https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 01 May 2026 06:07:47 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370855 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:43:23 +0000 Adira 1370855@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sotofamilia: I'm the same way!! I'm excited to be done, but I'm also scared because it's been my LIFE for so long now!!</p> <p>@septca: OMG, happy early birthday to your baby!!! Thank you for all the details of what you did and including your transition to WCM! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370792 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:26:18 +0000 septca 1370792@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My baby is one (!) tomorrow, and I stopped pumping two weeks ago. I had been nursing at wake up, pumping 3x/day at work, and then nursing 1-2x in the evenings (sometimes DD would want to nurse as soon as I picked her up from the nanny, but mostly she would just want "real" dinner and would just nurse once at bedtime). Starting at about 9 months, my supply really dropped (conincided with DD's increased interest in solids), so I was only getting 7-9 ounces total per day pumping, so dropping to 2 pumps per day was no problem (I got about 6-7 ounces that way). At the same time I dropped a pump, I: (1) dropped a bottle - and started leaving DD 2 bottles + 1 cup of WCM with the nanny; and (2) stopped nursing when I got home, so we were only nursing at wake up and bedtime. After a week of 2 pumps, I dropped to one. I only got 2 ounces from one pump per day, so I just stopped pumping entirely. I did not have any fullness or engorgement issues, but I did experience a lot of nausea and headaches for about a week. I went through a box of HPTs because what I had felt exactly like MS.</p> <p>I am still nursing and wake up and bedtime and it's going really well. My supply has stabilized and may be a bit lower than it used to be, especially in the morning, but DD seems very satisfied. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370790 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:26:04 +0000 sotofamilia 1370790@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlebug: I know, I spent so much time dreaming about being done pumping and now that it's staring me in the face, I feel kind of sad! I think that would be really sweet of you to bring cookies and say a proper goodbye - it sounds like that enviornment was really important to a successful pumping experience! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370781 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:24:03 +0000 littlebug 1370781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sotofamilia: I hear ya. I was actually kind of sad about unexpectedly dropping the last session. I'd been pumping in the lactation room in the Intensive Care Nursery at the hospital where I work, and I had kind of come to like it - it was a nice, quiet break from the floor. And I got to know some of the ICN mommies and the lactation consultant pretty well. I keep meaning to go down and say a proper goodbye, and even considered baking some lactation cookies to leave in there. And definitely giving the LC a thank-you note, cuz she was super supportive for the whole 9 months I was using the lounge. But I am also SO happy to be free of the pump and not having to carry that extra bag to/from work every day! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370762 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:20:23 +0000 sotofamilia 1370762@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlebug: thanks for the info! I'm 50% excited and 50% really scared to be done pumping. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370758 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:19:21 +0000 littlebug 1370758@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sotofamilia: Just a couple of days. And I wasn't ever uncomfortably engorged, just, like "Oh, hmm...that feels full." The only time I was uncomfortable was the Friday that I was at the conference, and I just hand-expressed a bit into some toilet paper in the bathroom and it was fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370712 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:08:14 +0000 Adira 1370712@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: Thank you!! I hope that's true!! I'd love to be able to continue to nurse if possible! :D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370711 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:08:07 +0000 sotofamilia 1370711@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlebug: I'm in the same position as @adira and I was wondering, when you dropped a pump, how long did it take your body to adjust? I want to stop dropping a pump in two weeks, but I'm afraid of being totally engorged! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370707 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:07:38 +0000 Adira 1370707@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: Thank you for the details! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370704 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:07:13 +0000 regberadaisy 1370704@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: I wouldn't worry; I think your body will adjust and just eventually only produce enough for that one session.</p> <p>@Smurfette: I'm starting to think of weaning and I think the morning session is the last one I want to take out!!! I'll lose a good 30-60 minutes of sleep. LOL </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370699 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:06:11 +0000 Smurfette 1370699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: Yeah, she had no issues nursing in the am and pm. She still STTN. So I am guessing my supply wasn't affected at all. I could never feel at letdown or anything. When I cut the morning session, I was engorged for a couple days, but nothing super uncomfortable. I made it through the work day. I was ready to nurse at night for sure though. Then when I was cutting the night session, I just cut down the mins each night. So the last night it was like 1 min on each side. Then I gave a bottle. Then the next night she just got a bottle. Cutting the morning session was rougher then stopping all together. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370698 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:05:58 +0000 Adira 1370698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: Thanks!! That's encouraging!! I'm just worried that since I'm only going to nurse once a day, it might not be enough to keep my supply up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370694 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:03:48 +0000 regberadaisy 1370694@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I stopped pumping right around or before 13 months and still continue to nurse 2-3x daily. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370682 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:00:30 +0000 Adira 1370682@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: Were you able to nurse successfully after cutting out all that pumping? And were you super engorged when you went from two sessions down to one?? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370675 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:58:57 +0000 Smurfette 1370675@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I weaned, I cut one pumping/nursing session a week. I was only at 5 total a day. I did all the day first, then just nursed morning and night for a couple weeks. Then cut out the morning, and then night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370635 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:48:04 +0000 Adira 1370635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Elderberrygin: haha, I don't blame you for wanting the sleep!! I'd keep a night session too, given the option, but Xander usually has his last bottle of milk for the day at daycare and doesn't nurse again until the morning, so if I want to keep nursing at all, I'll have to do morning!! Thank you for the details - I'm hoping it works out for me that I can drop all the pumping and still nurse once a day just in the morning!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370627 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:44:04 +0000 Elderberrygin 1370627@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: Yes. I used to pump at 8am, noon, 4pm and 8pm. I dropped the 8pm first, then noon, then 8am and pushed the 4pm to 5pm at some point in there. (Sorry, I'm a bit vague on the timing. I sort of played it by ear.) My theory was that if I dropped the late afternoon pump session last I'd have more chance of keeping supply up in the evening. </p> <p>Keeping the morning session is a smart move as supply is generally better in the morning. I just like having a sleep in while DH does the early morning bottle. :-P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370624 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:43:11 +0000 Adira 1370624@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlebug: Thank you!!</p> <p>@jetsa: Oh really?? That's encouraging!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370614 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:40:13 +0000 jetsa 1370614@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No advice but there was a thread yesterday and there are some mommas who don't pump during the week and give WCM (or an alternative) and still breastfeed on the weekends/morning/night. I was ecstatic because I thought I'd have to continue to pump to breastfeed weekends/morning/night. :)</p> <p>ETA: heres the thread <a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cows-milk-and-breastmilk-balance" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/cows-milk-and-breastmilk-balance</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370612 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:39:48 +0000 littlebug 1370612@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: Yeah, just about! I actually dropped the last pump kind of spontaneously. I got strep throat on Wednesday so I was home sick from work on Thursday. I tried using my manual pump but was too tired to put much effort into it so I never even got a letdown and only got about an ounce. Then Friday I was at a conference and forgot to bring my manual. I had to go into the bathroom at a break and hand-express a little bit, but since then it's been fine! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370605 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:37:56 +0000 Adira 1370605@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mamimami: Thanks!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370604 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:37:36 +0000 Adira 1370604@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Elderberrygin: Ooooh, your story is encouraging! So you only nurse once a day (and sometimes in the MOTN)?? Did you essentially drop a pump session each week until you were just nursing at night? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370600 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:36:46 +0000 mamimami 1370600@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: I BF in the afternoon, evening and overnight. On the weekends definitely more. I don't think I have a ton of milk but the kid's not complaining. :D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370599 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:36:15 +0000 Elderberrygin 1370599@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went from four pump sessions plus nursing morning and night to just nursing at night over the course of about four weeks. I wasn't getting a lot during my pump sessions so it wasn't a big deal dropping pump sessions.</p> <p>I've had no problems maintaining the night session, and I've had to do MOTN feeds a few times to get A. back to sleep and that's been no problem either.</p> <p>Good luck! And turning ONE! So exciting. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370589 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:33:09 +0000 Adira 1370589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mamimami: How often do you BF now that no longer pump? Like once a day? More? More on weekends? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370587 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:32:22 +0000 Adira 1370587@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlebug: So did you basically cut out a session every two weeks until you were no longer pumping? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370585 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:31:52 +0000 mamimami 1370585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I cut back pretty slowly, moving pumps later and further apart, and also pumping a few minutes less, until I was from 3 - 2 - 1 pump per day and then none. I still BF and I stopped pumping last Sept! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370571 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:29:51 +0000 littlebug 1370571@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>About 6 weeks ago, my schedule was this:</p> <p>6:30am - nurse (pump the other side)<br /> 9am - pump<br /> 12pm - pump<br /> 3pm - pump<br /> 7:30pm - nurse (pump the other side)</p> <p>-I dropped the morning and night pumps first.<br /> -About a month ago, I dropped the 12pm pump.<br /> -Two weeks ago, I dropped the 9am and consolidated to one session at 12pm.<br /> -Last week, I stopped pumping entirely.</p> <p>I am still nursing at wakeup and bedtime. At first my supply dropped cuz my body thought we were done, but after a day or two it realized that it needed to keep up. I now have plenty of milk for the 2 nursing sessions but am not engorged at any point. I would just go slowly and give your body time to regulate and catch up with what you're doing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/howd-you-stop-pumping-and-could-you-still-nurse#post-1370559 Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:24:55 +0000 Adira 1370559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>OMG you guys, Xander's almost one! WTF!!!!!</p> <p>So once he's one, I'd like to stop pumping (at least at work, if not completely), but I would like to be able to continue to nurse in the morning if possible... not sure if this will be an option.</p> <p>So here's my current schedule:<br /> 5:30 a.m. - nurse<br /> 5:45 - pump<br /> 9:00 - pump<br /> 12:00 p.m. - pump<br /> 3:30 - pump<br /> 7:00 - pump<br /> 9:00 - pump</p> <p>How would you suggest scaling back? And if I want to continue to nurse in the morning, do you suggest I keep one of my evening pump sessions? My days at work are flexible, so I can move my pump times around if that makes more sense.</p> <p>What did you do? And were you able to continue to nurse after you stopped pumping during the day? </p>