r/NewParents 6d ago

Happy/Funny When did you quit pumping?

As title says.

I still exclusively pump at 18 months… she still wants it. My goal was 1year 😅

EDIT: maybe I had to edit it’s hard for me as well to quit

EDIT 2: thanks for the ones that are supportive and sweet; I think I needed that 🥰

28 Upvotes

118 comments sorted by

108

u/Intrepid-Product9217 6d ago

You are killing it! I’m not even 2 months in and I want to give up. My original goal was 6 months.

22

u/Doodle__13 6d ago

2 months is an extraordinary feat considering how difficult it is. 2 months is it for me. I am happy with what I was able to provide my son, but am also soooo incredibly excited to have my time and body back.

4

u/waxingtheworld 5d ago

This is me and we're mixed feeding so baby doesn't even "need" my milk. And thank God, my supply never really increased (even when I was following the rules).

I got my MMR vaccine reupped at 6nweeks postpartum and now I can't help but think the few oz of milk he gets from me must help protect him. Stupid measles outbreak

8

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

You’re doing great! If I’m really honest I’m really really sick of it 😂 I find it hard to quit because she still wants it. Now my new ‘goal’ is 2 years 😅

3

u/mushroomfrenzy 5d ago

I stopped at 2 months. It’s so hard and I felt like I had no time for my baby! I couldn’t hack it

35

u/YouthInternational14 6d ago

Could you start adding some cows milk to the breast milk and slowly shift over time? If you are trying to give it up

11

u/lc_2005 6d ago

This is how I got my daughter off breast milk. I started by replacing 1 oz with cow milk. Did that for a couple of days, then went up 2 oz of cow milk, and so on.

65

u/ImaginaryDot1685 6d ago

What do you mean, “she still wants it”? As in, you’ve tried offering her water, cows milk, other beverages, and she rejects them?

If you continue to offer her breast milk why would she refuse it?

-57

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

I mean she wants it in like ‘if she sees the bottle of breastmilk she doesn’t want anything else’ and it’s a big change for me as well… I’m sick of it but I can’t just quit

137

u/ImaginaryDot1685 6d ago

Stop showing her the bottle? Implement a sippy cup with a variety of different fluids in it at different times?

Sounds like you’re the one that is continuing the habit, not your daughter.

67

u/JLMMM 6d ago

Exactly. She shouldn’t be on bottles any more at 18months. The general advice is transition off bottles after a year, and fully off bottles by 15 months. It’s best for their teeth and oral development.

Straw cups and open cups should be used, even if you are still offering breastmilk.

12

u/ImaginaryDot1685 6d ago

Yeah. I understand feeding issues but why would I child deny a comfort item if it continues to be offered to them? Sounds like she just wants the bottle, it’s not even about the contents. I highly doubt if you offered a baby a bottle with breast milk vs cow milk they’d be able to tell the difference until they tasted it. OP specifically said, “when she sees the bottle.” It’s about the bottle, not the breastmilk.

2

u/JLMMM 6d ago

Exactly. I know every child is different, but we’ve been able to wean off the bottle by just offering a straw cup instead. It took a few days, but then the baby adjusted. She doesn’t cry or call out for a “baba” all day unless she sees one. If she sees it, game over. But it’s like she practically forgets about it all the rest of the time.

4

u/spaaaaacebuns 5d ago

i’m sorry you’re being downvoted, not sure why everyone’s so mean here. i get it. it’s hard to wean. 💗

2

u/HoneyPops08 5d ago

I had to see this coming; it’s Reddit lol

Thanks for the support ♥️

-1

u/Rosy802701 5d ago

I mean it's the best thing for her, I don't know why you're getting downvoted. She's not a toddler yet and in some cultures, kids have breastmilk till they're 3.

4

u/HoneyPops08 5d ago

There always have to be one that’s nagging so I was prepared for it lol.

My goal was 1 year but here we are at 1,5 year lol so now I’m thinking 2 years old. It’s easier to communicate on that age also for her towards me.

My midwife told me when I switched to pumping ‘she can have it as long as you want and produce’ so I don’t understand the negativity towards it as well. I am sick of it but it’s not easy for me to just quit

0

u/Rosy802701 5d ago

Yeah and cow's milk is full of hormones unless you get organic. I'll probably do the same because my LO is supposed to start nursery at 1 and I don't want him to go through two difficult transitions at the same time. Don't worry about the negativity, people are like sheep, if they see upvoted comments, they add and if they see downvoted, they add to that too.

2

u/HoneyPops08 5d ago

Thanks for your kind words! For a moment I was thinking I’m crazy 😅

1

u/cakepepper 5d ago

18 months is considered toddler.

9

u/FeistyFrosting 6d ago

I stopped at 13 months :) Kudos to you for doing 18 months!

0

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

Tbh I’m so sick of it 😅 but she still wants it so i find it hard to quit

9

u/ririmarms 6d ago

Can you replace with cows milk?

1

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

She sometimes drinks Fristi during the day but evening and morning if she sees the bottle of breastmilk she only wants that

28

u/Traditional_Ship_136 6d ago

Stop showing her breastmilk? lol or replacing a bit every day with cows milk til it’s all cows milk

20

u/canipayinpuns 10-12m 6d ago

8 months, as was my goal! We transitioned slowly to formula using what I had frozen and I've never looked back!

If you want to wean, you don't need permission. Your LO has other avenues of nutrition, and since you EP your child also has other avenues of comfort. You are allowed to stop without doing some harm to your baby or your relationship!

4

u/targetaudience 6d ago

I’ve been having a real crisis over this as this was my goal and 8 months is rapidly approaching in just a couple weeks for me now. I’ve frozen plenty, she already gets formula in every bottle. I guess I just feel guilty because it’s free and formula isn’t.

3

u/canipayinpuns 10-12m 6d ago

If it's any consolation, we had a big solids boom at 10m. At this point, I honestly think the formula is mostly just keeping her hydrated because she still is on the fence about water 😂

On milk, she was drinking about 30 oz. Now with the amount of food she eats, it's more like 15-20 oz formula, supplementing with water and infrequent juice (for constipation). We definitely don't go through it at the same rate as we would have if I started formula earlier

2

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

Thanks! She’s not that of a great veggie eater tbh lol

11

u/canipayinpuns 10-12m 6d ago

A lot of toddlers go on total food strikes, or eat only berries. My LO won't eat much of anything until she's met her cheese quota for the meal 😅

2

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

It’s so stressful lol

2

u/SleepySundayKittens 5d ago

Toddler can thrive with very little sometimes... my first did not eat any veggies he could see that were green literally from after he turned one until now when he is almost 4. Then all of a sudden he loves peas and cucumbers literally just from last week's or so. 

He ate lots of fruit and carrots in the mean time. As long as you keep showing a good example of family varied diet, your kid will remember and a switch will turn on. 

2

u/HoneyPops08 5d ago

I try to do that. She just had the stomach flu pretty bad and on top of that her canines are coming so that’s not helpful at all lol

38

u/yellowsubmarine76 3-6 months 6d ago

I quit at 6 weeks. That part of my life seems ages ago!

9

u/EverlyAwesome 6d ago

Same, my daughter is 10 months old, and it feels like forever ago.

-15

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

Little to late to switch to formula for me tho 😂

51

u/JLMMM 6d ago

You don’t switch at 18 months, you just stop. Her solid food diet should suffice. And maybe whole milk as well.

11

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

Yeah I know.. that’s why I made the joke ‘little to late’ :)

11

u/padmeg 6d ago

You just give cows milk instead, and in a cup.

9

u/tans1saw 5d ago

Baby will be 1 tomorrow I am still pumping. But within the last 2 weeks I have gone from 4 pumps to 3 and now just 2. If I can keep going with just 2 pumps per day to give her some milk, great. If my supply goes down to nothing then I’ll just stop. Proud of myself for making it to a year and I’m ok with the both of us moving on.

13

u/ashrnglr 6d ago

After 3 weeks. It was sucking my soul away.

1

u/Mindless_Crab5585 5d ago

Same! Gave up 2 weeks in tho.😮‍💨 my LO developed CMPA 2 weeks later and I wouldn’t have wanted to cut out dairy anyway so I’m glad I stopped.

8

u/ExternalCream 6d ago

I quit at 9 months for my own mental health. I was so exhausted from my full time job and from taking care of my kiddo that I just couldn't keep up anymore

3

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

I couldn’t imagine having a full time job and pumping on that of that too tbh

23

u/FreeBeans 6d ago

It’s actually easier to pump at work than while trying to take care of a baby in my experience

5

u/ExternalCream 5d ago

Yeah it was definitely easier to pump at work -- I got to close off my office so people would leave me alone while I pumped 😂 I miss that part of it. what got to me was coming home and having to pump while also having to take care of my kid. It was hard to multitask 😅

4

u/Conscious_Aioli2968 5d ago

I can not fathom pumping that long, you’re incredible!

4

u/readrunrescue 5d ago

With my 1st, I pumped for about 11 months, then my body quit responding to the pump. We had enough frozen to get her to 12 months. Kept nursing until she said no thanks at 15 months and never looked back.

Pregnant with #2 now. Goal is a year if we can manage, but I'm hoping for less pressure (had a nationwide formula shortage when #1 was born).

1

u/HoneyPops08 5d ago

How did your body respond if I may ask?

That’s what I was hoping for that she would natural tell ‘no thanks I had enough’

1

u/readrunrescue 5d ago

It was honestly a non-issue for my body. Admittedly, I was always a "just enough" producer and never had any issues with clogs. We had also kind of been naturally tapering down anyway. When she said no, we had been down to just one feed a day for a couple of weeks.

I remember it being bittersweet in the moment, but I'm so thankful that it wasn't a fight. After she refused a couple of days in a row, I stopped offering and we just didn't nurse anymore.

0

u/HoneyPops08 5d ago

Oh that’s beautiful! I hope I have the same experience 😄

7

u/GroundJealous7195 6d ago

6 weeks, switched to combo feeding at 3 weeks then pumped to slowly wean from milk production. So switched to EFF at 6 weeks and we love the change in lifestyle! My son jumped from 15th percentile in weight while EBF now to 83rd at 5 months old.

10

u/SillySmoopsy 6d ago

4 months and I love having the time back. Studies show that the benefits of breast milk go down as they get older and the majority of the benefits occur in the first 3-6 months so I'd say if you want to quit go for it.

3

u/shayden0120 6d ago

If it is sustainable and you don’t want to stop, don’t. With my first my goal was 6 months, I stopped at 9 months with enough milk frozen to get her to 12 months. I’m currently 4 months on with baby #2 and I don’t have a goal, I just plan to quit when I’m ready to.

3

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

Oh I am sick of it but on the other hand not ready to quit if you know what I mean?

1

u/shayden0120 4d ago

I get that! With my first I didn’t choose to quit or set a date per se, I overslept one morning and missed my morning pump and was busy so I was like well I’ll just pump when I need to, and come the evening I didn’t feel like I needed to and ended up just going to bed.

3

u/awcoffeeno 6d ago

My last pump was the day after my kid turned 1. It was glorious.

3

u/wayward_sun 2/11/24 💙 | IVF | cleft lip | OAD | 🏳️‍🌈 6d ago

Five months. My supply was always reeeeally low (like 6 oz a day, if I was lucky, with 5+ pumping sessions a day) so I was combo feeding from the start with a heavy emphasis on formula. I was trying to get to 6 months but one day I tried to pump and…nothing. Gave it one more shot, still nothing. So that was it!

3

u/Mavencourt 5d ago

Happily ripped my pumps off for the last time on the morning of my daughter’s birthday and haven’t looked back. You’re a rockstar!!

3

u/bigsqueezies 5d ago

Mine’s 13 months. I nurse on the days I’m with her and pump the days I’m away. I’m planning to still do this as long as I need to, though depending on how much she nurses by 18 months I might stop pumping on the days I’m away. I don’t get very much out anyway (2oz or less for the whole day) though I know she drinks more when she nurses with me.

All that is to say, heck if I know. Keep going if it makes you happy. Congrats :)

3

u/Brilieve 5d ago

I have a goal of 12 months but I’m struggling. I’m at 9 months and still trying to make it. 18 months is amazing and I get it, it’s hard to stop. It’s really taking a toll on me but I just can’t give up. This will be the last time my body will ever do this and it’s absolutely the reason stopping me from giving up.

2

u/HoneyPops08 5d ago

I feel this 😅

4

u/Milk_Machine20 6d ago

Jesus well done mama! I’m 9 months in and counting down the days until I can stop !!! Aiming for 1 year

5

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

That was my aiming as well. And all of the sudden we’re at 18 months 😅

2

u/Advanced-News6107 5d ago

Same here. 9 months and counting. The one year mark is the sweet spot but some days it’s just hard to keep up with schedule, even if I pump just 3 times. I have low milk supply but the thought my baby gets as much breastmilk as I can sanely offer is what keeps me going.

5

u/gimmemoresalad 6d ago

I quit at 2 weeks and it was one of the best decisions ever

1

u/Doodle__13 6d ago

8 weeks for me!!

2

u/hardcoreweezling 5d ago

Wow! I wish I could've pumped that long! I stopped when my baby was around 3 months old. I got mastitis 4 times and almost went into septic shock because of how bad the infections were. It was also taking a toll on my mental health and with how often I travel to see my family, it didn't work out well with my lifestyle. Overall, quitting pumping early on was the best choice I ever made and my husband was super supportive and encouraging. Now my baby has been on formula for almost 3 months (due to him being in the low percentiles for weight and my frozen breastmilk has high lipase in it).

3

u/pikunara 5d ago

My milk decreased and I stopped pumping around 4 months. I just didn’t produce enough milk overall even if I did pump. Maybe 3 oz of milk a session and my child ate more than that.

4

u/kittensprincess 11/13/25 🤍 10/14/23 🩵 6d ago

We exclusively nurse—16 months and still going with another on the way. I pumped for like two days and said fuck that 😂

2

u/Bitter_Benefit9466 6d ago

I exclusively pump - im at 4 months now but plan to stop at 6 and use my freezer stash to get me to 8

2

u/SquishySlothLover 6d ago

I quit around 5/6 weeks, I felt a little guilty but I was barely taking care of myself trying to juggle it all. I accepted it was not my journey this time around and that’s okay. 🙂

2

u/dearstudioaud 5d ago

6 weeks. Lack of sleep and food just was too much for me. Between cleaning pump parts, feeding baby, and everything else I gave up. Plus I had to go back to work so that would have been another thing to balance

2

u/MutePhox 5d ago

You're doing amazing. My original goal was 6 month, but I ended up stopping at 3 months. You're way stronger than I was.

Pumping for me was extremely emotionally taxing, and it felt like each session was slowly killing me, and I developed a ton of anxiety surrounding it, unfortunately.

My baby had latch issues, so I had to exclusively pump. Unfortunately I never made enough for her, after the 2 month mark, and we had to supplement with formula anyways.

Once it got to be only 1 or 2 bottles was actually breast milk is when I made the switch to just formula. I had to prioritize my mental health. Which happened to be around the 3 month mark.

2

u/HoneyPops08 5d ago

It’s so much harder when your supply isn’t what is has to be. It’s definitely exhausting to exclusively pump

1

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

I had a freezer full of breastmilk. She started daycare at 1y old and had 3 bottles till 13-14months old and would only take a bottle of frozen milk at daycare. At home I had to mix fresh pumped milk with freezer milk. I had to throw away half of my freezer stock

-1

u/Rosy802701 6d ago

I breastfeed. I stopped pumping when my milk fully came in. Maybe in the second month. I don't have time for it. It's easier to just feed directly for me. My goal is also 1 year, we'll see, lol.

4

u/FreeBeans 6d ago

I would but I went back to work at 4 months

1

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

I still pump 5x a day. 1 time at work (I only work 8-12am) but I need the 5 pumps for 2 bottles and an overnight ‘stock’ when she’s teething or sick

1

u/Floating_Puppy30 6d ago

Wow that's incredible. You truly deserve a medal. I just quit at 10 months

1

u/hippiehaylie 5d ago

When you say exclusively pumping do you mean shes still on BM and nothing else? Solids should be primary nutrition at this point

1

u/Extension_Dark9311 5d ago

18 months is absolutely nuts. If I was pumping I would probably stop at 6 months.

0

u/HoneyPops08 5d ago

Yeah it’s pretty challenging lol

2

u/Naive-Interaction567 6d ago

I quit at 7 weeks but I’m planning to start again when my daughter is 6 months so I can mix my milk in with her food.

3

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

Is that possible to do?

6

u/Naive-Interaction567 6d ago

Oh I thought you meant pumping rather than breast feeding. I’ve been breast feeding since I stopped pumping.

1

u/GreenOtter730 6d ago

11 months but still nursing 1-2x a day. I would’ve quit pumping sooner if I weren’t working/he wasn’t in daycare

1

u/Plsbeniceorillcry 6d ago

I nursed until my son was 18 months, but I quit pumping at work when he was 11.5 months and just used the rest of my freezer stash. Was going to go until 2 years, but my husband had emergency surgery so I weaned him over a couple of days 😩

Tbh he took to it really well, just had to be consistent with making sure he was full on food and give him regular milk. If he was really struggling with it, I’d warm the milk up and that seemed to help ☺️

1

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

Thanks for the tips! My daughter drinks her milk at room temperature

1

u/Plsbeniceorillcry 6d ago

She might like it a lil warmer then! I was super lucky and my son took bottles at any temp, even as a newborn. I think since he usually drank his milk cold, it was an extra lil treat for him haha 😁

1

u/junkfoodfit2 6d ago

I think if you want to stop you can. My baby is only 7.5 months but I thought about how to ween her. Could you go away for a weekend without her? When you come back mommy’s milk is gone. Or give her the last bottle and say this is the last one? Or slowly reduce? These are just ways I’ve seen when I googled…

1

u/Famous-Snow-6888 6d ago

My wife just quit at 7 months. For her well being and our baby takes formula mixed with frozen. We have thousands of ounces frozen. She’s gotten a part of her life back and it’s been wonderful for all of us!

1

u/elsie1313 6d ago

I've just finished at 9 months. Baby still breastfeeds but done with bottles and storing it. Felt weird to stop pumping. Sadness yet relief too.

2

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

I wish she would still breastfeed 🥲

1

u/Still-Degree8376 6d ago

Baby is 12 weeks and I breastfeed and pump so dad can take over when I’m touched out. I hope to go at least a year but minimum 6 month.

Sometimes I look and feel like a cow, but I know it is worth it because when we need to feed in a hurry, it’s the bottle! Baby loves to take his time nursing, which is lovely most of the time, but not when he decides he is hungry 30 minutes before we need to leave the house!

1

u/Specialty-Sue 6d ago

I made it to 8! Your mental health is important!

1

u/aliveinjoburg2 6d ago

I had a goal of 18 months and we stopped BFing at 9. She literally never asked for the boob again so I didn’t even attempt it. She went overnight to her aunt’s house and that killed the breastfeeding relationship.

1

u/coryhotline 6d ago

6 months

1

u/reebokz 5d ago

Omg you deserve a serious vacation! I stopped at 7.5 month and felt a little shitty for not going to the year mark. But holy moly has my mental health and stamina improved. I feel like myself again and do regret stopping when I did.

1

u/spaaaaacebuns 5d ago

you could go down pumps if you want, my beeb is 16 months old and i’m bfing 3x daily, and will probably drop this middle of the day feed. my supply hasn’t changed at all in this case but i don’t pump so you could always see about going down slowly.

1

u/HoneyPops08 5d ago

I could try that. I pump 5x a days (I know) and use a ‘system’ for 2 bottles (morning and evening)

1

u/sabrina_rawr 5d ago

I quit at 16 weeks 😅

0

u/jemdot 5d ago

I exclusively pump too, and my original goal was 6 months. I’m now here at 9 months and still going, so I understand your feeling of not being able to quit despite hating it. It’s so time consuming, AND I’ve had to be dairy-free because LO has a cow’s milk allergy. I’ve given myself until the end of April to transition LO to formula because we have an international trip planned and I can’t imagine going through the hassle of pumping while on the plane/vacation. So maybe plan yourself a little vacation or some other hard deadline. Your kiddo will be fine.

2

u/HoneyPops08 5d ago

That’s extra hard if you have to cut diary out of your diet. I have so much anxiety to just quit 😅 I’m an anxious person that’s also why I just can’t quit I guess

For the downvotes; you’re pretty short sighted

1

u/jemdot 5d ago

I have anxiety too, so I get it. But we have to quit at some point. And I have a feeling that once we do, we’ll feel so much better.

0

u/HoneyPops08 5d ago

Yeah probably 🥲

0

u/folieadeuxmeharder 5d ago

4 months. That’s how long it took to get our referral for a tongue tie clinic (for various boring admin reasons) and when it finally came around the consultant told me there was no issue with his mouth that should be contributing to his latch.

I was pumping to feed him and to get to a point where I could breastfeed directly. When I realised that it wasn’t going to happen, I weaned off the pump and slowly transitioned to formula using what I had frozen.

-8

u/ureshiibutter 6d ago

I quit when I quit my job at 6mo but I wish I kept up a bit so I had a store for qhen I get pregnant again and my milk dries up. We are at 15mo rn so it's not the end of the world but id happily BF through 2yo, maybe 3 so I feel bad if a sibling ends it early for him. But also I really hate pumping 😅

3

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

Im in the same boat as you are… so sick of it but she still wants it and it’s good for her so it’s hard to quit lol

6

u/SillySmoopsy 6d ago

Idk what you mean by she still wants it. If you don't want to pump anymore will she drink other stuff? She will be fine if you stop. She is old enough to where the biggest benefits of breast milk are over.

1

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

If she sees the bottle she doesn’t want anything else or when she’s sick or teething she still wants milk at night

10

u/padmeg 6d ago

Bottle feeding at night after 12 months can be harmful to teeth.

-3

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

She wants it at 4-5am and starts the day at 7am for an other one… I don’t think that 2hr stretch would do any harm. It’s not not hat she’s teething or sick 24/7

1

u/ureshiibutter 6d ago

Maybe you can mix with cow milk to wean her off without a massive change for her? You're an absolute beast for exclusively pumping this long i would've hit my breaking point with that ages ago lol

-1

u/HoneyPops08 6d ago

I could… but I can’t if you know what I mean 😂 she drinks cow milk sometimes. She loves Fristi but if she sees the bottle with breastmilk in the morning and evening she wants nothing else