Body Changes When Weaning My Baby?

Hi Lusy,

In my experience with weaning my babies, (5 of them) what you are experiencing is normal. However, by expressing your milk once a day you are only prolonging the discomforts because your body thinks that your baby is still nursing once a day, and it will cause your body to continue to produce milk. If you haven't completely dried up yet I would reccomend that you continue breastfeeding until your baby is at least a year old. It is the best for the baby, and it also extremelely lowers your risk of breast cancer later in life. It also helps your body to lose the extra weight you might have gained during pregnancy. There are just so many benefits for both you, and baby when you breastfeed. During the first year of life it provides your baby with much needed antibodies, and you will notice that the baby doesn't get sick as much as babies who aren't breastfed. That being said, it is your personal decision, and if you still choose to wean now, you will feel some feelings of fullness, and discomforts as your body is adjusting to the weaning. If you were breastfeeding fully prior to stopping that will make the engorgement feeling even worse. It is best to stop gradually to where your baby is only nursing very briefly once a day. In that case your body will produce less milk (it only produces as much as the baby demands). When you are breastfeeding fully, at least every four hours it acts as a natural form of birth control. Once you stop feeding for more than four hours at a time you will regain your periods usually within 1 to 4 months at which time you will become able to get pregnant again. When weaning you can relieve some of the discomforts such as the engorgement feeling by applying warm/hot towels that are wet to your breasts. Also a warm shower can help, as well as Midol or something for the cramps. Don't take the medicines though if you are still nursing as they can pass through your milk to the baby. Tylenol is ok while you are nursing. It generally doesn't take too long after you completely stop breastfeeding for the milk to dry up, and for your breasts to return to normal. Just hang in there, and you will feel back to normal soon :)

Most likley hormonal- you can start your period while nursing, but definitely will start it again very soon after weaning!

Every body is different. My period became regular about 4 months after I weaned but I know people with ranges from a month to 6 months. This is based on my friends so it's not a fact. I also had mild pms symptoms but not the period at first. As for the cold and hot flashes, it might be hormonal but if your breasts start getting engorged and painful, you might have mastitis, which is an infection. I would call your OBGYN if you continue to feel uncomfortable. Good luck!

If you aren't breastfeeding every four hours you can get your period. Remember, one ovulates before one has ones period (the period is the body shedding the old blood it doesn't need because you are not pregnant - then the body makes new blood in case you do get pregnant).

My favorite natural free simple method of understanding your monthly cycle and fertility is The Billings Method. See amazon: The Billings Method: Controlling Fertility without Drugs or Devices

and: http://www.boma-usa.org/ Here you can find a place to go to meet someone to learn how to use it (although friends just figured it out easily reading the book).