I've been breastfeeding my baby for 5 1/2 months. How do I dry up my milk, should I pump or stop completely?

Question

My breast are very engorged and I've been using cabbage leaves. I produce A LOT of milk, so I am just lost for what I should do to dry up my milk without all of the pain. Someone please help me!!!

Answer 1

my step-mom wrapped me tightly with an ace bandage i wore it for about a week or two don't remember it was 6 years ago but it worked maybe pump the milk out before so its not so uncomfortable

Answer 2

get in the shower and let the hot waterhit your b*****s to ease the pain. Take motrin for the pain. then wear a tight sports bra and breastpads.

Answer 3

I also produce a lot of milk, and had engorgement issues at night when my son started sleeping 6-8 hours in a row.  I can't remember the specific website or book... but the solution was to pump or express just enough milk to relieve the engorgement and discomfort - nothing more.  After a night or two, my body knew to not make as much milk at night and the problem stopped.  I did not notice any extra milk production during the day after that, and it was better than having to take a shower every time I got engorged.

My son is 4 1/2 months old now - and I will probably have similar engorgement issues whenever I start to wean him.  So, I will try that trick again first as I slowly wean down the feedings to one a day and then to eventually none.

Are the cabbage leaves helping at all?  

Answer 4

The best way to stop breast-feeding is to wean Slowly...taper the nursings...if you are stopping all-at-once you will  have to wear a tight fitting bra and keep away from ANY nipple/breast stimulation,no nursing AT ALL since sucking Increases the milk supply...NO Pumping..apply cool compresses...you canstand in the shower and allow the water to hit your b*****s...sometimes they will drain spontaneously with out any touching or expressing the milk yourself...aside from this you just have to tough it out~~Good Luck~~Nursed 4 babies two years each~~

Answer 5

you need to stop completely.  if you start pumping it will still be that supply and demand method and you will continue to produce milk.  when you feel like your are going to bust cold wash rags help but don't put anything warm on them it might make you leak.

Answer 6

If you keep pumping then the milk is going to keep coming in.  When I was ready for my milk to dry up, I stopped completely.  I would sit in a warm bath and cry because of the pain.  But what help me the most was I would put wet washcloths in the fridge for about an hour and put them on my b***s, and I would also wear a bra that was about 2 cup sizes too small, that way they didn't move very much.  

Answer 7

When I was breastfeeding, I produced 32 ounces every 2 hours.  Talk about a lot.  Whenever I needed to dry up so I could return to work, I'd pump myself dry every time and pump less and less frequently.  Every 2 hours for a day or 2.  Then every 3 hours for a day or 2.  Until it slowed to almost nothing.  

Answer 8

pump every 4 hours for 2 days, then go to every 6 hours for 2 or 3 days, then every 8 hours for a week or so then twice a day and you should be pretty dry.  

Answer 9

cold wash clothes on your b*****s.

Answer 10

pump to comfort and thats it, your body will not respond by making more.  This will ease the risk of plugged ducts and mastitis and take a bit of the discomfort away.  You should do this until you feel you no longer need to release some milk and in a couple of weeks you will be milkless.