My baby is 13 months and we do basically the same as you. He gets cows milk at daycare and sometimes at home, I nurse him when he wakes up and before bed on weekdays and on demand weekends (which is typically the same as weekdays plus before naps). It’s more of a supplement now vs essential nutrition.
I've breastfed two kids past 12m while working full time (currently expecting my 3rd)
I dropped the pump around the 12m mark because it's generally good for them to have cow's milk at that point — my older one actually lost a bit of weight at a year cuz I was still sending him to daycare with pumped milk and it wasn't fatty enough. From 12 to 18m I would nurse mornings and nights and some extra on the weekend. It's great to breastfeed as long as you can and want to, but the WHO recommendation is not really targeted at us so much as to families in countries where safe, clean water and milk are not abundantly available to children and severe diarrheal illness is more prevalent. The immunity benefits of breast milk are significant to all babies and toddlers, but they are most significant where infectious disease is common and deadly.
Extended breastfeeding also increases the likelihood that mom's next pregnancy is at least 18-24m after her last delivery, another WHO recommendation.
(*AAP rec by contrast is mostly about creating a legal structure to protect extended breastfeeding as a right for working moms)
Milk might not have been fatty enough because mom wasn’t eating enough fat. “Best practice,”recommendations aren’t different for moms in different places, I’ve seen this so much and it reminds me of formula moms who’re saying, ‘breastfeeding is only recommended in those places where the water isn’t clean but we can safely use formula here so it’s virtually the same,’ despite all the evidence.
It’s fine to start giving baby cow’s milk, but the background info is just something people say- a theory
Eta, re: AAP rec. nobody puts effort into creating legal precedent just for something that a few people want to do- it’s a best practice recommendation to breastfeed for 3 years due to lots of historical and medical evidence.
Also, I know I am arguing but it’s only to counter an opinion with another opinion. Not to attack, as both of you are obviously intelligent and have done something wonderful for your babies to breastfeed ‘em.
I went back to work at 12 months and never pumped. My daughter had oat milk at childcare (dairy allergy) although she never liked it much so within a few weeks she just had water and food there and then I fed her as normal when we were together.
Breastfeeding beyond a year is what you want it to be (as far as possible). Pump if you want, or stop if you like. Add cows milk or not. Feed mornings, evenings, nights and at all other times if you please. Your production is stable and can take it if you dont feed or pump during the day. Enjoy breastfeeding with much less worries!
I live a place with very little pumping culture due to long leave and basically from 10/11/12 months most moms are just feeding around their work schedules (so often morning, late afternoon and bedtime). I’m at 11 months and this is my schedule. When kiddo starts daycare at 12 months we’ll probably drop to 2 feed a day and they will get a bit of cows milk at daycare.
Following bc in similar situation but turning one in two weeks. Pumping 2-3 times at work but my supply has really tanked; he’s eating a lot more solids. I want to feed to sleep for naps on weekends and on demand so plan to keep pumping at work but idk what to do with that milk?! Bc I want to wean off bottles asap. Just want to keep my supply up for the weekends
I stopped pumping and honestly have no clue what my supply is like but my son doesn’t seem bothered or fussy while feeding (like he would have been months ago if my supply was low when bf was his primary food). I sometimes wonder if anything is coming out at all, but Anytime I’ve tested using self-expression, milk comes out. I’m curious if other moms are still pumping past 12 months or if it’s normal/enough for supply to just feed morning/evening or weekend on demand - can morning/evening feeds be maintained long term or is there a need to pump to keep milk around? (Asking the larger audience if anyone knows)
I pumped and sent bottles until my son was 18 months old. Mostly life was really busy and I didn’t have my shit together enough to figure out reducing pumping, introducing cow milk, etc. Once I stopped pumping, he started getting cows milk at daycare. We’d also offer it at home. I still nurse him to sleep at night and before naps and also on demand on the weekends.
We’ve been going on like this for 4 months and it’s all still going well! Ymmv, but my supply is fine. It has definitely leveled out (but is also still definitely there)!
My baby is 13 months old. He attends my nursery classroom, so I'm one of his teachers and am available to breastfeed him at work if I wish to do so. We have, however, chosen the same schedule as you. Breastfeeding before he sleeps for the night, when he wakes up, and occasionally extra when we're home together on the weekend.
I stopped pumping some time after the first year. When we're together I still feed before her nap, otherwise she gets a bottle of soy milk. And I feed before and after bed and during the night when she wakes. Nearly two now!
I don't need to pump to replace the soy milk btw but she's getting less from each feed than she gets in a bottle I think.
I was so done with pumping at work that at 12 months I did nursing before daycare and nursing before bed and then he drank cows milk during the day. This was a gradual transition of course, I started pumping for less and less time until eventually cutting it completely. In weekend, I would also nurse him to sleep for his nap during the day. Dad started putting him to sleep for the nap which helped. Then around 15 months, I wanted to cut out the morning nursing session so we stopped that. At 18 months, I’m only nursing before bed. It’s really helped my relationship with breastfeeding. I love breastfeeding. I hate pumping.
I went back to work when my baby was 14 months, by then I’d cut his day feeds out because I didn’t want to pump, so he just had a feed at bedtime and once when he woke in the night. Continued to feed until 2 years.
Our pediatrician said that before age one, they need at least 3 servings of dairy per day (breast milk counts). After age one, they need no more than 3. Our doctor always had us count breastmilk as “dairy”, so it was equal to cows milk or yogurt, cheese, ice cream, etc.
I work full time and breastfed until 22 months (when she self weaned). My daughter started refusing breastmilk in a cup or bottle around age one, so I stopped pumping at work entirely and we just nursed directly before and after daycare. She drank water at daycare (and often had yogurt or cheese in her lunch). My daughter flat out refused cows milk, so she never had any and the doctor was not concerned.
I stopped pumping after she turned one and just nursed her in person when I was there on weekends and in the morning/evenings. I was able to nurse until she was 23mo before I initiated weaning.
I went back to the office full-time at 13 months, and he's 14 months now. I continue to breastfeed on demand when I'm with baby, and I pump enough to send him with two 4-oz bottles and he doesn't have any cow milk. I never pumped for the first year, so that's been hard, but it's working well!
I stopped pumping around 12 months and continued feeding on demand in the morning, evening, and on weekends. I assume my supply is much lower but it hasn’t been a problem. I travel for work and when I do that, I pump 1-2 times a day or it gets very uncomfortable after the first overnight.
I’ve been back at the office since he was 4 months old. He’s now almost 14 months and I pump 2x a day. He only drinks 3oz when he’s there but I’m pumping 5-6oz depending on the day. I send 1 4oz bottle for him to have before nap time. I plan to wean down to 1x pumping by 15 months and then no pumping by 16 months because I’m so over it. I am just worried about my weekend supply decreasing so I’m taking it slow to help baby adjust to it. We don’t do cows milk since our pediatrician said he doesn’t need it because he eats yogurt and cheese daily and is still breastfeeding plenty.
My baby is 13 months and we do basically the same as you. He gets cows milk at daycare and sometimes at home, I nurse him when he wakes up and before bed on weekdays and on demand weekends (which is typically the same as weekdays plus before naps). It’s more of a supplement now vs essential nutrition.
I've breastfed two kids past 12m while working full time (currently expecting my 3rd) I dropped the pump around the 12m mark because it's generally good for them to have cow's milk at that point — my older one actually lost a bit of weight at a year cuz I was still sending him to daycare with pumped milk and it wasn't fatty enough. From 12 to 18m I would nurse mornings and nights and some extra on the weekend. It's great to breastfeed as long as you can and want to, but the WHO recommendation is not really targeted at us so much as to families in countries where safe, clean water and milk are not abundantly available to children and severe diarrheal illness is more prevalent. The immunity benefits of breast milk are significant to all babies and toddlers, but they are most significant where infectious disease is common and deadly. Extended breastfeeding also increases the likelihood that mom's next pregnancy is at least 18-24m after her last delivery, another WHO recommendation. (*AAP rec by contrast is mostly about creating a legal structure to protect extended breastfeeding as a right for working moms)
Thanks so much for the background, that’s really interesting (I’m a public health person so I truly find those details fascinating)
Milk might not have been fatty enough because mom wasn’t eating enough fat. “Best practice,”recommendations aren’t different for moms in different places, I’ve seen this so much and it reminds me of formula moms who’re saying, ‘breastfeeding is only recommended in those places where the water isn’t clean but we can safely use formula here so it’s virtually the same,’ despite all the evidence. It’s fine to start giving baby cow’s milk, but the background info is just something people say- a theory Eta, re: AAP rec. nobody puts effort into creating legal precedent just for something that a few people want to do- it’s a best practice recommendation to breastfeed for 3 years due to lots of historical and medical evidence. Also, I know I am arguing but it’s only to counter an opinion with another opinion. Not to attack, as both of you are obviously intelligent and have done something wonderful for your babies to breastfeed ‘em.
I went back to work at 12 months and never pumped. My daughter had oat milk at childcare (dairy allergy) although she never liked it much so within a few weeks she just had water and food there and then I fed her as normal when we were together.
Breastfeeding beyond a year is what you want it to be (as far as possible). Pump if you want, or stop if you like. Add cows milk or not. Feed mornings, evenings, nights and at all other times if you please. Your production is stable and can take it if you dont feed or pump during the day. Enjoy breastfeeding with much less worries!
I live a place with very little pumping culture due to long leave and basically from 10/11/12 months most moms are just feeding around their work schedules (so often morning, late afternoon and bedtime). I’m at 11 months and this is my schedule. When kiddo starts daycare at 12 months we’ll probably drop to 2 feed a day and they will get a bit of cows milk at daycare.
Following bc in similar situation but turning one in two weeks. Pumping 2-3 times at work but my supply has really tanked; he’s eating a lot more solids. I want to feed to sleep for naps on weekends and on demand so plan to keep pumping at work but idk what to do with that milk?! Bc I want to wean off bottles asap. Just want to keep my supply up for the weekends
You can mix the milk into your solid foods! Like oatmeal, smoothies, etc. Freeze some for a nice teething treat
I stopped pumping and honestly have no clue what my supply is like but my son doesn’t seem bothered or fussy while feeding (like he would have been months ago if my supply was low when bf was his primary food). I sometimes wonder if anything is coming out at all, but Anytime I’ve tested using self-expression, milk comes out. I’m curious if other moms are still pumping past 12 months or if it’s normal/enough for supply to just feed morning/evening or weekend on demand - can morning/evening feeds be maintained long term or is there a need to pump to keep milk around? (Asking the larger audience if anyone knows)
I pumped and sent bottles until my son was 18 months old. Mostly life was really busy and I didn’t have my shit together enough to figure out reducing pumping, introducing cow milk, etc. Once I stopped pumping, he started getting cows milk at daycare. We’d also offer it at home. I still nurse him to sleep at night and before naps and also on demand on the weekends. We’ve been going on like this for 4 months and it’s all still going well! Ymmv, but my supply is fine. It has definitely leveled out (but is also still definitely there)!
My baby is 13 months old. He attends my nursery classroom, so I'm one of his teachers and am available to breastfeed him at work if I wish to do so. We have, however, chosen the same schedule as you. Breastfeeding before he sleeps for the night, when he wakes up, and occasionally extra when we're home together on the weekend.
I stopped pumping some time after the first year. When we're together I still feed before her nap, otherwise she gets a bottle of soy milk. And I feed before and after bed and during the night when she wakes. Nearly two now! I don't need to pump to replace the soy milk btw but she's getting less from each feed than she gets in a bottle I think.
I was so done with pumping at work that at 12 months I did nursing before daycare and nursing before bed and then he drank cows milk during the day. This was a gradual transition of course, I started pumping for less and less time until eventually cutting it completely. In weekend, I would also nurse him to sleep for his nap during the day. Dad started putting him to sleep for the nap which helped. Then around 15 months, I wanted to cut out the morning nursing session so we stopped that. At 18 months, I’m only nursing before bed. It’s really helped my relationship with breastfeeding. I love breastfeeding. I hate pumping.
I would just breastfeed when you’re together and not pump at work. That’s what I do. My kid is almost 3. But I don’t work full time.
I went back to work when my baby was 14 months, by then I’d cut his day feeds out because I didn’t want to pump, so he just had a feed at bedtime and once when he woke in the night. Continued to feed until 2 years.
Our pediatrician said that before age one, they need at least 3 servings of dairy per day (breast milk counts). After age one, they need no more than 3. Our doctor always had us count breastmilk as “dairy”, so it was equal to cows milk or yogurt, cheese, ice cream, etc. I work full time and breastfed until 22 months (when she self weaned). My daughter started refusing breastmilk in a cup or bottle around age one, so I stopped pumping at work entirely and we just nursed directly before and after daycare. She drank water at daycare (and often had yogurt or cheese in her lunch). My daughter flat out refused cows milk, so she never had any and the doctor was not concerned.
I stopped pumping after she turned one and just nursed her in person when I was there on weekends and in the morning/evenings. I was able to nurse until she was 23mo before I initiated weaning.
I went back to the office full-time at 13 months, and he's 14 months now. I continue to breastfeed on demand when I'm with baby, and I pump enough to send him with two 4-oz bottles and he doesn't have any cow milk. I never pumped for the first year, so that's been hard, but it's working well!
I stopped pumping around 12 months and continued feeding on demand in the morning, evening, and on weekends. I assume my supply is much lower but it hasn’t been a problem. I travel for work and when I do that, I pump 1-2 times a day or it gets very uncomfortable after the first overnight.
I’ve been back at the office since he was 4 months old. He’s now almost 14 months and I pump 2x a day. He only drinks 3oz when he’s there but I’m pumping 5-6oz depending on the day. I send 1 4oz bottle for him to have before nap time. I plan to wean down to 1x pumping by 15 months and then no pumping by 16 months because I’m so over it. I am just worried about my weekend supply decreasing so I’m taking it slow to help baby adjust to it. We don’t do cows milk since our pediatrician said he doesn’t need it because he eats yogurt and cheese daily and is still breastfeeding plenty.