Stopping breast feeding

[Biosblbay]

My Baby girl is 4 weeks old and I have decided to stop breast feeding. I find she is not satisfied from feeding from the breast, even after spending an hour on both boobs I have to result in making a top up bottle anyway and it’s just so time consuming, especially with an almost 3 year old currently on school holidays, and as gutted and upset I am to make this decision, it is just too much for me.

I Just wanted to know how do I actually stop? I keep seeing all different answers on the internet and not sure what to do. I’ve seen if you just stop then you can get mastitis, I’ve seen you should pump and slowly ween off but surely this won’t stop your milk supply coming? I haven’t breast fed at all today and it’s just leaking out of me and have no idea what to do with it. Thanks in advance.

I just did it gradually by replacing 1 x feed for bottle then a few days later 2 feeds for a bottle and so on.

But twice a day, I laid in a warm bath with hot flannels on my breasts and would smooth them down to make sure there were no lumps or build up. Milk soon started to lessen, your body knows

@Eggybreadwithnuts thank you. do you remember roughly how long it takes to completely stop?

Not trying to force your decision on anything but I felt like you when my DS was a similar age. We got to about 6 weeks and BFing just suddenly felt so much easier and more manageable. We’ve now made it to 16 months and he is a bottle refuser. I feed him before bed if I’m home and in the morning when he wakes up. Perhaps try and find a local BFing support group if you do want to try and make it work.

If not, I would definitely cut down one feed at a time. You will risk engorgement and mastitis if you go cold turkey.

@BeingATwatItsABingThing my son does go back to nursery in September so it will be easier then, but I still have 3 weeks to go and I am exhausted! But I do feel like my baby isn’t getting enough from me. I have so much in the morning but I feel like in the day I don’t have much to give. She is still hungry after every feed from the breasts and I feel like I run out and she doesn’t get what she needs x

@Biosblbay do whats right for you.
I did it over about 10 days, just slowly and gradually.

I promise you don’t run out. She will be cluster feeding to up your supply and tell your body what she needs. That’s all normal even if it is completely exhausting! I definitely recommend a support group if you have one. Going to mine weekly saved my BFing journey with my DS after I’d been unsuccessful feeding his older sisters.

I completely agree with everything @BeingATwatItsABingThinghas said. BF is so unbelievably tough, especially in those early days. You’re not wrong at alt o feel how you do.
it sounds like your little one is cluster feeding. Breast feeding is supply and demand so you do not need to worry about running out of milk, the more she feeeds, the more your body makes. You might feel empty, but you aren’t.
my boys were like this at this age, but I again I agree with @BeingATwatItsABingThing, something seems to kick in at around the 6 week mark.
i know this is a hard decision for you and I don’t want to make you feel pressured. But I also hear you feeling sad about this choice.
could you maybe just give them a couple top up bottles? And then when your other child is at school and routine resumes see how you feel?

I don’t think it’s that she isn’t satisfied, it’s that she’s cluster feeding and using you for comfort and love and warmth. It’s very unusual for women to not have enough milk. And if you are sad about it and not sure, then could you offer a few formula bottles to give yourself a break but that still leaves you the option to carry on after ds is back in sept? However I’m not saying that to tell you not to stop. If you’re done you’re done and a happy mum is more important than anything. As pp have said, best to do it gradually by dropping a feed or couple of feeds and building it up

You can stop breastfeeding if you want, nbd- but you are describing a normal 4 week old who is cluster feeding. Nothing in your post suggests she isn’t getting enough milk.