Today I put away my pump...

[broguemum]

..no more expressing for me. DS will have a small bottle of formula at nursery 'cos I simply can't face expressing anymore. I've done it for the past 4 months and just can't carry on. I FEEL SO GUILTY THOUGH. Please tell me I shouldn't. DS is 7 months old, he's been on solids for a month now and he loves his food. We will still BF about 3, maybe 4, times a day, more often at the weekends but I'm so sad. I keep thinking that this is the beginning of the end... I'm being daft aren't I?

Not daft, but I am sure your supply is well established now. I stopped pumping at a year and was down to 3 feeds a day (morning, early evening and bedtime) and my supply kept up fine. I have been down to 1 feed a day for 6 months now (DD has just turned 3) and still producing milk. So it could just be the end of the beginning for you .

Hey, I like that - end of the beginning - yes, that's how I will try to think of it. I just hope my supply is established as I would hate to stop now - I really want to reach a year.

What exactly does established mean? That you'll produce the same even without expressing? I'm at the same stage - ds is 7 months and I feed him morning, evening and night and express once at lunchtime. Will that keep up?

Established really just means that you can miss feeds and it won't affect your supply. YOur body will automatically adjust to what your baby is drinking.

It will also adapt to the fact that your baby feeds more often at the weekends and increase production accordingly, then reduce again in the week.

The expressing (or lack of) will really make no difference at all to your supply at 7mo in.

Don't fret, just enjoy the freedom .

Thank you for your support... I guess I'm a bit down at the mo. I've been getting lots of comments like, "Are you still feeding him??" and "how on earth can you keep up with a big boy like that - surely he needs more than just milk?" and so my confidence in what I can do is a little low right now. I really want to continue BF until DS is at least one but I cannot bear expressing in the office anymore (pathetic emoticon).

At least you can do it in the office - I sneak out to the M&S bottle room! I must look much smaller when I come back in...:-)

Unfortunately at the office the only place I can go to express is to the loo. Not ideal by a long way so I think an M&S bottle room would be preferable, especially if you can go via the food hall . Best of luck continuing with your expressing Bimblin - hope it works well for you.

Oh thanks broguemum. Good luck too.