Bottle feeding from day one - how does this affect your milk supply - will my boobs hurt like mad and when will it ease?

[kelli22]

I can't beastfeed due to a breast reduction and i remember from my dd that my boobs were painful when i was breast feeding (this was 5 years ago) but what if you dont breast feed at all - does the milk dry up in a couple of days without too much bother? or is it very painful?

it dried up in 3 days w/me and i felt no pain at all beyond what i felt w/PMT.

Can't you ask for some medication to dry the milk up?

i asked that on another thread Annie Q- apparently they don't think the medication is safe enough any more.

Are you certain you can't feed? Only I know that it can still be possible. I suppose you've talked about this with your surgeon? If not there is a good website I can recommend to you.

I think you used to be offered medication to dry your milk up but this was stopped years ago for some medical reason.

I never BF either of my children and I remember the milk coming on the 3rd day and being a bit sore for 2-3 days. To be honest, you hardly notice it as you are so wrapped up in the baby.

if you are feeling uncomfortable then hand expressing some off can help

don't hand express mummyto steven. If you express you'll keep producing and prolong the agony. Your milk will come in at about day 3 and you will be engorged for a few days but it will dry up after about 3 or 4 days. Savoy cabbage leaves kept in the fridge and placed on boobs will ease the pain a bit. Also ibuprofen and or paracetamol

drink loads of peppermint tea. It will help dry up the milk.

I bottlefed from day 4 and I only ever used one breast pad. My boobs didn't get sore and I only leaked for a day at the most, and hardly at all.

Thanks everyone, its just something i havent read about in all the magazines or books- everyone is so pro bf and even if its possible for me to, my boobs especially the left havent been quite right since my op (2 years ago) they still hurt if not handled with lots and lots of care i cant put them through any more pain.
i did bf my dd but only managed it for 3 weeks as i found it very restricting, im not the sort of person that feels comfortable exposing them in public, esp since my op with the scaring etc.

Thanks again girls

this is the webite i was talking about, worth a look imo \link{http://www.bfar.org/bfar}. i hope it all goes well for you.

my milk came in about day 3 and they were quite sore and hot, i kept feeling them fill up. they leaked for about 2 weeks, but the swelling and soreness only lasted 2/3 days xx

I got the most horrendous mastitis on day 10, my milk turned green and I was running a bad fever. A friend went to Neils Yard for me and they made up a tincture for me of sage tea, chamomile and skull cap this was great at easing the fever and helped dry my milk up. You can also try andrews liver salts to help dry up your milk

Kelli22, I bottle fed from day one with ds1, and my milk came in on day 3.
I personaly found it very painful, and was told not to touch my breasts at all, and wear a tightly strapped bra at all times (with breastpads).
This worked for me, and my milk seemed to dry up really quickly , can't remember how long,days I think . I know that if I so much as touched them, they would begin to let-down
HTH, good luck!