Experience in Stopping Breast Feeding

Keep pumping. You may be getting tired of it, but it sounds like your baby still needs it. Start mixing the formula into the breast milk. Start with a 5/1 ratio, breast milk to formula, and up it each week. Pretty soon your son will be drinking formula straight. Good luck!

Hi B.,
I weaned very slooowly from breastfeeding, eliminating one breastmilk meal a day and holding that schedule as long as it took (days or weeks) until my milk supply adjusted down and I was sure my son was satisfied with the other food he got in place of breast milk, and then eliminating the next one . . . It took us a couple of months but I think you could do it much faster than that. It was completely non-traumatic for both of us. Once I weaned, I was finally able to loose weight! I did have to try to loose the weight, but it came off easily once I weaned. I know nursing burns the pounds off of some moms, but maybe some of us have a hormonal/metabolic effect from nursing that makes our bodies want to hang on to pregnancy pounds. Good luck!

Be very careful about how fast you stop pumping. I would hate to see you end up with a clogged duct like I did from trying to wean yourself from it too quickly. VERY painful!!!

I would say the suggestion about dropping one session and waiting 5-7 days is a good way to go.

Also, not sure how old your son is, but if he is over a year I'd skip the formula and start offering him whole milk instead. If he isn't a year yet, the go the formula route.

Kim

When I stopped pumping for my son (I pumped about 6 wks after he weaned), I just weaned down over a 2 wk period. I dropped a pumping every few days so that I didn't get too engorged and uncomfortable. It was quite easy. My son took to formula quickly, so I can't help you there. Good luck!

With my two, it was a gradual process to stop pumping/feeding. Doing it too fast simply hurts! I would pump for less time - just to relieve the discomfort. That will signal your body to slow down. I didn't find that I gained weight when I stopped, but I also did watch my diet a bit. Also, when your body is ready spread out the time between pumping. Eventually wean down to less and then none. It took a while for me as I did it very gradually - probably 6 weeks. However, I'm sure it can be done faster - go at the pace your body will allow.

Also - we switched her to formula a little at a time. 75% breast milk 25% formula bottles for few days. Then 50/50, then 25/75 and so on. It worked well.

Good luck!

Stopping pumping will be easier than stopping nursing because you aren't dealing with a baby who doesn't want to quit. You simply drop one session at a time, giving your body about 5-7 days to adjust. I would save the first session of the day, when you are probably the most engorged, for the last one to drop. You probably won't gain weight from this. In fact, I was able to lose the last stubborn pounds after I was done nursing. Just make sure you are no longer consuming those extra calories for making milk. The other issue may be harder, getting your son to take formula. You don't say how old he is. Is he close to a year? When he turns one, he can have regular whole milk. Otherwise, you could have a harder time. Two thoughts. One is that you can add a bit of already mixed formula to the breastmilk and see if he'll take that. If so, you can gradually change the ratio until he is just on formula. Another thing to try is, if you have been giving him the breastmilk through a bottle, you might offer him formula in a sippy cup. They often see it as something different when it comes from a different source. All that being said, I do want to encourage you to try to give him breastmilk for a full year if at all possible. It really is so much better for them. No judgements from me, though. You ultimately need to do what's best for all concerned and what works for you. Good luck!