Sick of pumping - Anyone BTDT?

[justKate]

My daughter is just over six months now, and with a very few exceptions, she's been exclusively BFed. I went back to work when she was 11 weeks old, and between the time she spent in the NICU, me working, and oversupply issues, I have pumped nearly 1000 times. I'm sick of it and I'm not responding to the pump as well as I used to, so it just takes longer.

I love BFing DD, but I'm so tired of pumping--dragging the pump to work and back, having to pump in the am and pm to have enough to send bottles to daycare, washing all of the parts, bagging and bottling, bleh. It's a PITA and at 6+ mos. and only 15 lbs., DD will only drink 2-4 oz./feed while at daycare, so a lot gets thrown away. :

I don't want to stop BFing, and plan to BF as long as DD wants to. But I'm ready to stop pumping. How do I decide how long to keep pumping? What would happen to my supply if I dropped one of the (usually 3) pumping sessions (specifically, the lunch time one)? Anyone BTDT?

ETA: we do cosleep (mostly) and DD eats all evening and ALL NIGHT, so she's definitely getting enough, in case that changes things....

[petey44]

I just stopped pumping at 11 mos. I also hated it. Now dd just has solids at daycare and nurses in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night (we cosleep). I was very nervous the first day of my little experiment, and would have immediately started pumping again if she had indicated a need. Imo, it probably wouldn't have worked if she had been any younger. The only suggestions I have for you are:
If you don't already cosleep, start. Maybe your lo will start reverse cycling.
There is no reason breastmilk should ever be thrown away! I would have cried if my daycare was throwing it away. Either send a lot of 2 oz bottles, or send one container of milk with several bottles, and have the dcp fill the bottles with small amounts out of the one container.
Now, keep in mind that I am by no means an expert, but if I were you I would feel comfortable trying to drop the lunchtime pumping once your lo can handle a small amount of solids and a little bit of water in a cup.

[Rivka5]

Oh yeah, I hear you. I am so sick of pumping. I've got a six-month-old too, and it seems like I'm suddenly having trouble keeping up. He's also nursing more when I'm with him, so maybe it's a growth spurt or maybe all this hot weather has made me produce more watery, less-filling milk.

My baby has started solids, which should help in the long run, but in the short run it means that in addition to pumping for his bottles I am pumping milk to mix for cereal.

Absolutely send milk in smaller quantities. I leave four three-ounce bags of milk for my eight-hour workday. I don't want to leave larger quantities because I'm afraid that milk would get wasted. If your baby sometmes just wants two ounces, send two-ounce bags!

I found an article about the "six month slump" for pumping. It seems that we're not alone. Hopefully some of this information will help you.
http://www.workandpump.com/6month.htm

[hotharmony]

UGH I'm right there too. I hate pumping and I pump 4 times a day at work and once before bed. I would DIE if someone was throwing out my milk.

Why are they tossing milk? They do know breast milk is not like formula and last much longer and can be carried over one feed from the other.

Depending on how much you are pumping throughout the day it would be not so hard to drop to two pumping session per day. Your supply will adjust but should disappear all together.

[justKate]

Thanks for the info and thoughts. I'm definitely in a 6 month slump. I've decided to drop the pre-leaving for work pump (usually I pump one to empty out, so that I'm not lopsided and uncomfortable at work). I didn't pump this morning and just made 15 oz at my mid-day pump. Which will get her through the next day no problem.

I think the ladies at this daycare are a little lazier with feeding than her old daycare, so if she's not super interested they call that a "refuse" and toss the bottle. I guess I need to talk to them about that. I'm also going to start sending 3 oz. bottles instead of 4... Even though she was taking 4 oz. regularly at the old daycare.

My baby has started solids, which should help in the long run, but in the short run it means that in addition to pumping for his bottles I am pumping milk to mix for cereal.

:
And maybe six swallows of rice cereal actually get down her throat. I hate that I'm really encouraging solids, and she is only 6 mos., but I think it would really help us if she would eat something else, too....

Thanks for the thoughts ladies!

[Mrsboyko]

If you are not pumping at home really anymore, can you leave the pump at work? i never take mine home, it lives under my desk. I just bring bottles and horns every day.

Many DC's are not versed in how BM works. I'd suggest getting a list of the do's and do not's for them. Some places have regulations that milk can't be left in the fridge and that bottles need to be premade (even formula sometimes) so I would just make a bunch of 3 oz bottles. We used to have a "snacker" bottle for DD to top her off if needed. It was 1.5-2 oz. Some days she needed it, others she didn't.

[Eligracey]

There's no reason rice cereal HAS to be made up with BM instead of water. It's typically suggested to make it up with milk so that baby doesn't lose out on those calories, but if she's refusing bottles and eating all night she doesn't sound hungry at all to me. Also have you tried introducing fruits and veggies--my LO refuses plain rice cereal but wolfs down 4-6 oz. banana, etc. which has more calories than rice anyway.

[justKate]

The snacker bottle is a great idea. I'm going to see if that would help.

As far as foods go, we've tried bananas, sweet potatoes, mashed pears, and mashed blue berries. She rejects it all. I can sometimes get some in her if I mix it with the rice cereal, but she won't even eat the rice cereal unless its made with BM.

Are there other foods that babies tend to like more? Any suggestions?

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by justKate

The snacker bottle is a great idea. I'm going to see if that would help.

As far as foods go, we've tried bananas, sweet potatoes, mashed pears, and mashed blue berries. She rejects it all. I can sometimes get some in her if I mix it with the rice cereal, but she won't even eat the rice cereal unless its made with BM.

Are there other foods that babies tend to like more? Any suggestions?

It doesn't sound like she's ready for solids yet. I'm sorry. That's my opinion.

That said, I hear you on hating pumping. My DD is 11 months and I'm so burned out from it.

I'm still sending 2 7 oz bottles w/her for my 8 hour shift. I'm pumping like CRAZY to make this amount. Are you guys serious that your LO's have no milk during the day and make up for it at night? That's possible??

[justKate]

Originally Posted by Baby_Cakes

It doesn't sound like she's ready for solids yet. I'm sorry. That's my opinion.

That said, I hear you on hating pumping. My DD is 11 months and I'm so burned out from it.

I'm still sending 2 7 oz bottles w/her for my 8 hour shift. I'm pumping like CRAZY to make this amount. Are you guys serious that your LO's have no milk during the day and make up for it at night? That's possible??

I agree that she's not ready. I don't want to push her, but it sure would be nice if she were interested.

DD definitely wouldn't be able to make up for it at night if she went without, but she's younger than some of the others' LOs....

I guess I should just suck it up and see this as the very beginning of 1000's of things I'll get to do for DD that I don't really enjoy. I guess I should be happy that I have the opportunity to do things for her now because in a very little while she'll want to do it all herself. So I hear, at least.

[moonshine02]

HATE pumping/ DD not really interested in food yet-- but she does see the other babies at DC get rice cereal spooned into their mouths, so I think she would do that.5 days from 6 months-- not a lot of BFing support in my area-- but like the PP, it is one of those things I know I will not regret doing, that and the night feedings, co-sleeping etc.