So, can I stop pumping now? (X posted in BF forum)

[ladyleah]

Hi Mammas!

My DS is almost 13 months old. He is still, happily, nursing about 5 times in 24 hours when I am home, and about 3 or 4 times in 24 hours on the days I have to work (3 days a week I am gone for about 8 hours per day). Even when he was a little guy and I was not back at work he only nursed about 6/7 times in 24 hours--and his weight gain has been great-- so I must have a lot of fat in my milk! lolol

He began refusing drinking EBM from a bottle the days I am at work around 11 months- although it was still offered he would only take around 1.5 ounces from each bottle (two bottles per day). Sometimes under an ounce. Now we give him the EBM in a straw cup (although he really doesn't drink much of it) or put it in his oatmeal.

He loves cows milk, which we introduced a few weeks ago at 12 months, and that has not changed how often he nurses. We give him the cows milk in a straw cup, not a bottle.

So- can I quit pumping now since my little guy doesn't like the expressed stuff anymore-- or will that tank my supply and cause him to wean early? I don't want to encourage premature weaning....

But I am sick of pumping.....

 

[hildare]

i quit pumping last month.  we're doing fine.  most people (as you'll see in the bf forum) quit around a year. 

do you guys night nurse?  we cosleep and my dd nurses ALL NIGHT LONG, but she did that even when i was pumping.

[ladyleah]

Good to know. He usually nurses once at night between 3 and 5am...but has never been an all night nurser. In fact, never a frequent nurser....as I used to be paranoid that he would only nurse on average 7 times in 24 hours (always both breasts though) when he was under 6 months old. I used to offer the breast so much that apparently I annoyed him, and he started biting me as if to say "uh mom--I am really NOT hungry now!....don't you get it?"....lolol

His weight gain has been very good though...so I guess he takes in quite a bit when he nurses!

[akind1]

I quit at a year - pumping - and happy to do so. Like you I am only in the office a couple days a week. He now drinks water or OJ when I am gone, and nurses when I am home. Lately he has significantly increased his solids and is only nursing maybe 3 times a day, and 2 of those briefly. (should note, have been able to work from home for the last month or so) I don't know if he is ready to wean altogether, but at the very least he seems ready to get most of his calories from solids. I am trying to follow his lead on that.

But your main question, yes, I think you can stop pumping now.

[honeybunmom]

I WOH full time and stopped pumping at 12 mos with both of my kids.  My daughter weaned at 34 mos and my son is still going strong at 21 mos.  My daughter only nursed morning and evening.  I night weaned her around 14 mos if I recall correctly.  My son still night nurses.  And morning nurses.  And evening nurses!

[lactatinggirl]

My LO is 21 months and I haven't pumped at all since she turned 1. When I'm home she nurses 6-ish times per day and probably about the same when I'm gone, but she just makes up for it. My supply hasn't been hurt at all without pumping and I hated doing it. I'm also only gone from her for about 6 hours usually.

[lalemma]

The consensus in the Breastfeeding forum when I asked a similar question was that it was probably cool to quit pumping at any time after 12 months.

My little one is 14 months, and I still pump while away from him, but recently he's started to refuse the one bottle of EBM he was still taking. He loves to eat, and I work pretty short days (5-6 hours) so I'm not worried about his nutrition. But I do find that my boobs get uncomfortably full when I go past 5 hours away from him, so for now I'm still carting the pump around.

Like you, I look forward to the day I don't have to anymore! I appreciate the technology, but it's not fun. Certainly not like cuddling a warm little baby. :)

[ladyleah]

Thanks Mammas.....Yeah, I love to nurse/cuddle with the little guy, and have no interest in weaning-- but hands free pumping at my desk while eating lunch and answering emails (TMI, I know) is getting really old right about now. Plus I am sick of cleaning all the parts and that sort of thing each day! lolol