Breastfeeding - Haverhill,MA

Wow...what dedication. Pumping is so much harder than actual breast feeding. Around 9 months I was done with breast feeding and my daughter kinda was to, so we stopped. I think its normal to feel its time to stop at some point. Don't feel guilty. Later you'll realize how small this decision will be.

As you know, a mom always feels guilty about something! But I congratulate you for going 1 year - many moms aren't able to go that long. I BF my first two for 9 months and although I felt a little bad, I was ready to call it quits - I wanted my body to be mine again. When you are starting to get tired of it, resenting the time you spend with the pump, I think it's time to go to milk

It is great you did it this long! I wouldn't feel badly at all. You will be so happy to pack it away. You are a great mom.

There is no reason to feel guilty! Society does a number on mothers, and so do other people who tell others what to do under the guise of being older or experienced. There is no rule for this, no wrong or right. Whether you breastfeed, pump, or bottle-feed formula, and no matter how long you do any of those things, as long as you are doing what you know is best for you and your child, there is NOTHING to feel guilty about. Do what is right for YOU, not anyone else. Guilt is not normal, or rather it shouldn't be. Be happy!

P.,

First I commend you for the longevity of pumping that you have done - that's a real commitment. Secondly DO NOT feel guilty for wanting to stop at a year. You can start to introduce cow's milk at a year so I would say you should do it slowly as a mixture with the breastmilk but definitely start to wean your daughter and feel proud of yourself for the gift you have giving her.

Good luck,
L. M

Are you kidding??!?! You are a wonderful mom, a year is incredible, especially since it is no fun to pump and yet you have done it for so long. Give yourself a great big pat on the back for your determination and move on to the next step, your daughter sounds like she's trying some independence which is great. Time for whole milk I say! Good luck with whatever you decide!.

Personally, I think you have fulfilled your obligation. My son is now 4 but I know American Academy of Pediatrics use to recomend a min. of 6 months until whenever the baby is ready. I think if she is so easily distracted and not really wanting the bottle, why not try it now before she is any older then refuses to take regular milk. Ask your doc about mixing.

P.--

You've done such an amazing job, don't feel guilty for one second! I nursed and pumped for my son for 54 weeks and for me, his distractions were the indicators of his own self-weaning, so don't take it as an insult, consider it a compliment that you've raised an engaged, aware and wonderful child who's ready for a sippy cup or bottle on her own. Pumping all day everyday is an act that there's NO WAY i could have accomplished. I pumped 2 times a day Mon-fri, I worked full time, and nursed the rest of the time and still felt like the "pump-slave." So I can only imagine your committment and resolve to get your baby breastmilk!!! You go girl!

In all seriousness, you've done an amazing job. Take this opportunity to slowly start transitioning your babe to bottles she can hold alone or even a sippy cup. Also, touch base with your pedi and ask about the cow's milk transition. I started transitioning at about 11 months replacing one ounce of my milk with one ounce of cow's milk per feeding each week. It took 5-6 weeks and we didn't have any problems, but like I said, make sure to check with your baby's doctor first...you're awesome and don't let anyone tell you otherwise! This is nature's way, relish it!

R.
Mama to Wyatt, 25 months.

I had to respond to you when I saw your post, P.. All of us moms experience this "mom guilt"--and we all know how you feel but I think you deserve a HUGE applause for having been so, so committed to breastfeeding for one year that you even pumped all the milk your child consumes--that is a huge commitment, very time consuming, and in my opinion quite amazing as I never find the time to even pump one bottle's worth (now on my second child). The AAP recommends one year and if you feel you want to stop, then, from my experience, I think it is wise to do so--if you are not enjoying the experience, the breastfeeding experience will not be a positive one and both you and child will not be happy. Your daughter is very fortunate to have such a wonderful and committed mother and in the end, whatever you decide will be the best thing for both of you because you are her mom :) Good luck to you. If you have any more questions about breastfeeding and/or weaning, feel free to send me a message.

Hey P.!
I stuck with the breastfeeding for 13 months with my son, and made the decision to stop. I was never very good with the pumping and he was never really into the bottle which meant I was tied to an uncomfortable breastfeeding schedule. For us, HE is the one who never looked back. He was ready to play, jump into solids and whole milk, and move on in the world. I think I wound up missing it more than he did!

Maybe try dropping certain breastmilk feedings and see how she reacts? We started eliminating the middle of the day feedings (replacing them with the other stuff, whatever solids we were doing and whole milk) - and moved to morning and evening breastfeeding. Then weaned off that too. It was a pretty easy transition, and he's been quite healthy. Take your cues from your baby, and what works for the two of you!

Hi P.,

you're a rock star for pumping this long. I still breastfeed my son who is 26 months--just once a day. But it would be long over by now if I had been pumping!

I suggest slowly weaning her by cutting out a feeding every week or two and gauge her reaction (physically and emotionally). Start mixing in other milks/formulas (you can make your own formula which is a lot healthier if you have the time, check out the Weston Price Foundation online).

At some point, when you're down to 2-3 feedings of breast-milk, you could tell your daughter that you don't want to pump anymore and that if she wants your milk she has to get it straight from you! This could be good for her mouth and jaw development also. She might not like that idea at all and just give it up. By then she will have received enough other kind of milk/formula that she will be able to make the transition more easily.

Good luck and great job. I can't wait to hear what happens! Please let me know.

Dear P.,
How wonderful for your baby that you can celebrate the 1 year marker, with breast milk provided throughout! What a gift for your child! You absolutely should not feel guilty for discontinuing with breast milk. Follow through with a program that you feel is most realistic for your family. I am breastfeeding my sweet son, who is 3 1/2 mos, and he will rarely accept a bottle, so I exclusively breast feed, for the most part. I am not sure how much longer I can pursue this myself, and eventually will need to switch to pumping, and providing the breast milk via bottles. As was explained to me, it does not make sense to have an unhappy Mommy, as that is not healthy for the family. Our kids most directly benefit from happy parents, and if feeling chained to your pump is interfering with your life to a high degree, causing upset, move forward and feel great about your accomplishment! Best wishes!

I can't believe you made it to a year pumping! Way to go!! Your baby will still be healthy even with the transition to cows milk. you did it for a year that is amazing!

at one year, it doesn't have to be an all or nothing since she is getting food/ milk etc. You can stop pumping and still nurse during the afternoons and evenings and mornings. Your body will adjust. If you do maintain those few feedings a day, you can always crank it back up again if you decide to.I have several friends who did this for a long time with great luck and most of the positive effects of breastfeeding intact.... (without the pump)....

I think it is totally up to you when to stop breastfeeding. I stopped at about 13 months with my son. To many of my friends, this was a very long time to be breastfeeding. You should never feel guilty about stopping. Your daughter is ready for whole cow's milk at this point so, in my opinion, it's a good time to consider switching since you won't have to deal with formula. It won't make you any less of a mom, it's a natural progression.

Do not feel bad! I was a slave to the pump too, and am now again with my 4 month old. You have to remember that you gave your baby such a great gift by doing it for this long. I pumped with my first and at around one year I slowed down and didn't worry so much about it. It was such a relief!! I ended up sticking it out for another few months but only because it was (finally) working for us. No guilt!

This is an extremely personal decision that only you can make. Just remember that you have done a wonderful thing, given a huge gift to your daughter by breast feeding her for a _whole_ year. The guilt is normal, but I think you will feel guilty if you stop at 18 months or two years.
Great job, mama!

You've done a great job! I breastfed both my girls for 15 mo. and really wanted to stop at a year (they did not take bottles)but even so it was very emotional for me to stop, I cried but after about a day or two I felt great-my hormones played a big part...a little bit of freedom!! Give yourself some time to be emotional if you need to be..your body will be going through some changes.Best of luck, you've given your baby something wonderful and she will be fine and probably be ready!

Oh P., don't feel bad!! You did such a great job for a whole year!! I BF for 10 and half months and felt bad for a day, but after that day I felt so liberated!! I got my body back and I have never looked back. BF was pretty easy for me and we never had a problem. I hated, hated pumping and could never do it. I would get like 4 ounces in a day, so I say you have done your duty and don't feel bad!! You can switch to formula or just switch to milk. We did 2nd step toddler formula for 10 months. And now he is just drinking milk. It is normal to feel sad, but you won't feel sad for very long. :) I say go for it!!

You have done wonderfully to go on this long. it can be really difficult. You should not feel guilty for stopping after a year, you should congratulate yourself. So many don't even make it that long.

I think you are AMAZING for pumping for a solid year. You should feel GREAT. You really have given your baby so much by breastfeeding for the whole frist year. My Pediatrician told me if you make it to one year then you can avoid formula. After that it is just gravy to keep breastfeeding. You could keep a real breastfeeding in the evening, or first thing in the am if youu want to, but I think you can stop pumping in good conscience. I hated pumping. I am so impressed with your dedication.

You've gotten great responses already so I don't have anything to add. But I thought I'd let you and other pumping moms know about a great resource - there is a yahoo group called PUMPMOMS.

It has been an amazing resource, with lots of great information from and for women who exclusively pump, who pump at work, or who pump it occasionally. With my first son, I searched everywhere for resources about how to increase supply and found very little. With my second, I've found lots of great tips just from reading my daily digests from this list.

Although there are a lot of messages, they stay on topic and responses are very helpful - either practical (what's the best way to pump hand-free?), technical (how do differnt herbs work to support supply), or emotional (how do I decide when to stop pumping).

In addition to the tips, I've found it is really helpful to hear the stories of women doing the same thing as me.

There is definately benefits to breastfeeding and I think that it is quite natural to have guilt about wanting to stop so that you can get back to being "you". I work full time and have a 4yr old son and an 18 month old son. With the first I went 6months and with the second I was only able to for 4 months but had enough frozen milk that he had it for 7 months. I felt like the most awful mother when I weaned them (not to mention it is not the most comfortable experience for your milk to dry up). But I as time went on I was able to get back to feeling like my own person again and not just the "gravy train" so to speak. And honestly, once we got them switched over to formula they did just fine. I found it helpful to do 1/2 breastmilk 1/2 formula bottles to get them used to the formula and also having your husband help with the weaning is a huge help.
So, Don't feel guilty!!! You have given her a great start with the breast feeding you have done. It is OK to want to stop.

It will definately be harder on you than her. Personally I feel that after they reach 1 yr old they should switch to cow's milk. I know some people do breastfeed alot older but I wouldn't want to. If you feel like stopping then that is what you should do. You shouldn't feel like a bad mom. BFing for the first year is most beneficial for your daughter. If she takes to the milk then wean her and be free of your breast pump! :)

Absolutly do not feel bad. You did it for a year. Be proud! Lots of women give up after one month or even three. There are those out there who have the patients for 2 or 3 years. They must have super powers. ha I nursed my daughter until she was one. And now I am pumping full time and just bottle feeding my 10 months old. I intend to stop around his first birthday. I know that a year is a long time and mommy needs to get a life now. I went through the same this with my daughter. I couldn't explain to my husband how I was feeling. He didn't understand. He knew I wasw tired and wanted to stop but I would cry for days. It's emotional. You have been this persons life support for two years. Now it feels like its over. But you never want to be misserable,angry or resentful. It's all how you feels. And if you are ready to stop. THen everything will be fine. A year is an amazing amount of time..

Good luck!

WOW. Great job... you PUMPED for a whole year!!! That is a lot of work- and shows your dedication to your little one! I pumped for 3 months when my daughter went on a permanent nursing strike and it wiped me out. She stopped at 9 months when she had a cold and couldn't nurse easily. I pumped until she was a year. THe National Academy of Pediatrics recommends "at least" a year for breastfeeding. Nutritionally, you are all set a year to stop. Do what feels right for you! :-)

She is already showing signs of wanting to wean (looking around, being distracted). Let's face it: the world is much more interesting that our boobs!! HA HA Please don't feel guilty of wanting to stop. You made it a year and she will be fine! My daughter weaned at a year old on her own doing the same things. We switched her to formula first and then cow's milk, but you can try just adding milk into the breast milk and see how she likes it. Don't feel guilty. You want your body back and now you'll have more time to cuddle and play with her. It's funny how us moms always feel bad/guilty about everything we do. You are a great mom!! Follow your daughter's lead and start transitioning. Good luck!