How long did you pump at work?

[Anonymous]

Baby is 6 months old, I've been pumping 16-20 oz per day while working full time in-office for the past month. Pumping takes up a ton of time and brain space for me, and I'm considering ramping down (but ideally still keeping nursing on the weekends/nights). What were your experiences? Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

I ramped down to nursing just at night and morning when kid was 12 months old, so it's doable, but you will have to do formula, probably on weekends as well.

[Anonymous]

Kid 1: three months (to age 9m)
Kid 2: two months (to age 8m)
Kid 3: six months (to age 12 m)

Each time, ceasing pumping did inexorably but slowly lead to weaning. And it was fine/great! I kept nursing at morning and night for a few months but couldn’t keep it up for longer.

[Anonymous]

6-9 months. I stopped when I was only pumping one or 2 ounces.

[Anonymous]

Between 12-13 months but I was able to pump in my office so it was slightly less of a pain. You can cut it back but you won't be able to full time nurse on the weekend. If you nurse in the morning and nighttime during the week and do formula during the day that will need to be your plan on the weekend. After I stopped pumping I still nursed in the mornings till my kid was around 2. I found my milk supply at night was pretty low and it wasn't worth it.

[Anonymous]

I pumped for seven months at work. They converted a small closet into a room with a table and a telephone for anyone who needed to make private calls. They also let me use it as a pumping room. I went back to work at five months and then kept him on breastmilk until he was 1. He continued to breastfeed for another year, but I didn't pump anymore.

Have you tried looking at a picture of your baby while you pump? When I did that, my letdown happened immediately.

[Anonymous]

I stopped when baby was 7 months. So much relief after I stopped tbh.

[Anonymous]

Nursed to two, pumped until 12 months. Ramping down to like 1-2 pumps a day at most. Made all the bottles go away at 12 months. 10/10 recommend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nursed to two, pumped until 12 months. Ramping down to like 1-2 pumps a day at most. Made all the bottles go away at 12 months. 10/10 recommend.

I'm not OP, but how many months did you pump at work?

[Anonymous]

I pumped for about 9 months at work and it was exhausting and BF for a year 2x.

If I had it to do all over again, I would only BF mornings and evening and not pump at work at all and just do formula during the day.

You will be a much happier mom and kids will be fine with formula!

[Anonymous]

About 3 days. Lol. And I work from home! My job is busy with a lot of meetings. I decided quickly that pumping is like having a second job and I didn’t need two jobs.

I am very pro breastfeeding and will advocate for anyone’s right to have the time and space to breastfeed. If it works for you, great. I ended up having a lot of benefits from leaning in to fully focus on a certain project. It was the right call for me at that moment. I believe every woman can decide what’s right for her circumstances!

[Anonymous]

Pumped for three months with my oldest (till he was six months old), then weaned to formula so I could get pregnant again.

Exclusively pumped with my middle child for six months (till she was 9 months old) then weaned to formula cause pumping sucks.

Third only nursed 5 days. I was always a “just enough”-er for my first two, and my third is a tank. Couldn’t keep up with his demand and he was wreaking havoc on my nipples. He immediately was drinking almost 30 oz a day!

In retrospect, pumping was not worth it. I’m like you - pumping took a lot of time and brain space for me at work and really interrupted the flow of my day. I think for some people, pumping at work is a nice break and a way to feel connected to their baby from a distance, but for me it was neither of those things. Even once I got wearable pumps!

I will warn you that both time I weaned, I slowly dropped feeds, and for a while, I’d get more per feed, so my total output would only decrease by an ounce or two. (Ex: 6 times x 4 oz, then 5 times x 4.5 oz, 4 times x 5 oz). But once I hit three pumps or feedings a day my production plummeted. Like 6 oz total all day. So while some people can just nurse 2-3 times a day, I couldn’t and it’s possible that won’t be an option for you.

[Anonymous]

Around 6 months I started supplementing with formula. It was amazing. My mental health improved so much. I don't think I stopped pumping completely but it definitely took the pressure off. I think I just decided to pump once a day and that was it.

[Anonymous]

Don't even remember, but in retrospect, wish I had not wasted the time or mental energy on it. At all. Not worth the stress.

[Anonymous]

I did it for exactly 12 months. Only once per day and just made sure to nurse right before and right after work.
Both times when I stopped pumping I got my period the very next month. Though I nursed sporadically until 3 with both.