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!
Comments