Stopping bf - should I express

[footyfan]

I've been bf my DS for 22 months, but have decided to stop. He's been wanting to feed more and more at night - and I just need to get back to sleeping.

I stopped last Saturday and had to express on Sunday because of the pain/build up of milk.

I've got some pain again today - but am worried if I keep expressing that the milk supply will never stop.

What's the best thing to do? How long does it usually take for the supply to stop?

Thanks

I stopped BFing DS when he was 20mo and my milk disappeared about 3 months later. I was pregnant though which probably made it dry up more quickly. It can take a long time, especially if you've been feeding into toddlerhood.

I literally just stopped feeding my ds (8mo) at the weekend. I had the same dilemma about expressing so I decided not to. The painful ness lasted three days and now they are full-ish and a bit tender, but ok. This method isn't recommended though, but I took the risk.

I have heard that it takes at least 40 days to dry up fully, but with my older ds it took a bit longer than that!

Maybe express over the coming week or so, but a bit less each day, simply to avoid pain on your behalf! It won't take long for your supply to diminish but you may as well make it easier on yourself in the process x

Wow - I had no idea it could take so long to dry up. I had to express again yesterday, I was in too much pain / worried about blockages. I'll just do it less and less.

Not sure how I'll keep my DS from wanting to feed! (I've been away with work for a week, so thought it was a good time to stop).

Thanks for all your replies.

Try and explain that it's all gone? Milk comes in cups now....? Good luck!

Apparently lemsips dry your milk up

But I don't think you can take things like lemsip/sudafed unless you do not feed them the milk. So that's ok for going cold turkey, but not for gradually stopping. I think.

Oh I see , yes probs best not to then ?

Wonder what's in the Lemsip that dries it up?

I'm hoping to go cold turkey - so might give it a try.

Thanks for the advice.

I hadn't heard it about lemsip, but I had heard it about sudafed. For the first three days of cold turkey I took ibuprofen and sudafed. And stuffed cabbage leaves in my bra. I'm a week in and my breasts still feel full, tender and occasionally painful, but they are getting better.

Good luck!

Decongestant is in lemsip