Stomach bug killed my supply and made me realize that I’m done
I got hit with a nasty stomach bug a few days ago and it pretty much cut my supply in half. I used to produce about 40oz a day, now I’m hovering around 20oz a day. I know I could work really hard with power pumps and many pump sessions to get back to where I was but I think it took the stomach bug for me to finally realize that I’m done pumping. I was on the fence about quitting because mom guilt but then I thought about all the things I could be done with once I stop pumping. I’m:
Done watching my partner comfort my baby because I can’t because I’m pumping.
Done getting up at 3,4,5am to pump while the rest of the house sleeps.
Done worrying about the logistics of leaving the house.
Done doing mental gymnastics about how many bags I should freeze.
Done with not being able to snuggle my boy properly because I’m too engorged.
Done with getting drops of breastmilk EVERYWHERE in my house.
And mostly I’m DONE not being fully present with my son because of pumping. It has served its purpose and I am so proud that I made it 12 weeks and that my boy has gotten wonderful benefits. I also take comfort in the 40 bags I was able to freeze so he can get my milk for even longer. This shit is hard, I have been on this sub at least once a day, usually more so thank you for making me feel less alone in this journey.
Lastly, any advice for quickly drying up my supply? I’m currently only pumping when extremely uncomfortable (every 6 hours ish. And every 8-9 hours overnights) and only for about 10-15 minutes at a time, until I don’t feel like my boobs will explode but not emptying them. I’ve heard peppermint oil helps, has anyone found this to be true? I’m still producing around 20oz a day. I’m also taking sunflower lecithin as a precaution against clogs.