How to help my boobs go back to normal (stopped breastfeeding)

[Mrs22]

Hi all, I stopped breastfeeding 2 days ago and enjoyed my breastfeeding journey. I had started cutting down last month and did my final night feed 2 nights ago. DS has accepted it quite well. I've now got a lump under right boob and they are swollen and painful. I've been expressing a little in showers wearing cabbage leaves etc. How long will this last? Should I pump and empty the breast? I'm a ftm so I have no clue. Thanks.

Hey OP, I’m pretty sure that it’s better not to express any milk as it could encourage your body to keep producing. Cabbage leaves are definitely a good idea though. Maybe try heat or ice packs too? I had ones that were made for breastfeeding and you could either put in microwave or freezer. I found cold more soothing.

I’m not sure how long it will take for everything to go back to normal but I would guess no more than a week or two, hopefully less. I stopped feeding very gradually so I was lucky that I didn’t get much pain when I stopped. I did get mastitis a few times while I was still feeding though. If you have a lot of pain, redness or the lump doesn’t clear in a day or two I would speak to GP in case you have infection. Good luck!

Thankyou very much for replying. I will stop expressing then. Will look for ice packs for them. Not a fan of smelling of cabbage 😅