Weaning Advice - Northfield, MN

I see your little one is just a month old... is there a reason you are stopping breastfeeding? Your body is still in 'make lotsa milk' mode, so stopping now will take time to wean your body down. I hate to see moms stopping nursing so soon, if you are having a problem I'm sure its something that can be fixed or helped.... I think we've all had every problem in the book nursing at one point or another. I would love to help out if you need it.

If you are set on weaning, do it SLOWLY! This soon after birth, you really need to do it slowly because not only will your baby need the time to get his body used to formula, but your body will hav a huge drop in hormones, and the 'feel good' hormone that goes along with breastfeeding will drop dramatically if you don't go slowly, making your more susceptable to PPD.

Drop one feeding for at least a week, then the next week drop another feeding, and so on. It should take you at least 4 weeks to wean totally, and you may have to pump for a couple weeks to wean your body fully.

Hi Laura:
It worked for me to stop one feeding at a time and replace that feeding with a bottle. Give Ben a bottle instead of the breast one feeding at a time for a few days, then stop another feeding and replace it with the bottle. Keep at it a 3-5 days in between changes to allow your body time to react to the change in his feeding schedule. If you have a lot of milk you will be uncomfortable and can express some of the milk but not all of it. Our bodies are incredible and will make as much milk as the baby will eat so if you express all of it the body will continue to get the signal to keep making milk for that feeding.
I would like to caution you though to keep breastfeeding for a few more weeks. Again it is the way women's bodies work that when we secrete the hormone to make milk we also secrete a hormone that helps the uterus to shrink back to normal size. You may feel a cramping in your tummy area as the baby latches on and begins to suck that is the uterus shrinking back to normal size. It is all about the wonderous way our bodies work.
I hope this helps.

Good for you for nursing! It is an opportunity that is rare and limited. For every year that you nurse, you reduce your risk of breast cancer by 33%! That is huge, I am very aware of this since my sister just had breast cancer recently and didn't nurse her baby when he was young. Give it more of a chance even if you go back to work and can only nurse at bedtime, it is very worth it. I would encourage you to hook up with your local La Leche League. They can help you with whatever your nursing/weaning goals might be.
Good luck and enjoy that baby! They are only little for a short time.
Blessings,
J.

To wean my son, I couldn't just drop a whole feeding, it was too uncomfortable.

I would give him a 1-2 oz bottle of formula then offer to nurse a little on each side. It relieved the pressure and he got used to the bottle at every feeding. I would gradually increase the amount in the bottle and decrease his nursing time. by the time we were done (about 3 weeks) my supply was pretty much gone and he was content with the bottle.

good luck.

My first 3 months with my son were HARD, but it got easier and it was what was best for him so we stuck at it and things got so much easier that I couldn't believe I ever thought of quitting. My daughter is now almost 14 months and still nursing :) Like others have said if you still decide weaning is what is best, go very very slow as you can get mastitis which is ungodly painful and sometimes requires antibiotics.

I breastfed my boys for their first year and I loved it.
But you're a different person and you've decided that you don't want to continue breastfeeding. This is a personal decision, and I'm sure you must have very good reasons.
So I'm supportive.

Peppermint tea. It's cheap, easy and tasty. If that doesn't work, see your doctor; he/she may have some advice as well.

Laura -

I have to echo Becky's sentiments with weaning so early. I, too, would be more than willing to lend support however I could! I work full-time outside of the home & am still nursing my almost 1 year old. I know it can be really tough, but that time to reconnect with my daughter each day is awesome for both of us.

Anyway - if you're looking for more information on weaning (there are herbal supplements & home remedies that can work well), check kellymom.com. It's a fantastic breastfeeding resource. I think sage & peppermint both decrease supply, or you could try cabbage leaves in your bra!

Good luck to you, and congratulations on your little man!
J.

I am weaning my daughter after a year of nursing too. I have a 3-yr-old son too. I just cut down to nursing just in the morning when she wakes up and at night to put her to sleep. I don't feed her or pump in the daytime anymore. My supply is decreasing little by little. If you try this, but you still become engorged in the daytime, just try pumping a little, just so you're comfortable again, every so often. Pretty soon your body will just stop making as much milk. Good luck!