Ok so I never actually got around to writing this when I did wean which was now A LONG time ago. But I wanted to just write about weaning in case people did a search or in case I ever have to go through it again. When Mariko was about 8 months old or so, I started weaning from the pump. I was pumping 5x a day at that point and it was driving me nuts. I also realized that if I stopped around 9 months that I should have enough to get her pretty close to a year. So, I started by tapering the amount of time on the middle of the day pumps, planning to consolidate those from 3 to 2 and to leave the early morning pump and the before bedtime pump alone. So then I went down to 4. It's amazing how 4x a day was so much more manageable than 5 and I wish I had done it sooner because honestly my supply didn't really suffer at all. The first day or two I had to go back up in time, pumping nearly 35 minutes on those two middle of the day pumps.
Pumping times
5x a day: 5,9,1,5,9
4x a day: 5,10,3,9
3x a day: 9,1,9
2x a day: 9,9
1x a day: 9pm
Dropping to three took about a week and a half (as did going from 5 to 4) instead of my estimated week or so. Going to three was amazing because it meant taking out the early morning pump. I hadn't been pumping in the middle of the night for a while but when Mariko woke up to eat I was getting up to pump so it was anywhere from 3-5am and then I was waiting until her first nap usually around 8:30 or 9. The three times a day was amazing. Only twice during the day while she was awake was incredible. No more 5pm pumping (right before dinner time and when my mom was getting home) and I could kind of fudge the times a bit if I needed to. Going 12 hours without pumping was incredible. Then from there I dropped to 2 and that was even better. I would wait until her first nap to pump and then not again until after she was in bed! I was also able to do the nighttime pump earlier so I could go to bed earlier if I wanted which was awesome. Finally I dropped to 1 pump and after a week or so of that, I decided I wanted to see how long I could go. I had gotten down to about 15 minutes. So, I decided that I would just wait and see. I ended up going 36 hours and pumping during a morning nap right before leaving for PEPS. After that, I was done!
The first week I felt great and I thought, wow this was easier than I thought! But then week 2 and in to week three was really hard. I was uncomfortable and in pain but I didn't wan to pump. So I would massage in the shower. I read everything. Some people said ice some said warm, some said massage some didn't, some said bind them and wait it out. The tight bra was painful and I gave up on that really quick. The ice wasn't comfortable but I did that and it seemed to help me. That and cabbage leaves which help with clogs.
I honestly couldn't believe that I was finally done and the pump stayed on the desk for a long time. I kept thinking I was going to have to pump again. Finally after 3 weeks or so, I put it away and it's still away! There is no way that I miss it. None at all. I am honestly amazed that I made it as long as I did. At the final tally (on the last day that I put in more than I took out from the freezer) I was at 2124.5 ounces. Amazing. Tomorrow Mariko will be 11 months old and I have about 550 ounces left in the freezer. I don't think that will last another month as that's not even 20 ounces a day. But, it will be close. Very close. I am so amazed at myself for making it that long! Honestly, if we have nursing issues again, for me to EP for this long, I'm going to either need a nanny at home with Mariko, or she's going to need to be in childcare during the day. I can not imagine doing this with a 2 year old (or however old) at home, and an infant. NOT POSSIBLE.
What a ride it was and I'm glad it's over! The only thing I miss is the bigger boobs. I am excited to soon go and get new bras though, as my old ones don't fit! So excited to not be wearing nursing bras and tans any more!
To anyone reading this who is pumping: Hang in there as long as you can but don't feel bad when you need to stop. It's hard to stop. I had a much harder time dropping from 5 to 4 and 4 to 3 than I thought. Then at 2 I thought, I could do this longer. But, I'm glad I stopped when I did. I hated the pump and I hated being attached to it for so long everyday. 2.5 hours everyday for months. Do what you can and never feel bad, or let anyone else make you feel bad, for stopping. You can only do as much as you can and it's more important that you be there for your baby and be a happy and healthy mama!
