are my pumping days over?

[emily]

DS is almost ten months. I'm hoping to make it to a year of BFing. I used to pump four times a day (before work, before bedtime and twice at work). I've cut one pump session at work due to time constraints about three weeks ago. I nurse before he goes down for the night and sometimes early in the morning if he wakes up. These days I'm lucky if I get 6 oz per pumping session. We're having to do 1-2 bottles of formula to supplement. Weekends I nurse mostly but still pump twice a day.

I thnk I know the answer to my question but are my pumping days over? Should I start the weaning off the pump process? I feel like 15oz a day of expressed milk is hardly worth all the time that I dont seem to have lately. FWIW, I think this is about the time I started cutting down my pumping sessions with DD. But I swear I think I got more milk with her. I've hardly got a freezer stash. Part of me cant wait to throw the pumps out the window but part of me is sad at the prospect of him on formula even if only for a couple of months before we transitiion to whole milk. :(

[ZeeBaby]

DD2 is 11.5 mos and I have the same concerns. I get even less milk. I only bother to pump once a day and get about 7 oz total.

[WolfpackMom]

DS is 8 months, I get 6-9oz depending on the day. That's pumping 3-4 times over a 9 hr period when he is at daycare twice a week. We have no freezer stash. He gets a formula bottle once every other day, maybe once a day if my supply seems really low. I don't have much advice for you, but I'm in the same boat in fact I wish I could pump as much as you. You're not alone!

[ZeeBaby]

I am pretty depresssed about it since DD2 is my last baby. Hopefully someone will have some good tips.

[goldenpig]

Well if it makes you feel any better, 15 oz/day sounds like a lot of milk to me! I have a 6 month old. I get about 4-6 oz each pumping session--I pump before work and once at work so maybe 10-12 oz/day. And then I nurse about 5-6 times throughout the day & night (he is getting up 2-3x/night still). He has reflux and usually only drinks 1-3 oz at a time from the bottle so he never needs formula. I do have a small freezer stash from several months ago that we only use if he completely runs out of fresh milk. I should be more diligent about pumping but sometimes I'm just too tired to deal with it, so I know what you mean.

You should feel good about feeding your baby breastmilk this long...you've done a good job. :applause: Don't feel guilty if you want to stop pumping. But if you want to keep going and increase your production, that's great and you might want to try some of the following:
1) fenugreek supplements and oatmeal
2) add another pumping session at home since you lost one at work
3) what kind of pump are you using? Have someone (do you have a lactation center at your hospital?) check your pump, especially if it's older...may need new tubing or parts or maybe the suction isn't as strong anymore, so it maybe the pump isn't as efficient anymore. I feel like my Freestyle isn't as efficient anymore (I have to use level 8 suction now to get the same amount of milk as level 4 in the beginning) so I've been meaning to get it checked.
4) if you only nurse one side per feeding, you could pump the other side while the baby is nursing; or pump after baby feeds to completely empty the breasts which stimulates more milk production
5) squeeze the breasts while pumping (I think of it as "juicing the grapefruits") :D

Here's some great info from kellymom:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumping_decrease.html

[catsnkid]

I was down to 8/ 10 oz day at that point.. I gave up at 10 1/2 months and we went to formula only at school for a little bit.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I think 15 oz a day is definitely worth the time and effort!

if you want to get more, you can try a few things:
- try adding a pumping session in the morning as soon as you wake up. Even if he nurses right afterwards it's still okay, he will still get milk after you pumped.

- try pumping a little longer each time after the milk stops coming out. You are letting your body know that you need more than you are getting when you keep pumping "dry". And sometimes if you pump long enough you will get a second letdown.

- try fenugreek and blessed thistle herbal supplements. These are like miracle drugs :) I kept up a supply for my adopted daughter using these.

- do breast massage and compressions while you pump. This can also help you pump faster which gives more time to stimulate your supply with pumping after the milk stops. http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8:breast-compression&catid=5:information&Itemid=17

more tips here:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumping_decrease.html

[BabyBearsMom]

I wish I could do 15 oz a day. DD is 5 months and I am lucky if I can get 12 oz/day pumpng 3 times a day.

[wimama]

My DS never even drank 15 oz of milk when I was away from him. He never really increased his milk intake as he got older. By the time he was 10-11 months old he was drinking less milk at daycare. When my DS was that age, I usually pumped anywhere from 12-16 oz each day and I only sent three 4 oz bottles to daycare. They had extra frozen milk, if he needed it.

So, I think 15 ounces is worth it. I stopped pumping when DS was one year old and by that point he was happy to just nurse in the morning and evenings.