Pumping beyond a year

[escher]

I had been assuming (hoping) that I could stop pumping around when my baby turned a year old, but he is 11 months now and I'm starting to doubt that I am going to quit anytime soon. He drinks all the milk I pump and nurses many times during the day on weekends, so I think I am likely to still be pumping after he turns 12 months old.

For other people who are pumping for their older baby or have in the past, how did you deal with coworker and supervisor reactions to that? I'm a fairly private person in general, but many people where I work are aware when I am pumping and are aware that my baby is nearly a year, so I don't think I can avoid having some discussions about it. What have other people encountered in this regard? How did you handle it?

Thank you!

[Mosaic]

Good question. In my case, my DD had feeding issues which essentially required it, so that made it easier to explain to my coworkers whenever it came up. However, even in my very family-friendly professional environment (with a lot of granola types, btw), I definitely got some raised eyebrows and comments. Nothing too negative, but just enough to ding any insecurities I already had. In most instances, I admit that I'm pretty surprised we've lasted this long, too!

Honestly, just keep doing what you're doing and I don't think it will come up ALL that often, unless you wash your pump parts in the office break room or something. I'm at the end of a long hall, so everyone can see when my door is closed and the "Come back in 20 min!" sign is on the door; but at that point, nobody really commented anymore unless it came up in another context. And, hate to say it, most of my coworkers lose track of how old my kids are anyway...

[escher]

Thanks for your response, Mosaic. You're probably right that if I just keep doing what I am doing and don't make a fuss about it I won't get all that many comments. My son doesn't have feeding issues that require breastmilk, but I've still thought about saying something like "For a variety of reasons, my son still gets most of his nutrition from breastmilk" if it does come up. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[seraf]

This will be my second time to pump past a year. Last time the conversations were shockingly similar.

You're breast feeding? That's so healthy! (Are you vegetarian?) How old is your baby?

----me---- (No) One.

Month?

----Year.

And you're still breast feeding? My kids could take a cup by that age.

----She can use a cup. The World Health Organization recommends nursing until at least two.

-Most people stop here, but some go on.

Why don't you just give her a cup while you're at work?

----She uses a cup while I'm at work but my body still makes milk. Pumping keeps me comfortable/from exploding.


It doesn't come up a lot. I work in healthcare where you would think people would find it less shocking, but a couple of quick conversations (and presumably a whole lot of gossip) and I was left in peace.

I do as much of my pumping before and after work as I can so I can pump less at work but I still have to pump if I work during the morning when my milk supply is highest.

Good luck. If you act like it's no big deal, they will likely follow your lead.

[escher]

Thanks for responding, Seraf. It's an interesting idea to try to do more pumping not at work so I have to pump less at work. I'll have to consider that option.

"Are you vegetarian?" is the follow-up question about why you are still pumping? That seems like a funny connection to me.

I hope that you're right that everyone will just act like it is no big deal that I'm still pumping 3 times a day.

[KSLaura]

I stopped pumping for my kids around 12 months, but nursed them at home for much longer (DD1 till 5.5 and DD2 still nursing).  I basically made sure that they had lots of healthy solid foods and water when I was at work, and they nursed a lot once I got home.  Neither was really night-weaned until about 2 years old.  I don't think anyone at work has any idea that I nursed them past 12 months.  Do you pump more than once a day?  If so, maybe you could pump once during a lunch break and once at home in the evening.  I personally lost interest in pumping after a year.  Nursing was ok though.  :)

[JudiAU]

I expected to pump until a year too but then needs dictated they I pump longer. And then philosophically, I changed my views on things and pumped even longer for the second kid.

DS went on a solids strike from 9-11m so when 12m rolled around he was still amost exculsively breast fed. I pumped until 18m and had enough of a freezer stash so that he had bm until 19m. He refused all cow's milk so he never drank any milk after 19m and then weaned suddenly at 22m. I was pregnant and it was a big shock. I hadn't realized that pumping was so critical to keeping up my supply.

I pumped until DD was 2 although at the end it was really only about 4 oz a day. She drank it mixed with some cow's milk.

No one ever questioned me at work and if they had I would have something bland about it being required for her health/directed by her physician. I did frankly get a bit more secretive about it after about 16m or so.