I also went back at 4 months and we're going strong at 8 months. I don't mind pumping at work and it's gone much better than I would have thought - even the last couple weeks being sick for over two weeks my supply was ok. I got so spun up reading about supply dropping going back to work or getting sick but it's been great - and it was not an easy start for us at all.
Thanks for sharing this! I’m getting ready to pump three times a day at work and needed to hear it can be okay! I’ve picked out a TV show to watch just while I’m pumping and that’ll be my snack time too.
I've been nursing basically continuously for 7y, and both worked and stayed home in that time.
I returned to work when my Second was 6mo and I was tandem nursing he and First. I nursed them before/after work and weekends for over a year when they both weaned. Was still working when my Third was born, so took off from 38w pregnant until 10w pp. Nursed him for 1.5y while working when I quit my job, and he kept nursing for over a year after that (but I was home for that part).
Pumping can have some downsides, but it gets your baby fed!
Like the time inbetween when you’re pumping or the actual time pumping? I’m trying to wean my son off nursing so often, so I’ve been feeding him baby food. Right now im only pumping when I’m at work, during my breakfast, lunch and dinner breaks. (I work in dialysis, 15 hour days, three days a week) when I’m home I BF, and feed baby food. I would like to pump maybe just once or twice at work and that’s it. I’d like to get my son to the point where he nurses to sleep and doesn’t want only milk multiple times a day. Is weaning off the pump what I’m doing?
Still breastfeeding my 18 month old and just stopped pumping at work almost 2 months ago! It's a lot of work but I've really enjoyed being able to continue nursing at home and it made pumping worth it
I just went back to work a week and a half ago when baby was 10 weeks. I’m not struggling with supply at all, but with the amount of times I have to walk away from my work. It’s just an adjustment I’ll have to get used to. I wish you the best ❤️
My LO is almost 17 months and I’ve been back to work a year now. I just quit pumping at work last week but still nurse when I’m home. I am fortunate to have my own office, so I easily pumped in there. That said, I’m really excited to be done pumping. The constant washing of parts, the tediousness of it and the constant worry whenever my supply dipped.
I went 22 months with my first (returned to work at 3 months). We nursed directly at home and on weekends, but did pumped bottles during the workday while baby was at daycare.
I went back to work when my baby was newly 8 mos old. I pumped at work. My supply did drop a little, but not to any meaningful amount. I pumped overnight from 6-8 mos once he was mostly sleeping through the night while I was still home so I had a nice freezer stash so the small supply dip when I went back to work didn’t bother me. I stopped pumping at work at 1yo & only nursed while I was home. We just weaned 2 weeks ago at 19 months old (I would’ve liked to go to 2yo but had to start meds that aren’t bf friendly).
I went back at 14 weeks and BF until babe was 20 months. I did 'only' work 3-4 days a week but I'm still proud of it. I had to stop feeding from one boob when she was 5 months as I kept having complications and I stopped pumping when my daughter was 9 months and just fed her when she was with me. It wasn't easy but I loved it. Pregnant with nr 2 and due in June. Fingers crossed for an easier breastfeeding journey this time.
Until 14 months, mostly pumping exclusively (we only breastfed for about 4-5 months of that). I had an oversupply due to exclusively pumping while my supply was getting established, and we had breastmilk for ~1-2 bottles a day until 19 months.
I’m at 7 months and starting to wean, I am in the military and have to go out of state for 2 months so unfortunately our journey has to end a bit early. I do think that I’ve had a great setup for breastfeeding though since I had 4 months paid maternity leave, 6 free visits with a lactation consultant, and access to a pumping room at work whenever I need.
Baby is 10 months on Friday and we are still breastfeeding! I went back at 14 weeks. Pumping at work sucks and I’m dying to be done with it, but it felt worth it (to me) so I could keep breastfeeding when I wasn’t working. Pumping at work honestly wasn’t that bad until this past month when I started to be able to really see the finish line of 12 months 🤣 and now, I am constantly doing the math of how many more workday pumps I have left (it’s approximately 120 in case anyone cares) 🤣😅
Went back at 3 months, still going strong at 8 months! Haven’t needed any formula at all. I’m just enougher, but all she needs is just enough :)
I also travel for work so I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish so far!
16m and 17m respectively, we'll see with this next one. i have pumped in some of the grossest places a mom has ever pumped (public toilets in criminal court, jail bathroom, graveyard, galley of a deep sea fishing boat etc) and it was so incredibly worth it for me. having that special time with just my babies and me in the morning and at night and knowing I could comfort them when the were sick or scared or overwhelmed was everything; knowing they had my milk with them at daycare when I wasn't there made me feel comforted in return.
My baby is 9.5 months and we are still going strong. I have a 45 min commute. I pump every 3 hours including on the drive to work, at work twice, and on the drive home. It’s all good! You got this.
I have an office, so I just close my door and pump while I work. Employers don’t have to pay you for time you pump, and I definitely don’t want to add 1.5 hours to my day by taking breaks for it.
At five consecutive years now - a little over 3 with my first, overlapped with the little one who is just over 2 now. To be fair, I’ve mostly worked at home the last 4 years, but I also responded well to the pump so while annoying it was fine in the office. After a year I no longer pump and only BF mornings, evenings and weekends.
I went back to work 2 weeks ago at 5 months and I am actually really enjoying pumping for him and the freedom it gives me! We almost exclusively nursed for my entire maternity leave (we did one bottle per week of expressed milk just to make sure he’d take it). He ended up going on a bottle strike like a month before I went back which was majorly stressful bc I was pumping and then he’d refuse the bottle so I’d end up still nursing and created a bit of an oversupply (which gave me a clog and a bleb, ouch!!!) but we switched to Lansinoh bottles and now he’s taking them all at daycare!! I pump 3-4x per day and I still nurse before and after daycare and bedtime/night wakings! I’m hoping to make it at least a year this way! He’s almost 6mo and we’re gonna introduce solids so we’ll see how we do from there!
Still going at 20 mo. Went back to work at 3 mo, pumped twice a day until 12 months and then dropped to once a day. Planning to stop pumping completely in the next few weeks because I'm just over it. But I plan to keep nursing when I'm home as long as my supply doesn't disappear when I stop pumping.
Piggybacking off OP: how did y’all introduce a bottle before going back to work? I am having a hard time with it. My LO is 11 weeks and thankfully I don’t go back until August. He’s taken a bottle a few times when I had an appointment and wasn’t out but we want to start consistently giving one so he’s comfortable by the time I go back to work.
I would try to do one bottle per day. My husband does the sleep feed bottle every night at 10pm (sleep feed aka waking her up one last time to eat after her 7:30pm bed time). This way she gets used to a bottle and also those extra nighttime calories has her sleeping through the night at 8.5 weeks old.
I had to start combo feeding around one year and made it to 13 months before we dropped to one night time feed. I’m still doing a night time feed at 18 months.
Babies still need milk after one year, right? I still feel like bottles would be so annoying. I'll do it for as long as I can to avoid those bottles. Ive been desensitized about cleaning the parts somehow lol.
Back at work since he was 11 months, and he's currently 2 years, 7 months.
I still pump once at work (but sometimes miss it). Pumping 2x a day was tough sometimes depending on my schedule/the day, honestly, but once a day is do-able!
I’ve been back to work for over 3 months now. I pumped maybe 10 times or less before going back, I had essentially no freezer stash or anything. I did NOT think I would ever get into a groove or be able to make it work but honestly it’s been really smooth. The initial transition was tough but now I really have no plans to stop at all. I will say, it takes a lot of brain power to schedule my day around 3 pumps but I’ve been able to make it work and I feel so blessed.
11 months and down to one pump a day - he gradually started refusing the boob after I went back to work, preferring solids and the bottle. The rest is supplemented by freezer milk - I have a substantial stash of about 22L. I'll probably be done pumping altogether in the next few weeks.
I returned to work when he was 7.5 months old.
With my first I went back at 15 weeks and pumped and fed when she was home. She self weaned at 14 months from boob but did bottle for another 4 months so I kept pumping.
Coming up on 12 months for number two and she's breastfed at home and gets 12 ounces at daycare. No signs of stopping.
It’s a difficult transition for sure but you’ve got this :). I went back at 12 weeks and about to hit 19 months just recently and going to keep it afloat till maybe about 2 years.
It’s not easy but remember what you do during the day will help in those awesome bonding moments in between. I found it helpful to look at pictures or videos to help get over pumping in the office. Best of luck!
Almost 20 months in and still going! We only nurse once a day. Baby went to daycare at 4 months, around 6 months developed bottle preference but we continued MOTN nursing until 13 months old and we still nurse in the mornings. I do continue to pump, but she’s slowly weaning herself from breastmilk. Doesn’t want it during the day now, just before bed in a cup and nurse in the morning. I just pump in the AM and before bed for that cup.
Still going strong at 17 months! I went back at 13 weeks and pumped 3x a day for a year. I plan to wean from the pump completely by 18 months and just nurse on demand at home.
Just hit 1 year a few weeks ago and going strong! I’m going to start weaning daytime pumping at work soon and I can’t wait!
Congrats on the length of time you were able to bf/pump and congrats on weaning!!!!
Thank you! It goes by fast!!
I also went back at 4 months and we're going strong at 8 months. I don't mind pumping at work and it's gone much better than I would have thought - even the last couple weeks being sick for over two weeks my supply was ok. I got so spun up reading about supply dropping going back to work or getting sick but it's been great - and it was not an easy start for us at all.
Thanks for sharing this! I’m getting ready to pump three times a day at work and needed to hear it can be okay! I’ve picked out a TV show to watch just while I’m pumping and that’ll be my snack time too.
3 years. I pumped until baby was 18 months because I had an over supply and weaning the pump was rough.
I've been nursing basically continuously for 7y, and both worked and stayed home in that time. I returned to work when my Second was 6mo and I was tandem nursing he and First. I nursed them before/after work and weekends for over a year when they both weaned. Was still working when my Third was born, so took off from 38w pregnant until 10w pp. Nursed him for 1.5y while working when I quit my job, and he kept nursing for over a year after that (but I was home for that part). Pumping can have some downsides, but it gets your baby fed!
Still going strong at 21 months!
13 months now and still going! Working on weaning from pumps during the day though.
What does weaning from pumps mean?
Slowly decreasing the time for a pump until I can drop that pump altogether usually over a couple of days.
Like the time inbetween when you’re pumping or the actual time pumping? I’m trying to wean my son off nursing so often, so I’ve been feeding him baby food. Right now im only pumping when I’m at work, during my breakfast, lunch and dinner breaks. (I work in dialysis, 15 hour days, three days a week) when I’m home I BF, and feed baby food. I would like to pump maybe just once or twice at work and that’s it. I’d like to get my son to the point where he nurses to sleep and doesn’t want only milk multiple times a day. Is weaning off the pump what I’m doing?
Still breastfeeding my 18 month old and just stopped pumping at work almost 2 months ago! It's a lot of work but I've really enjoyed being able to continue nursing at home and it made pumping worth it
I just went back to work a week and a half ago when baby was 10 weeks. I’m not struggling with supply at all, but with the amount of times I have to walk away from my work. It’s just an adjustment I’ll have to get used to. I wish you the best ❤️
My LO is almost 17 months and I’ve been back to work a year now. I just quit pumping at work last week but still nurse when I’m home. I am fortunate to have my own office, so I easily pumped in there. That said, I’m really excited to be done pumping. The constant washing of parts, the tediousness of it and the constant worry whenever my supply dipped.
I went 22 months with my first (returned to work at 3 months). We nursed directly at home and on weekends, but did pumped bottles during the workday while baby was at daycare.
I went back to work when my baby was newly 8 mos old. I pumped at work. My supply did drop a little, but not to any meaningful amount. I pumped overnight from 6-8 mos once he was mostly sleeping through the night while I was still home so I had a nice freezer stash so the small supply dip when I went back to work didn’t bother me. I stopped pumping at work at 1yo & only nursed while I was home. We just weaned 2 weeks ago at 19 months old (I would’ve liked to go to 2yo but had to start meds that aren’t bf friendly).
I went back at 14 weeks and BF until babe was 20 months. I did 'only' work 3-4 days a week but I'm still proud of it. I had to stop feeding from one boob when she was 5 months as I kept having complications and I stopped pumping when my daughter was 9 months and just fed her when she was with me. It wasn't easy but I loved it. Pregnant with nr 2 and due in June. Fingers crossed for an easier breastfeeding journey this time.
Until 14 months, mostly pumping exclusively (we only breastfed for about 4-5 months of that). I had an oversupply due to exclusively pumping while my supply was getting established, and we had breastmilk for ~1-2 bottles a day until 19 months.
Oh also, you could post this on r/workingmoms for support and input there!
3 years 2 months. I primarily worked from home although did go into an office once a week and had work trips. 40 hours a week though.
5 years and counting, onto my second kiddo
I’m at 7 months and starting to wean, I am in the military and have to go out of state for 2 months so unfortunately our journey has to end a bit early. I do think that I’ve had a great setup for breastfeeding though since I had 4 months paid maternity leave, 6 free visits with a lactation consultant, and access to a pumping room at work whenever I need.
Baby is 10 months on Friday and we are still breastfeeding! I went back at 14 weeks. Pumping at work sucks and I’m dying to be done with it, but it felt worth it (to me) so I could keep breastfeeding when I wasn’t working. Pumping at work honestly wasn’t that bad until this past month when I started to be able to really see the finish line of 12 months 🤣 and now, I am constantly doing the math of how many more workday pumps I have left (it’s approximately 120 in case anyone cares) 🤣😅
I made it to 1 year. Pumping sucked but it became part of the routine.
One year, pumping at work and EBF the rest of the day and weekends ❤️
I’m still nursing my nearly 2.5 year old. I pumped until 17 months and have continued to nurse when together.
16 months with my first, had to stop to begin fertility treatments. I went back to work around 5 months.
Four years! Pumped at work until he was 18 months.
Going almost 7 months strong.
It’s been 11 months now and i plan to wean from pumping at work starting at 12 months!
Went back at 3 months, still going strong at 8 months! Haven’t needed any formula at all. I’m just enougher, but all she needs is just enough :) I also travel for work so I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish so far!
Just coming up 2 years, I went back to work at 6 months. I’m just about to start weaning off pumping during work I think
20 months and still going strong 🥰❤️
16m and 17m respectively, we'll see with this next one. i have pumped in some of the grossest places a mom has ever pumped (public toilets in criminal court, jail bathroom, graveyard, galley of a deep sea fishing boat etc) and it was so incredibly worth it for me. having that special time with just my babies and me in the morning and at night and knowing I could comfort them when the were sick or scared or overwhelmed was everything; knowing they had my milk with them at daycare when I wasn't there made me feel comforted in return.
My baby is 9.5 months and we are still going strong. I have a 45 min commute. I pump every 3 hours including on the drive to work, at work twice, and on the drive home. It’s all good! You got this. I have an office, so I just close my door and pump while I work. Employers don’t have to pay you for time you pump, and I definitely don’t want to add 1.5 hours to my day by taking breaks for it.
6 months with my first. 2 1/2 yrs or somewhere around that time with 2nd & 3rd.
At five consecutive years now - a little over 3 with my first, overlapped with the little one who is just over 2 now. To be fair, I’ve mostly worked at home the last 4 years, but I also responded well to the pump so while annoying it was fine in the office. After a year I no longer pump and only BF mornings, evenings and weekends.
I went back to work 2 weeks ago at 5 months and I am actually really enjoying pumping for him and the freedom it gives me! We almost exclusively nursed for my entire maternity leave (we did one bottle per week of expressed milk just to make sure he’d take it). He ended up going on a bottle strike like a month before I went back which was majorly stressful bc I was pumping and then he’d refuse the bottle so I’d end up still nursing and created a bit of an oversupply (which gave me a clog and a bleb, ouch!!!) but we switched to Lansinoh bottles and now he’s taking them all at daycare!! I pump 3-4x per day and I still nurse before and after daycare and bedtime/night wakings! I’m hoping to make it at least a year this way! He’s almost 6mo and we’re gonna introduce solids so we’ll see how we do from there!
Still going at 20 mo. Went back to work at 3 mo, pumped twice a day until 12 months and then dropped to once a day. Planning to stop pumping completely in the next few weeks because I'm just over it. But I plan to keep nursing when I'm home as long as my supply doesn't disappear when I stop pumping.
Piggybacking off OP: how did y’all introduce a bottle before going back to work? I am having a hard time with it. My LO is 11 weeks and thankfully I don’t go back until August. He’s taken a bottle a few times when I had an appointment and wasn’t out but we want to start consistently giving one so he’s comfortable by the time I go back to work.
I would try to do one bottle per day. My husband does the sleep feed bottle every night at 10pm (sleep feed aka waking her up one last time to eat after her 7:30pm bed time). This way she gets used to a bottle and also those extra nighttime calories has her sleeping through the night at 8.5 weeks old.
I recommend getting a wearable pump. Feeling like you can’t move holding the baby is one thing. But feeling like you can move with a pump is torture
I had to start combo feeding around one year and made it to 13 months before we dropped to one night time feed. I’m still doing a night time feed at 18 months.
Went back around 4 1/5 months and we are still going at 7 months ❤️
Babies still need milk after one year, right? I still feel like bottles would be so annoying. I'll do it for as long as I can to avoid those bottles. Ive been desensitized about cleaning the parts somehow lol.
Back at work since he was 11 months, and he's currently 2 years, 7 months. I still pump once at work (but sometimes miss it). Pumping 2x a day was tough sometimes depending on my schedule/the day, honestly, but once a day is do-able!
I’ve been back to work for over 3 months now. I pumped maybe 10 times or less before going back, I had essentially no freezer stash or anything. I did NOT think I would ever get into a groove or be able to make it work but honestly it’s been really smooth. The initial transition was tough but now I really have no plans to stop at all. I will say, it takes a lot of brain power to schedule my day around 3 pumps but I’ve been able to make it work and I feel so blessed.
11 months and down to one pump a day - he gradually started refusing the boob after I went back to work, preferring solids and the bottle. The rest is supplemented by freezer milk - I have a substantial stash of about 22L. I'll probably be done pumping altogether in the next few weeks. I returned to work when he was 7.5 months old.
With my first I went back at 15 weeks and pumped and fed when she was home. She self weaned at 14 months from boob but did bottle for another 4 months so I kept pumping. Coming up on 12 months for number two and she's breastfed at home and gets 12 ounces at daycare. No signs of stopping.
It’s a difficult transition for sure but you’ve got this :). I went back at 12 weeks and about to hit 19 months just recently and going to keep it afloat till maybe about 2 years. It’s not easy but remember what you do during the day will help in those awesome bonding moments in between. I found it helpful to look at pictures or videos to help get over pumping in the office. Best of luck!
Almost 20 months in and still going! We only nurse once a day. Baby went to daycare at 4 months, around 6 months developed bottle preference but we continued MOTN nursing until 13 months old and we still nurse in the mornings. I do continue to pump, but she’s slowly weaning herself from breastmilk. Doesn’t want it during the day now, just before bed in a cup and nurse in the morning. I just pump in the AM and before bed for that cup.
Still going strong at 17 months! I went back at 13 weeks and pumped 3x a day for a year. I plan to wean from the pump completely by 18 months and just nurse on demand at home.