How do you allow your breast milk to dry up without being engorged, or running the risk of developing mastitis because the breasts are so full at first?
After I got my daughter down to one feeding and then stopped I took Advil twice a day. It really did work until I was able to start back on the pill. That totally dried me up within a couple fo days.
Cut down a feeding a day with a week between each cut until your child is weaned. If you must quit right away you may pump or express milk by hand to relieve engorgement. Also putting ice on them might help. If you do have engorgement take ibuprofen for pain and swelling.
i usually breastfeed until my milk dries up when my kids are almost two. some peoples dry up sooner, some dont dry up at all!!
i agree with the first momma, you need to wean slowly, its the opposite of getting the baby more milk. the more you feed the more milk you have, the less you feed the less milk your body makes. and when it is gradual, you dont run the risk of infection or engorgement, quitting cold turkey was not what your body was designed for!
Cold Cabbage Leaves! They do the trick. Just put them in your bra, change them out as they wilt and take a hot shower if you need any more relief - keeping in mind that if you express milk your body will produce more. I used the cabbage leaves for two days and was done. It works!
This may sound a little weird, but it was recommended to me by my best friend (who is a lactation consultant) - put clean, cold cabbage (not purple) leaves on your breasts overnight in your bra. I did this for a few nights and it worked like a charm. I had a large milk supply, even after 13 months of breastfeeding so I was concerned about it as well. If you start to get engorged, just single pump (do not double pump as that stimulates milk production) for a few minutes on each side just enough to relieve yourself. You can also use ice packs on your breasts too. Try to eliminate a pumping or feeding each day. Hope this helps!
You can always take something like Benadryl or another med that has a drying effect. Many of the OTC allergy meds have antihistamines and decongestants to "dry up" symptoms like runny noses, watery eyes, etc. They have a systemic effect on your whole body.
Also, if you notice any lumps or warm tender spots, take a shower and massage that area with soapy warm water. It helps to break up any blockages, increase circulation and move the milk away to be reabsorbed back into your bloodstream.
Finally, if you do feel engorgement you can pump for a just a minute or two. Take a warm/hot shower first and massage any areas that seem firm. If the milk is not expelled in the shower, you can pump while massaging out the lumps or pressure. You don't want to pump long as this will only encourage more production, but it can help provide relief until your supply drops further.
This will sound crazy, but buy a cabbage. Crush up some of the leaves and pack them around your breasts. Change them every few hours until the milk has dried up.
What I did was pump a little just to relieve the fullness. It still hurt a little bit, but I didn't have any problems with mastitis. I used a hand pump, so I was able to pump just a little. Good luck!
The best thing to do is wean gradually. Cut out one feeding at a time, and give it a few days to week between each time that you drop one. Cut out one, and then when they don't feel so full, drop another. Keep doing that until you are down to one or two feedings. Then you should be able to stop completely without getting too engorged. Take hot showers and let the water help ease some of the ache, and you can hand express or pump just a tiny bit to relieve the worst of the fullness if if it hurts. Don't over-express or your body thinks it needs to make more, this is just to relieve pain. Also, cold cabbage leaves in your bra are supposed to dry up your milk and help with the engorgement, and the cold is soothing.
