Mumsnet Talk

DD 4 months has been EBF up til bout 2 weeks ago when introduced a couple of bottles of formula a day. Back to work soonish so decided to switch completely to formula. Fed DD in the night last night and stopped this morning. I'm in agony at the moment, have expressed a little off by hand to make it bearable but then about half an hour later it's torture again.
Should I pump a bit more off or hand express when in agony just so bit more comfortable. Paracetamol??

They are like lumpy blooming boulders, what's best to do?

Thanks

my deepest sympathy its unbearable when stopping breast feeding but if you keep pumping it eases for a little while but makes more milk come through and your back to square one i used to sit on bath on all fours as heat helped, if you've got a sleep bra make sure you use it for support, pain killers and either heat or cold which even works best for you, it doesnt last long and think of all the lovely things you can now have as not breats feeding any more hang in there

Some people put savoy cabbage leaves in their bra. No idea if it helps though.

I know there is some sort of medicine that dries up your milk which they used to use in the 1960s/70s(?) before they knew how much better breastmilk was. Don't know if it is still available.

I guess it depends if you want to stop completely immediately or gradually i.e. just a night feed etc. I would have thought pumping a bit when it gets too painful, and warm towels to ease the pain too. This should reduce your supply fairly quickly.

Is it possible that you could gradually decrease? Like drop a feed one day then wait a few and drop another? Possibly have a look at KellyMom weaning page

Ouch.

Strap them up tight to your body, use bandages if you can, straping them up worked well for me but jammy's advice worked as well.

It doesn't last too long.

Best thing is to drop one feed at a time. You can still stop over the course of a fortnight.

Cabbage leaves DO work. Also, hot flannels helped me. X

Having already stopped a couple of feeds I don't want to cut it down anymore, I just want to stop now. I feel so poop for trying so hard to breast feed now it's so difficult to blooming stop! Will try a bath and some warm flannels. Sending DP out for cabbage leaves.
With DS I only fed him 3 weeks and already had mastitis and breast abscess when I went cold turkey so the agony was no worse than I was already going through!
How long does it last I can't remember?

depends feels like forever but started easing for me after about three days, hang in there

Wear 2 bras as tight as is comfortable so that your boobs don't move much. Keep them on in bed too That and some nurofen and after 24 hours it should subside

It's agony, I've been there but it gets better reasonably quickly. Don't express any though as it just creates more.

I just had an emotional meltdown and fed her whilst sobbing my heart out

Is it possible to ff in day and breastfeeding at night or will this cause all sorts of supply problems?

Totally possible to do both!! I feel for u! But if you wanted to feed say morning and night, just do that! I'm back to work and it's working for me, but I chose also to express during the day as I like to feed on days off- you really can do as u please so long as it's a regular thing, you shouldn't have supply issues. Hope u feel better soon!

That's very possible muffins, in fact I was going to suggest it except you seemed so keen to stop completely. Most of my friends who bf changed to just feeding evening, night and sometimes early morning when they went back to work. Afaik none of them had supply problems, and at 4 months your supply should be well established. Actually one or two of them ended up feeding for 2 years or more as it was so much easier to bf than faff around with bottles, kettles etc at night when you just want to snuggle up in bed.

thats a great idea as when you go back to work Im sure it will help you emotionally as well, good luck