Stopping nursing

Julie - posted on 05/05/2010

Pump for relief and slowly spread out pumpings. I was also told to put cabbage leavesin mmy bra cups.

Michelle - posted on 05/05/2010

cabbage leaves. place them on your breasts and they will help to keep you from lactating. i know it sounds strange, but my mom is a lactation consultant and it's pretty common advice. www.howtodothings.com/.../a1711-how-to-dry-up-breast-milk-supply.html

Christine - posted on 05/05/2010

I am weaning my 9 month daughter this few weeks. I have been giving her solid at noon and dinner time to reduce the number of breastfeed, and give her one bottle before bed time. It works really well. I felf pain a little a first few days but now my body is adjusting. Very little milk left, which is good sign. May be it will be completely stop next week.

Amy - posted on 05/02/2010

OMG... no one ever told me that this could happen when it was time to wean your baby! Lord knows I went through H - E double hockey sticks when I had a c-section and started nursing. After suffering that crippling pain I'm gonna have to suffer crippling pain again?! Aye aye aye! Still, I did it once and I wanted the best for my precious daughter and if that is what I will have to deal with later on, then so be it. I'll be sure to buy and freeze plenty of cabbage!

Anna - posted on 05/01/2010

It seems I've heard about teas that inhibit milk production, you should research that. Also, take something like Benadryl (only at night, it makes you sleepy) to dry you up.

Andrea - posted on 05/01/2010

this is going to sound extremely funny, but potato skins in your bra help draw out the milk and reduce the engorgement. Also, when weaning you should do about one feed a week and slowly ease out of it, not stop cold turkey, it's easier on you and your child

CJ - posted on 04/30/2010

You might need to pump occasionally, not like a whole lot, you don't want to make yourself continue producing milk, but until the production slows you may need to pump out enough to keep it from being painful when your breasts get full. I had to wean my baby, because I wasn't producing enough anymore, but I still had to pump occasionally or I'd be leaking and in pain for that first week or so.

Melanie - posted on 04/29/2010

If you're looking to dry up and stop completely, then take some Actifed or some other OTC anti histamine. Or, you could go to your doc and get the Rx that dries you out.

Eva - posted on 04/29/2010

You dont mention how often your son was breastfeeding when you decided to stop. If he was breastfeeding often during the day, maybe it is wiser to reduce gradually the frequency. If your baby is nolonger eager to breastfeed pump extra milk out every now and then. If you have serious pain, fever or redness on your breasts i think you should ask your doctor. Good luck in your weaning process. I know how difficult it can be physically and emotionally...

Shelly - posted on 04/29/2010

It is very important to slowly reduce feeds before stopping. You may have mastitis which is an infection in the milk duct. Stopping cold turkey can also cause your hormone levels to drop too fast and make you feel depressed.
I would feed enough to relieve the pressure when it gets too uncomfortable but if you have red patches of skin that are painful you may need antibiotics.
Good luck and congratulations for breastfeeding for 2 years !

Renee - posted on 04/28/2010

On my first two nights I breastfed just to relieve the discomfort, but only just enough to relieve it. I breastfed him for 2 years, my daughter only got to breastfeed for 6 weeks since I had no idea I would have breastfeeding problems and didn't know to fix that before hand. According the the doctor and nurses I wouldn't have any problems, but they were wrong, I had inverted nipples when she would latch on, until then they wouldn't show any problems at all. But with my daughter, I really didn't even notice weaning her since we weren't ever completely established with our feedings. But with my son we were strictly breastfeeding, and it did hurt, and at one point it hurt so bad I was squerming and unable to sit still. But I got through it, mainly because I did get relief from my son doing a quick feeding in the night, but other than that, I suffered through it. And got through it too. I was reluctent to say to breastfeed or pump since that can prolong the production of milk, but if it relieves you then go for it.

Heather - posted on 04/28/2010

Instead of cold turkey, try nursing or pumping again to relieve the pressure. Then drop 1 feed/pump every 3-5 days, give your body time to adjust. I did this with both my kids and weaning wasn't ever uncomfortable.

Brooke - posted on 04/28/2010

Half way there?!? Are you serious? Ugh! I have never had this with my other kids. I am dying. Half way....I may die. :)

Renee - posted on 04/28/2010

I was the same as you sleeping with ice packs and avoiding anyone getting near my chest in any way. I would express some when I could, although sometimes it made it hurt worse and other times it actually helped. I would put cabbage leaves in the freezer and put them on my skin after they froze. I liked doing that since they could go in my bra, be flexable and frozen and I could forget about them while I was bissy. Although you do get a cold head ache every time you put them on, but it's better than the boobs hurting and the cold head ache goes away really fast. Sage tea inhibbits the production of milk, so if you can get it, drinks lots of it. It took a month for my chest to go down, so hopefully you are half way there.