how to pump wean without mastitis?

[@llli*gwendlynsmom]

I really would like to pump wean soon. Only being gone for one full day, and the 3 or 5 hrs at a time gone are easier to pump wean. I went from pumping hourly on the one 5 hr shift to trying to pump just once, and had engorgement and felt wiped out. Am I making this harder than it is? How do you recommend pump weaning?

When I try to cut back (no time sometimes) on pumping, to once a day on the long day at work, I have gotten mastitis, thankfully healed well, but how to avoid that? Last week I was really busy in the hospital, went down for a procedure with a patient missing a pump session, and everytime I try to cut back I get some painful engorgement, and also will my output will decrease from it. My soon to be 12mo nurses like a newborn, during the day when we're together and at night. I think this may have something to do with why its so hard! Not sure if I should restrict a baby's nursings bc of not pumping. I still have a lg freezer stash she will have when I'm gone. Should I just continue to pump at least once a day? Or is there a better way to pump wean?

[@llli*djs.mom]

I don't understand from your post how much you are gone. You are only gone from your child one day a week? And you feed on demand all other time? How old is your baby?

[@llli*djs.mom]

How many days a week are you gone and how often do you pump now? It should NEVER be cold turkey. It's a gradual process that takes weeks.

[@llli*gwendlynsmom]

Ok so here's my schedule (this semester): I am gone 3 days a week, Day 1: 9hr.; day 2: 5hr.; Day 3: split 3hr, then home for a few hrs, then gone 5hrs. Baby is 12 mo. and yes we feed on demand the rest of the time. How is pump weening best accomplished? Can I go comfortable for my Day 1 without pumping at all, if done by cutting back on pump sessions and time pumping? Will I need to pump again next semester when classes change, and I'm gone more, longer days, even if she's over 12 mo? Thank you djs.mom! I appreciate your input.

[@llli*gwendlynsmom]

Should I cut back on demand bf? It's still her primary nutrition, but I've heard other mom's only bf their 12 mo 4-5x/day. My lo will eat every ~2hr, day and night. I would like a break lol, well, at least from the pump to start with iykwim. I wonder if her on demand eating makes it harder for me pump weaning, or no.
Thanks mamas!!

[@llli*bfwmomof3]

How is your baby's solid intake? Babies are really variable in terms of how quickly they take to solids. A one-year-old who is eating solids enthusiastically may well be only eating 4-5x/day, whereas one who is eating barely any solids may have a pattern more similar to your LO. If that's the case for your baby, you will have to work on upping the solids before cutting back on bf. (djs.mom has good suggestions about how to do this, hopefully she'll chime in again!) And in terms of pump weaning, if she still is getting most of her nutrition from milk at this point, while you're at work then you'll need to replace your fresh EBM with your frozen EBM (which it sounds like you have a lot of) and/or cow's/goat's milk. The key to pump weaning is just to go slow. What works for me has been to first cut back on the later-in-the-day pumping sessions (when there is less milk), then work on the earlier-in-the-day sessions. I understand being busy at work but erratically skipping sessions here and there is more likely to lead to engorgement, as you've already experienced. And I am very vigilant during the pump weaning process for plugged ducts, excess engorgement etc.

[@llli*joshuas.mommy]

I'm not sure if I'm understanding you correctly but if your question is, can you go 9 hours without pumping when up until now you've been pumping frequently, no, I wouldn't recommend it. Try dropping one session every week until you are not pumping at all. You can probably go cold-turkey with not pumping on your 5 hour days, unless you are feeling uncomfortably engorged (then pump just enough for comfort). There will be some fullness and discomfort involved but you shouldn't let it get to the point where it's painful. You can pump wean and still feed on demand when at home. I nurse my DS on demand whenever he wants--sometimes hourly or more--when at home and don't pump at all during a 7-9 hour work day and we do just fine. Somehow your supply adjusts so that it is there when you need it and not when you don't, even if you have an irregular work schedule (I do). I didn't understand beforehand how that was going to work out but somehow it does. In short, keep feeding on demand, drop one pump session at a time, and pump if you find yourself painfully engorged. Hope that helps.

[@llli*djs.mom]

Ok so here's my schedule (this semester): I am gone 3 days a week, Day 1: 9hr.; day 2: 5hr.; Day 3: split 3hr, then home for a few hrs, then gone 5hrs. Baby is 12 mo. and yes we feed on demand the rest of the time. How is pump weening best accomplished? Can I go comfortable for my Day 1 without pumping at all, if done by cutting back on pump sessions and time pumping? Will I need to pump again next semester when classes change, and I'm gone more, longer days, even if she's over 12 mo? Thank you djs.mom! I appreciate your input.

I need to know how many times a day you are pumping EACH DAY to give you direction on how much to cut back and how quickly. And NO you don't need to Cut back your on demand feeding AT ALL.

[@llli*gwendlynsmom]

Thank you all for the helpful replies. Sorry I've been swamped with work and nursing school and baby turning 12 months celebrating, this was my first chance on the computer. Joshuasmom thank you for sharing how well it worked for you that's great to hear. What a relief to hear other baby's are still eating as much as DD. Djs.mom, here's how it's worked so far:
Day 1: leave at 5, pump at 6am, 10am, 12pm, home at 3pm.
Day 2: leave 7:30, pump 8, 11:30, home 1:00
Day 3: leave 8:30, home 12:30, then 5hr evening: pump 3x.

I usually have used any chance at a break possible, and when I have felt engorgement, pumped up to an entire half hour to empty as much as possible. I really appreciate all of your feedback mamas, thank you!

ETA: DD is good with solids, quite an enthusiastic eater whether it's solids or nursing. I'm just concerned about dropping that last pump session on the long days. Will that be easy to adjust to from your experiences, wise mums?

[@llli*djs.mom]

Day one Drop one session a week and see how it feels
Day two Drop the session.
Day three drop one session this week.
Now, if you see a HUGE difference in your supply because you dropped 3 times in one week add back in the day 3 session.