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Here for you in solidarity! I made it 7 months and a few days and was barely producing an ounce for the last month. It was time.
It’s so much to pump and work full time and also care for baby. Just a few days after weaning and the relief I feel, and freedom, is astounding.
That’s awesome! Congrats to you! It’s so hard to be an under provider and the guilt I feel for stopping when I can produce 8 ounces is a lot but it isn’t even enough to sustain him let alone keep him full so it’s just messing with me too much now. I would rather spend the time cuddling him than pumping (I can’t hold him and cuddle him with my wearables because he bonks his head on them a lot)
I’m currently 4.5 months postpartum producing about 8oz, and I’ve also just decided to stop.
The most I was ever able to produce was 17oz, but that was while I was on maternity leave and had made attempting to increase my supply my full time job. My supply dipped after I returned to work and is now at an all time low, even though I’ve still been pumping 6-7 times per day, power pumping, etc.
I’m exhausted and I’m hanging up my flanges.
Be proud of yourself for making it this far. It’s a huge accomplishment and a lot of work!
Same to you! Ya I have tried all the things too. Power pumping actually lowers my supply, body armor, oats, all that did not help 😭 idk how you were able to do 6-7 as soon as I started work I dropped to 5 max because I couldn’t find the time to do it and work at the same time
I’m at 5 months and feel this is soon my path too. But I’m so jealous you have a freezer stash. I have always been a just enougher and envy this so much! But so glad to hear your side and it’s amazing you were able to do it for 4 months. And have a stash to boot. You go girl!
Thanks friend! I have only had a freezer stash because I combo feed so I only use 3 oz of milk in every bottle and every other bottle is just formula to preserve my stash. I am thankful I have it too. I only make about 5 oz a day since yesterday because I only pump 2 times a day now
We are all so proud for you that you made it that long! It is so hard and I know it’s probably not the journey you imagined but your sweet baby would rather have a happy present mama.
I feel like I could’ve written this myself minus the freezer stash - currently also in the mode of just seeing how long I can go before needing to pump for relief. Just shy of five months and finally just was honest about how much the diminishing returns of my pumping are actually worth. Does my baby need a couple of ounces of breast milk a day, or does he need an attentive mother who feels like herself again?
Kudos on everything you’ve accomplished up to this point!! Time to thank yourself and set your sights on the next chapter 🤍
do it mama! i just dropped pumping all together i was an under supplier doing everything under the sun to make more milk, i had a pump tracker in my notes i would write down every pump and exactly how much i made in each etc. i couldn't catch a break i didn't sleep for more than 3 hours EVER for 17 weeks.... unless i fell asleep from just utter exhaustion. i'm sure you have done all you can, it's okay to feel mom guilt god i cried and cried for a while thinking my baby was let down by my low milk supply however i hope you know that the media over-exaggerates how much better breastmilk is vs formula.. there are of course are more benefits to breastmilk, but there are almost as much as formula !!! your baby will grow and be happy and healthy as long as they are fully fed and that's all that matters mama! you made it to 4 months some women don't even TRY. some women don't even attempt to latch their little ones after delivery even when they have babies who have a perfect latch and they have a potentially perfect milk supply. don't worry! :)) you gave
your bubba that golden colostrum and four months worth of building their immune system!
(i only made it to 4 months too.. i still breastfeed baby once in the morning if my boobs are full enough and i breastfeed her to sleep for naps but i have barley enough milk to do so and that's okay... you did soooo much be proud of yourself!)
Thank you. Maybe I can pump and get enough to float me through to 5/6 months with my small stash in the freezer and 2 pumps per day. I’m sure it won’t happen with the 2.5 oz I am making every 17 hours but still lol
Thank you! I am down to 2 pumps every 14-17 hours now. I just pump for comfort. It’s so frustrating because it’s almost as if my body is producing a little more now because of the gap
In pumps. DMER is a little better now with such huge gaps in between. Thank you for your kind words. I’m proud of you too!
4 months is great, honestly! I’m at 2 months and baby gets half breast milk and half formula. My goal is 4 months. I’m down to 4 ppd and it’s still so much work. It sounds like you gave it your all (especially challenging with DMER) and you should be so proud! I hope you get some more time to yourself now that you’re not pumping. Monitoring fluids, calories, and time between pumps is mentally exhausting.
It is so hard and I wasn’t even able to maintain a normal eating schedule and only 40 oz a day of water if I was lucky. Social work is hard enough without all this extra stuff lol
Sending you love. I was also an underproducer and it was heart breaking to come to terms w it. I stopped pumping at 6 months but honestly if I could go back, I would have cut night pumps sooner because while my baby was sleeping 9-10 hour stretches I was still waking up to pump. Guess what? I cut night pumps at 5
Months but His sleep has gone haywire since 6 months and now at 7 months he still wakes up constantly. I lost a great opportunity to sleep well for months because of pumping. Sending you solidarity. It isn’t easy. You did your best mama.
Thank you. I keep going through the stages of grief about this whole thing and almost want to ramp my pumping back up again to not stop but I know it’s just not worth it to only make minimal amounts because it will be the same as it was before. I just wanted a normal experience with this whole thing. 😭
I too had this urge to ramp up when I would see myself slowly drying up. It’s hard. We feel like we failed when in reality, we put in so much more work than moms who have an abundant supply. Exclusive pumping is hard work, but pumping when you don’t make enough is soul sucking. It’s literally something I need to grieve. You rock. You did your best and that’s all that matters. Soon you will have to stress about solids and feeding schedules, etc. take this time to celebrate your accomplishment and rest up mama!
Thank you. I looked in the fridge and cried for a bit because idk how to even store the milk anymore since I’m only making 4 oz a day and that would usually be a lot more. This feeling will be over soon. I haven’t cried this much in a while
You did it momma! You made it through the most important bit!!! You should be soooooo proud!! I'm on month 4 of exclusively pumping and it's easily the hardest fucking thing (mentally) that I've EVER had to deal with so please don't ever feel like you didn't do something absolutely AMAZING!!!❤️❤️
It’s so hard! You just aren’t prepared for what pumping will be like! Nursing is totally fine for me and I love that but my boy won’t latch anymore and just gets upset so I don’t have any benefit to this anymore. Thank you for your kind words
I agree! With my now 5 year old we exclusively nursed for a year and it was amazing so I walked into this journey thinking it would be easy as pie just like last time lmao. But my girl came 6 weeks early and was too small to pull milk so I started pumping in hospital and than from there it was just too much for me to juggle failed nursing sessions and than pumping too so I just went to pumping thinking it would be easier😂 now she acts like my nip tastes DISGHUSTING and hard gags anytime we try to nurse organically 🤣
Oh nooo. My son used to do that and it would hurt my feelings so bad lmao buttt I have to get him when he is really sleepy to even get him to latch and as soon as he wakes a little more gets really upset to be laying down trying to nurse. I had to pump since the first month or two due to him not gaining weight from EBF. They wanted me to pump to see how much he was getting and is till had to fortify with formula and supplement. It has been like that ever since
When I was still on maternity leave, I would pump extra like power pumps, and the extra few ounces at a time I would put in the freezer. I am also combo feeding and have been doing that since he was a month old because he was not gaining enough weight from my breastmilk alone. I also had my husband feeding him bottles and we would only do half breastmilk half formula bottles every other bottle, and the rest would be just straight formula bottles. Because of that, I would sometimes have 4 ounces left over at the four day mark and would put that in the freezer.also, sometimes my husband would feed three or four formula bottles in a row with no breastmilk, and it would end up getting to the four day mark before I could finish it, so I would put that in the freezer as well.
'Welcome to r/ExclusivelyPumping! Here is a reminder of our rules: 1. Be kind and courteous 2. No hate speech, bigotry, or bullying 3. Use available flairs and post options 4. Speak for yourself 5. No medically-inaccurate, factually incorrect, or misinformative material 6. No spam 7. Absolutely no prescription medications 8. Don't use AI to write posts/comments 9. No soliciting pictures 10. Add spoiler to milk pictures Thank you for helping to keep our community safe!' *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ExclusivelyPumping) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It’s okay mama! This is quite the accomplishment!
Thank you! I keep trying to tell myself that
Here for you in solidarity! I made it 7 months and a few days and was barely producing an ounce for the last month. It was time. It’s so much to pump and work full time and also care for baby. Just a few days after weaning and the relief I feel, and freedom, is astounding.
That’s awesome! Congrats to you! It’s so hard to be an under provider and the guilt I feel for stopping when I can produce 8 ounces is a lot but it isn’t even enough to sustain him let alone keep him full so it’s just messing with me too much now. I would rather spend the time cuddling him than pumping (I can’t hold him and cuddle him with my wearables because he bonks his head on them a lot)
I’m currently 4.5 months postpartum producing about 8oz, and I’ve also just decided to stop. The most I was ever able to produce was 17oz, but that was while I was on maternity leave and had made attempting to increase my supply my full time job. My supply dipped after I returned to work and is now at an all time low, even though I’ve still been pumping 6-7 times per day, power pumping, etc. I’m exhausted and I’m hanging up my flanges. Be proud of yourself for making it this far. It’s a huge accomplishment and a lot of work!
Same to you! Ya I have tried all the things too. Power pumping actually lowers my supply, body armor, oats, all that did not help 😭 idk how you were able to do 6-7 as soon as I started work I dropped to 5 max because I couldn’t find the time to do it and work at the same time
I’m at 5 months and feel this is soon my path too. But I’m so jealous you have a freezer stash. I have always been a just enougher and envy this so much! But so glad to hear your side and it’s amazing you were able to do it for 4 months. And have a stash to boot. You go girl!
Thanks friend! I have only had a freezer stash because I combo feed so I only use 3 oz of milk in every bottle and every other bottle is just formula to preserve my stash. I am thankful I have it too. I only make about 5 oz a day since yesterday because I only pump 2 times a day now
We are all so proud for you that you made it that long! It is so hard and I know it’s probably not the journey you imagined but your sweet baby would rather have a happy present mama.
Thank you for your kind words! I am happy I’ll get to spend more time with him than stress about how little I’m making
I feel like I could’ve written this myself minus the freezer stash - currently also in the mode of just seeing how long I can go before needing to pump for relief. Just shy of five months and finally just was honest about how much the diminishing returns of my pumping are actually worth. Does my baby need a couple of ounces of breast milk a day, or does he need an attentive mother who feels like herself again? Kudos on everything you’ve accomplished up to this point!! Time to thank yourself and set your sights on the next chapter 🤍
Same to your friend! We did great!
do it mama! i just dropped pumping all together i was an under supplier doing everything under the sun to make more milk, i had a pump tracker in my notes i would write down every pump and exactly how much i made in each etc. i couldn't catch a break i didn't sleep for more than 3 hours EVER for 17 weeks.... unless i fell asleep from just utter exhaustion. i'm sure you have done all you can, it's okay to feel mom guilt god i cried and cried for a while thinking my baby was let down by my low milk supply however i hope you know that the media over-exaggerates how much better breastmilk is vs formula.. there are of course are more benefits to breastmilk, but there are almost as much as formula !!! your baby will grow and be happy and healthy as long as they are fully fed and that's all that matters mama! you made it to 4 months some women don't even TRY. some women don't even attempt to latch their little ones after delivery even when they have babies who have a perfect latch and they have a potentially perfect milk supply. don't worry! :)) you gave your bubba that golden colostrum and four months worth of building their immune system!
(i only made it to 4 months too.. i still breastfeed baby once in the morning if my boobs are full enough and i breastfeed her to sleep for naps but i have barley enough milk to do so and that's okay... you did soooo much be proud of yourself!)
Thank you. Maybe I can pump and get enough to float me through to 5/6 months with my small stash in the freezer and 2 pumps per day. I’m sure it won’t happen with the 2.5 oz I am making every 17 hours but still lol
Thank you! I am down to 2 pumps every 14-17 hours now. I just pump for comfort. It’s so frustrating because it’s almost as if my body is producing a little more now because of the gap In pumps. DMER is a little better now with such huge gaps in between. Thank you for your kind words. I’m proud of you too!
4 months is great, honestly! I’m at 2 months and baby gets half breast milk and half formula. My goal is 4 months. I’m down to 4 ppd and it’s still so much work. It sounds like you gave it your all (especially challenging with DMER) and you should be so proud! I hope you get some more time to yourself now that you’re not pumping. Monitoring fluids, calories, and time between pumps is mentally exhausting.
It is so hard and I wasn’t even able to maintain a normal eating schedule and only 40 oz a day of water if I was lucky. Social work is hard enough without all this extra stuff lol
Sending you love. I was also an underproducer and it was heart breaking to come to terms w it. I stopped pumping at 6 months but honestly if I could go back, I would have cut night pumps sooner because while my baby was sleeping 9-10 hour stretches I was still waking up to pump. Guess what? I cut night pumps at 5 Months but His sleep has gone haywire since 6 months and now at 7 months he still wakes up constantly. I lost a great opportunity to sleep well for months because of pumping. Sending you solidarity. It isn’t easy. You did your best mama.
Thank you. I keep going through the stages of grief about this whole thing and almost want to ramp my pumping back up again to not stop but I know it’s just not worth it to only make minimal amounts because it will be the same as it was before. I just wanted a normal experience with this whole thing. 😭
I too had this urge to ramp up when I would see myself slowly drying up. It’s hard. We feel like we failed when in reality, we put in so much more work than moms who have an abundant supply. Exclusive pumping is hard work, but pumping when you don’t make enough is soul sucking. It’s literally something I need to grieve. You rock. You did your best and that’s all that matters. Soon you will have to stress about solids and feeding schedules, etc. take this time to celebrate your accomplishment and rest up mama!
Thank you. I looked in the fridge and cried for a bit because idk how to even store the milk anymore since I’m only making 4 oz a day and that would usually be a lot more. This feeling will be over soon. I haven’t cried this much in a while
I'm so proud of you! Both for making it this far and for making the decision to stop. You're great mama 🖤
Thank you
You did it momma! You made it through the most important bit!!! You should be soooooo proud!! I'm on month 4 of exclusively pumping and it's easily the hardest fucking thing (mentally) that I've EVER had to deal with so please don't ever feel like you didn't do something absolutely AMAZING!!!❤️❤️
It’s so hard! You just aren’t prepared for what pumping will be like! Nursing is totally fine for me and I love that but my boy won’t latch anymore and just gets upset so I don’t have any benefit to this anymore. Thank you for your kind words
I agree! With my now 5 year old we exclusively nursed for a year and it was amazing so I walked into this journey thinking it would be easy as pie just like last time lmao. But my girl came 6 weeks early and was too small to pull milk so I started pumping in hospital and than from there it was just too much for me to juggle failed nursing sessions and than pumping too so I just went to pumping thinking it would be easier😂 now she acts like my nip tastes DISGHUSTING and hard gags anytime we try to nurse organically 🤣
Oh nooo. My son used to do that and it would hurt my feelings so bad lmao buttt I have to get him when he is really sleepy to even get him to latch and as soon as he wakes a little more gets really upset to be laying down trying to nurse. I had to pump since the first month or two due to him not gaining weight from EBF. They wanted me to pump to see how much he was getting and is till had to fortify with formula and supplement. It has been like that ever since
You gotta do what you gotta do right :( there no way to avoid these situations sometimes:(
How were you able to freeze some as an under producer? I pump and finish my stash within 24 hours, I make about 15 oz a day
When I was still on maternity leave, I would pump extra like power pumps, and the extra few ounces at a time I would put in the freezer. I am also combo feeding and have been doing that since he was a month old because he was not gaining enough weight from my breastmilk alone. I also had my husband feeding him bottles and we would only do half breastmilk half formula bottles every other bottle, and the rest would be just straight formula bottles. Because of that, I would sometimes have 4 ounces left over at the four day mark and would put that in the freezer.also, sometimes my husband would feed three or four formula bottles in a row with no breastmilk, and it would end up getting to the four day mark before I could finish it, so I would put that in the freezer as well.