how do you stop expressing/breast feeding?

[rusks]

hi i'm thinking of stopping expressing as my milk supply hasn't increased all week and i'm not meeting lukes demands for feeding, when i'm expressing i'm missing out on time with luke and OH gets to spend more time with him and i admit im jealous. i'm going to be much happier when i stop.

i just want to know do i go cold turkey and just stop expressing completely or do i wean my self off as my nipples and boobs are so tender to touch.

also will i get some kind of normality back when my milk has dried up as at the moment they feel like two big full jugs that hang down and touch my knees. will they shrink?

 

[mum2A&L]

i was half bottle and half breast feeding for a while, but alice never seemed to get on with breast feeding. so i reduced it to breastfeeding at night, and bottle during they day (alice only every takes 1 oz, maybe 2, at night anyway).

then we just kinda stopped. took a few weeks for my boobs to stop leaking completely.


im sure one of the other girls will be along soon with some better advise.

i hope the switch makes for a happier mummy!

 

[xSuzx]

Yes the best advice would be to stop gradually, as if you just stop in one go you run the risk of becoming engorged and getting mastitis.

The best way to do it would be to drop one expressing or breastfeed session at a time and wait a few days before decreasing further.

everything should be back to normall after a few weeks, also make sure you wear a good fitting bra to help your breast maintain a good shape after you've stop breastfeeding altogether, you might have to buy a couple in different sizes if they're size has increased alot.

good luck
xSuzx

 

[rusks]

thanks so much for advice. i'm going to continue while OH is on paternity leave then i will stop and i'm going to be much happier i know and also pleased that i managed to give him the best start i could.

 

[Sassyminx]

hey mrs ive just stopped breastfeeding Finley as i was drained and he was being really funny and not wanting to feed, i just stopped feeding, didnt reduce it, though for about 24hrs i had boobs like melons - they leaked absolutely loads for the first 24hrs but its stopped now, and i stopped breastfeeding him on friday night

 

[rusks]

hi sassy hope you feeling happier and you know finlay will be happier if you are as well.

did your boobs go back to some normality after a while as i'm scared mine will look like melons forever!!

take care hope you enjoying finlay, i'm loving luke xx

 

[Sassyminx]

tbh im massive uptop anyway, and i can fit back into my bras from before i was pregnant, im still leaking a tiny little bit but not much and i only stopped a few days ago

finley put 1lb on this week btw

 

[rusks]

a 1lb in a week!! you giving him roast dinners already!!

well done you doing a great job xx

i was always quite top heavy, i guess i'll have to wait and see what they will be like, i missed out on the night express last night so i went 9 hours without expressing and my boobs were so full this morning, think i will have to wean myself off gradually!! my nips are so sensitve at the moment, having a shower is agony!

can't wait to stop now really and get my boobs back!!

 

[Gemma & Jake]

I would just try to drop one feed at a time over a couple of weeks or else you will be in agony. I breastfed for 4 weeks and then went to mixing breast and bottle so when I stopped at 8 weeks I didn't get sore at all although I did leak for a couple of weeks.

 

[Sassyminx]

mine were agony for the first day, i couldnt bear anything touching my nipples it was really uncomfortable, but it went within about 36hrs or so

theyre back to normal now though just getting the odd tingle

 

[rusks]

thanks. i'm feeling a lot happier, i went from expressing 6 times a day to 5 times for a few days and now i am expressing 4 times a day so weaning off gradually like you all suggest. i am getting more milk at each express by going longer in between.

i will do it 4 times a day for a while and then go to 3 times etc.

i am already getting to spend more time with luke which i am loving xx