Pumping 1/2 oz. at work, should I just end it? Dd is 21 months old. What to give instead?...

[northerngirl]

I recently nightweaned dd2 who is 21 months. It has been going very well. More sleep yeah! However, I think that it affected the amount I pump when I am at work (3x/week). I usually pump (on a good day and not around AF) 4 oz. Other times it's ~2 oz.

She is happy to drink that at lunch from a glass with the babysitter. When I didn't  have it for her she was pretty upset about it and kept asking for it. 

I was going to pump until she was around 2, but now when I have been pumping it is almost nothing, not even a letdown. 

When I pump nothing it seems like a complete waste of my time at work and I feel like I could have gotten xyz done instead of getting no milk pumped. This makes me want to hang up the pump for good. 

She does nurse when she wakes up, when I get home from work, 1-2x before bed, and at bed. Then on the days I am off she gets it whenever she wants. She does most days eat pretty good, but has a pretty limited diet due to food intolerances. 

I do try to get lots of fats and protein into her. It is the calcium I am worried about. She doesn't do much leafies (spinach mainly, smoothie form) and she's been getting little broccoli now as she spits it out most of the time ( I think teething related). 

Should worry about a sub (hemp, coconut?) or just have her drink water? We don't give her juice. 

We don't want to do soy and goat yogurt didn't go over well digestively. 

Thanks for any advice mamas!

[kitchensqueen]

Since your milk supply seems good enough for her to nurse while you're at home with her, could you pump an ounce or two when you're home to leave for her lunch? Or maybe get her started on accepting water with her lunch? Maybe if you offer water to her every day she'll start to take some once she gets to used to the flavor. 

[nstewart]

If she is nursing fairly often when you are home, I wouldn't be concerned about her drinking water during the day on the 3 days a week you are working.

DS (16 mos) nurses like your DD does (although he is not night weaned) and does not drink any milk during the day when I am at work (5 days a week) as he refuses anything other than water from a cup (BM included, he also never took a bottle).  I stopped pumping after a few weeks back at work (when he was 13 mos) as there wasn't any point.

I also think drinking water is a good habit to get into so it might be an opportunity for your DD to do so.

I also think kitchensqueen's suggestion to pump when you are home is a good one.  This would take the stress off when you are at work.

[northerngirl]

Originally Posted by kitchensqueen 

Since your milk supply seems good enough for her to nurse while you're at home with her, could you pump an ounce or two when you're home to leave for her lunch? Or maybe get her started on accepting water with her lunch? Maybe if you offer water to her every day she'll start to take some once she gets to used to the flavor. 

She drinks water all the time and has access to her own glass and can "serve her self" from the Berkey water filter. We also have a sippy out on the shelf when she's in the spilling mood. She slams water just like her sister. :)

When she was in a home daycare she barely drank any milk that I sent for some reason. She would drink it on the way home in the car. Now that we have another mama watching her in our home she drinks all the milk no problem. She usually gives it to her with her lunch and was pretty sad when I didn't have any for her on those few occasions. I feel like she's drinking enough, but I want her to have the milk for the nutrients. 

If I am home with her I would have to pump when she's napping? Otherwise she'll see what I am doing and ask for mama and smack her lips. (very cute) So if I added pumping when I am home it will take a week or so to actually get something...to increase my supply? Really I am not feeling much letdown lately even at home, only in the first morning nurse after it has been 10 ish hours. 

Originally Posted by nstewart 

If she is nursing fairly often when you are home, I wouldn't be concerned about her drinking water during the day on the 3 days a week you are working.

DS (16 mos) nurses like your DD does (although he is not night weaned) and does not drink any milk during the day when I am at work (5 days a week) as he refuses anything other than water from a cup (BM included, he also never took a bottle).  I stopped pumping after a few weeks back at work (when he was 13 mos) as there wasn't any point.

I also think drinking water is a good habit to get into so it might be an opportunity for your DD to do so.

I also think kitchensqueen's suggestion to pump when you are home is a good one.  This would take the stress off when you are at work.

Well I guess it is 4 days really. I guess I wasn't counting Saturday when she's home with dh while I am working. Nannys are expensive. 

DD1 didn't take a bottle either and I think I pumped with her until she was 2. At that point though I think I was just (((shudder))) dumping the milk I dumped down the drain. We ended up giving her soy milk, which she eventually liked. I don't want to give dd2 soy though as she has a sensitive little digestive tract. 

Does she need to have the calcium part of it since she isn't eating much of greens or any dairy products? Maybe I should talk to the pedi....

[kitchensqueen]

Originally Posted by northerngirl 

She drinks water all the time and has access to her own glass and can "serve her self" from the Berkey water filter. We also have a sippy out on the shelf when she's in the spilling mood. She slams water just like her sister. :)

When she was in a home daycare she barely drank any milk that I sent for some reason. She would drink it on the way home in the car. Now that we have another mama watching her in our home she drinks all the milk no problem. She usually gives it to her with her lunch and was pretty sad when I didn't have any for her on those few occasions. I feel like she's drinking enough, but I want her to have the milk for the nutrients. 

If I am home with her I would have to pump when she's napping? Otherwise she'll see what I am doing and ask for mama and smack her lips. (very cute) So if I added pumping when I am home it will take a week or so to actually get something...to increase my supply? Really I am not feeling much letdown lately even at home, only in the first morning nurse after it has been 10 ish hours. 

In that case it probably makes the most sense for you to stop pumping at work and explain to her that she just can't have it at lunch anymore and can have the water instead. She won't be sad about it forever (though that part is the hardest). :-) 

[nstewart]

You mentioned cheese and yogurt not agreeing with her.  Have you tried this recently, or has it been some time?  Have you tried only cows milk based cheese and yogurt?  Is goat milk or sheep milk (or yogurt made from that) an option?  If all you are pumping is 1/2 oz anyway, I doubt that her having that amount at lunch is adding much calcium if that is your main concern.  Have you tried something like broccoli soup?  This is one of DS's favs and it's really easy to make from scratch.

[northerngirl]

Originally Posted by nstewart 

You mentioned cheese and yogurt not agreeing with her.  Have you tried this recently, or has it been some time?  Have you tried only cows milk based cheese and yogurt?  Is goat milk or sheep milk (or yogurt made from that) an option?  If all you are pumping is 1/2 oz anyway, I doubt that her having that amount at lunch is adding much calcium if that is your main concern.  Have you tried something like broccoli soup?  This is one of DS's favs and it's really easy to make from scratch.

First I tried grass fed cow butter in her hot cereal in the morning. It made her gassy, out the back end. Then I tried both cow and goat milk yogurt. It wasn't an immediate reaction, but I think it caused her to have mucus in her poop. She had not had mucus in her poop for a really long time after having it everyday for the first 5+ months of her life.

And she has had only a handful of formed poops since we tried the dairy way back in the end of August. Now I don't know for sure that is what's caused it but we are staying away from it for now. 

She really use to love broccoli and it was her first food. Now I can hardly get her to eat it for over a month. She ate it pretty good the other day and has refused the 3 other time I offered it to her. Not sure if it has anything to do with her teeth that are coming in. 

Yes, my main concern is the calcium. Maybe I should supplement?

Would like the recipe for the broccoli soup if you'd like to share. 

Thanks for your input!

[nstewart]

The recipe is actually for brocolli cheese soup (not sure how your DD would fare with cheese) but I actually left the cheese out last time and it was still good.  For a nice texture if not including the cheese (or cream, I actually forgot about the cream in this one, sorry) you could add a potato or two (cut up into fairly small cubes if you want them to cook as fast as the brocolli) or (I just read this idea in another post) you could puree some cashews with some of the stock and then add it into the soup at the end.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/broccoli-and-cheese-soup-with-croutons-recipe/index.html

[northerngirl]

Originally Posted by nstewart 

The recipe is actually for brocolli cheese soup (not sure how your DD would fare with cheese) but I actually left the cheese out last time and it was still good.  For a nice texture if not including the cheese (or cream, I actually forgot about the cream in this one, sorry) you could add a potato or two (cut up into fairly small cubes if you want them to cook as fast as the brocolli) or (I just read this idea in another post) you could puree some cashews with some of the stock and then add it into the soup at the end.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/broccoli-and-cheese-soup-with-croutons-recipe/index.html

Thanks!