It is the end of an era. That’s right, I have decided to stop breastfeeding. Really, the timing worked itself out. I have been weaning LS for a few months, only feeding her most evenings and some mornings – no pumping {thank goodness!}. During our holiday travels, poor LS got a stomach bug and couldn’t keep much of anything down once the coughing started. That’s when I decided to stop. It’s different for everyone, but it worked out pretty perfectly.
As I write this, it has been a little over a week and I have mixed feelings. Our connection is just as strong, and I’ve delayed the weaning more than I meant to, but it still feels like it’s happening so fast. LS is growing up way too fast. There was some guilt at first, but she’s been obsessing over food for months now and definitely gets plenty of nutrients that way.
So back to the timeline. It had been a little over a week and I thought I was in the clear…until the engorgement. I’ve had clogged ducts in the past, and it was the same feeling. The swelling and sensitivity made the process uncomfortable – even after cutting back on LS’s feedings. So I did some research on how to make this process easier and more comfortable.
Weaning tips ::
- Gradually skip more feedings. At first, I used frozen breast milk to make up for the feedings I wasn’t around for, and then eventually replaced most of those with solids.
- Cut down the length of a feeding. For LS and me, this happened naturally. She nursed for comfort before bed and would typically fall asleep right away or lose interest because of surrounding distractions.
Drying up your milk supply {with less discomfort} ::
Having engorged breasts totally sucks. Here are a few ways to possibly avoid or diminish that sort of discomfort. Continue to monitor the situation in case of mastitis.
- Drink a cup of sage leaf tea twice a day.
- Place chilled cabbage leaves in your bra. There are supposed enzymes that help dry your supply, and the cooling factor helps with discomfort.
- Use cold packs for the “knots”.
- Take Ibuprofen as needed.
- Avoid expressing/pumping because then your milk will take longer to dry up. Obviously, go ahead and relieve yourself if the pain is too much.
Have you tried a different strategy to wean your little one and dry up your milk supply? Would love to hear your tips ‘n tricks!
