So DONE with b/f....MASTITIS...WEANING tips please

[MuMMA8]

I have now been b/f for 8months. I exclusively b/f with pumping sessions and let DS take a bottle at night with said expressed milk since about a month old...works well, excellent sleeper etc.

Now weaning him off breast SO GRADUALLY, (because I got mastitis and more recently rusty pipe syndrome from engorged boobs when I picked up the pace a little about 2-3weeks ago) give him a bottle of formula maybe twice a week, he eats solids very well but still doing a b/f probs about 3 or 4 times a day with pumped at night.

My breasts get so engorged!!! Now I think I've got round x2 of mastitis!! From such a gradual wean!!! If I don't pump or feed they get full beyond belief, then if I pump or feed to relieve them I'm keeping my supply up!! The vicious cycle!!

Any tips? Should I be shortening the length of his feeds? (I'd then worry he won't get enough or wake up hungry or something)

I no longer feed overnight as he sleeps through so my body mustn't make that much overnight because that stretch doesn't result in engorgement, it'll be at random times during the day or evening but then I'd only be having a break of 4hrs or so whereas night is far longer at like 9hrs?? Makes no sense!!

Sooooo over breastfeeding

I'm so sorry you're struggling! Could you do a shorter feed + some formula after to keep him full? Even if it's just 1oz of formula

Speak to the GP. There are meds they can give you to dry up your milk (I had to do this because every time I tried cutting down even soooo slowly I instantly got stuck in the engorged, mastitis, frantically feeding again cycle 🙄)

if you want to give up just literally stop- have your partner give a bottle whenever they’re around- limits the chance of the baby smelling your milk. As for engorgement you literally have to hand express a tiniest amount whenever you can no longer stand the pain, but just enough to relive the pain.