SO MUCH Whitney! Please let me know if I can do anything to help as you wean. CONGRATS on 9 months of EPing!
This is super helpful! I have insufficient glandular tissue and have been pumping 5-6 times per day to make milk for baby. It ends up being about 9 ounces from all of those pumping sessions combined. Should I use this schedule to wean or can I do it faster because I have so little milk? Thanks!
Hi Jessica! Awesome, so glad to hear! I think you may be able to go faster – I would get started and then go by how you feel. If you drop a pumping session and feel comfortable, you might be able to drop another right away instead of waiting. It’s okay to listen to your body/gut and adjust as necessary. Good luck!
Really useful thank you!! I want to stop pumping in the new year. I seem different to everyone as I only use a manual pump now I only need to pump 5 minutes a boob and get more that way than sitting on the electric for 30 minutes.
I have been told that 5 minutes isn’t long enough but I haven’t had any issues with clogged ducts. I feel the manual pump empties better. I always felt the electric over stimulated without getting all the milk.
Anyway I currently pump 5 times a day. I can’t really cut time pumping. So guess I need to just drop sessions.
Glad to read too how people feel. It’s definitely a weird feeling thinking of stopping. I can’t wait but at the same time feel guilty and sad.
I can’t wait to stop but also feel really guilty and sad about it.
Hi Sophie! That sounds like a great plan! And a lot of people feel that way – it’s super common to have conflicting feelings. Maybe do something fun to celebrate being done, like get a cake a celebrate, or get some breast milk jewelry made? Congrats again!
Thank you for this!! I followed this and successfully weaned off the pump 12 days ago and have been feeling great. However, my babe got sick and my body clearly picked up on it and I became engorged all over again… despite 3 rounds of Sudafed, I ended up needing to pump to receive pressure last night. Any other advice to make sure my body knows I’m really done??
Hi Abby! Ugh, that stinks! I think Sudafed and just pumping to relieve pressure is great. If you were going to go on birth control with hormones anyway doing it now might help (but I wouldn’t do that just for this – I think this will pass soon.) CONGRATS on weaning!
Hi Amanda! I’ve been dropping sessions and I was doing ok until I got down to 3. I’m having severe engorgement and my supply has not decreased at all (around 34 oz a day). Today I ended up pumping 4 times because I was so uncomfortable (and I’m terrified of getting mastitis – so far I’ve had a few plugged ducts but that’s it). I’ve tried sage tea, Sudafed, etc but my supply just stays the same. Any suggestions? I’m trying to wean before the 1st of the year. Thanks!
Hi Jesse! How are you dropping the sessions? By time or volume? Or cold turkey?
Hi Amanda! I was extending the time between sessions and dropping them that way, but got way too uncomfortable going to 3 seasons (8 hours in between) so I added a 4th session back. I’ve since shaved time off all sessions (4x day for 13 mins), which is what the LC at my OB’s office advised to try and lower supply and wean, but I’m just unsure of that method since it doesn’t fully drain the breasts and I obviously want to avoid plugged ducts/mastitis. Would you recommend that I go back to try and eliminating a pumping session to get back to 3 sessions? Or just stick with eliminating time across all 4 sessions?
Hi Amanda,
Thanks to your post I managed to wean quite well. Now I was down to two and on the day that I drop my morning session, my period came back. Should I drop my last session when my period ends or gradually reduce the minutes after period ends? My session is just 15 minutes long and yields about 4-5oz in total.
Hi! I think you can just keep going the same as if you didn’t have your period. It might make that 4-5 oz drop a lot faster, but everyone is different. Once you’re down to about 1 oz per side, I think you can stop and then do the “final pump” 36-48 hours later. Good luck!
Hello! If I wanted to fully stop pumping by January 20th, when would I need to start the process? I pump 5 times a day 12AM, 8AM, 12PM, 4PM, 8PM. I am not an over producer and make just enough for baby to eat. Thank you!
Hi Jude! I’d give yourself 5 weeks since you have 5 sessions to drop. Maybe a little more if you 100% need to be done by January 20th just to be safe. Good luck!
Hello! I am almost done weaning, and went almost 6 days without pumping but felt the need to pump today. Is it OK to give this milk to my baby or is it not safe since it’s been sitting in the breast for about 6 days.
Hi Liz! It’s fine, go ahead.
I’ve been EPing almost 13 months and in the process of weaning. I’m really prone to clogged ducts and have had mastitis twice, so I’m trying to go very slowly and drop a session over two weeks. How should I deal with a clog while weaning? Normally I would pump as much as I could to try to get it out (often takes me multiple sessions/days to fully clear it) but that seems counterproductive to the weaning process. Appreciate your advice, thank you!
Also I never would have made it to my goal of one year breastfeeding/pumping without your site and instagram – thank you, thank you Amanda!
Thank you so much Golda!!
If you get a clog, i would really try to clear it. But I would only pump more on the affected side, not the “good” side. A clogged duct will just really set you back. Good luck, I hope you don’t get a clog! I’m sure you’re already taking lecithin?
Hello! I’ve been EP for 6 months now and am a definite oversupplier – enough frozen to call it!. I get about 50oz a day with three sessions (morning, lunch, and before bed). I’m trying to see if I should just drop my mid pump first? Or what’s the best plan for this since I don’t pump often? Thank you!
Hi Bernadette! Congrats on 6 months (and a great supply!) Yes, I would start with dropping the lunch time session. Would go fairly slowly since you have a big supply to cut. Good luck!
Thanks so much for this post! I have 2 questions as I am nearing the end of weaning:
1) I am down to 2 pumps per day and making less than 2 oz total for the day. Can I stop or should I still continue to 1 session then 0?
2) If I find when I am done that I do need the additional pump 36-48 hours later, how many minutes should the session be?
Thank you!
Hi Amanda! Congrats on weaning!
For #1, I would drop to 1 then 0, but you can do this on back to back days I think.
for #2 – this is a trust your gut kind of thing. You can do enough to relieve pressure, you can go until you feel more or less empty. No right answer. 🙂 One session 36-48 hours later won’t spike your supply if you do til empty, and if you don’t, your body with reabsorb any leftover milk.
Congrats again!
Hello,
I noticed the milk seems like it’s mostly foremilk now that I’m only getting those few ounces – should I still be feeding it to my little one? Thanks!
Hi Cassie! Yes, but if it makes you nervous, I would just mix it into solids if your baby is taking them. If not, you could freeze it until baby is taking them and use it for that then! congrats!
Thank you for sharing this. I notice it says “Exclusive pumpers” I breastfeed once a day and the rest is pumping. I am trying to reduce PPD though. Can I still use your steps? Right now I am breastfeeding around 6am, then my pump schedule for the day is 7:30am, 12:30p, 3:45p, 9:30pm. (I was doing 5 ppd, just this week dropped one and now I’m at 4 ppd). I would like to keep reducing pumps per day. thanks for your help!
Hi Emily! I think you could use this as a guide to reduce PPD! I don’t talk about weaning from nursing because there are a lot of variables with the baby that you just don’t have with pumping. But if you’re focusing on the pumping part I think it should be okay. Congrats!
This is so helpful! I just started the process of weaning. I did have a question about step 2. Should I gradually reduce the session I’m dropping each week or do you just mean gradually reduce one of the 2 remaining sessions once you get to that point? I am an underproducing/slow releasing mama, which means my pump sessions are usually 30 minutes long. Since I’m just now dropping from 5 to 4 sessions a day, should they all remain at 30 minutes or should I start to reduce the next session I plan on dropping?
Hi Mallory! Sorry if that wasn’t clear. Just reduce one session at a time and leave all the others the same. So you’d have 4 30 minute sessions, and the 5th would get shorter as you drop it. I hope that helps!
Hii Melissa 👋 I’m currently EP and my baby is 8 months old. I’m slowly weaning and I’m down to 1ppd but i usually get about 4 to 5 oz each boob and sometimes i get hard tender spots on my boobs when i don’t pump. Am i ready to stop? Or do i need to do more steps?
Hi Melanie! I would reduce volume or time until you’re down to 1-2 ounces per side. Good luck!
This guide is so useful, thank you. If I’m doing 15mins, 4ppd and when I’m around minute 10 or 11 and the milk is just in droplets, do I still continue up to 15 minutes or just stop? I’ve been trying to reduce my supply and so far it’s working, worried that if I pump on empty breast my supply would go back up
Hi Lizzie! I would keep everything the same except the session you’re dropping. I don’t think it will spike your supply and I think it will help you avoid clogged ducts or mastitis. But that’s just my opinion – I think other LCs might think differently. The truth is that there is no one right way to do this.
(I wish I could give you a clearer answer! Sorry about that!)
Hi Amanda!
Would you ever recommend taking Sudafed prophylactically as you’re preparing to drop from 2 to 1 pumps to assist with oversupply and weaning? I have always produced about 50 ounces/day, since going down to 3 pumps I’m now producing 40-45 ounces/day and plan to further drop to 2 pumps in the next few days. I’m just feeling a little nervous about the next steps in the process and really don’t want to be uncomfortable or develop a clogged duct, even with a very gradual wean as I have been doing. Thanks so much!
Hi Sarah! Yes, I think in your situation it could make sense! Good luck!
I have always been under producing and have been taking medication to help. However I recently stopped the medication and gradually reduced the amount of pumping sessions per day. I’m down to one at the moment and at that session I’m only getting about 3 oz total. Do you think it would be okay to stop completely?
Hi Chanel! Yes, I think so. Congrats!
Hi! I weaned myself off and my last pump was on a Tuesday. I was fine until Sunday night when I suddenly became uncomfortable. Felt a small tender lump then woke up today engorged and both breast are very tender. I have to be completely weaned off by Oct 22nd (specific I know, lol) so I’m not sure if I should power through the discomfort or pump to relieve it? I just don’t want to prolong the weaning and go through this every couple of days. Thoughts?
Hi Kasey! With pain, I would go ahead and pump if you think you have a clogged duct (that’s what a tender lump sounds like to me, but maybe that’s not it). Your supply won’t spike after a week of not pumping. If you don’t have pain, just engorgement that doesn’t hurt, I think it’s fine to power through. I think you should be fine for Oct 22! Good luck!
I am currently at 2ppd. I have an oversupply and am still producing a good 30-40 ounces. I pump every night at 8:630/9pm but I have been seeing how long I can stretch my hours in between my pumps. So far i have made it until 1:30 pm the next day. Do you suggest this? I am trying to get down to 1ppd and not sure if i should just express for comfort on my mid day pump and completely empty at my 8:30 pm pump? I have not been able to cut my pump cold turkey because I get so engorged!! I am also prone to clogs and have had mastitis once and am not seeing a decrease in supply yet 🙁 feeling very defeated, been at this since August.
Hi Whitney! Congrats on your sweet baby and on weaning! You’re doing great. Are you taking lecithin at all for the clogs and mastitis? If not, I might consider it. You could also give Sudafed a shot and see if it helps at all. Usually I recommend dropping the second session versus stretching, but this is more of an art than a science so if you’re more comfortable doing it that way I think that’s fine too. Just keep going – you got this. 🙂
I have been exclusively pumping for almost ten months. I had gotten mastitis once and a few clogged ducts. I have been weaning for a month now and am down to three pumps. 6,2:45,9. I am trying to get down to two pumps a day and then eventually stop. I am a teacher so time is not on my side. School is out at 3 and I need to leave by 4 to get my daughter. What advice would you recommend. Thank you so much!
Hi Kristen! Congrats! I would work on dropping the afternoon one first, and then once you can do that, go to two sessions that are something like 6am and 6pm, or as close to 12 hours apart as you can. I’d just drop the time or volume from the 2:45 until you think you can make it until 6pm ish. I hope that helps!
As we drop time in a pumping session (Ex. Below 10min), is there worry that the milk will just be foremilk, and not be that richer hindmilk? I pump and give the milk within 24h, or if I have excess I am freezing the milk. I’ve head hindmilk takes about 15-20min to come in.
Thanks!
Hi Laura! Some people do have this concern. One thing you can do is mix milk from the session you’re dropping with another session so it has hindmilk. Or you can just freeze that milk and use it to mix with solids later on. I wouldn’t worry about this TOO much, but these are some options if you’re concerned. Hope that helps!
Hello,
I have been following your advice for 6 weeks and done great, I am down to 1 pump (at 9pm), last night instead of pumping 20 minutes I did 15 minutes, I felt a little milk still in there but my breasts were mostly soft. This morning I woke up and my left breast feels bruised/tender, I think it could be a clogged duct. How do I go about getting that out without increasing my supply?
Thanks for all your help!
Hi Jenni! I think I would stop reducing time until that’s cleared up. I would pump extra just on that side until the blockage is clear – you don’t need to do the side that isn’t affected. Good luck!!!!
I’ve followed this to stop pumping, did the did the 48 hrs ‘last pump’ and now 3 days later, one of my breasts will not stop leaking. Should I just leave it and it’ll stop or should I do another ‘last pump?’ And how long should it be? 5 min? 15?
Hi Kelsey! You can do it either way – there’s no right answer and this is more of an art than a science. Personally, I think I’d pump just that side for a few minutes and see if that helps. It won’t spike your milk production and might help. Good luck!
I don’t see a middle of the night pump session on here. Is it ok to go that long without pumping. I would like to drop it to get a longer stretch of sleep for myself. For example:
9pm – pump
1-1:30am – drop
5:30am – pump
(8-8.5hrs without pumping)
Hi Amanda – yes! More on how to drop the middle of the night pumping session here:
https://exclusivepumping.com/drop-middle-of-the-night-pumping-sessions/
Hope that helps!
I am on my weaning journey. I had to pump for comfort at 53hrs. I got 7oz out of each breast. Is this too much? Should I go back to pumping every 24hrs? or just pump for comfort still?
Hi Breanna! Congrats on weaning! I think I would continue to do what you’re doing – pump for comfort as needed. If you’re in any pain then I would definitely pump, otherwise, you can kind of listen to you gut and do what feels right. Hope that helps and congrats again!
Hi, I followed your suggestions and it worked out well so far for me! I had my last pump session two days ago and I have not pumped since then. However, my right breast is a little lumpy, but not painful. Should I pump it or leave it alone? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your helpful tips on how to wean. I have found it extremely helpful.
Hi Karly! Congrats on weaning! With lumps and no pain, this is really a judgement call for you – some people prefer to pump to get rid of the lumpy feeding, others REALLY don’t want to pump again. Either is okay – your body will eventually reabsorb the lumps. The only way I would say to 100% pump is with pain. Congrats again!
I am trying to find information on reducing my number of pumps but not necessarily weaning completely — I’m trying to see how little pumping I can get away with and still be able to give my daughter 50-100% breast milk. I pump 3-4 times a day, either 6a/2p/9p or 6a/11a/4p/9p, making between 28-34 ounces a day. She only takes up to 24 ounces/day. Do you have advice on what happens when I will go down to 2 pumps a day, still pumping like 20-25 min/pump? Is it usually a precipitous drop, or would I still be able to produce like 20 oz/day if were to just pump twice? Maybe the only way to know is to try… but it feels risky and I would appreciate any advice you have!
Hi Michelle! Congrats on your baby! You are exactly right – you kind of just have to do it and see how it goes to know for sure. For me, 2 pumps per day at 30 minutes each was a supply killer. Other people seem to be okay sometimes (but my guess is the majority – just not everyone – would lose significant supply at 2ppd). If you were going to try it, I think I would do two sessions but make them longer – like maybe 40 minutes? and see how that goes. That’s a little less risky. I hope this helps – I’m sorry there is no easy/obvious answer!
Do you think it’s possible to maintain supply with 2 pumps per day? I’m at 3 per day and making about 1000ml. My baby is 10 months old. I’d love to get to 2 pumps per day and my goal is to go to 2 years.
Hi Kate! It’s really hard to answer this because it depends so much on the person. I think if you kept your total pumping time in a day the same, you’d have a shot keeping up a solid supply. In general I don’t recommend dropping to two until you’re ready to wean, BUT – after a year, you don’t need as much milk, so it might be okay?
Sorry – this answer is all over the place. I think in your situation what I would probably do is drop to two at 12 months and keep the sessions on the long side. I think that would set you up well to go to two years. (But obviously I can’t guarantee anything.) I hope this helps!
Hello, I have low supply and would like to stop pumping. I’ve only been pumping for 1 month. I pump 8 times a day and am only getting about 1.5-2 ounces per pump total. One out of the right pumps I may get more like 3 ounces total. Can I wean faster since my output if lower than most women?
Hi Melissa! If you’re not prone to clogged ducts or mastitis (haven’t gotten them in the month you’ve been pumping), I would guess you could go faster. Just pay attention to your body and slam on the breaks (stay where you are) if you start getting any lumps or pain. Good luck!
When you say your body will reabsorb what you don’t pump- how long does this take? I have not pumped in 3 days but my boobs are a little hard and lumpy. Not painful so I’m just trying to wait it out. Thank you!
Hi Peyton! It really varies from person to person, but I would say it would probably take some time (maybe a few weeks, but everyone is different). Definitely pump if it ends up getting painful, it won’t spike your supply. Good luck!
I am finally down to 2 PPD, my baby is a year old tomorrow. I’m so shocked that I’ve made it this far. I usually pump 9 am and 9 pm. Lately my 9am I am pumping 5 oz (from one boob, my slacker barely gives me anything, but I still do pump it), and my 9pm only roughly gives me about 3 oz. Tonight I decided I’m tired and do not want to pump my 9pm and so I’ve decided to try to drop it. Is it bad to just drop it cold turkey?
Hi Linda! At that point it’s probably okay if you’ve never had clogs/mastitis? I usually say 2oz or less but 3 is pretty close. 🙂
I was able to get down to one pumping session every 48 hours for a couple of sessions, and now I’m over 72 hours. Since I got about 2oz during my last session, do I need to pump again? Or is that so little that I can stop now. I had bad mastitis before and am very nervous about getting it again. I have some breast pain every now and then but nothing that feels like engorgement.
Hi Sarah! It’s really up to you. I would say you can stop now, but if you’re anxious it’s also fine to pump again – it won’t cause your supply to ramp back up. Just do whatever makes you more comfortable.
Hi!
I’m confused and having a lot of trouble with step one. What is the reason for keeping the schedule the same, but selecting a time to drop versus spreading each feed out more? For example, dropping from 8 to 7 sessions per day, could you choose to increase time between feeds from every 3 hours to every 3.5-4 hours and indirectly fit one less feed in per day? I ask because I was trying to do it that way but am SO engorged and keep getting clogs. I’ve been exclusively pumping for twins and getting 65-80oz per day and am so burnt out so am trying to decrease how much I pump. Do I need to keep all the feeds 3 hours apart except for the one I’m trying to drop which would be about 5-6 hours apart?
Hi Jessica! You can absolutely do it that way, too. I would start by stretching by 15 minutes or so (so 3 hours and 15 minutes), waiting a few days until you’re comfortable with that, and then doing another 15 minutes. Does that make sense?
Hello! Am currently following your weaning from the pump guide on your website and I am finding it very helpful. I am just wondering when you say to do one last pumping session 36-48 hours later how long would you suggest this should be? Also is this last pump necessary??
Thankyou again for your helpful advice.
Carole 😊😊
Also does it matter what time the last pump is done 36-48 hours later?? Hoping someone can please answer my questions!!
I am finding this really helpful in weaning from pumping. I am just wondering when you say to do one last pumping session 36-48 hours later how long would you do that pump for? Is this necessary to do this last pump?
Thankyou again for your great advice.
Hi Carole! It’s not absolutely necessary – this is more of an art than a science. Some people are more comfortable doing that, but your body will reabsorb anything not expressed. I hope that helps!
How long would I do this last pump 36-48 hours later??
I have been following your schedule which has been so helpful! I am down to one pump a day, I get about 2-3 ounces. I tried dropping to 5 mins but it is in the middle of a letdown therefore I keep needing to pump until 8 mins the past few days. Do you think it’s okay to stop in the middle of a letdown? I am leaving for vacation tomorrow and would really like to be finished with pumping while there. Thanks for all your help!
Hi Ashley! I think it’s okay to stop in the middle of a letdown. Good luck!
Is it a bad idea (when first dropping down to two sessions) to have the them unevenly spaced out? For example 6 AM and 10 PM? I ask because I would prefer to pump while my toddler is asleep (she’s asleep around 9:30 PM and wakes up at around 8:30 AM), thoughts?
Hi Jessica! i would try to get as close to 12 hours apart if you can’t, but if you can’t, just do the best you can. If you’re prone to clogged ducts or mastitis, I would definitely try to get them closer than that. Good luck!
11 months and almost done weaning thanks to your advice. Hooray! I was at 1ppd and tried skipping one so It’s been a little over 36 hours and just pumped 2-2.5oz from each side. Always had a large capacity, but is this too much to be my last session?
Hi Alyssa! CONGRATS! I would see how you’re doing in the next 36-48 hours. If you’re comfy and don’t feel like you need to pump, you can be done. If you want to pump, go ahead, it’s not going to spike production. This is more of an art than a science, so do what makes sense to you and makes you feel comfortable. 🙂