Anyone not planning on breastfeeding at all

[lexy604]

I have flip flopped on this choice and have come to the conclusion i am really not comfortable with breastfeeding. To be clear im not looking for opinions on it or questions as to why. Its my personal choice for myself and baby and i do know the pros and cons with both. With that being said is there anyone who had decided not to breastfeed at all and if so how did you deal with milk production. I spoke to my doctor they no longer do pills so she said i would have to bind my boobs but i know this can cause mastisis i think its called. Im doing some research and have heard cabbage leaves. Just want to know what yall are doing to stop milk production if it came in at all or how it works. I have had no leaking or anything and doctor said its supply and demand if im not suplying it than i will eventually stop producing. Any tips would be greeeat thanx

 

[steph1505]

Hey there!! I gave breastfeeding a try but it really didnt agree with me or baby and I felt persevering was too much pressure so when I got home from hospital the midwife recommended putting a savoy cabbage in the fridge and then putting the leaves in my bra! This did help and the coldness seemed to soothe my nipples! So I would recommend that! I found that I leaked for about a week or so after I stop breastfeeding! Hope this helps! x x x x

 

[lexy604]

I heard this too thanks a bunch every suggestion helps i just am so tired of people saying well you know you should try in the begining and such its like im suppose to feel bad for not trying which i kind of do. Yet its just not something i want to do it seems weird to me and its not as if im going to starve the baby so i dont see what the big controversy is ugh!

 

[penguin77]

I FF from the start and the only thing i used was the breast pads for about a weeks as i had a bit of leakage LOL.... My BBs were really hard and tender for 4/5 days but i didnt use anything to soothe them....i suppose it depends how tender/sore they become if you need to use anything....but i have heard that cabbage leaves work a treat.

xxx

 

[lexy604]

Ya doctor said it could be super painful and i really dont think binding is a good idea but it was her suggestion ugh

 

[Vickie]

Hannah was FF from the start and yes it can be super painful when your milk comes in and you become engorged. (depends on the woman I think though)

Anyways I wore two bras (a sports bra and my regular bra) to keep them bound because it hurt otherwise. I also found that ice helped quite a bit with the engorgement. I was told in the hospital to avoid putting any heat on them as that would stimulate milk production. I have heard that cabbage leaves work wonders though I didn't use them

 

[lexy604]

Ya i have heard avoid running warm water over them as it could stimulate milk.

 

[FsMummy]

u think bf is weird? lol i was just the same before i started bfing my first, i thought eeew how could someone do that lol anyways when i stopped bfing her all i did was carry on wearing breast pads and my normal bra and that was it. it is a good idea to avoid hot showers as the heat stimulates 'let down' which is when the milk moves to the front of the breast and u leak. your boobs might get very hard and swollen, this is engorgement. basically they are filling up more and more as none is being let out, do not be tempted to express any milk (unless of course u chose to express milk to give to your lo instead of actually bfing) to relieve the pressure as ur body will think you are bfing and will make more. ive also heard cabbage leaves are good. when i stopped, it was about a week until it went away i think. dont ever feel bad about your choice not to bf. what works best for you is what matters > happy mum= happy baby

 

[hollie]

I FF Alfie from day 1 (and dont have any regrets about doing so either). I just wore pads and took the odd paracetamol once my milk came in and it took about 10 days to dry up. The pain wasnt that bad, just a bit uncomfortable.

 

[oct-bump]

I FF from the start as well. I'm wearing two sports bars and putting ice packs inbetween them. I've been doing this since Sunday evening. The worst day was Monday. The feeling is sort of like how my boobs felt back when I was 12 or so - it's like I was going through puberty again with them, but they are big and hard now.

My doctor said don't get them warm or sit in the shower with warm water on them. Don't touch them unless you quickly wash them. Mine only leaked a little on Monday. When I feed LO I put a blanket between her and me so she doesn't get too cold with the ice packs.

I don't know if the UK has ice packs. They are reusable and small. I have 4 of them. I wear two and freeze two, then switch them throughout the day.

Good luck!

 

[lexy604]

u think bf is weird? lol i was just the same before i started bfing my first, i thought eeew how could someone do that lol anyways when i stopped bfing her all i did was carry on wearing breast pads and my normal bra and that was it. it is a good idea to avoid hot showers as the heat stimulates 'let down' which is when the milk moves to the front of the breast and u leak. your boobs might get very hard and swollen, this is engorgement. basically they are filling up more and more as none is being let out, do not be tempted to express any milk (unless of course u chose to express milk to give to your lo instead of actually bfing) to relieve the pressure as ur body will think you are bfing and will make more. ive also heard cabbage leaves are good. when i stopped, it was about a week until it went away i think. dont ever feel bad about your choice not to bf. what works best for you is what matters > happy mum= happy baby

I just am not into the whole idea of having a baby on my boob all the time plus i want OH to be able to get up and help when he wants to of course seein as he is working i wouldnt make him. I dont want to feel like we cant go anywhere or do anything because im breastfeeding as well doesnt work for me. Like my doc said too its supply and demand it will stop coming in when im not putting it out lets hope so haha. Also if im bottle feeding it gives a longer time between feedings because formula is thicker than breastmilk and fills baby up more which is nice. Everyone seems to have an opinion on it and really i take it all in but in the end like you said it is my choice and baby will be eating so i think its fine hahaha

 

[lexy604]

I FF Alfie from day 1 (and dont have any regrets about doing so either). I just wore pads and took the odd paracetamol once my milk came in and it took about 10 days to dry up. The pain wasnt that bad, just a bit uncomfortable.

Good to hear and glad you dont regret it regardless of everyones opinions im sure I wish it was like the old days where they gave pills lol

 

[lexy604]

I FF from the start as well. I'm wearing two sports bars and putting ice packs inbetween them. I've been doing this since Sunday evening. The worst day was Monday. The feeling is sort of like how my boobs felt back when I was 12 or so - it's like I was going through puberty again with them, but they are big and hard now.

My doctor said don't get them warm or sit in the shower with warm water on them. Don't touch them unless you quickly wash them. Mine only leaked a little on Monday. When I feed LO I put a blanket between her and me so she doesn't get too cold with the ice packs.

I don't know if the UK has ice packs. They are reusable and small. I have 4 of them. I wear two and freeze two, then switch them throughout the day.

Good luck!

Gives me hope for it going better than i expected thanx. Im in canada we got ice pack like crazy haha

 

[wishingonastar]

not sure why some of you have been advised not to put heat on boobs heat doesn't stimulate more milk to be produced, only stimulating the nipples (as if LO is drinking does this). If your boobs are engorged not only will cold savoy cabbage leaves in your bra help (change every couple of hours) but also putting a warm flannel over boobs or standing under hot shower and very gentle massage will loosen up milk and cause letdown reflex which will let your boobs chuck out a little milk to ease discomfort then the leaking will stop after a short time...end result, you're more comfortable without stimulating more milk

i chose to BF but suffered with lots and lots of milk and this was the only way i could get relief while my supply sorted itself out!!!

just don't be tempted to squeeze/pump milk out to give relief as your body will think its baby drinking

 

[lexy604]

not sure why some of you have been advised not to put heat on boobs heat doesn't stimulate more milk to be produced, only stimulating the nipples (as if LO is drinking does this). If your boobs are engorged not only will cold savoy cabbage leaves in your bra help (change every couple of hours) but also putting a warm flannel over boobs or standing under hot shower and very gentle massage will loosen up milk and cause letdown reflex which will let your boobs chuck out a little milk to ease discomfort then the leaking will stop after a short time...end result, you're more comfortable without stimulating more milk

i chose to BF but suffered with lots and lots of milk and this was the only way i could get relief while my supply sorted itself out!!!

just don't be tempted to squeeze/pump milk out to give relief as your body will think its baby drinking

My doc and everything i read says if you dont want to breastfeed you dont want to encourage the milk to come out by stimulating nipples in anyway(warm showers or baths for long periods of time will do this) because than its like when you feed baby you WILL produce more as thats what there suppose to do. Not more than you normally would but it will continue to come in. So its like your saying dont pump it or anything liek that because it encourages milk to come out more like your feeding baby.


The donts on this explain it better
https://www.howtodothings.com/family-and-relationships/a1711-how-to-dry-up-breast-milk-supply.html

 

[wishingonastar]

well, i understand if you did it loads then it could be an issue but if its anything like the engorgement i had you'll need something to help!!!! lol

obviously your choice at end of day

 

[lexy604]

Ya t totally makes sense but from everything i read like EVERYTHING it says stay away from nipple stimulation no warm lol im sure once im in the situation i will not care and be like get it out haha

 

[sam*~*louize]

I FF, and boobs were only very sore about Day 4 for 2 days, leaking for about a week. Not heaps though. Didn't do anything, they sorted themselves out!

 

[PrincessSoph]

i FF from day 1, i just didnt like the idea of breastfeeding so i would've just stressed about it which wouldnt be good for Summer either. I've never regretted it or felt i should've given breastfeeding a go. Summer is a happy baby - slept through the night from 6 weeks and had no problems.

With regards stopping the milk, i did nothing as i didnt think i had to. no doc told me to or anything. about 4 days after having summer they were tender and rock hard, i hardly leaked, i didnt even use breast pads as it was so little leaking.

 

[sophie c]

also ff from day 1, just used breast pads for a week or so, and showered regularly then they were fine, i also found letting the water run on my bbs helped

xx