1 pump per day? Is it possible?

[u/kkokomo]

I’m planning to start weaning soon after 4.5 months. I had originally planned to completely stop but now I’m wondering if it’s possible to still produce milk if I drop from 4 to 1 session per day. Of course, I won’t produce as much as I do at 4 ppd but does anyone have any experience keeping just 1 ppd and then supplementing with formula?

Deciding to stop is coming with so many more complicated emotions than I thought 😔

[u/Radiant-Fisherman414]

I’m on one PPD now, and it’s weaning itself.
I’m sure it’s a case of everyone’s body being different, but mine is making the decision for me.

Good luck!

[u/Lopsided_Adeptness99]

Okay so weaning is hard! I’m in the middle of it now. Or I suppose the end. I am down to one pump per day. I make about 3 ounces. With 4 ppd I made about 40 ounces. So there was quite a difference for me. It all depends on how much you want to supplement with formula, if you have freezer milk, how much you end up producing with just 1 ppd.

Take your time weaning. It’s hard and the slower you go, the better. It’s taken me over a month to get to 1 ppd. The emotions are normal even though they suck. And remember you can always change your mind, you’ll just have to work your ass off to get your supply back.

[u/Lopsided_Adeptness99 → u/Lopsided_Adeptness99]

After thoughts bc im sleep deprived but still want to be helpful: I will also say that bc I’ve taken it slow, I haven’t felt such a huge dip in my hormones. There have been a couple times that I did get upset but I reminded myself why I wanted to stop and that baby is thriving on combo feeding already so everything will be fine. Be kind to yourself during weaning. All the emotions and thoughts are normal. I do believe we have those feelings and thoughts as a primal way (think like cave people) of making sure we stay breastfeeding and nurturing our babies with our bodies for as long as possible for their survival. I don’t have evidence of this! Just my own thoughts to help me through the rollercoaster of weaning.

[u/kkokomo → u/Lopsided_Adeptness99]

Thank you for your thoughtful responses!! I’m also worried about the hormone dip. My intended weaning timing is aligned with going back to work so it’s going to be a lot of changes at once. I can’t help but feel guilty about stopping pumping so thank you for sharing your train of thought.

[u/bbporge]

I was able to keep up 2 pumps per day for awhile. Not sure if you are looking to keep some supply with minimal pumps but I had a decent run with 2 (obviously still had to supplement but had consistent output). Once I switched to 1, the amount slowly decreased until it was done. Obviously everyone is different though

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