Stopping Breastfeeding

Hi B.,

I am wondering if you are sure you really want to quit? Just because you are supplementing formula and he is starting solids doesn't mean you have to. He is still getting LOTS of nutrients and wonderful antibodies from you too! I nursed my kiddos until I can give them cows milk (1 yr). But if it is something that you want to do that is fine too. I only mention this because of your sentence "I guess I am ready to stop..." If you are ready to start weaning than my advice to you is to be sure you have no nipple stimulation. When your son nurses or you pump it sends a signal to your brain to produce more milk. You may become engorged but pumping will still make you produce milk even if you do not empty your breast. My guess would be that you shouldn't become too engorged because you are supplementing with formula and he is on solids now. When I weaned my second (I supplemented with her) I don't even think I got engorged at all. If you do though just do warm and cold compresses. I had to do that with my first baby! I am still nursing my third! He is only 8 months! Whatever you decide you will be just fine! Congrats on your sweet baby boy!

Best Wishes!
M.

You dont really need to do anything to prepare you just stop if he isnt nursing anymore and you get engorged because he isnt nursing just pump enough to relieve engorgment not to empty. Dont have any stimulation to the breast what so ever or it will still produce milk. You can still wear bras to bed with the padding if you do that know because you may still leak. I just weaned my son and never got engorged or leaked when he was done. It was gradual so I didnt have leakage or engorgment.

I would really encourage you to continue nursing, even if it just a little and when you are home. If you don't want to pump that often anymore, you can still produce when you are at home, your body will learn to do that. As a daycare person at one time, the 4 mo old that was being weaned was very difficult to care for. Don't do that to your babysitter yet.

I just want to encourage you, because you will never regret NOT weaning. It will keep the baby healthier and you will miss less work from a sick baby. It is a hard sacrifice, I know that. I worked full time in the Air Force and breastfed my son until he was 2+yo, although only 9 mos in the service, and it was something I will always be so happy I did. He is the healthiest kid I have out of 7.

He also never felt the need to have a security bottle (he threw it away at 7mo), pacifier, blanket or any of the sort. Even though I worked full time all that time. We always had that relationship. I know it wasn't the advice you wanted, but I did want to just encourage you to persevere a little longer.

I just wanted to second the comments you got on reconsidering stopping. It may be that now he is 4 months old your body is adjusting to his needs and not producing as much milk as before. In the beginning your body doesn't know exactly how much milk to make so it makes too much until it figures it out. So usually sometime after 6 weeks or so, your supply regulates itself and you seem to be less full and have less milk. But the process is supply and demand so your body will make as much as he needs when he needs it. If you are pumping you will always get less than what your baby gets as babies are much more efficient at emptying the breast than a pump. I would say typical results are anywhere from 1/2 oz to 2 oz at a pumping after your body has regulated. That seems like so much less after you get so much more in the beginning, but that is just your body regulating itself. As their immune systems don't fully develop and mature until they are 3 or 4, holding onto breastfeeding as long as you can gives them such an amazing start! Even if you still feel you need to cut back, you could only nurse him when you are home, any breastmilk he gets is going to do amazing things to keep him healthy and help his body and brain develop as well as continue to promote your bond with him. And 4 months is when they start becoming more susceptible to cold and viruses, and breastfeeding will help keep him healthy and help him stave off these illnesses and help them be much less severe and lenghty when he does get one. As he gets older, he will naturally nurse less and less and your body will adjust each time until weaning is a natural process and your body will respond by gradually making less milk until he is finally weaned. If you would like more information on working and breastfeeding, or the benefits of continuing with breastfeeding or more information on weaning, both www.llli.org and www.kellymom.com are GREAT resources! Good luck on your journey with your new little life!

the cold turkey method is very painful so just take out one feeding at a time and it will go a lot easier and less painful. You may even enjoy having one or 2 feedings and continue to do that as your milk supply will only supply what you are using as it adjusts to having less. Some working mom's just b/f their babies before work and when the baby goes to bed. You can get down to one and feed before bed at night if that is something you would like to continue to do. Went cold turkey with first baby and that was very painful and frustrating. The other 2 I just took away 1-2 feedings during the day then decreased another and enjoyed the one feeding at night for another month or so until I was ready to completely quit. That was so much better.

If possible - dont' stop yet. RSV is going around, and alot of kids are getting really sick. Your baby needs that extra immmunity for all sorts bugs going around, if you can hang on. I tried to nurse, even if just supplementing, for 7-8 monts. You won't regret it...

You can pick a day to start and feed him one less feeding than you regularly do and continue to till either you lose all your milk supply or he may not want to take to the breast anymore,or you can do it cold turkey and just feed him from his botle with formula.AS for the breast since you are diminishing your milk I wouldn;t stimulate them in anyway nor pump if they do become engorged take some Tylenol or Motrin as directed take a warm bath,cold pack or warm packs will also help.My daughter I had breastfeed her till she was 3 months and full of milk but I had to stop due to medical reasons and become so engorged my boobies hurt so badly the pain was intense they grew so much from the milk supply.You just want to avoid infection/mastitis.But I don't think you'll have a problem with that since you have supplemented already with other sources of milk

You might want to consider still nursing in the morning and at night and just not pumping during the day anymore and giving your child formula during the day. You could do that for long time (if you want to) -- as long as you still produce milk (which could be for a while as your body will adjust to just morning and night feedings). Then to quit, you can then take out one of those feedings and let your body adjust. Then eventually when you are totally ready take out the last feeding (or reduce it to every other day to let your body know you are stopping) -- you will dry up. Good Luck in what ever you decide.

The two times that I was ready to stop I started pumping, which produces less milk overtime, and just sort of let "nature" take its course until I could only pump like an ounce or two at a time. I had very little discomfort doing it this way, whereas friends that I've talked to had breast pain for days and days and some have even had to wrap their breasts, etc. I'd rather it take a little longer than go through that pain, personally! Just start pumping less often, eventually your supply will deminish enough that you can simply quit and barely notice a thing. That's been my experience anyway.

I highly recommend calling a La Leche League Leader or the LLL helpline (877-4-LA LECHE). I got a lot of great ideas about helping weaning go smoothly from my local group. The Leader really listened to my unique situation and helped me figure out what approach would work best for my family. The key points that I took away were to go slowly and pay attention to how you and your son are responding to the change. It's great that you've given your son such a great start in life. Good luck on the rest of your journey.

I just loved the bond provided to me through breastfeeding my kids. Unless you truly WANT to stop, I'd just keep nursing him, even if it is less frequent. He is still getting nutritional benefits from your milk as well as antibodies that will help protect him from illness this winter. Okay, so that didn't tell you how to stop...when you're ready, do it gradually for both of your sakes!

I breastfed my son for 14 months. I weaned pretty slowly, dropping just one feeding per week, and I still had engorgement and discomfort! I took a lot of hot showers. One thing I read about and tried was to take Sudafed. The pseudoephedrine in it diminishes your milk supply. I didn't try this until the last feeding was dropped and I was REALLY uncomfortable, so my advice would be to try it sooner to help dry up your milk. Also, the regular birth control pill (with estrogen) dries you up.

Hi B., I would suggest to continue on the route that you're on. Perhaps, if you aren't already, you should consider putting the cereal in with the formula for a cereal bottle. This will keep hit tummy fuller longer allowing for longer times between breastfeeding. Eventually you might just have it down to one feeding at night for both you and him as a bit of a bedtime routine. I have a boy and twin girls and breastfed all three till about 10 months. Once they started eating people food by 6 months my milk started drying up because the demand wasn't there anymore. You might want to check with your doctor though about what to do if you start experiencing pain in your breasts, I didn't have that but it might be a possibility. Hope this helps.

New to Missouri,
T.

Do it SLOWLY and not cold turkey, for your own comfort!
I didn't (oops) and ended up in A LOT of pain.
If you do have engorgement issues, cold cabbage leaves (crushed in your hand to wilt them) (they really do help!) to the breasts, cool compresses, tight sports bra, and NO stimulation can help a lot.
Good luck!

It's easier to wean him slowly than to go cold turkey. Maybe just a couple feedings for the next few weeks, then maybe just a night-time feeding until you are ready to end it, that way your breasts won't be too sore, and you won't be traumatizing your son by taking away his comfort zone cold-turkey. Maybe even keep the night time feeding until winter is over... there is a lot of sickness going around, my kids and husband and I have already had stomach virus twice and the kids had RSV real bad, now me and my husband have really really awful colds.