Pumping - 10 months - supply decrease

[Lirpa11]

Hi

I have been BF and pumping since DS was born. He is 10 months and a week old. I want to make it to 12 months.

I work 4 days a week and I pump while I work. I pump when I wake up, and two - three times at work each day. Sometimes I pump in the evenings too. I do not pump when we are together all day.

I have noticed my supply has been dropping. I know I can pump more, but I plan to not pump after the 12 month mark. We will still bf when together I just want to stop pumping. I am just worried about my supply until then.

Do I just start pumping more again, oatmeal etc - or don't stress?

Any like experience and suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Twag]

No advice sorry but following as I am also working full time and pumping and I want to continue to BF my DD until we decide to stop but I have noticed my supply is dropping - although she still feeds just fine when we are together all day etc

I wondered if it was because she is now eating more solids and so naturally my supply would drop to her demand

 

[Lirpa11]

No advice sorry but following as I am also working full time and pumping and I want to continue to BF my DD until we decide to stop but I have noticed my supply is dropping - although she still feeds just fine when we are together all day etc

I wondered if it was because she is now eating more solids and so naturally my supply would drop to her demand

That's what I am wondering. DS eats 2-4 times a day with snacks. He is small so I try to fit in as much BF and food as possible!!

I don't want to use formula, and I only have 7-8 more weeks before he can have cows milk and I can put the pump away.

I have read from other forums that it is not an issue and DS will make up for any lost milk when we are together anyway. I hope so because I don't want to start working hard to bump my supply way up again then start letting it decrease after 4 weeks or so... Ugh. Pumping and working seems to be an off and on battle with supply!

 

[Twag]

I agree working and pumping is a battle - one to find the time to go and pump and two with making sure you are pumping enough

I do know my little madam drinks a lot less milk during the day and then makes up for it when we get home! unfortunately I think this is one of the main reasons she is still waking every 3/4 hours at night to be fed

Oh well she will only be a baby once

 

[noon_child]

Are you concerned that your supply is dropping because you don't have enough milk to feed him while you are away at work? Or are you just worried this drop is indicating you will dry up soon?

I'd expect a drop in supply for a bf mum at 10months because baby is likely to be eating more solids (but she probably wouldn't notice because baby would just take the amount he needed). Maybe your drop on pumping days is due to him taking less milk when you are together because he doesn't need as much?

I was lucky enough not to have to go to work till LO was 12months old. I didn't ever bother to pump because I only needed my supply to be what she needed for when we were together. She fed every day after nursery and before bed, and nursed on demand on the days we were together. My supply adjusted to this no problem.

 

[Lirpa11]

I am worried that I will not have enough milk to make it to the 12 month mark.. That's only 7 more weeks.

I never built up an oversupply to pack tons of milk in my freezer. I have a small stash I rotate through each week. I feed on demand. if I was not working I would not pump either.

As I am worried I will not make it to the 12 month mark, I am afraid I will dry up soon. I don't want to use formula. Anyone else have a similar issue?

Did you body battle through?

 

[noon_child]

I never built up an oversupply to pack tons of milk in my freezer. I have a small stash I rotate through each week. I feed on demand.

So she drinks more expressed milk than you pump? so you worry if your supply drops, and her appetite stays the same, then you'll run through your small stash quickly? That is possible, but it's also possible that her appetite for milk will drop (10month is a classic time for starting to get more calories from food than milk).

Maybe during the time you are together you could focus on some time together that might tap in to her desire to breastfeed (I know my LO would forget about it if outside doing activities but if I sat on the sofa at home she'd want a feed straight away!) and this might help up your supply a bit.

if I was not working I would not pump either.

When I said I didn't pump, I meant I didn't pump when I went back to work. So I let my supply drop to what it needed to be for the feeds she did take. She never took a bottle from the nursery staff whether it was expressed milk or formula, so during the day she just relied on food. So she had a breastfeed at 6am, at nursery she had breakfast at 8am, lunch at 11:30, afternoon meal at 3pm, breastfeed at 4:45pm when I collected her and then more food when we got home at about 6pm and then breastfed to sleep at 7-7:30pm. I can imagine that at 10months the idea of relying so much on food through the day seems far off, but babies change so quickly and it may be that you are worrying for nothing. Your supply doesn't have to be high; it just needs to be what your LO needs.

Despite relying on food during her nursery days (and loving her food) we carried on feeding till 27months because feeding represented more than just nutrition to her.

 

[Twag]

I don't have a stash I just pump at the time she would normally be feeding from me if I were with her and then she has that from a bottle the following day 👍

 

[FeleciaPhelps]

I agree working and pumping is a battle - one to find the time to go and pump and two with making sure you are pumping enough

I do know my little madam drinks a lot less milk during the day and then makes up for it when we get home! unfortunately I think this is one of the main reasons she is still waking every 3/4 hours at night to be fed

Oh well she will only be a baby once

Yes, a working lady will face the same issue. Even I am using a breast pump. It helps me to feed by LO.

 

[Lirpa11]

So she drinks more expressed milk than you pump? so you worry if your supply drops, and her appetite stays the same, then you'll run through your small stash quickly? That is possible, but it's also possible that her appetite for milk will drop (10month is a classic time for starting to get more calories from food than milk).

Maybe during the time you are together you could focus on some time together that might tap in to her desire to breastfeed (I know my LO would forget about it if outside doing activities but if I sat on the sofa at home she'd want a feed straight away!) and this might help up your supply a bit.

He is drinking just at what I can pump. I can get 15 oz per day, with either 3-5 pumping sessions. I used to get 15-20 oz with 2-3 pumping sessions.

Thanks for the suggestion about tapping into BF activities - he gets easily distracted so it is a battle sometimes trying to get him to focus on BF only! We just went away for the 4th of July weekend and BF and eating was the last thing on his mind! I kept offering though so he did eat well.

When I said I didn't pump, I meant I didn't pump when I went back to work. So I let my supply drop to what it needed to be for the feeds she did take. She never took a bottle from the nursery staff whether it was expressed milk or formula, so during the day she just relied on food. So she had a breastfeed at 6am, at nursery she had breakfast at 8am, lunch at 11:30, afternoon meal at 3pm, breastfeed at 4:45pm when I collected her and then more food when we got home at about 6pm and then breastfed to sleep at 7-7:30pm. I can imagine that at 10months the idea of relying so much on food through the day seems far off, but babies change so quickly and it may be that you are worrying for nothing. Your supply doesn't have to be high; it just needs to be what your LO needs.

Despite relying on food during her nursery days (and loving her food) we carried on feeding till 27months because feeding represented more than just nutrition to her.

Thank you, I didn't mean to sound snappy.

He is eating more so I am sure he will be fine and just rely a bit more on food if needed. I plan on not pumping around mid-August so a month and half away. He should be fine to rely on food and stuff at daycare then during the day and BF when I collect him if he wants.

So did your little one have juice or anything during the day?

 

[noon_child]

So did your little one have juice or anything during the day?

Just water with her meals, and extra if they were outside on a hot day. The nursery had cups of water with their pictures on sat on a low table, so from a young age they knew they could grab a drink of water whenever they wanted. She refused cows milk till she was about 22months, then decided she loved it!

P.S - Apologies for saying "her" and "she" when you have a little boy, my brain is sometimes in a world of its own.