I want to discontinue breastfeeding now that my son is 6 months. What can I do to dry up?

Answer 1

Great info on weaning here:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/index.html

Go as slowly and gently as possible. This makes it easier on baby and easier on your body. You'll be less likely to experience painful engorgement if you go slowly. Cut one feeding no sooner than every 5 days. Pay attention to your body....if you're still feeling full between feedings, then you're going too fast.

Remember that nursing isn't just about food for baby, but comfort and being close to mom. Be sure to give lots of cuddle time.

Weaning so early (AAP recommends 12 mos as the minimum age to stop nursing) you'll need to provide baby with either pumped breastmilk or formula until 12 months of age. No cow's milk until 12 mos at the earliest.

As you cut out nursings, your body will step down supply. You can also use cabbage leaves in your bra to help with any engorgement. Sage tea can help to dry you up, as can taking Sudaphed.

Answer 2

When I quit breastfeeding my first daughter I tried to just stop and it was very painful. I called my doctor and she told me to slowly stop. Instead of nursing at every feeding only do it once in the morning and once at night. Slowly your milk supply will go down. Once it starts going down go to once a day and then it should dry up without being so painful. If it does start getting painful through out the day while you are weening I would nurse for only a couple minutes on each side just to make myself feel better and then continue feeding with the formula out of a bottle. I hope this helps.

Answer 3

basically follow everything everyone else has said. it'll be very painful, as you'll always let down, even without wanting to, which I'm sure is already happening. but just start taking him off, little by little, and if you're using a formula now, rather than frozen breast milk, be careful, my daughter became severely constipated during the change. also, be careful in the shower, the warm water helps produce milk. and with your breasts becoming engorged.. they'll be sore. don't massage them. just bear through it. don't try to pump, or manually empty them to relieve the pain, it'll just make the process longer and more painful, trust me. it'll take a little while. mine took a little over 2 weeks before it started to subside a lot. even now I get a very faint letdown feeling.. and it's been about 4 weeks since I stopped.

Answer 4

I JUST went through this 2 weeks ago. I stopped feeding her cold turkey on March 3rd. The first will be a little difficult, probably more for you than for me, as my daughter is 1 and didn't feed as often as a 6 month old. I did put cabbages in my bra. Although I dont feel it actually helped dry up, it did help them feel better as they were very cold. I wore a tight sports bra to bed, any movement will make them hurt, so very little to no movement is better. Tell your hubby or bf not to touch them over the next two weeks. We had sex and they actually leaked, so keep that in mind. During week 2, they started getting knots. So I massaged them and hand squeezed out a little bit of milk...actually, its pretty much water, as you shouldn't be producing much milk anymore. I did this for a couple of minutes in the morning for a couple of days. After 1 1/2 weeks, everything is fine now. They are soft, slowly shrinking, and unfortunately, not as perky.

ps, the more you change the leaves,. the more likely they will not be so painful, and potentially no milk being produced.

also, my daughter only breast fed, no bottle...if you dont use a bottle, better start to get used to that first. We attempted to wean her at 8 months and she wouldn't take a bottle of milk, so that is why we eventually quit cold turkey...she still wont drink formula/milk, so we were unable to do anything but. we had to stick to our guns. at 1, she knew where the milk came from, and tried to pul at my shirt, but i just told her no and comforted her. she was NOT happy, but after comforting her, she never did it again. just dont give in when you decide to stop or they will figure it out and you may have problems down the road.

Answer 5

When I lost a baby girl at 21 weeks my milk came in 2 days later and the next day I started taking Yasmin and the pain subsided in a couple of days and the milk was dried up in about a week.

Answer 6

You have to start by replacing feedings with bottles and/or food. But do it gradually or you will be very sore!!! Choose one feeding to replace with a bottle or food. After 3-5 days(depending on how much the baby is nursing right now) replace another and keep repeating the process until you are done. You can take as long at you want or as quick-just remember to quick and you will be sore.

Answer 7

I know doctors can perscribe a medicine. One thing you might try is cold green cabbage leaves. My sisters all used that method when they stopped nursing. The only down fall to the cabbage leaves is that when they start getting warm they can start stinking. I have also known of women that continue to leak for months after they have stopped nursing. I guess that is one of the "perks" of being a breastfeeding mommy! haha

Answer 8

You need to slowly stop.... like give him formula every other feeding, but still breastfeed some. Then after a while, go down to once a day for a while, then stop. If you stop all at once you will be in pain and your baby may not adjust well to formula that quickly. Good luck!

Answer 9

Spoiling a baby by nursing them to 10 months?

WOW!

Babies need milk until AT LEAST a year... perferably longer.. youve already gotten over the hard part, why make a fuss with bottles and buying formula and the like?

Answer 10

gradually decrease the number of feedings. The weening process is not only for him, but for your body as well. Also, my lactation consultant told me mint, like in gum, sage, thyme will all help to dry you up. There is probably some herbal remedie as well to help.