Stopping breastfeeding

[singingkat]

I have decided, for various reasons, it is time to stop breastfeeding my ds who is 1 year old. My question is, is it ok to just stop breastfeeding completely - and how long does the engorgement take to go down? With my dd I was able to keep her on one feed a day till she was weaned on to the bottle but my ds seems a bit too attached and I am afraid if I give him a feed he will want more.

[muddaofsuburbia]

If you're down to a 2/3 feeds a day then it should be ok. I would guess to allow about a week to adjust to each dropped feed at the very most. To be honest after a year I'm sure you won't get engorged, maybe just a wee bit uncomfortable. Well done for getting this far!

[Ghosty]

Hi Singingkat...
Last week I was feeding DD 3 times a week and now we are down to one in the morning and so far there is no engorgement ...
Will your DS take a bottle or cup? If not then you may have to go cold turkey and just express when you fill up and over a few days that will lessen ...
I think ... I am by no means an expert!

[mears]

Ghosty - did you see my post to you on your other thread?

[dibooth]

My ds was exactly like yours - liked his mums milk!

Anyway, I decided to give him a feed at night and then in the morning before work - from 5 to 2 was pretty fine actually no engorgement at all! It helped that he wasn't with me all day so that at feeding time he didn't in the end have an option but to have a bottle!

My doc told me when I was going to stop to keep a warm flannel available at times I expected to be engorged as it would help.

I hope yout transition goes weel - just remember you'll def get there, so persevere!

Good luck!