Comments on: Breastfeeding beyond a year: Why I’m still pumping

By: Angel

Angel — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:32:29 +0000

I have been back to work since my daughter was 3 months. She is now 14 months old and we’re still breastfeeding. Going strong too! When I first returned to work I would pump twice a day but that only lasted a few weeks. Gradually my body got used to the schedule and I have been only pumping once a day. Recently I noticed my daughter isn’t really drinking much of the milk I pump. I think she would prefer to have mom there. So the milk I pump at work is just getting dumped. That’s when I decided to wean off pumping. So far so good. This week I pumped every other day and its not so uncomfortable by the end of the day. She is definitely more eager to nurse when I get home but she doesn’t mind waiting. I just hope this doesn’t hurt the supply too much. Thanks for posting! I’m happy to know there are actually people who think like me.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 07:03:29 +0000

Congrats to you for reaching year 1 — I know it has taken a lot of dedication but well worth it…

By: Christina

Christina — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:58:39 +0000

Amber- thanks
You touched on a couple interesting points. First- yeah, I definitely prefer to avoid mastitis! Thanks for mentioning it. I have had severe plugged ducts 3 times (but never mastitis) so I definitely don’t want to cut back too fast. And the milk supply issue is a sensitive one for me. It was such a struggle for me to build up a sufficient milk supply (it was low for the first 3-4 months) that I’ve never really been able to fully relax and trust my body to keep the supply up without frequent nursing and pumping. I know my milk isn’t going to disappear the day I quit pumping, but I wonder if having a history of milk supply issues makes one more prone to losing the milk faster. I’d rather not test it. So your last sentence reflects my thoughts as well!
Thanks for sharing about your experience. I’m especially happy to hear that you work full time and have been able to keep nursing for almost a year so far, without pumping. It’s amazing how the body can respond to changing demands for milk.

By: Christina

Christina — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:33:14 +0000

Sandra- That’s amazing that she hasn’t been sick. Hooray for breastmilk! It’s encouraging to hear that you’ve been able to keep breastfeeding so long after you stopped pumping, and she’s satisfied on the weekends too.

By: Christina

Christina — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:28:24 +0000

Angie- you’ve done such a great job making it work under tough circumstances. I wonder if he will find comfort in nursing as he gets older. Mine didn’t comfort nurse until recently- never used to fall asleep nursing and he would eat super fast- but lately he’s been making the milk sign with his fist to tell me he wants to nurse when he gets tired or cranky. I’m glad you enjoy the blog. I enjoy reading your comments from your breastfeeding experiences!

By: Amber

Amber — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:07:56 +0000

Oh! And congrats on hitting a year of nursing! Welcome to the club

By: Amber

Amber — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:06:47 +0000

Cutting out 3 pumping sessions at once wouldn’t be good because of the risk of mastitis. But, unless you had severe supply problems, I wouldn’t worry about continuing to pump for supply’s sake. I work full time and am still going strong nursing my almost-2 year old. I stopped pumping at 12 months and my son wouldn’t take a bottle anymore anyways. In fact, considering how frequently he nurses when we’re together and co-sleeping, I sometimes joke that he gets more milk than a newborn. The body knows how to produce less/more milk at different times of the day based on demand, do I don’t get engorged during the day at work, but I still have milk to nurse on weekends. Of course, as annoying as it can be to pump at work. It can also be bittersweet to stop and it certainly doesn’t hurt to continue…

By: Sandra

Sandra — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:02:20 +0000

Hi Christina: Hope you’re doing well!

My daughter is 26 months and still BF-ing but I stopped pumping around 15 months. I was mixing pumped breast milk with cow’s milk from month 12-15. Around month 15, I started increasing the cow’s milk and cutting down the breast milk. I only work part-time but I was never able to express much milk (I would need to pump 7 days to provide adequate supply for 3 days). Currently, my daughter nurses in the morning, late afternoon after I get home from work, and before bed on the days I work. Weekends and the days I have “off” she nurses about 3 more times. Now that my daughter is passed the two-year mark, I am getting pressured about the end date from inlaws, etc. but we’re both happy and my daughter has never been sick despite the fact that she’s in daycare….

By: Angie Yeh

Angie Yeh — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:49:25 +0000

Christina – I nursed my daughter until she was 15 months old. I eventually cut out pumping at work and then nursed her morning and night until we just kind of stopped. It was nice not having a set end time on things because I feel it was less traumatic for both of us. With my son, I have to admit, I am so looking forward to not pumping anymore, and I will start cutting out pumping sessions in March when he turns a year. I can only get in two pumpings at work and I have to do work while I pump It has been so stressful and I’m making barely enough to send in bottles. I believe I have just enough freezer supply to give me the little extra I need to get through until March. My main goal is to use no formula Getting my period every three weeks doesn’t help either since that really hurts my supply. It is very sad for me because I LOVE nursing and Carter is my last baby….so this is it I will keep nursing him morning and night until my supply runs out or he loses interest. It is less emotional for me if it just sort of ends instead of just anticipating the day when I’m going to stop nursing, if that makes sense…. It times like this that I really wish I didn’t work so that we could nurse forever Being off these last two weeks and not having to pump has been heaven sent, and I’m so thankful for this time Carter and I have had together. He is definitely not a comfort nurser, he nurses for food only Thanks for your blog, I enjoy it!

By: Christina

Christina — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:51:23 +0000

Jenny, thanks! It’s good to hear that you were able to continue nursing that long while working, even after you stopped pumping! And I know what you mean about the colds, nursing is such a relief to us both when my son gets sick.