We are weaned! Now I need tips for my boobs...

[MamaPhD]

Hi mamas,
After 18 months of happy breastfeeding relationship, we are done! We weaned very gradually for several months and last night, I just explained to DD at bedtime, she is now a big girl and she can sleep without boob. She understood me and was totally OK with it! I just gave her extra hugs - woohoo!

Now I thought if I weaned gradually (she was nursing 1x per day for weeks), I wasn't supposed to be engorged and in discomfort. Now after 1 day of weaning, I am both. I have been wearing a very supportive sports bra but other than that, what am I supposed to do. I assum I'm not supposed to pump at this point right?

Any tips for my boobs? Also, how long is it supposed to take for my milk to be "gone"? TIA!

[spughy]

I think you're supposed to just do nothing. Eighteen months is a bit early for weaning (biologically speaking), so your body is probably not as sure as your brain that you are done. If you're really uncomfortable you could express a small amount, but if you pump anything substantial you'll just keep making milk and getting engorged.

Many people on MDC do child-led weaning (or at least nurse the recommended two years) - one of the big upsides to that is that there's no discomfort associated with weaning. I understand that there could easily be a compelling reason to stop nursing now, in which case I sympathize with your bursting boobies and hope that they feel better soon! But if there isn't any reason you NEED to wean now, waiting until your DD is older and taking less milk (and reducing her nursing on her own) will make it a much more comfortable a process for you. If she's not quite ready and has been nursing once a day, she's probably been getting as much out of that one nursing session as she can, hence your current discomfort. So another option would be to wean her off that one nursing session slowly, decreasing the time you let her spend at the breast, and then when you stop altogether you shouldn't get engorged.

[Aimelet]

Great job nursing your DD for 18 months!

I have no fully weaned yet, but plan to be done around 18 months as well. I have read that sage tea helps reduce the milk supply as does cabbage leafs in the bra. Also, advil will probably take the edge off the discomfort.

[ASusan]

Try mint tea as well. Dried me right up (at 6 weeks PP, WAY before I wanted to, of course!!).

Stay away from oatmeal.

[2boyzmama]

Cabbage leaves. Take a head of cabbage and put it in the fridge to cool. Then peel leaves off and place them in your bra. The coolness will soothe and the cabbage will help to dry you up (it has some chemical property, I forget what it is).

Ice packs will help with pain and swelling.

Congratulations on 18 months!!

Beware that she may have a regression here or there, a rough night of sleep, so have a plan in place on how you will manage those times (will you let her nurse, maybe only for 1 minute, maybe you'll substitute a lovey instead, maybe a snack/drink...)

[MamaPhD]

Just wanted to update my boobs feel pretty good now. I did some ice packs and manually expressed just a little bit 1x per day for the first 3-4 days. Past couple of days, neither. It wasn't that bad overall and I'm proud of myself to have made it to 18 months!!!

As far as DD, she has only asked for boob 2x so far, and each time I explained to her (like I did initially), that boob is for small babies and DD is a big girl now. She understands me! I'm so proud of her!!!