Stopping BFing - how long does it hurt for?!

[Chestnut99]

I stopped BFing on Tuesday having cut down slowly to one feed a day before stopping (DS is 7mo). It's day 4 now after stopping and I'm very very sore and lumpy and had trouble sleeping last night - is this normal? All my books have pages about starting BFing but there is a deafening silence about stopping! Haven't been expressing because although I can do it successfully, I hate it ...

Hi Chestnut, it shouldn't hurt for too much longer and you are right not to express as it will just prolong things! As far as I remember (it was only 4 months ago but my memory is rubbish these days!) it was about 7-10 days. The pain and discomfort then disappeared but I still leaked bm for months afterwards so don't dump the breast pads! It will get easier soon, good luck xxx

TOK - thank you - seems like no-one here talks about how to stop BFing either, only how to start it and how to keep it going

In the end the pain tailed off over the weekend and the pain and the lumps have all completely gone now, so the answer was 7-10 days for me too. Tried breast pads but they keep popping out of my now-far-too-big bras ...