Stopping Breastfeeding and want to avoid mastitis - any tips?

[rubyslippers]

After 3 long years, I am stopping feeding DD in a couple of weeks

We've been building up in a very positive way with presents and distractions

how likely am I to get mastitis? I plan on hand expressing a tiny bit to relieve some engorgement and the old cabbage leaves down the bra

Also have heard sudafed can help dry milk up?! Is this worth a try?

Any other tips or advice on weaning an older child would be appreciated

You shouldn't assume that you'll get mastitis. The chances are that you won't.
Try to stop gradually, rather than from lots of feeds each day to nothing suddenly. That will help. Your supply will naturally reduce in line with your reduced feeding.

Expressing a little to relieve extreme pain and engorgement is a good idea. It will help, but leave it several days to a week between expressions to avoid lengthening the time it takes to become dry.

It depends how much your DD feeds now, but the chances are you'll have no issues at all and no pain.
Good luck!

For what its worth, DS is nearly three, and we've been down to one feed a day for a while now. He didn't feed for three days in a row recently, and I wasn't engorged at all. I know I still have milk there because I hand expressed a little to wipe on a graze he had.

So I'd say, as long as you're not stopping from like, six feeds a day or something, then you should be okay. Your milk will dry up gradually, but don't expect this to happen as soon as you've stopped; it can take a little while.

Well done for feeding so long :)

Thank you both very much for taking the time to reply

I work FT so I don't feed in the day except on weekends etc when she can be very demanding. She has never gone a day without feeding

I went away for a 3 days and 2 nights in April and my boobs were ok

Will see what happens

Thanks again