Questions about BFing beyond a Year

[vvvvvfee]

basically, nurse on demand at home, and if you're still pumping at work after 1 year, send whatever you're pumping. if you're no longer pumping, send WCM if you want. WCM is not necessary if LO is still BFing at home. it's just a convenient source of fat and calories.

it is a good idea to start LO on a sippy cup (or preferably a straw cup- take n toss makes a very cheap and simple version) after 1 year because bottles are not great for their oral development. some LOs are very fussy about drinking BM out of anything but a bottle (neither of my kids would do it). with both kids, i dropped down to 1 pump a day around 12 months, and stopped pumping completely at around 14 months. while i was still pumping, i would send whatever i pumped (usually around 4 ounces), and sometimes i'd top it off with a couple of ounces of WCM. after i stopped pumping, i started sending a straw cup with about 6 ounces of WCM, and DC offers water as well. again, WCM is not necessary if you're nursing, just convenient.

you do want to nurse on demand while LO is home to keep your supply up. you also will want to nurse right before you leave LO at DC and as soon as possible after pickup in order to minimize your discomfort and the potential for blocked ducts. you will probably be uncomfortable for a week or so after you stop pumping, but your body will adjust.

don't overthink it too much in advance, though- a lot depends on how much your LO nurses at home, whether or not they even like WCM, and how much they like solids. you may have to experiment a little with combos of solids/milks, quantities, and sippies/straw cups.

if this doesn't cover everything, LMK- i've done this whole routine 2x now and i'm happy to answer questions!

[hurricanerek]

vvvvvfee answered your questions really well! I'll add that breastfeeding beyond a year is so low-stress! You don't have to worry about supply or their intake as much. It's all about nurturing your baby.

[Unknown]

I would make sure to ask your daycare policy in regards to BM. I was not allowed to bring BM in a sippy, BM only in bottles.

[geners]

Thank you, vvvvvfee, hurricanerek and emmyg65 (in the 6-12m checkin), very helpful!! Looking forward to joining the extended BFing check-in soon!

[agm04]

everything that vvvvvfee said. i had a freezer stash, but kept pumping for a few months after DD turned 1 just because I was too nervous to stop. We started with 25% WCM/75% BM during the day while I was at work, and slowly increased the WCM. Once I was sure she was tolerating that ok (she had a dairy intolerance early on), i quit pumping and we continued the mixed BM/WCM cups until the freezer stash ran out.