How do you STOP breastfeeding? Are cabbage leaves true??

[Emjay]

I'd like to wean my 6 month old DS off the breast in the coming month. We're down to 3 breast feeds per day (formula, solids and water make up the rest).

DS has slept right thru the night (9 hours) for past 3.5 months, so I'm used to well spaced out feeds and I don't get sore from the night time gap. We feed every six hours during the day.

I know I have to gradually drop feeds, which one should I leave til last (morning or night)? When you stop totally, what happens to your milk in the last feed??? Do your breasts get sore and "fill up again" in anticipation of a suckle? How do you know when you're dried up?? Do you ever leak again?? Do you get lumpy and sore with any milk build up??

I've heard that cabbage leaves help dry up breast milk. Is this just an old wives tail?

I don't want to use drugs, I want to do it naturally. I'm scared of getting mastitis (my sis-in-law suffered terribly from this on and off for months with her newborn). Is there a chance of this happening even though my milk supply is lowered now?

Any advice on how to stop will be gratefully accepted. I'm stopping for a number of reasons, but I'd prefer this not be the issue of discussion. Please help!

[myersthecat]

I just stopped!! Was engorged for about four days so not comfortable (but I did do in while dd was 1 month old).
Leaked terribly, but it eased right back after 4 days.
Kept an eye out for signs of mastitis but didn't suffer. Three weeks later boobs back to normal pre-pregnancy size and rarely leaking.

[musica]

Savoy cabbage leaves help to ease the discomfort of engorgement - don't know if they actually dry up the milk or not.

When I stopped feeding ds (although it was later at 13 months), he just dropped them naturally, but the morning was the last to go. He'd have been happy to suck in the mornings for longer, but I figured he wasn't getting much milk by then, so I just stopped. No problems then with too much milk or anything like that.

[elliott]

I dropped feeds gradually and never had any problems. I think if you're down to three a day already, and haven't had problems with mastitis/engorgement, it won't be a problem at all. I remembr being able to squeeze a few drops out for a few days after stopping, but that was about it.

[twiglett]

message withdrawn

[aloha]

I very gradually and quite casually reduced the number of breastfeeds over the last month or more - just when ds looked for one I'd probably give it, but not unless (he was a bit older but the principle is the same, I think). In the end I sometimes found I didn't give any one day, then one or even two the next and then none again. Sometimes he'd get a morning feed sometimes a night one. It was so gradual that I don't remember a 'last' feed at all and it was totally stress free. No engorgement or other physical symptoms at all. But I did feel a little sad when I realised I wasn't breastfeeding any more though, so be prepared for that too.

[waterbaby]

I did have mastitus, and used the cold cabbage leaves plus hot baths (not at the same time - cabbage soup bath wouldn't help anyone) which helped a bit. Gave a friend some aloe gelly and that worked really well - its an anti-inflammatory plus natural pain relief, and is great on any kind of tender or engorged skin. Much easier too and can reapply almost anywhere - just put the cream on, then clothes over the top, and it cools and takes the pain away pretty quickly. Wish I'd known about it when I was BF - I remember once taking the cabbage leaves out with me in a cool bag!!!

[waterbaby]

I echo what aloha says about being a tad sad afterwards!

[waterbaby]

I echo what aloha says about being a tad sad afterwards!

[Emjay]

Thank you everyone. I'll see how we go. I hope its not too sad an experience.

There's so much info about on how to breastfeed and continue to do so, but little on how to stop. It's a relief to get information about this without being looked down upon. I do appreciate it.

[mears]

Agree about advice to drop feeds gradually. I would tend to leave the night feed till last. When I weaned I had morning and night feeds for a while and the night was the last to go. If you drop one feed each week you shouldn't have much of a problem. It is when you stop suddenly when you are feeding a few times a day, you get problems. Cabbage is to relieve encorgement pain but does not reduce milk production. HTH.

[penpal]

With my first baby I heard about using Savoy Cabbage leaves to help with engorgement when your milk comes in, since then I've heard that this can also help when stopping breastfeeding. I know from my own and both of my sisters' experiences that this certainly helped but didn't know why. If you roll a rolling pin gently over the leaf before inserting in your bra (or crush in your hands much - easier) this releases minerals etc which is the magic potion... Don't leave them in too long before refreshing though or you'll smell like a mouldy jockstrap.....

[timbercake]

I've spent an hour trying to find info on how to stop breastfeeding without getting painful breasts and this is the best info I have found! I went down to 3 bf a day (rest formula)and then stopped and now have one very painful breast - it's not infected etc just engorged. My dilema now is do I express to make it less painful and to empty the milk out of the breast or do I leave it and eventually it will go? Will the milk go by itself? I'm worried if I don't empty it the milk will go off in my breast?? Also if I do express will I just keep producing milk? Anyone help with this?
thanks

[Kristingle]

hi timbercake - sorry i dont knwo teh answer and as thsi is an old thread no one else may spot it!!! I woulndt like you to think you are being ignored.

You coudl post a new thread in this section or try the kellymom site which had good Bf info

[timbercake]

Thanks for that - it was my first post and I just noticed that! I started a new one now.