How to stop discomfort from stopping bf?

[TryLikingClarity]

I have decided to wean 8 month old DS off the breast.

Please don't try to tell me to keep going - it is time for us to stop. Admittedly, I never thought I'd make it this far, so I am [hgrin] with pride.

Yesterday I bf DS for the last time at his morning feed. For a month or so I'd been cutting down on the number of bf and replacing with ff. DS will drink formula no bother, so I'm not worried about him.

I've never really got engorged or leaked during the last 8 months. It's now been 24 hours since I last fed DS and my boobs are like rocks and tender.

What do I do to stop the ache and to get rid of the milk? Cabbage leaves? Just leaving them alone?

Advice please.

bumping as the pain is getting worse and I look like Jordan in the chest region

Sorry, no advice but wanted to bump for you.

How many feeds have you cut out? I know you have to be really careful about things like mastitis if you cut out too many feeds in one go. You may have to express a little over a few weeks and gradually reduce to nothing if they're really bad.

I think (and please don't take my word on this) that it's the actual emptying of the breast that stimulates the most milk production so you may need to just express a tiny amount from each one to just stay comfortable.

Hope someone with better advice comes along soon!

PS. Congrats on getting to 8 months

Thanks.

In the last month or so I'd cut way down.

Really I was just bfing DS if he woke up during the night and first thing in the morning.

I did the odd afternoon feed, but not everyday.

I've bought a cabbage. Hoping that helps my pain.

Overnight/early morning feeds are actually best for boosting supply so I'm not surprised you're engorged if you've cut those out cold turkey. Agree with neverquitesure about expressing tiny bits - you can do this by hand if you don't have a pump.

Sounds painful, I have always cut down gradually and its amazing how quickly it reduces.

Let your DS fed enough just to take the edge off, or use a pump. I cut down from EBF to just 2 feeds a day over the course of a week, just let him feed whenever I got engorged before it was painful and within a week was at new equilibrium. When I stop altogether will drop morning feed for a week before droppping bedtime feed.

I was a milk factory so even stopping one feed lead to rock like Jordan boobs!
I expressed about 0.5-1oz. This wasn't much for me but took the edge off.
Good luck and maybe take some paracetamol?

If I let DS feed enough to take the edge off will that not just prolong the pain? It'll be good by taking away to engorgement and pain now, but will just delay it until another day? Or will it mean that by gradually cutting back I will not get engorged?

Am confused about what to do.

Other mums have posted on here about cutting out one feed every 3-7 days. Sorry, no personal experience so I can't be of more help :(

Okay, will heed your advice and try to cut out gradually.

Will do one feed a day for the next few days to a week and then stop altogether.

Thanks for your replies.

I studied all the bfing leaflets I got in hospital about how to bf, but never remember reading in them about how to stop!