Cold Turkey - anyone get mastitis? tips to avoid?

[kat08]

Hi

Trying to work out what is best re giving up expressing breast milk after 10 days. I have read lots of differing advice saying you should take it slowly and keep expressing a little bit to avoid mastitis and then I have also heard you should just stop all together otherwise your body won't know to stop making milk if you keep expressing.

I am thinking of going cold turkey and am happy to take the pain for a few days I just really don't want to get mastitis.

How has everyone else dealt with this?

Kat

 

[LovingYou]

i used to pump every 2-3 hours so like 9,12,3,6,9,12.... etc

i started spacing it out more, and now im only pumping once or twice a day at max and my milk is starting to dry up...

hopefully i should stop pumping completely in the next week or so, because i've heard thats its really painful to just stop cold turkey.

 

[yourstruly10]

I quit breastfeeding cold turkey after a week of trying. my milk came in a few days later and i was quite sore for about 3 days. I use warm cloths and baths, also a very supportive sports bra also advil, but i never got mastitis. my milk went away about day 3-4 and i never had any problems.

 

[LeanneS177]

hi hun I bf my LO for 3 months and was told to gradually cut out feeds. i think it took about 2-3 weeks for her to be completley ff. avoid hot showers too when stopping as it stimulates milk production. i used cabbage leaves and a wet face cloth that had been in the fridge to help with the pain. it drove me crazy for a few days - all i wanted to do was release, but it does get better, good luck x

 

[kat08]

Thanks for the advice think I will have to see how it goes and keep everything crossed!

 

[katy1310]

I expressed for 10 weeks while LO was in neonatal, and was trying to do it every 3-4 hours, although that was difficult with the 2 hours travelling time, visiting Sophie and general exhaustion. I think I probably did it more like every 5 hours in reality.

I then went on to breastfeed her for 3 months but she was needing lots of top ups as well and I decided eventually to stop. I had been expressing morning and night as well for topping her up but she'd been needing lots of formula too.

I tried to go cold turkey but it was too painful so I stopped bf Sophie but kept expressing and gradually increased the length of time between expressing. The first night I didn't express at bedtime I was in pain by the morning so I expressed then, and I managed to go 24 hours before expressing again and then I don't think I had to do it again. I definitely managed to stop within about 3 days and it really wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I think as long as you don't keep doing it really often your body won't think it needs to produce more.

xx

 

[Poppy7]

Re. the expressing/breastfeeding. I was told never to go cold turkey, you will be in agony and it won't be bearable.x