Suggestions for Weaning from the Breast....

Hi Anne,

ok weaning from breastfeeding can be somewhat painful. you do not want to pump unless you cannot stand the pain from being full and then you only want to pump long enough to take off the edge. when i weaned all of my daughters i wouldn't pump when i got sore if i was at home i would take a shower and teh warm water would help with some relief. also some of my friends would wear sports type bras since the tightness would help with the fullness. you can email me at ____@____.com if you would like. i breastfed all three of my girls and would be happy to talk.

My doctor put me on NuvaRing Birthcontrol when I was getting ready to stop nursing. The birth control completely dried my milk up in about 2 days. I had no engorgement so it was completely painless. although a few weeks before i weaned my daughter completely I gave her formula for every other feeding until I eventual stopped nursing. Just an idea. good luck!!!

All I can say is just take it slow. That's the least stressful on the baby and the least painful for the mama. Over the course of about a month take out one feeding a day every couple of days and you should have little or no engorgement/pain. If you do have a lot of pain suddenly and start having flu symptoms see your doctor immediatly, It could be mastitis, which is very painful and makes you feel awful. It also requires antibiotics.

Eat sage spice in your meals. It helps to reduce the milk supply. But I would not stop breastfeeding until a year due to antibodies that you are providing you little one, but if you do choose to stop, like I said, sage should help decrease the supply.

Are you going to go staight to the cup or use a bottle . I would slowly cut out a feeding at a time until the baby is down
to one breast feeding a day and then it should be easier and
less painful to stop . You can either go cold turkey after that or release a very small amount periodically as needed until your milk dries up. This had worked with me and I nursed
all three of my children.

How come you want to stop breast-feeding?!

Well, I've heard from multiple lactation consultants that you take some cabbage leaves, roll them with a rolling pin to make them supple, and then place them on your breasts surrounding yet avoiding the nipples. Leave them there as long as you can each day and that should dry out your ducts and stop production. It's better than going through the pain of engorgement because of not expressing or having your baby eat.

Hi A.,
No you don't pump, because that will make you produce more. It will be a little uncomfortable for a few days if you stop at once, you can also slowly cut down. Just only nurse morning and evening for a while and than only morning or evening and than totally stop. I recommend the slow approach, but if you have to stop at once, wear a tight sprts bra for the first couple of days, your milk will stop and dry up.
Best wishes
G., Doula

don't do it until your baby is at least a year old- he still needs his immunity from you, especially when you start taking him out into the world meeting other kids, germs, etc. The other poster was right- breastfeeding doesn't have to be all or nothing, and it should never be stopped because of parental whims or inconveniences. Consult a La Leche League leader or lactation consultant, what ever you do.

Its best to wean slowly for you and the baby. Thats what I did with both my kids. if you want to stop now then you wouyld just let them fill up and the milk will eventually dry up and stop coming. Now this is very painful exspecially if you produce alot of milk. I had mastitis with my youngest and that stuff is horrible so yes be careful.

You will have to go through a period of engourgement(letting them fill up) which is uncomfortable, but will pass fairly quickly.

The tips that I have learned are

1)Only pump to relieve the pain, just enough to take some of the tightness down and not a bit more

2)Cold cabbage leaves in your bra works wonders. You peel a leaf off and then slightly crush it with a rolling pin and then put it in your bra. It feels good, smells strange and actually works to help your milk dry up. It is an Ol' Wives Tale that actually works:)

3)Take Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, etc) to help with the pain and swelling

4)Do Not bind your breasts with ace bandages or anything similar. This does not work even though it is still recommended by people.

5)Wear a bra at all times to reduce any stimulaion including at night

Hang in there. It takes about a week, the first couple of days being the worse.

Hope this helps some.

Kris(37) Four beautiful children, the lastest just born two weeks ago

Decrease your dairy intake. Then you can wrap your breasts in an ace bandage...that helps them dry up and supports them since they will be very sensitive for while,

T.

It's best for you and your child to cut out one feeding a day and then 1 1/2 or 2 weeks later cut out another, etc. Do it gradually. You will be happy you did, your body really needs time to adjust to not nursing anymore. And your child needs time to adjust to this big change as well.

Slow approach is the best option, because stopping cold turkey is very painful. Slowly cut back breastfeeding to a few times a day and hot towels in between for the pain. I used to stand in a hot shower and just express a little bit to take a little bit of the pressure off. Plus you have to make sure your baby will take a bottle. He may not like being cut off cold turkey either:)

I am sorry to hear you no longer want to breatfeed, I loved it! The only thing I can tell you is that I have heard that putting your bra in the freezer each night and leave it in there til you put it on, helps! I have never done it, just what I have heard! I nursed until my daughter was a year and then slowly cut back, so I naturally didn't engorge! Good Luck!

Hi,A.
When I stopped breast feeding cause I had to due to illness. Your breast will fill up with milk and leak alittle bit and get hard and may hurt, so you can take a hot shower and message them after a few days the swalling will go down and they won't hurt anymore just leakage. Well hope I helped you alittle bit.

J. W

You may need to pump (with your hand or actual pump) just a little -- just enough to relieve the pressure. It takes a few days for the pressure to full alleviate and even long to see now milk but it just takes time.
L.

I just weaned my son a little bit ago. It took me a little over a week. I gradually cut out a feeding, and stretched out the time between feedings. I pumped because it was very painful to get engorged again. Also, I read that if you stop cold turkey, you put the health of your breasts at risk- mastitis, clogged milk ducts, etc. It is best to go slowly. Just pump for a few minutes to relieve the pressure. I would massage any hard spots to help prevent any clogged ducts.

Good luck!

A.,
Be careful about weaning suddenly because that can set you up for mastitis. Tight bras and ace bandages can decrease milk production, but could also trigger plugged ducts.

Weaning gradually is by far the best approach, allowing your body to cut back on milk production gradually. Drop a feeding every other day, or switch to just morning and/or evening as someone suggested.

If you find yourself uncomfortably full, hand express a small amount of milk (save it and use it in your baby's cereal or cup!), just enough to relieve the discomfort, not attempting to "empty" the breast. A pump is ok too, but again, not to empty.

Motherlove also makes an herbal tincture for weaning (Sage). It can be found at Bosom Buddies online or in the stores and at some other health/vitamin type stores.

Keep in mind breastfeeding doesn't have to be all or nothing. You might find you like that morning or evening feed enough to keep doing it after you have dropped all the other feeds. That's ok too, your body will adjust.

S.

Why do you want to stop breastfeeding? It is best for a child that you stick with it for at least one year. I breastfed my first for two and a half years and my second for only 8 months, because I got my period and dried up. I was just heartbroken.

Breastfeeding is one of the most important things you can do for your child especially while the brain is still fully developing. Studies show that formula assaults the brain with supplements that babies are not ready for. And besides, breastfeeding gives immunity to your child that nothing synthetic can match. And, of course, the comfort of being close to you vs. a plastic bottle. Both my children have benefited enormously from being breastfed, healthwise (they are rarely sick) and academically.

The great thing about breast feeding is your body knows what it is doing. The way it works is supply and demand. What you have to do is stop slowly subtitue one or two breats feedings a day and when you stop it wont be a big deal. You just have to remember that both you and your baby will benifit from this transistion.

D.

To help dry up your breasts you can do three things: wear tight fitting bra's. and apply ice bags to them to help dry them up, but the best thing you can do is apply cabbage leaves to them (wrap your breasts with cabbage leaves and they will dry up). If it were me, I would use the cabbage leaves and wear tight sports bra's.
Good luck.