Patience is important when considering how to wean from pumping and dedicated time is essential to avoid stopping suddenly and then risking discomfort or complications.
Rest assured that decreasing your overall pumping sessions, the time spent pumping each day, or gradually delaying pumping will eventually slow breast milk production and allow you to fully wean yourself from the pump. If your breasts become uncomfortably full, try hand expressing just enough to relieve the discomfort - remember, you don't want to become overly engorged, which can lead to pain, clogged ducts, and mastitis.
Speaking to a lactation consultant or your healthcare provider for additional tips for weaning off pumping and letting them know right away if you suspect you have a clogged duct can help you proactively avoid complications while making your weaning experience much more seamless. Though weaning from the pump requires time and patience, breast milk is produced on a supply and demand basis - this means that your milk supply will eventually decrease and then fully "dry up", regardless of what strategy you pursue or how much time your chosen method seems to take.
Until your baby has fully transitioned onto an alternative food - whether it be formula which can be used anytime or a milk like cows' milk, soy milk, or rice milk which should be used only after 12 months or older , or even something else - you can always mix in increasingly smaller amounts of leftover breast milk as he or she becomes accustomed to the new taste and their body learns to digest this new sustenance.
Once you've decided that you are ready to part with your breast pump, visit MedelaRecycles. At Medela, we understand that it's completely normal to have mixed emotions about weaning from the pump. Keep in mind that every drop of breast milk provided to your little one counts and has made a positive difference in their health, wellness, and overall development.
No matter how long or short your breastfeeding journey may be, you've given your baby the best possible start in life! Medela Family Products. Breastfeeding Guide. For example, instead of 20 minutes per session, pump 17 minutes at each session. Every week, drop a few more minutes. Eventually, you will be down to pumping only five minutes per session. Getting to that point will make it easier to stop pumping for good. Gradual weaning prevents your breasts from becoming too full of milk. Listen to your body!
Going slow with this process also gives your baby time to adjust to new patterns in her eating. If you wait too long, the pain you experience called engorgement puts you at risk for clogged milk ducts and possibly even mastitis.
Mastitis usually occurs when bacteria enter the breast through a cracked or sore nipple. One study found that approximately one in 10 breastfeeding mothers experienced mastitis in the first month. If you develop a reddened area on your breast with pain, swelling and flu-like symptoms with a fever, call your doctor or a lactation consultant.
Mastitis does require antibiotics. The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff.
This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy. Registry Builder New. How to Stop Pumping. Medically Reviewed by Kameelah Phillips, M. Medical Review Policy All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals.
Ready to stop pumping breast milk? Follow these tips to gradually and safely wean from your breast pump. Hopefully, after this, you should be all set to stop. However, if you feel uncomfortable a few days or a week later, you can pump again if you need to.
Bonus tip if you are already getting your period and experiencing a supply drop along with it: Try timing the weaning process to correspond with that drop in supply. Your body is already making less milk, so encourage it to continue to do so!
You can drop a session at the beginning of your period and maybe another one at the end, if you think your body can handle it. One of my readers sent me a visual she put together of how she planned to wean from the pump based on the above six steps.
I think this is much more intuitive for visual learners, so I asked her permission to share it here. She will drop one session per week. At the end of the chart, she ends up at the end of Step One above, with two sessions about 13 hours apart. Then she gives her body a few days to catch up until the week is over. It is also normal to undergo some hormonal changes. On the other hand, your life is about to become so much easier — no more hauling a breast pump around, no more trying to wrangle a baby while pumping, no more pump parts to wash.
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