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Stopping breastfeeding

Kristi - posted on 01/30/2009 ( 3 moms have responded )

706

10

Hi Ladies,

I have asked this type of question before, but I have since made a decision so I require different answers now :)

I have MS so I have to go back on my meds at the end of March. I can't breastfeed and be on the meds at the same time, and I need to be back on meds for my health. My son was born November 11, 2008 and we are exclusively breastfeeding right now. He takes both breast and bottle with few issues (although lately he wants only the breast, little booger). I have been pumping extra milk in an effort to allow my husband to feed our son more breast milk when I go back on meds and go back to work at the end of March. I think I will have about enough milk to have my son get another month or so on breast milk!

So, since I have breast milk for my son for an extra month, I don't want to wean him off the breast milk before the end of March, so my husband can just keep on going ... but what about me??? EEK ... now I am worried that I will get engorged and be in a ridiculous amount of pain when I stop breast feeding, because it will pretty much be cold turkey.

Here's the ideas that I have gotten thus far:
- pump just for comfort, and you will eventually stop producing
- use cold cabbage leaves in the bra for comfort

So ... any other ideas????

Thanks in advance!

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3 Comments

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Sophie - posted on 01/30/2009

21

5

You could try to slowly wean him off the breast by combining with pre-expressed milk.  You're breast will probably still be engorged and sore but not as bad as stopping 'cold turkey'. 



If they do ache unbearably then you could try having a warm bath and just squeeze a little bit of milk out just to take the edge off.  A friend of mine was advised to bind her breasts after doing this.  I don't know whether that is quite an old fashioned idea, it sounds a bit barbaric but apparently it worked.

Courtney - posted on 01/30/2009

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10

Okay Here goes Kristi, whatever you do when you stop do not pump. your body will think you are still nursing so it will keep producing milk. this is what I would suggest if you need to stop nursing by the end of march I would from the beginning of march till you are back on your meds slow start weaning him off the breast. if this does not work for you I would use the cold cabbage leaves ( or anything cold for a while) you can use an ace wrap around your chest, and try not to stimulate your breast ( if possible) the more they are stimulated the more the milk will want to flow. In march start decreasing the amount of times you feed him at the breast. ( about a 1 week before you are ready to stop nursing him) start eliminating one feeding a day. this will help too.

Faith - posted on 01/30/2009

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I didn't breastfeed my son and I just threw a couple ice packs on those honkers and grouchily parked on the couch. Took a couple days. But since you have a pump and everything you can just gradually pump yourself down over a few weeks, I'd think. 



So awesome that you were able to make it this far! GL

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