Anyone pump longer than 1 year?

[Engineering_Mama]

DD is 16 months and I'm still pumping twice a day at work. There are days I'd love to stop pumping. But she still drinks two 4-oz bottles a day while I'm at work. And she's pretty attached to them. And I really want her to have breastmilk rather than substitutes until she's two. Not a criticism of anyone else's choice, just what I feel is best for my child. Anyone else in the same boat? I can't decide if I'm crazy for pumping this long or not.

[mrsdocmartin]

I pumped until DS was two. I was lucky in that I have my own office and a schedule that made pumping at work no big deal. I think you should do it as long as it works for you!!

[Megan73]

Pumping for my 17-month-old as I type!

[painefaria]

I pumped until my little guy was 19 months. He never used a bottle and when DP stopped nursing him with the supplimentor and switched to a cup he just never really liked Mama milk in a cup. I stopped because I was sick of spending the extra time just to throw it away.

[bronxmom]

I'm still pumping at a little over 12 months and am not sure when I'll stop. For now it's not too much trouble and it's working. He's down to only 3-6 oz at daycare but I'd like him to have that and for it to be breastmilk. I can still pump 8-12oz so I'm trying to build my freezer stash up for nights out/spur of the moment stuff. For now we pump day to day. I guess ideally he'd stay at 3-6oz at daycare and I'd build my freezer stash for the next 3-4 months and then use it up for 1-2 months after that. That would get us to about 18 months. I think by then I'll be ready to quit. But for now I'm just so thrilled that I made it through a whole year without formula or running out that it seems weird to stop now. It's almost like a challenge - and he likes it. Plus I'm trying to lose weight and I figure the extra breastmilk helps.

[Baby_Cakes]

I pumped until 14 months! You're not crazy -- keep going if you can do it!!! I just mentally couldn't handle it anymore. I think it's great that you want to keep pumping!

[monkey-lamb]

I am pumping for my 15 month old as I type! She drinks 3 5oz bottles a day. I pump 3 times a day at work and once on Saturday and Sunday to keep up my supply and freezer stash. I don't know when I'll stop.

[kati_kati]

i'm still trying to pump at work at 23 months! it's getting harder though since there's not as much milk.

[DangerMom]

Engineering Mama, we are only at a year here, but I just kind of assumed I would keep pumping until it's unproductive. Like you, I would far rather he get my milk during the day than formula or other milk (but I understand people have to do what works best for them). Sure, I would love not to have to worry about the hassles of pumping anymore, but it only recently occurred to me that stopping pumping was an option. Except that it isn't really an option for me, given what I want. I have dropped to two pumps a day instead of three, and so far it's working. I had quite the stash before, and now I pretty much just pump what he needs the next day. I also pump once a day on weekends (I get a three-day weekend) to have a tiny bit of backup in the freezer.

[zoe77]

I'm pumping for my 17 month old and don't have plans to stop anytime soon. I figure as long as he's breastfeeding and I'm producing milk, why not pump and continue to give him breast milk at daycare also. Best milk for him, and it's free!! Pumping is such a part of my life now that it's not really an inconvenience to do it at work. My son was drinking upwards of 16oz a day. A few months ago he started sleeping through the night which reduced my production during the day to closer to 12oz, so that's approx what he drinks at daycare now. Of course the sleeping through the night was short lived and my supply is starting to go back up again Always gotta find the silver lining!!

Glad to know I'm not the only one out there that is pumping beyond infancy also

[Engineering_Mama]

Originally Posted by DangerMom

Engineering Mama, we are only at a year here, but I just kind of assumed I would keep pumping until it's unproductive.

I think this is my hang up. Pumping is becoming less and less productive. Around 11 months my supply dropped and instead of getting 12 - 16 oz in three pumping sessions I was only getting about 8 oz. I went from three pumping sessions to two and was still getting the 8 oz. so that was OK. DD started going to a babysitter then (prior to that my mom was staying with us and watching her while I was at work) and she gradually went from drinking 12 oz a day to only 8 oz. So everything was working out. Then over Thanksgiving we all got a stomach bug. I wasn't able to keep anything down for 24 hours. DD was OK once she stopped throwing up. She nursed a bunch that weekend, but didn't seem hungry or like she wasn't getting enough. When I went back to work though my pumping output was in the toilet. And has been ever since. My two sessions now get me 4 - 6 oz. So not enough for her bottles. But I have a pretty good freezer stash. So as long as I keep pumping I can make up the difference with the freezer stash and keep limping along. It just feels sooooo unproductive to only pump 2-3 oz at a time.

[Sara806]

Pumping is becoming less and less productive.

I am in the same boat, asking the same questions. My son is 18 mos. old and I'm still pumping 3 times a day, but I went from 13-15 oz. per day in 3 pumps to about 5-6 oz. per day (steep decline at 1 year, continuing to decline since). We still nurse eves/nights/mornings, but I'm having a hard time pumping and feeling deflated to get so little -- particularly when I'm starting to get questions at work ("so, HOW long do you think you'll be pumping???").

I have no freezer stash left, so I'm already having his DCP give him some organic whole milk when water just will not do (he makes it pretty clear when water is not what he wants). I don't feel good about supplementing with too much more soy (he already eats as much organic sprouted tofu as I'm willing to give him). Ricemilk just seems like water with natural sugar in it, and the fat content isn't high enough to justify it. I have explored the raw milk options in my area, and realized that I'm just not comfortable with buying it from Whole Foods (as in, what if THAT delivery sat outside on the loading bay for five minutes too long...)

I never thought my supply would drop so precipitously. It's been really frustrating, I assumed since I had real oversupply in the beginning that nursing and pumping until at least age 2 would be easy (haha, it's just reality check #2,317 for me as a first-time mama).

Sara

[Nightswimming]

Great for you that you are pumping for so long. My son is 21 months old and I just stopped pumping at work (I work 3 days a week). I was getting about 2-3 ounces pumping the one time a day I pumped (I pumped 2 times a day until he was 18 months old) and starting to supplement with Hemp milk/coconut milk. To be honest I got tired of going down to the nurses station to pump and cleaning pump parts at the end of the day.

I encourage you to pump for as long as it works for you. As you said (or someone else said) breastmilk is the best for him! Some part of me feels guilty that I stopped giving him breastmilk during the day but then again we co-sleep and I let him nurse whenever he wants to at night so he is still getting a lot of breastmilk from me when we are together.

He seems to enjoy the hemp milk in his bottle (never complained about the difference as far as I know) and he is getting good fat (Omega's) in the milk just like he gets good fats from my milk.

Good luck!

[justKate]

Originally Posted by Sara806

I am in the same boat, asking the same questions. My son is 18 mos. old and I'm still pumping 3 times a day, but I went from 13-15 oz. per day in 3 pumps to about 5-6 oz. per day (steep decline at 1 year, continuing to decline since). We still nurse eves/nights/mornings, but I'm having a hard time pumping and feeling deflated to get so little -- particularly when I'm starting to get questions at work ("so, HOW long do you think you'll be pumping???").

I have no freezer stash left, so I'm already having his DCP give him some organic whole milk when water just will not do (he makes it pretty clear when water is not what he wants). I don't feel good about supplementing with too much more soy (he already eats as much organic sprouted tofu as I'm willing to give him). Ricemilk just seems like water with natural sugar in it, and the fat content isn't high enough to justify it. I have explored the raw milk options in my area, and realized that I'm just not comfortable with buying it from Whole Foods (as in, what if THAT delivery sat outside on the loading bay for five minutes too long...)

I never thought my supply would drop so precipitously. It's been really frustrating, I assumed since I had real oversupply in the beginning that nursing and pumping until at least age 2 would be easy (haha, it's just reality check #2,317 for me as a first-time mama).

Sara

This is where we are at almost 12 mos... We've decided to do goat's milk due to dairy/soy sensitivites. I'm hoping to find a local source of raw goat's milk.

But I understand the aversion to anything but BM. I just couldn't take pumping more than once a day any more!

OP, give yourself a pat on the back. YOu're doing great for your LO.

[Engineering_Mama]

Its comforting to know I'm not the only one.

Originally Posted by Sara806

I never thought my supply would drop so precipitously. It's been really frustrating, I assumed since I had real oversupply in the beginning that nursing and pumping until at least age 2 would be easy (haha, it's just reality check #2,317 for me as a first-time mama).

Sara

I never thought I'd have to worry about pumping either. Up until DD was 11 month old I always had extra milk each day. I had tons of milk in the freezer. Last spring I donated 300+ oz to another mother with supply issues. Who would've thought things would change so quickly. I'd heard that it was harder to pump after your DC turned 1, but I figured I had plenty of milk and maybe just wouldn't have so much to freeze each week.

Originally Posted by Nightswimming

I encourage you to pump for as long as it works for you. As you said (or someone else said) breastmilk is the best for him! Some part of me feels guilty that I stopped giving him breastmilk during the day but then again we co-sleep and I let him nurse whenever he wants to at night so he is still getting a lot of breastmilk from me when we are together.

He seems to enjoy the hemp milk in his bottle (never complained about the difference as far as I know) and he is getting good fat (Omega's) in the milk just like he gets good fats from my milk.

Good luck!

That the question that keeps me going even when it seems pointless to pump 2 oz at a time...will I feel guilty for quitting? Unless my pumping output completely tanks I have enough BM frozen to make up the difference until DD is 2. If I quit pumping completely I probably only have enough for 2 months. I'd have to give her something else. I've thought about goat's milk, raw cow's milk, rice milk, almond milk and hemp milk. I should probably do some more research and make a decision. I going to stop pumping at some point so I might as well figure out a plan.

Originally Posted by justKate

This is where we are at almost 12 mos... We've decided to do goat's milk due to dairy/soy sensitivites. I'm hoping to find a local source of raw goat's milk.

But I understand the aversion to anything but BM. I just couldn't take pumping more than once a day any more!

OP, give yourself a pat on the back. YOu're doing great for your LO.

justKate, congratulations to you for making it to a year! If all you do is hang out on MDC you forget that most children are switched to BM substitutes long before their 1st birthday. I don't know anyone in real life who's pumped for an entire year and I know very few women who breastfed for a year. So YAY! for all of us who made it to 1 year!

[Sara806]

I've thought about goat's milk, raw cow's milk, rice milk, almond milk and hemp milk.

I'd be very interested in hearing more about alternate, non-BM (non formula) liquids. I've been trying to research the above list too -- and this weekend am going to try both goat's milk and hemp milk. Plus another poster (I'm sorry, I've forgotten whom) mentioned mixing hemp milk with full fat coconut milk, which sounds interesting. My DS just has more congestion when his cow's milk dairy increases (and he has eczema sometimes, which is classically triggered by cow's milk dairy).

Engineering Mama, kudos to you for the incredibly generous donation of so much milk to another mama with supply issues -- that is a fantastic thing and I'm so impressed. What a priceless gift to that little baby.

Thank god for these lists (MDC and Kellymom too) -- I often feel quite alone in my choices (like extended nursing, among others), but then I just get back on here, and am often both inspired to do more and energized by hearing from women who seem to feel the way I do. A big thanks to everyone!

Thanks,
Sara