Weaning: The Light at the End of the Tunnel

When is it time to stop pumping? You baby is old enough, you’ve stored enough, baby consuming less breastmilk, you're just done...

Whatever the reason (unless it's a medical emergency), weaning from the pump should be done carefully and slowly. You shouldn't quit flat out – it’s extremely painful. Instead, I recommend making a step-down schedule.

I started by backing down by one pump per day in Wean Week One. Week two, I cut to two pumps a day. Week three, I stayed at 2 pumps daily, but started cutting the time down by one minute every pump. Then, I leveled off for a week at 2 pumps daily, 10 minutes per pump. Then, I dropped to one pump per day, 10 minutes, for a week. Finally, I stopped, and only pumped 2 or 3 more times over the next week if the discomfort got bad.

Example (for reference only - do what feels right for you!):

Wean Week One: 4 Pumps Daily - cut to 3 pumps at 20 min each

Wean Week Two: 3 Pumps Daily - cut to 2 pumps at 20 min each

Wean Week Three: 2 pumps Daily - cut one minute from each pump

Wean Week Four: 2 pumps Daily - 10 minutes each

Wean Week Five: 1 pump Daily - 10 minutes

Wean Week Six: Every 2-3 days for 10 minutes - only if necessary

Throughout this entire process, I drank a lot of sage tea (amazing stuff!), and ate real peppermint. I also took 1-2 Sudafeds daily. These things helped cut supply significantly!

Ultimately, weaning hurts. Plain and simple. But once you get past the worst part - which was the last 2-3 days after stopping, it’s amazing… Your breasts shrink back up to their pre-pregnancy size and you feel like yourself again!!! And, NO MORE PUMPING!