How do I stop bf my 4wk old without engorging and becoming ill

[Wills]

Hi, I'm gutted to be doing this but after 4 weeks of battling thrush and being in tonnes of pain I've decided to move her to bottles and enjoy her company. I've tried everything and have been really supported, I've tried the max dose of fluconazole recommended by the BFNetwork,I've taken loads of grapefruit seed extract (For the record it tastes like washing up liquid ), Probiotics, natural yoghurt, cut out sugar, boiled my bras, bedding and towels there's nothing left to try and the final insult is that dd3 is now on steriod cream on her tiny bottom because it looks like someone's taken sand paper to it.

I'm really gutted but have been persauded by very supportive dh that it would be worse to miss these times with my daughter and enjoy them (she's number 4 and a complete surprise and there will def be no more).

So how do I stop? I decided to slow down the weaker breast and supplement with bottles to the point where she only fed off it once a day and didn't seem to get a lot from it. So stopped using it completely. My breast is now incredibly painful and despite putting her back on it I can't seem to clear what ever's causing the pain. To make matters worse I either have swine flu or a really nasty cold with many flu like symptoms so am feeling really rough (can't get warm) but am still feeding her off the other breast but am finding the additional pain difficult to deal with.

Am I going about this the wrong way. Am I being nieve - am I going to have a couple of days where is simply bloody hurts and I need to get on with it.

Desp for guidance on this ladies.

Hi wills,

You have done fabulously I had thrush with my 1st 3 and 1st time round didn't get diagnosed for about 5 months, it was hell and I know what you are going through. I am assuming that you have been doing everythng it says in the bfn leaflet being as you mention it. With dd1 I had to have 2 courses of the fluconazole & daktarin cream and the daktarin oral gel for dd1.

If you don't mind me asking, what pain relief are you taking? Paracetamol does help, also if you take a high dose of acidophilus bifidus ( you can get a live culture that you need to keep in the fridge from dmc that is 6 billion per day and you need that high a dose to help you) It can cut the pain by about 75% in 48 hrs.

I have no advice to give you on cutting down , i'm sorry but i've no experience to share, someone else will be able to help i'm sure.

Sounds like you have mastitis?? Maybe a phone call to the GP and some antibiotics would help. When I stopped I weaned slowly off over a month, and that was ok - basically topped up a bit then fed or expressed enough for comfort when my boobs felt hot and hard, iyswim.

But to start, if I were you, I'd go for 2 paracetamol and some antibiotics! Is the breast red at all?

Although obviously the antibiotics may initially keep the thrush hanging about.

Yes the acidophilus had a massive impact on me within 48 hours too, both times I had thrush. It would be worth you taking even if you never BF again, because it is not good for you to have the yast infection anyway obviously.

Have you spoken to a BF counsellor about all this? It souds like you need RL information about your conditions and stopping BF.

Hi Wills, I too think you need to speak to somebody in real life. Sounds like you may be coming down with mastitis and that will need treatment asap. The bugger of taking antibiotics for mastitis, if you need them, is the risk of a flareup of the thrush. Dr Jack Newman recommends a 400mg loading dose of fluconizole for at least two weeks and to continue for a week after being pain free.

You may need to express from the engorged breast, hand expression might be least painful. Hope you can get this beat real soon. And kudos for continuing thus far under such pain.