Breastfeeding

Can I make this work - Stop pumping, but still nurse?

DD is almost 8 months and has only had BM. EBF until I went back to work when she was 4months. I have never had a problem meeting her needs when I am with her and nursing, but my pump output is horrible and I have really worked SOOO hard to pump enough for her when I am away at work. I pump at east 3x a day once from 1-4am since that is when I can actually eek out 4oz in a session. And twice at work where I generally get around 3oz a session. I still pump the overnight sessions on the weekends and use that for any shortage during the week. WE have been squeaking by. However, I can basically never leave DD for more than 2hrs unless I am at work and I haven't slept more than 4hrs consecutively since she was born. It has been rough, but worth it.

So, DD has really taken to solids. I am doing a combination of BLW and purees, mainly because she WANTS food so much. She has shown serious interest in food since 4-5 months, but we didn't start any solids until 6 months and no real meals until 7 months. And she is tiny less than 10% for her age, so dr. would like to see her eating some solids.

I haven't noticed a decrease in the frequency she wants to nurse when we are together, and she is taking the same amount of milk when I am at work, but what I am pumping has definitely decreased by about an oz/session. Which essentially means with three pumping sessions a day I am only netting around 9oz if I am lucky.

All this is to say, pumping at work is just NOT working out anymore. My schedule is so busy and I am in so many mulitple locations, and my work is frankly suffering from the time I am spending tryign to desperatley squeeze out 2-3oz. a couple of times a day. So, with a heavy heart I am thinking about supplementing with formula and forgoing the pumping at work.

Has anyone done this? Will I be able to successfully continue to nurse DD when I am with her or is my supply going to REALLY tank. Ideally, if this could work she would still get about 50% BM.

I had hopes of nursing past a year 1) because DD shows no signs that she will beclose to ready to wean at a year and 2) I tried giving her yougurt and she a bad reaction so I am not sure she will be ready for cow's milk when she turns 1.

If you made it through all that, thanks :)

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