weaned from pump, now considering nightweaning--can we still nurse?

[Anna Phor]

I posted this in the Working/Student forum, thinking there might be more weaned-from-pumping moms over there, but no answers! So I'm trying over here.

My son is just a couple months past his second birthday. I pumped until just past a year, and since then he's been drinking cow's milk during the day and nursing at night. On a good day (good from the perspective of my sleep needs) he nurses 4-5 times in a 24h period; more if he is teething or sick. He nurses to sleep, then often sleeps through to about 4am, then nurses around 6, then when we get up at 7.

I'd like to continue nursing but nightwean. Any btdt stories about how this might affect supply? Will I be able to continue nursing 2-3x per day without him weaning completely?

[Taos Mountain Mama]

This is not going to help you any, but I'm in the same boat and interested in responses. My daughter just turned one and I'm in the process of pump weaning just like you, and I hope to night wean sometime in the next 6 months. I've heard from other moms that your supply will just adjust itself accordingly, so that ideally you can only nurse in the morning/at night (I'm assuming you work, like me, so this would be ideal). I've also heard something to the effect of, "if something is still sucking, you will continue to produce milk."

Anyway. I'll keep checking this post because I'm curious too.... Thanks for bringing it up!

[Tattooed Hand]

I'd like to know too. One tidbit: I started working out of the house about 4 months ago and my supply has definitely decreased. We both had the flu for the last 10 days where DD was nursing once an hour and I don't think my supply increased after all that. She gets frustrated because she isn't getting any if she nursed an hour or two before that. I wonder if it doesn't past a certain point or age?

[alittlesandy]

I just post my own experience, which is that I nursed DS on demand around the clock for the first year, and pumped every 3-4 hours while at work. When he turned one, I stopped pumping and only nursed when I was at home. When he turned eighteen-months-old I night-weaned him, and he continued to nurse 2-3 times each day after that, until he was 2. He self-weaned at 2, and after that, I still had milk for almost an entire year. So, it never, ever affected my supply.

ETA: He weaned because I was trying-to-conceive, and I didn't offer. I nursed when he asked, but never offered. One day he stopped asking to nurse, and I let him wean because I have fertility issues and was worried about that. However, I believe he would have happily continued nursing if I had continued offering.