Stopping breast feeding - how to avoid pain in the breasts!

[timbercake]

I've spent an hour trying to find info on how to stop breastfeeding without getting painful breasts and not having much luck! I went down to 3 bf a day (rest formula)and then stopped and now have one very painful breast - it's not infected etc just engorged. My dilema now is do I express to make it less painful and to empty the milk out of the breast or do I leave it and eventually it will go? Will the milk go by itself? I'm worried if I don't empty it the milk will go off in my breast?? Anyone help with this? My baby is now 5 weeks.
thanks

I dropped a feed at a time over a period of months and that was fine. Could you drop a feed at a time over the next few weeks?

Timber, dropping 3 feeds all at the same time is almost certainly going to lead to what you are experiencing, especially at 5 weeks, and you are lucky that it doesn't sound too bad and it's only on one side...you have a choice: i) leave it and risk it becoming worse (even mastitis) over Xmas, with the chance that it might not and it might just get better ii) express very gently to the point of comfort only iii) feed your baby and think about stopping completely later, maybe going back to two feeds and then one, over a period of a couple of weeks

Where was your health visitor in all this? Anyone half competent should have told you to stop gradually, and not to drop 3 feeds at once

Good luck and I hope you feel more comfortable soon.

HV was pretty much useless to be honest, she just told me to squeeze the breast when it hurts?!? I enjoyed bf to begin with (first 2 weeks) and was signed off by HV/MW but then in last 3 weeks I just hate it. It really isn't for me at all. Every feed I dread and I'm sure the baby picks up on it.

Your advice is appreciated - I'll continue to do 2 bfeeds a day to keep painfree over xmas and then concentrate on doing it slowly. Unless anyone does know a magic way to stop it overnight??!! If only it was that easy!

If bfing is not for you than you are doing the right thing at stopping it. Some people are militant about the whole issue - but it has to work for mum and baby.

If expressing and feeding is not for you either then dropping it is the right thing to do too.

So - practical issues: Try putting on a warm, damp face cloth: this will ease teh pain a bit. If you are not bfing then you can take painkillers.

YOu've done very well having just one sore boob after dropping from 3 feeds, so I'd probably not push your luck and just express a little for comfort and do gentle massage (not infront of everyone, obviously )

good luck .

btw: the milk won't 'stay' in the breat, it will disappear. Most likely your breast will get pretty sore and tender but if you see a red 'triangle' appear then that is mastitis which needs antibiotics.

I read somewhere of a tble that dries you up but it's only in America, I think. you can ask a good pharmacy about it.

sorry - tablet

Thnaks for that advice - I'll try expressing and massage and see how it goes!

Thanks again