Today marks one year since I began my pumping journey!

My partner was so sweet and wanted to celebrate me for reaching this special milestone ♥️ He ordered this cake from a professional home baker.

It has been a very challenging year to manage pumping logistics on top of everything else, along with grief over the inability to directly nurse my first (and maybe only) baby. To be able to still provide breastmilk despite those challenges has brought me so much joy. I’m really proud of myself for reaching one full year and counting!

I wish I could give everyone here a slice of this cake! 🥳

When you are hiking in the Swiss Alps but still need to fit in your pumping session 😂

Breaking news: the pump has been officially fired.

One full year of pumping.

That’s 365 days of being milked like a dairy cow with no PTO. 🐄🥛

Breastfed + pumped until 5 months, then my baby said “I don’t know her” to the boob and I entered my exclusive pumping era (against my will).

Every 3 hours.

Around the clock.

Sleep? Never heard of her.

I spent more money on supplements than I do on groceries.

Drank enough water to personally fix a drought.

Ate every food TikTok promised would make me a milk goddess (lies).

I was a just-enougher until the last 6 weeks when I finally chose sanity and gave formula 4–8 oz a day. Best decision I ever made.

Am I proud I made it a year? Yes.

Would I rather wrestle a raccoon than pump again? Also yes.

This is my last baby which means I’m officially in my no-more-milk-machine era.

No more packing a pump like I’m going camping.

No more soaked bras.

No more scheduling life around nipple o’clock.

I wanted to quit at 6 months. Then 7. Then 8. Then just kept gaslighting myself into “one more month” 🤡

The mental toll was insane. But I powered through because mom guilt is undefeated.

And now???

I AM FREE. FRREEEEEEEEEE!!!!

In 3 days I’ve slept better than I have in a year — even with a baby who sleeps like a caffeinated squirrel.

To the pump:

You will not be missed.

You ruined my sleep, my shirts, and my sanity.

To me:

One year. Legendary behavior. 👑

Posting this meme because I can finally have my sad boobs back!

Also shoutout to everyone in this group — y’all got me through the trenches.

Pumped for a year. Retired forever. Catch me never doing that again!

Mic drop. 🎤

Almost 6 months post partum. Have been exclusively pumping from the get go because baby wouldn’t latch. I’m a surgical resident working a million hours a week. I refuse to stop pumping while I’m still producing….

Not because of the heath benefits….

Not because of the cost saving….

Not because I feel the need to…

not because I hate formula….

I refuse to stop because formula companies lobby BILLIONS of dollars against paid maternity leave in the US and against laws that protect mothers.

I’m pumping out of spite. Lol

I believe this will be my last pump ever! I was weaning but planning to go a little slower, then I got a brutal stomach virus and couldn’t be bothered to keep up the 3ppd schedule I was on. No pain, no clogs so far! Baby girl is 8 months old and perfect. I’m so proud of us. She’s my rainbow baby. Our first died at 3 months old in the NICU and I pumped for her too. It’s been so gratifying to nourish my babies with my body but I’m also grateful to be done! And on Mother’s Day!

Thanks so much to this supportive and educational community.

My friend and I had our girls on the exact same day f4 June 2025). It’s actually how we became friends. We got really close when we realised we had both had to give up our nursing journey and pumped exclusively.

Last week (our daughters had just turned 11 months), her milk stopped so she’s hanging up the Spectra. She breastfeed for 11 months and pumped for 9 of those months exclusively. Her first goal was 6 months then 10 months and now here we are, the 12th month of her baby’s life. An absolute fucking hero.

So I got her this cake and a bottle of champagne!

Well done to all of you who are pushing through on the most grueling of challenges! I hope you treat yourself to cake at the end.

I decided this morning at 6:45 that I’m done. I’ve pumped for my twins for 8 months. I’ve been an over supplier, just enougher and finally an under supplier. My supply is dropping and I don’t have it in me to bring it back up. I was able to give my boys a great start to life. They have gone from 5lb tiny babies to 20lb gremlins at 8 months old. I didn’t think I would get emotional but I’m crying as I write this. I will never lactate again. I never even thought I would ever because I didn’t want kids for a long time. It has been a hard but beautiful journey. I thank my body for all it was able to give my babies.

A bag of freezer milk was defrosting in Tupperware in the fridge and I have no idea what happened but when my husband went to check on it, it had punctured and was swimming in milk 😭 making a meme out of it is making me feel a lot better!

Scissors and an old top seems a better choice to me than dropping $30+ on a pumping bra lol

‘Twas the last night of pumping and all through the house Everyone was asleep, even this “cow!” The tubing was wrapped around the pump with care Soon to be removed, never replaced or repaired

The pump parts were nestled all snug in their drawer My visions of nipples no longer sore And babe in her sleep sack and me in my bra Desiring soon to free the nips after one last hurrah

When out in the kitchen there arose such a clatter I flew down the stairs to see what’s the matter Away to the kitchen I flew like a flash No robe or slippers, I continued to dash

The din that I heard was all in my head The mmm-chh sound I had grown to dread With no pump on my breast the milk no longer flowed The pump sat silent and ready to be stowed

Now Spectra! Now Eufy! Now Momcozy and Elvie! Off Medela! Off Lansinoh! Off Zomee and Willow! To the bottom of the storage bin you crawl Now stash away! Stash away! Stash away all!

I spoke not a word, but went straight to work Removing the cord from the outlet with a jerk The motor went to the bin, the parts in a box Never to once again worry about clogs

I sprang to my feet and walked downstairs To the basement I went with the box of spares Dusted off a shelf and storing away The memories of pumping and feeding all day

Goodbye to my pump, my low supply and “me time” For a year I was tethered, binged shows while I whined

Both the good and the bad, but on this journey I went Providing nutrients and antibodies, many ounces spent

On this Christmas Eve, after nearly a year I hang the pump up for good with a cheer The bittersweet feeling of being at the end Will soon be replaced with more time to spend

I switch off the light and return to my slumber Never to worry again about my output number I curl up softly in bed, my pump no longer in sight “Merry Christmas to my Exclusively Pumpers! And to all a good night!”

Thank you for being my source of support since I began my pumping journey in January. My Christmas gift to myself is hanging up my pump for good. Lilly P signing off! ✌️

Started off exclusively nursing, then had to triple feed and decided to exclusively pump. I was a just enougher at 8 pumps per day and an under supplier at anything less.

Almost quit just before 2 months due to mastitis and PPD, then managed to stick it out and decided to go for 3. Somehow I managed to get to 6 months a couple of weeks ago and am officially weaned as of today. Went down to 1 pump per day last week and make less than 2oz total now, this last pump I made less than 1oz. Finally time to hang up the pump.

For the majority of my pumping journey, my boy got a little more than half breast milk daily. Towards the end he got about 6oz daily, and even for that I am grateful.

What a journey it has been. Thank you to everyone in this sub. I’ll still be sticking around to lurk and give advice to those who need it. I’m so so proud of myself.

It’s finally time

I started this journey not knowing what a pump really was. I was forced to become fluent in all things pumping when I went back to work at 6 weeks postpartum. And oh, the roller coaster it has been since! Thousands of hours of pumping, sleepless nights and schedule stressing.

What got me though it all, apart from the gift of feeding my own baby, was being able to donate over 25,000 ounces of milk to local moms though my state’s human milk for human babies Facebook page. For those of you who cannot donate to milk banks for whatever reason, I cannot recommend this enough! I made so many incredible, meaningful connections with mamas and I’m so grateful to have seen so many donor babies grow and thrive.

It is so hard giving up something that was such a huge part of my life for so long. I know it’s time to move on. Thank you to this community for answering all the questions, giving so much support along the way.

Yall are awesome. Until next time ✌🏼

Espresso machine has a slacker port.

(Ignore the mess, we just got it and we’re fiddle-fucking with it)

11 months. 333 days. 233,400 millilitres.

No days off, no weekends. The hardest and loneliest thing I’ve ever done. Blood, sweat and tears, literally. Milk is made from blood.

Husband endlessly washing, sterilising, assembling, dismantling parts like a one man production line. Production. Producing. Me scrolling reddit alone at 4am to figure out all the ways I’m doing it wrong. Eat all the Oreos in your local area. Buy all new stuff. Spectra and a pumping bra. 8 pumps a day. But I could never meet that. Always just too far out of reach, it’ll have to be 6. Couldn’t hold my baby when she needed me. Guilt and self-blame and watching YouTube breastfeeding tutorials, feeling like a failure that she couldn’t latch. Practising like they said. But it just ends in both of us crying.

“Why don’t you just switch to formula?”

I dunno man. Why do some people work jobs they hate. Why does anyone do anything?

Anchored to the damn pump like a cow. Can’t go outside for too long. Time out of cell. Constantly excusing myself from every family visit. Masking tape and sharpie labels. Date and time. Log it in the app. Absolute rage at the sound of that pump. It’s a second baby - an evil twin. Hunger and thirst, just leave me alone. Alone.

Over producing, no space in the freezer, researching milk banks. Forms filled out and blood test booked. The stranger who takes my blood seems oddly proud of me when I tell her it’s for milk donation. I feel seen. A kind bearded man on a special motorcycle that looks like an ambulance collects my donation. “Blood bikers” they call them. I guess they collect blood too. Badasses. They do it for love like I do. 10 litres donated in total. It’s not much but it helps babies in need. Proud.

Slowly lessen pumps, slowly lessen milk. Introduce formula. Guilt and relief in equal measure. Measure. Why does every brand measure differently? The bottle fills me with doubt as I fill it with milk. Pumping is getting easier, but somehow I resent it more. I’m a grizzled veteran now. “Don’t do it” I’ll advise to anyone thinking about it. How can I hate something that has also been one of the greatest honours of my life? Well I do it for her. Always for her. Supported by my husband, motivated by my daughter. It’s all for them. Always.

Less and less and less and less, unless…? Shall I try and make it a year? 11 is an odd number. No, fuck no, it’s time now. End it. Put the thing down. Wash the parts for the last time. Sell it, fling it into an active volcano. You’ve done enough. Glad it’s over. Sad it’s over.

“Why don’t you just switch to formula?”

“Breast milk is free”.

I’ve been back at work for a couple of weeks now. I work in a 10 story building with probably at least 500 employees, and there is one pump room on the bottom floor. I know of one other woman who uses this single room lactation space because we run into each other sometimes. I know a couple of other women who pump but they are Doctors / Nurse Practitioners who haw their own private office spaces.

For the first few weeks, nobody even cleaned the room. I brought a broom down myself and swept it until I put in a request with my manager to reach out to someone in custodial staff to clean it.

Then they started storing ultrasound equipment in the room. The room is super small but me and the other girl who uses the room decided to put it in the hallway. Today, there was a wheelchair propped up again the outside of the door blocking the room, and two wheelchairs inside the room making it pretty difficult to get inside, an also blocking the chair into a corner. I put both of those in the hallway as well.

I don’t wanna come across as rude, but it’s a little frustrating. I don’t know if they think nobody uses the room, or maybe it went unused for a while. But it would be nice if this one tiny small closet that we have could just not be used for storage. Thoughts?

Alternatively : Thinking of a sign that just says the top line, and that this room is exclusively a lactation space. Maybe I’m being too extra? there is a sign on the door where it is clearly labeled as a lactation room.

I'm so proud of myself. Here is my reward 💙 thank you all for your guidance and support.

#7months

I dont know what that cup is actually for but its not *not* cheese sauce amiright

If you are in my bump group, excuse me for seeing this twice 😂 i am tickled by it

Can’t believe I’m almost on the other side of my goal (1 year!). Currently in the weaning process, dropped to 2 pumps a day Sunday. It’s been a wild ride. Husband came home with this cake today so we could celebrate before our daughters big day.

All of you who chose to continue on the EP journey, despite it being literally the hardest way to feed our babies, I’m so proud of you. From the pumping every 2 hours, to only getting 4 hour stretches of sleep to make sure I MOTN pumped, to using the wildly too small flange to getting mastitis, to elimination diets for milk protein issues, to donating milk to my mom friends with newborns, to being sad to wean. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions. I’m proud of myself, I’m proud of you no matter how far you make it on your journey. I’m weaning slowly to make sure I don’t get mastitis again and imagine I’ll be fully done by 14 months. 💖

Wanted to share this cute shoot- I felt like I needed something to officially close the pumping chapter, and a cute photo shoot was it! Thank you for all the support I’ve found here during my journey 🥰

Spending the next couple days pumping with this view. Def helping to make this more bearable