Drying up

RBXChas

If you've read any of my latest posts, you know I'm thisclose to weaning. I'm not trying to brag or anything like that (I have mixed feelings, but it's really time for us), but this is the first time I've really done this and don't know what to expect. (I was, for all intents and purposes, dried up when I moved my older son to 100% formula. However I did wake up super full the next day, so I pumped, then the next morning I was fine, and that was that.)

I'm only nursing at night, and I've only been doing that since Saturday. I nurse from both sides for probably 7-8 minutes each (he either pulls off voluntarily or is clearly just chillin' with my boob in his mouth - a phrase I never thought I'd say or write). As such I'm honestly not sure how much milk I'm actually producing anymore, so when we fully wean, it might be totally fine/easy. However, considering my practically non-existent supply the first go-round and full boobs the morning after quitting BFing/pumping, I'd be surprised if I didn't have issues once we wean.

I've been trying to read up on helping your supply dry up, and there are some things that seem to work universally (cabbage leaves, kept in the fridge), but there are a couple of things that confuse me.

Some recommend wearing a tight bra, but others say don't because it may lead to plugged ducts/mastitis. (I have a very comfy, non-underwire bra that I wore during pregnancy that is tighter than my nursing bras but not as tight as a sports bra, if that helps.)

Some say take Benadryl because it's an antihistamine that will help you dry up. I have Benadryl, so I could take one pill, but won't that make me sleepy? How can you take Benadryl (even one pill) and still function? Maybe just take it at night?

Any other ideas?

ETA thanks in advance

TL;DR version: I need some advice on drying up.

dandelyon

Any decongestant should help you dry up. I agree to avoid the tight fitting bra. Peppermint essential oil could be helpful as long as baby isn't absorbing it as well ( I'm leery about little ones and EO).

You can really just play it by ear. Stop nursing, and if you become engorged, pump just enough to take the edge off. With both of mine that have weaned, it was a gentle gradual thing like what you've described. Down to once a day and just stopped with no issues. You may still feel occasional letdown or be able to express a drop or two of milk for months after you've dried up and this normal.

RBXChas

Any decongestant should help you dry up. I agree to avoid the tight fitting bra. Peppermint essential oil could be helpful as long as baby isn't absorbing it as well ( I'm leery about little ones and EO).

You can really just play it by ear. Stop nursing, and if you become engorged, pump just enough to take the edge off. With both of mine that have weaned, it was a gentle gradual thing like what you've described. Down to once a day and just stopped with no issues. You may still feel occasional letdown or be able to express a drop or two of milk for months after you've dried up and this normal.

Thank you for the helpful advice!

Hopefully you're right, and because I'm going from one feeding to none, it won't be an issue. Even though I had major supply issues last time, I was pumping multiple times a day in an effort to save my supply and then gave up cold turkey, so maybe that's why I had the issue. I probably won't whip out the pump if I need it but might hand express a little if need be.

I definitely won't do a tighter bra (I'll just keep wearing my comfy nursing bras), and I picked up a head of cabbage for 49 cents today At worst I can make stuffed cabbage if I don't need it!

I'm not going to mess with any oils because this little guy has eczema, and lots of things irritate his skin. I have to use unscented laundry detergent and Aquaphor baby wash (or unscented Dove bar soap).

Maybe the night of our last feeding, I'll take a Benadryl just to help avoid an issue. One pill shouldn't affect me too badly, and I might even sleep better than I usually do. I'm leery about taking it during the day and feeling all tired when I need to keep up with my active baby or if I need to drive.

I may be overthinking it, but I don't want to be unprepared.

ETA that I have never been able to feel my letdown, but I could always tell when it happened by my baby's rhythm/swallowing. So hopefully feeling letdown won't be a problem, either! I have a box of breast pads left in case I have any random leaking, and whatever I have left over I'll give to a friend who's pregnant (they're individually wrapped).

RBXChas

Any decongestant should help you dry up. I agree to avoid the tight fitting bra. Peppermint essential oil could be helpful as long as baby isn't absorbing it as well ( I'm leery about little ones and EO).

You can really just play it by ear. Stop nursing, and if you become engorged, pump just enough to take the edge off. With both of mine that have weaned, it was a gentle gradual thing like what you've described. Down to once a day and just stopped with no issues. You may still feel occasional letdown or be able to express a drop or two of milk for months after you've dried up and this normal.

Also, your profile pic - so adorable! I love those young baby faces

Edited for typo

RBXChas

I'm happy to report that my last nursing session was Thursday night (my baby turned one yesterday, and AF visited yesterday, too, which probably helps weaning), and I haven't felt engorged. I took Benadryl Thursday night and last night, and yesterday evening I put a cabbage leaf over each boob. I wore my bra to bed last night with breast pads, and so far I feel ok. A little fuller than usual (which isn't that full to begin with), but that's not surprising.

So hopefully my concern was over nothing

lj3jones

I'm happy to report that my last nursing session was Thursday night (my baby turned one yesterday, and AF visited yesterday, too, which probably helps weaning), and I haven't felt engorged. I took Benadryl Thursday night and last night, and yesterday evening I put a cabbage leaf over each boob. I wore my bra to bed last night with breast pads, and so far I feel ok. A little fuller than usual (which isn't that full to begin with), but that's not surprising.

So hopefully my concern was over nothing

great job on making it to 1 year, now good luck with your weight loss goals!

dandelyon

I'm happy to report that my last nursing session was Thursday night (my baby turned one yesterday, and AF visited yesterday, too, which probably helps weaning), and I haven't felt engorged. I took Benadryl Thursday night and last night, and yesterday evening I put a cabbage leaf over each boob. I wore my bra to bed last night with breast pads, and so far I feel ok. A little fuller than usual (which isn't that full to begin with), but that's not surprising.

So hopefully my concern was over nothing

Sounds like you've done it!

RBXChas

So after a week+ of not nursing I noticed my right boob (which was the better producer this time around) felt weird to the touch (but didn't hurt), like the tissue on the top right quadrant was thicker than the rest. I compared it to my other side, and yup, not normal. I tried to remember if it had always been like that because I was starting to freak myself out. I read up on plugged ducts and galactoceles, and many suggested massage or, in the case of a plugged duct as opposed to a galactocele, expressing a little if possible. I tried expressing and was able to get some drops, but the area was a little large, so I whipped out the pump to help. About 15 minutes of slow pumping and lots of massaging while pumping made it more or less disappear. It's a little tender where I was massaging, but I was working it pretty well.

I was fairly convinced that it wasn't anything bad, but I breathed a sigh of relief when it started going away. I got about a half an ounce of milk (which looked kind of thin, like colostrum), so I'm hoping I didn't express and pump so much that it's going to happen again :indifferent: The rest of my boobs are nice and soft, so I'm anxious for this area to follow suit once and for all because I miss having softie boobs and lying on my stomach! I'm considering getting the cabbage leaves out, depending on how I feel tomorrow.

Have any of you had to express for relief this long after weaning?

Edited for clarity

lj3jones

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/02/weaning-breastfeeding_n_5154681.html

The last one on this reminded of what you posted on the weekend. Hopefully your boobs are doing better

RBXChas

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/02/weaning-breastfeeding_n_5154681.html

The last one on this reminded of what you posted on the weekend. Hopefully your boobs are doing better

That was a great article! Thanks for sharing it.

I've been using cabbage leaves for a couple of days. Friday is 2 weeks, so hopefully by 3 weeks I'll be cool. I haven't had engorgement issues like I did over the weekend, but if I do I will not pump and will only express as much as I need to for relief, if I need to. I will just take Advil if I get uncomfortable.

I think I was just weirded out my having a breast lump and needed to make sure it was a full duct. I can be a bit of a hypochondriac sometimes.

ajzmann

Just popping in to say GOOD JOB, MOMMA. One year is a huge deal, and you should be so proud of yourself.

RBXChas

Just popping in to say GOOD JOB, MOMMA. One year is a huge deal, and you should be so proud of yourself.

Thanks!

I'm a little sore on my left side today and have a couple of full ducts close to the nipple (sorry for TMI), and my right side is fuller than it was after I pumped the other day but not uncomfortable or anything. I'm taking Advil and am going to take the advice of the article and not mess with it. I'm sucking it up and hoping I'll be cool again in a few days!

RBXChas

Also, it's so funny how we put so much time and effort into establishing/maintaining/building a supply, and then it's like, "WHEN WILL MY BOOBS STOP MAKING MILK?!?"

That HuffPo article really has a point that there's so much information out there on BFing but not so much on weaning. My first BFing experience was so poor that I really had no way of knowing how it would turn out this time. My boobs are really good at this!

kcasey155

I've breastfed four, stopping when baby was down to just a couple of feeds, so between 17 and 23 months and was always full and tender for 6 to 8 weeks to the point where you could not hug me at all, carrying the baby was difficult and turning over in bed more than uncomfortable. Expect it to take a good while before your back to normal.

RBXChas

I've breastfed four, stopping when baby was down to just a couple of feeds, so between 17 and 23 months and was always full and tender for 6 to 8 weeks to the point where you could not hug me at all, carrying the baby was difficult and turning over in bed more than uncomfortable. Expect it to take a good while before your back to normal.

Thank you for this! It's good to know what to expect and that it's not weird if I feel like this for a couple of months.