Stopping pumping at work

[Faith1025]

So, I've decided to stop pumping at work. Kylie is having sippy cups of breast milk sent home some days, and to be honest, I'm ready to have my short lunch time back to actually eat. My questions are: how long did your LO continue to nurse after you stopped pumping and did you have any issues with supply during the days you were home and available to nurse all day (weekends, holidays, etc.)? I don't want to wean before she is ready and would ideally go over two years and have her self wean. I don't want this to force her along before she is ready.

 

[Faith1025]

Is it normal to feel so guilty?

 

[Fiona100912]

When I returned to work I didn't express during the day, but my milk supply was still fine during evenings/weekends etc. I would always breast feed when I was home but my son had formula when I was at work. I went back to work when he was 9months and continued to feed him until he was 14months. When I stopped it wasn't due to supply, it was because the little bugger bit me so hard I thought I was going to lose a nipple. I did feel guilty to begin with but if you saw my son you would know it hasn't done him any harm!!

 

[Skittleblue]

I stopped pumping at work right at the 12 month mark, and I felt horribly guilty. I thought very seriously about starting again for that first 2 weeks, but I missed lunchtime and was only getting to pump once a day anyway (and for only about 15 minutes at that) so I didn't. That was in January and we're still going strong with just mornings, evenings, nights, and weekends. She does get cows milk some on the weekend, but usually only once because she wants mommy milk if she can get it

I haven't seen any supply problems yet, so we're just going to keep this up until she's ready to drop another feed, I guess.

 

[ttc bubby no2]

How old is she and are you working full time?

With my first I went back when he was 10.5 months old but only 2 days. I pumped for the first couple of weeks but he refused to take EBM so I stopped bothering and childcare would give him yougurt or cows milk (since he was close enough to 1 and only 2 days). I had no issues with my supply and he continued to feed until I weaned him at just over 15 months but he would have kept feeding longer if I let him (we wanted to TTC #2).

With my 2nd I had to go to full time work when he was 16 months and didn't bother expressing. I would go the whole day without feeding and he would jump on me as soon as I got home. He continued to feed until over 2 years.

Mine were both feeding in the night so that also helped keep up my supply.

 

[Faith1025]

She is about to turn 18 months old and I've been working full time since she was 6 weeks old. My supply has already seemed to adjust during the day and she seems to be getting plenty when I'm home. She also pounces on me to nurse when I get home. She still nurses a few times at night. Thanks for the reassurance! I'm really hoping to make it to at least 2 years and let her self wean from there. We still haven't been through a weekend since I've stopped pumping, so time will tell how that goes.

 

[ttc bubby no2]

Wow you have done great keeping up breastfeeding after returning to work at 6 weeks. I really think if you have got this far you will be fine not expressing.

 

[Faith1025]

Wow you have done great keeping up breastfeeding after returning to work at 6 weeks. I really think if you have got this far you will be fine not expressing.

Thank you so much! She hasn't seemed to notice a difference and I'm so glad to be rid of the pump and have back the 30-45 minutes every evening it'd take me to soak and wash all the parts, bottles, and sippy cups to actually spend with her. I have the utmost respect for exclusively pumping mommas. I can't even imagine how hard it is for them.