I have officially stopped pumping milk at work! It had been 15 months of hard work (minus first 2 months of confinement). Josiah turns 18 months in a couple of days, and 18 for me is like a milestone in itself, when a child becomes more independent and starts to test your will. Anyways, I did not come to this decision easily. I must say, the feeling of weaning from pumping as very similar to weaning from breastfeeding altogether. I get so confused and worried as well, with many thoughts of whether I can still nurse at night if I do not pump during the day. After many consultation with other mums and research online, I realise that at this stage, our bodies can adjust to produce milk for night feeds and stop for day time at work after a while. Some mothers claim they can still nurse for another year after stopping from pumping. Well, my prayer and hope is that Josiah will stop nursing naturally by himself at 2 years old. I don’t mind 2 plus but hopefully not still 3. I think he’ll be too big boy by then.
So after making this hard decision, I now cannot bring pumped milk to my babysitter anymore. I think Josiah can taste the difference as my baby sitter said he drinks the Fresh Milk more slowly and reluctantly, and sometimes never finishing it. Oh well. Pumping is too much hard work especially at this stage when there isn’t much to pump already.
In the initial days I would pump 4 times a day at work, at nights and in early mornings. Wow I can’t imagine doing that now! Then this is gradually lessened to 3 times a day, then 2 times a day, cutting off all night pumping and early morning ones, then down to 1 time a day, midday at work. Even that became quite a hassle, as I had to miss seminars and conferences as I didn’t want to disrupt the pump sessions for even a day. Disrupting one day means no fresh supply the next day, yea that was how fussy I was. I felt weird as nobody could understand this feeling I had, of joy and anxiety all mixed up together. Ok so I still haven’t packed up my pump that’s still lying in my office, I’m always thinking, what if I need it. Yet I know I don’t for now. So basically there’s no right answer to when to wean from pumping, it’s really an individual decision of when you are ready to do it.
I’m really glad for you to share this experience. This is the first article I came across regarding wean from pumping. The articles on the net are mostly wean from breast, and I yet come across article regarding wean from pump. Boy that a relief.
I am in the dilemma of when to wean Ig from pump (am pumping exclusively) since he was reaching 1 year old. Now he is almost 14 months old. Although I still pumped 4 times a day with 2 times in the office, I’m starts to get impatient, as you mentioned, the supply dropping and not as much to pump anymore, added I’m using manual pump at office.
I’m pumping since the day Ig is born. So whether I admit it or not, I kinda use to pumping. It’s troublesome of course but I can’t help but want to keep pump, knowing that more EBM for Ig definitely will be a plus for him…. ..
good that u are so persistent in giving your best to Josiah. Weaning take place for a good reason, as it is for my 2 boys. Now they gain more weight by eating more (instead of wanting mama’s breasts at all time).