Sore breasts when stopping BF

[LouisaJF]

I have been gradually weaning 22wo DS off the breast and his last feed was on Tuesday evening. One breast in particular is quite full and tender and I'm not sure what to do. Should I just wait until my body gets the message or express a little to relieve it? I'm worried that by expressing I will just encourage my body to make more.

Express to comfort. By expressing to comfort you will not encourage more milk but you will avoid mastitis. Have a look at Breasts Full and Tender for ideas to reduce the engorgement. Scroll down to Engorged breasts after the first weeks.

I tried hand expressing in the shower and that has relieved it a little, but I'm not very good at it. I'm still quite full and have a couple of hard lumps I can't shift. I'll have another try later, does anyone have any tips for doing it?