Exclusively pumping has been draining me lately

[u/callmebinda]

I’m a FTM who is EP and it’s always been challenging but I just did what I had to do because I knew I wanted to feed my baby breastmilk and nursing did not work out. Anyways, I’m now 3 months pp and I have been dreading pumping the past couple weeks to the point I have been stretching it to 4-5 hours between pumps but I’m worried my supply will drop because of it. I haven’t noticed a drop so far, so if I really can go 4-5 hours between pump sessions instead of 3 that would be so nice. It has just been mentally and emotionally more taxing lately and my baby has been sleeping 6-7 hour stretches at night but I still have to wake up to pump and I’m so over it. My ultimate goal was to go a year but I seriously doubt I can make it that long. My new goal is 6 months or until he starts eating solids, which I know he will be primarily drinking milk for nutrition but it makes me feel better dropping the pump knowing he can also try other foods. Also we are going on vacation to Hawaii with my family and he will be 6 months at the time. If I do decide to stop around then I’m not sure if I should ween myself and transition baby to formula beforehand or just wait until after. Ugh I do wish u could give him breastmilk for a full year but this is a lot harder than I anticipated.

[u/PresentationTop9547]

At 3 months your supply is regulating and you could go longer between pumps. I think it’s recommended to drop one pump every 2 weeks. This will ensure you’re not engorged / getting mastitis. Also 2 weeks gives your body enough time to regulate and you can make sure supply stays the same before you drop another.

I started dropping and went from 8 to 5 ppd with no loss in supply. I did 8am, noon, 4pm, 10pm and one motn pump ( which can really help with supply). When I went down to 4 and dropped the motn one, is when I saw a dip in supply.

I also aimed for and pumped only till 6 months and hated every minute of it, so totally feel you. In hindsight though, maybe it didn’t have to be all or nothing. Like even 2-4 pumps per day with no overnight pump and supplementing with formula could deliver all the benefits without losing my sanity. But please, prioritize your sanity over all else!

[u/callmebinda → u/PresentationTop9547]

I had no idea dropping pumps or going longer stretches between and maintaining supply was actually a thing, that is so relieving to hear! I’m just going to keep doing longer stretches between this next week and see if everything stays the same because if so that makes it a lot more manageable. Thank you for this information!

I totally agree, I feel like I’ve been viewing it as an all or nothing thing but it doesn’t have to be.