To pump for a one year old?

[Peridotty]

I’ve been breastfeeding my baby since she was born. She is going to nursery full time when she turns 13 months and I go back to work. Is there any point in pumping during my lunch break for her to take to nursery or should I just feed her cows milk? I would still breastfeed her at home when I can. She doesn’t know how to use a baby bottle. Thanks!

Bump!

I never bothered once they turned 1. The ones still bf at this age weren't bothered about other milks and waited for me. FF one had cm until about 6!

I'd just give her cows milk at that stage. I hated pumping with every fibre of my being.

And she can just drink out of a sippy cup surely?

I found keeping up the BFing at home for a while when they went to nursery a good strategy - it certainly helped the adjustment for us.

I BF at home and they gave cows milk in a cup at nursery, then my supply adjusted so just fed once in morning and once before bed until we stopped about 20 months

I was in this exact same situation a few years back. My EBF daughter started nursery at 13months. I chose not to pump and I just breastfed her at home before/after her nursery day.

During nursery hours she would have water in a sippy cup - she flat out refused cows milk.

No, I went back to work full time when DS2 was 13 months and never pumped. We breastfed until he was 3yr 3mo (when I had to force wean as he wasn’t self weaning!). He just ate food & drank water / cows milk & fed when I was home

If you need to pump for your own discomfort then you could send that in with her. I don't think I would do it specifically as they're fine with cows milk at this age as you know. My 12 month old generally won't drink the milk I pump out, so I just express to relieve myself. She is exclusively breastfed as well and hasn't used a bottle . The nursery give her snacks and water and cows milk and she is fine.

I couldn't express and continued breastfeeding when DC was with me.

I've just stopped feeding my 1 year old. I planned to pump and feed him that milk instead of cows milk. However the pumping was not producing anything near what he would need. After day one I could only get 1 onz. So I've given up and will just continue to feed him cows milk. He doesn't seem to mind it, but did get very angry and upset night 1 when breastmilk wasn't an option. Day 6 now and we are both much happier and the huge sore boobs are almost okay . Also I've given him a Tommy tippee beaker not a bottle and again he is fine with that. I did the same with my daughter previously and it worked great.

DD started nursery part time at 10 months having been EBF and a cow's milk refuser...luckily she really likes water so made do with that at nursery and just had a big feed when she got home, although that was dropped fairly soon once she started eating more at nursery and didn't feel the need for a comfort feed when she got home, once she'd settled in.

She still doesn't drink cow milk now, luckily she likes every other dairy product going!

My personal opinion is that life's much too short to waste time pumping at work, but then I found pumping very slow. I did it a few times when I had to go in and he was under 6 months, but just food and cow's milk after that. Just breastfeed at home when you're together, your boobs will work out the new routine quite quickly.

If you do decide to pump then it's probably less faff all round to pump during breakfast; milk supply is higher in the morning and you can bung in straight in the fridge instead of trying to find somewhere private, carrying all the bits, waiting for microwave sterilising while someone's curry stinks it out, leaving a bottle at work or can't find space in the fridge etc etc.

I just BF at home when DD started nursery age 1. She'd have a morning feed and two evening feeds. At weekends she's feed on demand. Worked absolutely fine. Your DD can drink water at nursery, she doesn't need cows milk.

Neither of kids ever drank cows milk after stopping BF (age 2.5 and age 18 months) there's no need at all, it's an old fashioned post war idea!

Mine were both breast fed from birth until one was 15months and the other 2.5 years. We never used bottles and once they both went to nursery at 1 they had cows milk or water out of a cup then breast fed at home. My youngest basically latch on an wouldn’t let go when he got home from nursery and in non nursery days though

It's really up to you. If you'd like to then go for it! It's fine to keep pumping if you want to, it's fine to stop and give cow's or fortified soy/oat milk.

Pumping is a lot of work (ask me how I know) and can really impact on your working day, personally it wouldn't be worth it for me over a year but only you know what you'd like to do.

I went back to work when DS was 9 months. I stopped pumping after about a month because I hated it so much. Still fed him until he self weaned at 18 months. DD is 6 months and I’ve started doing the odd KIT half day so I’m pumping then but probably won’t be when I go back properly. My supply is pretty good and I don’t need to express to maintain it.

This isn't something you can be reasonable nor unreasonable about though, just do what suits you best! It wasn't much longer after that age that he got the hang of a straw, so you could try Oxo Tot cups or similar as you won't want to start up a bottle habit. If she isn't quite ready for a straw for a few months yet then Miracle 360 cups are good at age 1. Just make sure you take all 3 bits apart for washing if you put milk in!

I went back to work when ds was 11 months and carried on bf til he was 13 months. I’m really glad I did it as carrying on bf helped the transition. I expected to need to pump for my own benefit but I didn’t at all. He was a great eater so prob not taking much milk anyway and boobs adjusted immediately. He had water and then cows milk in a sippy cup from 1. However, if you’d like to do it then of course you can!

I went back to work when DC was 5.5 months old and was out for 14 hrs 3-4 times a week so had to express. I think I continued expressing until DC was around 16 months but that was for my comfort more than anything. If you can avoid expressing I certainly would. It was miserable expressing in my breaks and trying to eat at the same time. I stopped as soon as I comfortably could. DC catch up when they can night or day. I stopped bf at 2 years.

Do whatever works best for you. My ds started nursery at 12 months and at first I pumped a bottle for each day (just did it in the morning or evening though, not during work days). I gave up after a couple of months as he often wouldn’t drink it and it didn’t feel worth the effort! He carried on breastfeeding at home until 3yo though.

Good luck with returning to work. Bit of an adjustment but it’s worth it.

I went back to work with child 1 at 6 months. I pumped once a day for six weeks. He then took one bottle of formula to nursery instead until he was 1.

With child 2 I went back at 9 months, didn't pump and sent a bottle of formula until age 1.

Neither had formula before my return to work and both continued to BF at home.

Totally personal choice, but I wouldn’t - enjoy some time to yourself in your lunch break rather than pumping!