Just Stopped Nursing

That happened to me too with my second one, and amazingly, the milk just dried up somehow and the soreness went away. I was probably sore and lumpy, especially in the nipple area, for about 3-4 days, and then it was gone!

i just weaned by daughter at 9.5m and had no issues whatsoever. i kept slowing her down -- once a day, then once every other day. soon enough i skipped several days and felt nothing. had a very similar experience tho. good luck!

I just stopped 4 months ago and I know this sounds gross, but someone told me to put frozen cabbage leaves on. It really worked.

Cabbage leaves. It is not an old wives tale. They have an acid or something that soaks into the skin and inhibits milk production. They are great for clogged ducts ( I get those a lot).
hope you feel better!

while i am no expert on the matter (i weaned baby #1 at 22 months and now who knows whwn the 7 month old will be weaned) i would suggest that you pump and feed it to him in a bottle. the most important thing is that you wen him from your breast.

all will be well,
me

Yes, cool (not frozen) cabbage leaves will feel good. If you prefer something different, they do sell cool packs to help reduce the discomfort of engorgement. I'm sure they have them at Babies R Us or Target. I just stopped nursing my 8 month old and felt like I was getting clogged ducts too, but it went away after about a week. If the pain gets worse or doesn't go away with cool packs and Tylenol, I would call your midwife and ask for advice. You can always call the office and ask the nurse or midwife. You don't have to go in for an appointment. (I've called my office with questions a few times and they're always very nice and willing to help....even if it's just to tell you that what's happening is nothing to worry about.) I'm sure they've answered this question a million times and will tell you how to handle it.

Be very careful with the blocked ducts! You may have to just breastfeed once a day for a few more weeks. Your body may be telling you that you are not ready to stop yet. If your son is still hungry after you breastfeed him, then try giving him some solids right after. He should be eating solids about 3 times a day at this point anyway. It's more important that you do not get sick than it is to wean quickly.
If the blocked duct does not go away you are at risk of mastitis, which you really don't want to get! I had it before and it was really awful. You would have a really sore hard red spot on your breast and flu-like symptoms. If it gets to that point you need to see your doctor ASAP. But to prevent this, I would suggest putting cool compresses on your breasts and don't wear really constricting bras. Also buy some lecithin (a supplement available at the drug store) and take a 1200 mg pill every 8 hours until the blockage goes away. It's an emulsifier and it's completely harmless, usually made from soy and is found in lots of foods that we eat every day. Somehow it breaks up the clog. I used to get blocked ducts a lot when my son first started sleeping through the night and I swore by lecithin to get rid of them. I took them once a day for a few months to prevent clogs until I didn't need them anymore. I still take them occasionally if I feel a sore spot in my breast. Also make sure you are drinking enough water because dehydration can also cause the blocked ducts.
If your nipples are sore, it could be a milk blister (a blockage at the opening of your nipple. I don't have any experience with them but look at the links I provided for more information.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/nipplebleb.html
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/lecithin.html

There are all sorts of folk remedies out there, but none of them made any difference for me. My midwife told me NOT to wear tight bras or bindings, because that can lead to infection. She told me to just be careful not to take hot showers, and only to express the tiniest bit of milk when really engorged. (The more you express, the more you'll make.) So I just had a very uncomfortable 2 weeks, and then I was ok. But I still had milk for months! Apparently that's not uncommon.

Good luck!

Hi L.~
I was just reading some of the other suggestions and as bizzare as cold cabbage leaves sound, it seems to have worked for the other women.
If your breasts are really sore, try frozen peas. Keep them in the bag and just hold the bags against your breast until you get relief or until they start to thaw. In my opinion, frozen peas, in almost any situation, works better than an ice pack.
My children didn't latch to the breast, so I pumped myself every 2 to 3 hours, but was only able to do so for about a month before I started getting less and less. You can store your milk (I'm not sure how, once I pumped it, I would add to the bottle until it was almost a full 4 oz. then he'd eat it almost immediately) and give it to him as I did, and your supply will dry up, but it will take time.
Good luck to you...
J.~