Will i need to take something to dry up my milk???

[sandilion]

Am i best to go to the doctors to get something to help dry up my milk, or will it dry up ok by itself? Im worried about getting blocked ducts as I have had a rough run with them in the earlier months as well as 2 bouts of mastitis.

I am combi feeding LO now, and have already noticed my milk supply has started to decrease slowly! Im thinking in a couple days once i have hit my 9 months BF milestone, ill try to stop the BF all together by then as he really is going well on the formula so i feel this will work now (he also bit my nipple really hard and bit into it. In a lot of pain now )

So yeah sorry i am rambling again, should i let nature clear it up on it's own or head to the docs to take something to help??

I so can't wait to feel normal again!!!

 

[LilOopsy]

I went cold turkey with mine

They hurt for a day or two... Cold gel pads help or if you believe old wives tales then cabbage leaves.


They will probably gorge before they empty so be ready for concrete boobs.


They still leak a little but it's important that no matter what don't be tempted to express even a little


Good luck

 

[Mamma_Mia]

or if you believe old wives tales then cabbage leaves.

I did use the cabbage leaves and its was awesome!! only 1 full day of PAIN!
I was already 'leaking' a week before my daughter was born and tried to BF at the hospital but I wasn't really into it. It was more of a if it happens great if not great. Well she was miserable and started formula instead (long story short was also lactose intollerant in the end. We had to go to a soy formula.)

Day one after she was born I was ok...the pain/discomfort was more-so "down below"

Day two starting to engorge but not painfull yet just funny to see how HUGE I was (I'm a 36DD normally).

Day 3 I wanted to die! Found online about the cabbages and did it ASAP

Heat increaces milk production so try not to hold baby too close against breasts. Showering don't allow water to hit them either, I'd sponge bathe the "girls" so no direct heat.

Keep the cabbage in the fridge so its COLD! Put 2-3 leaves directly on your breasts and try to cover as much area as possible and bra/sports bra over. Replace with new cold leaves every 1-2 hours (they will wilt with your body heat) the cold feels SO good! Well 4 large heads of cabbage later and only 2 full days I was dry and ready to go!

FYI - be carefull going down the stair quickly.....OUCH lol

 

[NickyKB]

I stopped BF after 7 months a week ago. ever since 6 months though LO had been getting increasingly fussy on the breast and we'd been switching over to formula. The final week he would literally go on for a couple of minutes 1-2x a day if that. My supply decreased gently doing it this way and frankly by last saturday (final BF) there was practically nothing there. I've not had any problems with engorgement/blocked ducts/pain doing it this way. My LO kind of made it easy by going off boob but if you're already slowly increasing formula and decreasing BF I wouldn't have thought there'd be too much of a problem if you keep doing this and then stop when he's down to nearly nothing anyway...

PS just re-read your post my LO started biting a lot more once there was less milk there - I think he might've been trying to get more out - it really hurts! He never did it before my supply started to run low. This also helped change us over to formula as if he bit me once during a feed and I tried to put him back on he would just bite again, so after a bit I took him of completely after 1 bite and gave him a bottle this really reduced lengths of feeds aswell for decreasing milk supply...

 

[Numero_uno]

I stopped bf last Thursday and was really uncomfortable on Friday and Saturday, had to do one mornin feed to release some pressure and I can feel the pressure coming less now. Still have uncomfortable feeling when I lie down, etc

 

[bjl1981]

I stopped BF after 3 months and did it gradually over 2 weeks and I didn't have any issues when I eventually stopped, but I stopped BF because of a supply problem anyway, so if you have an abundance of milk this may not be the same for you. Hope it goes ok

 

[sandilion]

Ugh its not going that great, though i haven't tried the cabbage yet. My breasts are rock hard, i had to express again today as i could feel my ducts starting to really hurt and become inflamed. I am so prone to blockages and mastitis that I am really concerned with how to manage this.

I am also really battling with major guilt of doing this. I think its from doing it for so long... I keep questioning if I still love my LO and if i am being a good enough mother to him... its horrid. I think its the hormones messing with me.

 

[BeachyBronzer]

i took a quarter teasspoon of sage three times a day when i stopped bfing. i think it helped, but i dont know!
i did express a little bit in the shower as i was super engorged and my boobs ached and felt like they were two boulders.
i also wore cabbage leaves in my bra. i went through so much cabbage!

 

[socitycourty]

i had a massive oversupply due to my LO on the breast nonstop (i'm not exaggerating!) because of her reflux. i weaned over a week and when she started refusing the boob i had 2 days of pain. i could never have managed cold turkey

 

[Melandmartyn]

I stopped breastfeeding 3weeks ago I was told that going cold turkey can be painful so I expressed my milk and decreased the amount of times I pumped a day and finally got down to one pump before bed and my milk just went on it's own that way I had no blocked ducts or pain at all! I also mixed my breast milk in with the formula (on health visitors advice) so the expressed milk wasn't wasted xx

 

[mrsbeano]

Lots of anything peppermint, including sweets.

 

[youngwife20]

Dont feel guilty you are doing amazing. but to be honest hun i didnt feel any guilt when i stopped because i was 100percent ready.. make sure you really are ready hun.

I would stop slowerly reducing the amount you feed or express slowely.. the cabbage leave is also a good idea. as you said ur prone to blocked ducts. cold turkey wouldnt be adviced.

 

[aliss]

Replace 1 feed per day or two with formula and let it slowly happen. Cold turkey can lead to infection/clogged ducts (and its so painful, don't make the pain worse!)

 

[lusterleaf]

I almost got an infection at first so my doc put me on antibiotics, and i have to say the cabbage leaves helped tremendously!!!