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Postnatal health

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Original poster

Best way time stop breastfeeding

18 replies

iloveburmese3 · 21/04/2023 16:35

My baby is 2 weeks old and I'm finding breastfeeding / pumping is just awful. I would like to wind it down and stop in 4 weeks so that I can say I've done it for 6 weeks. Can anyone offer me some bullet points on best ways to stop... cutting one out a day?

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LulooLemon · 21/04/2023 16:57

I would say two weeks is too early to be pumping. I didn't really get the hang of it till week 6.

But to answer your question, I would cut down gradually to make it easier on both you and baby.

Good luck. Everything is hard in those early weeks.

Original poster
iloveburmese3 · 22/04/2023 05:10

LulooLemon · 21/04/2023 16:57

I would say two weeks is too early to be pumping. I didn't really get the hang of it till week 6.

But to answer your question, I would cut down gradually to make it easier on both you and baby.

Good luck. Everything is hard in those early weeks.

Thank you! I live in France and they make you pump day 1 alongside breast. So by cutting down one a day will my mil supply gradually fade?

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RoseslnTheHospital · 22/04/2023 05:29

Don't express if you don't want to or need to. Surely they're giving you advice not instructions or rules? I had to express from day 1 due to my babies being in SCBU and being tube fed and it was such a stressful thing. Just directly breastfeeding was so much less of a hassle when we got to that point.

Anyway, to stop I agree that you should reduce feeds one at a time slowly, to give you time to adjust. The last thing you need is mastitis at this point.

PurBal · 22/04/2023 05:57

If you drop down by one feed every few days then you’ll avoid getting engorged. Then pump for comfort (don’t over pump, just enough to not be uncomfortable because the goal is stop producing milk). As your milk supply is still getting established you may be a bit more uncomfortable. Well done for getting this far, breastfeeding is hard!

Twizbe · 22/04/2023 07:20

You don't need to express if you don't want to.

Give the NCT infant feeding line a call (they take international calls) to get some information on how to stop / how to reducing expressing and focus on breastfeeding.

Original poster
iloveburmese3 · 22/04/2023 12:46

Thank you all for your great advice appreciate everyone's comments xx

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SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 23/04/2023 10:27

The best time to stop BFing is when you are ready too. If you do want to stop by 6 weeks I'd give one of the BFing Helplines a call as a BFC can advise you on the problems you're having now and how to stop by 6 weeks.

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 23/04/2023 11:07

Sorry @iloveburmese3, can I just check if you want to stop completely by 6 weeks, or are you saying that you want to EBF until 6 weeks then start to introduce formula?

If you want to move over to formula by 6 weeks, you'll need to start swapping over a feed now as the more slowly you do it, the more time it gives LO to get used to the increased volume she'll need to drink and the less your risk of Mastitis will be Flowers

Original poster
iloveburmese3 · 23/04/2023 16:10

So Louis already has formula during the night and seems to like it... and pump and feed by Breast during the day.

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SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 23/04/2023 16:12

In that case then I'd start by replacing your day feeds one by one. Usually it's advised to drop one feed every two weeks but if you definitely want to stop by 6 weeks, maybe drop one feed a week?

Original poster
iloveburmese3 · 23/04/2023 16:19

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 23/04/2023 16:12

In that case then I'd start by replacing your day feeds one by one. Usually it's advised to drop one feed every two weeks but if you definitely want to stop by 6 weeks, maybe drop one feed a week?

Thank you for your helpful replies really appreciate it. Would you start this already? I've got about 3 weeks left x

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SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 23/04/2023 16:48

Yes, if it's your aim to stop by 6 weeks I'd start with a feed tomorrow. Just look at which one would be most convenient for you to swap at first.

Original poster
iloveburmese3 · 23/04/2023 17:17

Thank you so much x

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CurlewKate · 23/04/2023 18:11

It's absolutely fine to find it awful and want to stop. BUT it might be less awful if you stop pumping.

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 23/04/2023 18:51

CurlewKate · 23/04/2023 18:11

It's absolutely fine to find it awful and want to stop. BUT it might be less awful if you stop pumping.

I definitely found that I was less stressed, and enjoyed BFing more once of ditched the pumping.

Original poster
iloveburmese3 · 23/04/2023 18:54

The problem is... he's guzzling 180ml a time (when I pump I can see the amount in the bottle) and my breast just can't take it... or rather I can't... so when I pump it's quicker and more effective to get amount out (takes 10 mins) and on the great he gets quite agressive with it 😅 as wants milk and more of it! He's honestly a milk machine - he's only 2 weeks!

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Original poster
iloveburmese3 · 23/04/2023 18:54

*on the breast (not great!)

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Original poster
iloveburmese3 · 26/04/2023 10:52

I'm an idiot... I dropped probably 2 pumps yesterday and woke up with a raging fever and such a red breast.. doctor confirmed it's mastitis- can't believe how aggressive it has been - felt ok on 2am feed but by 5 I was really sick... ugh be careful people it's not a joke! I'm on antibiotics now

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