How to Stop Pumping Breast Milk

Exclusive pumping, just like direct breastfeeding, is a magical time that, for personal or professional reasons, must eventually come to an end. This is when we talk about weaning.

Exclusive pumping actually makes weaning easier than it may seem! Indeed, your baby is already used to the bottle, which is a major advantage, unlike a baby who has been exclusively breastfed since birth and may experience more stress during this crucial transition.

When should you stop pumping breast milk?
3 steps to help your baby switch to formula
Can you pause weaning and go back to exclusive pumping?
Is it possible to stop pumping without doing anything special?
Key takeaways from this article

When should you stop pumping breast milk?

There is no real deadline for exclusive pumping, just as there isn’t for exclusive breastfeeding. Weaning becomes official when both mother and baby are ready to move on. Sometimes, starting this process can truly be heart-wrenching for one or both of you…

Whether it’s because you are returning to work, experiencing breast pain, or facing health issues, don’t feel guilty! Every baby must stop breastfeeding at some point. It’s simply part of growing up…

Breastfeeding, or exclusive pumping, eventually will no longer be enough to meet your child’s nutritional needs (usually around six months old). Typically, this period coincides with the start of solid food introduction. Before you begin, it’s best to get your pediatrician’s approval.

3 steps to stopping exclusive pumping

Convincing your baby to switch to formula is not always easy… Your child will quickly notice the difference between formula and your breast milk and will understand that the liquid serving as their breakfast is no longer what they are used to consuming.

This can then lead to extended bouts of crying, fussiness, and protest, leaving you in a rather difficult position. What should you do? Give up and risk leaving your baby with an empty stomach until they finally agree to try the new formula?

1. Accept that weaning is a slow process

First of all, you need to recognize that your baby isn’t throwing a tantrum but is genuinely panicking. Ignoring your little one’s fear is not the answer and would only increase their anxiety. Your milk has always been a comforting, familiar part of their diet.

The weaning stage is a major change in your child’s life.

Although babies are able to adapt to the world around them, any change can feel like a real crisis. If the texture, taste, or temperature of their milk suddenly changes, your baby may refuse to eat!

Whether breastfed or fed breast milk in bottles, feedings should not be stopped abruptly. Things can progress gradually and do not need to be rushed.

👶 Combination feeding: balancing breast and bottle.

2. Mix breast milk and formula, gradually reducing the breast milk

To wean your baby, go step by step and “cut” the formula with breast milk for the first few days, so your child recognizes the flavor. Ideally, the first bottles should contain 3/4 breast milk and 1/4 formula.

If you see that your baby is accepting bottles this way, you can narrow the gap between the milks by switching to half and half… And continue this way until your child is exclusively drinking bottles of formula.

⚠️Attention !

You must ensure that meal amounts align with the daily recommendations printed on the formula can.

If your child doesn’t like the first mixture, reduce the amount of formula even more—even if it only makes up 10% of the total bottle volume. The goal is to gently get your baby used to new flavors.

3. Try various formulas

The taste can vary between brands. Not to mention the various flavors of cereal you can add to formula to make bottles more appealing. Be careful not to overdo it though, as these cereal mixes are very sweet and should be consumed in moderation.

Some parents find the perfect option right away, while others have to go through several cans of formula and a portion of their budget before finding the right one to please their little one’s taste buds… Every baby is different when it comes to weaning, so prepare to be patient and flexible!

Learn more about the different types of formula for your baby 🥛

Can you pause weaning and start pumping again?

Have you realized that you may have made a mistake? 🤨

Was the decision to stop breastfeeding or pumping not really yours, but rather a suggestion from well-meaning family or friends? If your body is still producing breast milk, it is possible to reverse the process and put weaning on hold by offering the breast to your baby again, just like before.

With perseverance and frequent breastfeeding, lactation will start up again, although this can take a few days.

If your milk supply has stopped completely, things get trickier. But it’s not impossible for your body to start making milk again! Offer the breast as often as you can or use a breast pump to help relaunch lactation.

Did you know? 💡

Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to have been pregnant and given birth to produce breast milk!

Prolactin is the hormone responsible for breast milk production, and it is produced in large amounts at birth. Today, it is possible to breastfeed an adopted child, for example.

The process is lengthy and demanding, and requires hormone treatment for at least six weeks before the first feedings. Prolactin is provided to the woman's body in medication form. This is called induced lactation, a process developed by the renowned Canadian pediatrician Jack Newman.

What is natural weaning?

If breastfeeding ends at the child’s own pace, this is called natural weaning. The approach means letting your baby decide when it’s time to stop. In this case, you don’t do anything except wait for your child to lose interest in the breast and ask to nurse less often. This generally happens between the ages of 2 and 6 years old, a wide age range that requires patience.

Indeed, depending on the child, letting nature take its course can take time. 😉 Some mothers have breastfed for many years before weaning occurred naturally. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, so we recommend following your instincts.

With exclusive pumping, however, the concept of natural weaning is harder to apply. That’s because your baby isn’t the one deciding what’s in their bottles, so things are different! In this case, you are the one who decides when the time is right. However, you can watch for signs indicating your child is ready to stop breast milk, giving them a chance to show you they are ready:

A lack of interest in the bottle you offer,
Increasing curiosity about solid foods,
More frequent requests for dairy products (yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, etc.)

Key takeaways from this article

Exclusive pumping makes the weaning process easier because your baby is already used to bottles.
It is important to take things slowly by gradually introducing formula mixed with breast milk to reassure your baby. Depending on how your baby reacts, you may need to try several different formulas.
If you change your mind, lactation may return or not—this will depend on how far along you are in the weaning process.
Finally, remember that when breastfeeding, you can let things happen naturally and allow for natural weaning, even if that means breastfeeding your baby for several years in a row. If you are pumping, you can trust your baby to communicate when they are ready to give up your milk.