Cabbage & Weaning - Help! Not Breastfeeding anymore and breasts HURT

First, try weaning, gradually. I know some people have a problem with this. But why not a bottle instead of a sippy cup. The nipples on the bottles are softer and shaped more like you. She might be more willing to take that. Some OBs I used to work for were always telling patients to use cold cabbage or lettuce leaves. I've never tried it, but I hear it works. They also told patients to where tight bras. Also, when it becomes that painful , you should pump a little. Not too much, but just enough to relieve the pain. This way you will still dry up.

Cold frozen cabbage leaves for the bewbs, and sudafed or other medicines like it help dry you up faster. Does your DD take a pacifier? Try the nubby sipper cups if you haven't already. They have a softer nipples than a regular playtex style cup.

I'm also IR so I understand.

It sounds really weird, but it works. I had to wean all at once, too. Cabbage leaves are instant relief. I think it also helps to dry you up, although not much. The leaves did more for me than anything else I tried. Just remember to remove them before you leave the house as the lumps look a little weird. :)

As for your daughter, you can try giving her yogurt or milk with a touch of chocolate in it. Those both worked well for our first ds who had such a hard time letting go of some of the feedings. We did one or the other whenever we normally would have nursed. Whatever you do, don't give in at this point, or it'll just be harder. You're probably through the worst now. GL!

When I weaned mine, (once I was completely done - just getting rid of milk supply) I would go as long as I possibly could until it started to hurt to much or I would leak, then I would pump for about 5-10 minutes. Just to get rid of the pain and hardness. Then I would go as long as possible again until it hurt or leaked and do the same think. It took a few days of having to pump, but the intervals between pumping got longer each time, then I wouldn't leak or hurt, but there was still milk, and eventually it dried up. As far as milk in a sippy cup: When I started giving it to my youngest (the only one who protested it at all) I figured out that it was too cold for her. I thought she didn't like the taste, but I noticed one time that if I heated it just enough to take the edge off the fridge cold, she would scarf it. She had been formula fed right before going to milk, so the water was never the same temp as the fridge. That helped her a lot. If you think it's the taste she doesn't like, then when you pump, put what you get in her sippy cup and mix it with a little milk so she still tastes the breastmilk, but gets the new taste of the cow's milk. Eventually she won't protest the difference. That's what I did with my first daughter. My twin boys apparently don't dislike anything so they never protested the milk. They take everything new that we give them. luckily. Anyway. good luck.

K., I have done this twice now. Wear a really tight sports bra-I wore 2 at one time. Use cold cabbage leaves. I was told not to do anything warm as that stimulates things again. The only time I would do anything warm was in the shower and then I would just let the water run over them. Otherwise-tylenol and cold compresses helped. It took about 2 weeks for the pain to go away and about 4 weeks for them to stop leaking! Good luck and congratulations in making it through a year with your medical concern!

My breast hurt like crazy when I stopped nursing my son. I wwent 3 days without nursing and the pain got worse and worse, finally I brook down and pumped for 5 minutes and it got rid of the pain. I never had to pump again and never had any more pain.

Put warm compresses on your breasts, they will hurt because they are engorging and it will take about a week for them to dry up. It is hard on the little one as they can smell your breast milk but keep trying to distract her. It is good to do it now as later it becomes a lot harder. Just continue to offer the sippy cups, try the strawed cups even. Call your Dr and ask if there is something stronger you can take, Ibuprofen helped me. If she tugs at your shirt tell her the milk is all gone and now in the cup...worked for my son, hee hee.

wear a really tight sports bra. and i think there is a tea you can drink to help dry you up. check on www.kellymom.com i think they have info about the tea on that site. best of luck to you.
also i was wondering if you could just wean her gradually instead of cold turkey, it may be easier on both of you! just a thought
gl, N.

With all of my kids, I did things gradually, dropping one feeding time every 4-5 days, saving the bedtime one for last as that was always their favorite. I weaned all three this way with no discomfort. Good luck!

raw cabbage....WORKED WONDERS FOR BE BOTH TIMES! just stick it in your bra it has something in it that helps dry the milk up and if you really need relief immediately hot compress!