Also posted in Breastfeeding for maximum replies

To cut a VERY long story short my LO had latch issues from day one (the long version is here for anyone interested). I expressed and BF for the first ten weeks then moved on to expressing and topping up with formula. LO is almost 17 weeks now.

My current pumping schedule is: pump in the AM before DH goes to work, once in the middle of the day when LO is napping (not always possible but can do this 80% of the time), a session at tea time, again before bed and once in the middle of the night. Each session takes 20-30 mins and I pump off anywhere between 2-4 oz each time, average around 3oz. I've never had a huge supply whilst pumping despite fenugreek, pumping every three hours in the early weeks and eating lots of oats. LO is not a big eater (9th centile) and so I make enough to give her EBM every other feed.

All this basically to ask if you are or have expressed, when are you planning to give up or when did you give up and did you have any regrets about stopping? I'm so exhausted a lot of the time (not sure how much of that is being drained with the pumping and LO still not STTN though), have no energy, find pumping soooo boring and a big pain in the bum. However I like that BM is nutrionally better for LO. At first I took expressing day by day, then said I would manage to 6 weeks, then 8 weeks, then 12 weeks, then 16 weeks. I started to think that I would get to 6 months but the last few days I have started to get fed up with it all and considered stopping all together. I suppose the one thing that puts me off stopping expressing is that i'm worried I will get to 6 months and regret not pumping till then, after all in the grand scheme of things two more months is nothing. Plus I was looking forward to making LO BM ice lollies and cream in the summer LOL.

Any advice from those in the same boat? Did you ever regret stopping?

Thank you if you made it this far, I have a tendancy to ramble

Have you tried latching her on again? I think after a certain time, babies will naturally latch. Just a thought

Wow, really? I've not heard that before. Do you know what the age is? I tried putting her on last week but she just screamed and screamed . Maybe she wasn't the right age just yet again though. I might try her in the night because when she BF in the past that is when she was best at it.

Edit: Just tried latching her on now and that was a total no go *sigh*. Ah well, was worth a try!

I forget the age. Could you try doing skin to skin with her and breathe calmly? She'll sense your stress. Just a thought though You have to do what's best for you and her and will cause the least amount of stress to you both

Thank you, that's given me the idea to try it with us both in the bath, the skin to skin might help then and she should be relaxed cos she loves the bath. Think will use that as a last attempt though, feeding and expressing are sooo stressful.

I pumped until just a few weeks ago. Same thing is you, had major latch issue as in he just would not latch. I did keep trying to get him to latch for the first 3 months, but not much luck

I stopped when he was a little over 4 months old because as hard as it was when I was home on leave, it was nearly impossible to do when i went back to work. He's never been the greatest sleeper either, so you factor the hours you spend bottle feeding, then pumping, cleaning the equipment and bottle, it was misery and working an 8.5-10 hour day on 2 hours of sleep plus trying to pump at work and at home was just not working.

I have two thoughts on my experience.
1.) I'm so mad at myself for the guilt that I really put on myself. Honestly I should have stopped earlier as it really was hell (for me) but had that lovely mother's guilt and kept going. I'm really trying to work on accepting that I too have needs and it's OK meet them sometimes.
2.) Bottom line: I'm so happy he was able to get breast milk for as long as he did. I still have some frozen too that I'm saving in case he gets sick or something.

My advice, if you can make it work, great go for it! But if you're wanting to stop due to the exhaustion, IT'S OK! I really don't regret stopping because I can actually function now and my son is pefectly healthy (not been sick yet). I am happy that I stuck it out as long as I did, because I really wanted him to benefit from the BM, but at the same time, I needed to know when to say enough is enough.

Hope that helps.

I'm pumping right now! My lo is 6.5 months, hope to get to 9 months, then well see. I have to say, month 4 was the hardest. Power through and you'll probably feel better in a few weeks. I planned on quitting at 6 months, but it's not that big a deal to keep owing now.
Regardless, congratulations on getting this far. Exclusively pumping is very hard work!

Right there with you! My girl is 7.5 weeks old and I've been exclusively pumping since the hospital. Breastfeeding directly was just too painful and I stopped. I started with every 3 hours... did that for like 4 weeks, and then cut it down to every 4-6 hours, which is where I still am now. I do it for 10 mins each time (both sides at the same time) and usually get 4 oz and I hate it, so I feel bad for you having to sit there for so much longer. It IS boring. It helps to keep a good book by the pump, so you can read while you do it, or I'll go on the internet on my phone. Or I'll ask my husband to keep me company. Anyway, my original goal was a year, and then I dropped it to 6 months. Like you, I try to think of it in terms of milestones. First, I'll get to a month. Then, 3 months. Once I get to 3 months, I'll decide if I can last to 6. Trying to choose what is best for LO and my guilt at the idea of using formula (and lack of money to buy it, currently, since I'm on leave and we're poor... haha) are what keep me going right now. I hear what you all are saying about having your own needs, but I just feel like it would be selfish of me to quit just because it's inconvenient and boring. She will be healthier for it, so I should continue to do it at my expense. Please don't be offended... I know it's not entirely rational, but I can't help thinking it. Lately I've been thinking of combi feeding starting when I go back to work. I can't imagine trying to leave work to pump, on top of already having to leave for lunch and then another time to get the supplies I need for the next day. And I don't want to spend my lunch pumping Don't want to have to worry about dragging the pump to work, either. So I might pump only before and/or after work... just 2 times per day, and also use formula. Research I've done says that even if they get 50 ml a day, they benefit a lot more than just being fed pure formula. But I feel like I'm looking for justification when I do research. I need to decide what I'm doing by the time she's 8 weeks, so I can start to cut down on the pumping gradually to 2 times/day before I start back at work :-/ Good luck to you. You aren't alone.

Sorry for just replying ladies. Thank you for all your replies, they have been really helpful! I have decided to carry on for now but to not set myself goals anymore. I am literally taking it one day at a time and we'll just see where we end up.

I am in the same place you are. My lo is 11 weeks old, and I have been pumping the whole time. I have basically decided to take it day by day as well. I will no longer feel guilty or stress over it. Lo has gotten a lot of breastmilk and a good start, so I will be stopping all together soon. I am now down to pumping twice a day and get about 3 ounces each time. The rest of her feeds are formula.