Just Weaned My Baby-lopsided and in Pain!

Updated on March 17, 2010
M.F. asks from Scottsdale, AZ
23 answers

I weaned my baby over the weekend. We were only doing morning and night nursings anyway, with a bedtime pump occasionally and she self-weaned/was so DONE with nursing, so I simply stopped offering and she hasn't cared one bit. I wasn't producing that much milk anyway, only about 2 oz. per nurse. I haven't nursed/pumped since Friday morning and my one breast is super-engorged and painful, while the other breast is getting to that point. What can I do to help relieve the pain, hardness, swelling and help my body with this transition. I've heard about using cabbage leaves to dry up your milk, but does that really work? Should I use heat or cold or both? What has helped you? Thank you for your advise!

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all the imput on the cabbage leaves! I wasn't able to go out and get any, so I finally just expressed-by-hand the most painful side last night. It hurt SO much doing it, but it feels much better today. Thanks again and I will try the cabbage leaves next time!

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K.F.

answers from Phoenix on

When this happened to me I just pumped once and that was it. It went away and I was all dry after that.

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M.K.

answers from Phoenix on

Just let her suck on the one breast that is swollen for only a few seconds... this is what I did. You don't want an infection... it only takes the few seconds for it to release the engorged breast. When she is sucking as soon as you feel relief stop... I did this and that was the last of it. You can also go in the hot shower with a wash cloth and gently squeeze. I had to do this on an occasion while I was actively breast feeding. Good Luck and do it right away to avoid infection. :)

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S.S.

answers from Tucson on

Hot Showers will help a bit. Do not pump. If you pump you're creating more milk. Drying up is painful. You have to watch that it doesn't turn into a breast infection along the way. Good luck.
S. @ProActive Parenting

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D.H.

answers from Phoenix on

If I hadn't tried it for myself, I never would have believed that cabbage leaves really work. But it does, and it works fairly quickly. When I had our second child, I decided against breastfeeding, and the nurses at the hospital even told me about the cabbage leaves. Just make sure you wear a pretty snug fitting sports bra, and remember to change out the leaves when they are wilted. I never got painfully engorged, and my milk dried up in a couple of days.

Like I said, if I hadn't done it, I wouldn't have believed it for a second!

1 mom found this helpful
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T.J.

answers from Flagstaff on

For health reasons, I had to wean my first son when he was 6 months old overnight. I was making very little like u and he was used to formula in a bottle, which was good for him. What I did was used a pump ever other day to relieve the pain, but only for a few minutes, and then started using it less and less. You can also relieve some ot the pain by squeezing some milk out by hand. For me, none of the natural things worked. Good luck!

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R.O.

answers from Tucson on

Probably a little late responding but I did the cabbage leaf thing and also those frozen gel pads that are for the beginning of nursing when it hurts like heck. It took about 36 hours to be completed un-engorged and stop leaking. Good luck and........welcome to the other side! :)

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K.M.

answers from Pittsburgh on

This may sound really odd, but I soaked mine in epsom salt from walmart. Mis it as directed on package and soak 2 xs a day til it dries out. It will keep you from getting an infection too which is common when you are drying up.

L.A.

answers from Austin on

Yes, the cabbage leaves really work to dry up the milk. Place them inside your bra

.Also a really nice ultra warm shower or soak in the tub will give you some relief.

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M.J.

answers from Tucson on

Two of my friends told me they use cabbage leaves. You place them over your breast inside your bra. They both said it dried them up quick. I never had that problem but they said it worked great.

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C.M.

answers from Dallas on

I feel for you! I know how much pain you are in. The first thing I would do is take a warm shower and massage the breast. Then, get a cabbage. It does work. Pull of a leaf but don't wash it. You have to break the large white vein down the center (lengthwise). The easiest way to do it is with a knife. Cut it just enough to break open the vein, but not split the leaf in two. Put it under a bra (sports bra works best). Wear it until it gets warm. Throw it away and put on a new one. It may take a few days for your breast to return to normal but the cabbage will really help.

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L.N.

answers from Flagstaff on

You've gotten advice to pump and to not pump. Both things are true. If you pump enough so that you get some relief, you'll be avoiding further engorgement (which can lead to plugged ducts/mastitis). If you pump beyond just relief, then you'll be signalling your body to make more. So pump until it's not uncomfortable full anymore but still full. Do that probably as often as you were nursing before. You have to wean your body off too.

I don't have experience with cabbage leaves but have heard that it does work. Cut a hole for the nipple and leave it for several hours before changing it.

Warmth helps mobilize the milk so that you can get it out by pumping. Cold is good after you've pumped to relieve swelling. You may not need to use warmth at all before you pump.

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L.F.

answers from Phoenix on

I had to stop nursing my son at 1 month because he was allergic to breast mik. I used the cabbage leaves and it worked great. Find the greenest cabbage you can find and put it in the fridg. As needed take off a leaf and roll it with a rolling pin to crush the veins a little, If I remember correctly put the side with the veins towards the breast. It worked wonders for me. When the cabbage wilts or get too warm put in another one. Good Luck. :)

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S.C.

answers from Phoenix on

Ouch! Weaning over one weekend is pretty darn fast, even if you were only down to two feedings a day. I took over a month to wean and even went so far as to stretch out that final night feeding to every other day until I finally stopped with complete and utter ease. No pain or engorgement at all.

So I'm thinking that the best way to relieve your breast pain is to simply nurse the baby and then come at the whole weaning thing a little bit slower.

Best of luck to you!

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K.W.

answers from Phoenix on

I never used the cabbage leaves because I never had them when a duct would become plugged. So I would stand in shower with very warm water and then hand express. I would lie down and put a very warm cloth or heating pad over the affected breast. Afterward, I would pump or hand express. I would then cool down with a cool cloth. You could also contact La Leche League because they are renowned experts in all things nursing.

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E.W.

answers from Santa Fe on

I took a sage extract...it dries you up quickly!

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L.I.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi M.:

From your post, it seems like you are over the worst of it. Yeah!!

I would like to offer some info with regards to the process of weaning and the various offers of advise we get. Some way to nurse, some not. Some say to pump, some say no. Some say the weaning to quickly caused them a lot of pain and perhaps a breast infection and others say they had absolutely no problem whatsoever.

The thing in, each person may be right, in their own way, for their own situation.

The advise we give women for the weaning process can vary from mother to mother based on how long she has been nursing, how frequently her baby is currently nursing, about how much milk she is currently making, if she has any allergies or reactions to things such as Sage, or Cabbage leaves or Benadryl

A general rule of thumb though is to do whatever you can to make sure the milk is moving and to not bind your breasts with anything too firm AS both, while not a given, has the potential to cause a breast infection. The milk gets backed up, has nowhere to go, is not being released, causes plugged ducts and an infection.

I also believe that weaning should happen, gradually,,,,, and with love, so as not to cause any harm to the breast tissue. Even if this means taking a week or so to gradually decrease the frequency of the milk removal, either by baby, pump or hand expression. Mothers little helpers in these instances can be sage or benadryl or cabbage and perhaps all three at once.

As a lactation consultant, I individualize the care for each mother based on the variables, however, I just wanted to state here that to not do anything with regards to milk removal in a mother whose body has been use to frequent milk removal for weeks or months, can increase the risk factor for a breast infection.

L. J. I., IBCLC
All About Breastfeeding

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J.M.

answers from Boston on

Take a couple Sudafed. That will help dry you out very quickly. Good luck.

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B.W.

answers from Phoenix on

Massage in a hot shower while releasing some of the extra milk. They can get infected and turn into mastititis so easy, which will make you super sick, fever, pain, vomiting. Don't wear a tight bra or an underwire, and keep massaging the swollen areas.

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C.R.

answers from Phoenix on

They do use and recommend the cabbage leaves in hospitals. It would be okay to pump to relieve the pressure. Also use warm soaks.

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C.C.

answers from Tampa on

Didn't use cabbage leaves (never got terrible) but did take warm showers and hand express enough to be comfortable.

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L.M.

answers from Phoenix on

It sounds like you are doing it too fast. It can take weeks, in which time you still have to pump here and there. When I first started, my doc said to stop one feeding every 2 or 3 days, and then just gradually go down from there. If you are having pain, I'd pump. It will dry up eventually, you just have to go slow. You can get breast infections, etc if you go too fast. If you have excruciating pain, it's maybe possible that you have mastitis (if accompanied with fever and flu symptoms).

But heat helped me the most. I'd get into the shower and have the water heat just shy of burning me, so my skin would turn red, but was still tolerable. And massage them at the same time. You probably have blocked ducts.

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K.

answers from Phoenix on

Get the cabbage. It does work.

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S.D.

answers from Phoenix on

I used Cabo Creme. It's made out of cabbage. Yes it does really help and work. I don't know if he's in business anymore but I got mine at Babies Mothers & More. Here's his website. Try calling him. http://www.milksmile.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywo...

The guy that owns the store is amazing. Very nice and knowledgeable about everything nursing related

Another great resource is www.kellymom.com I also used warm compresses or hot showers and wore a tight sports bra to minimize movement.

Hang in there! It won't last forever.

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