If you've weaned from BM... can you help me? I have ???

pumpkinhead06

I started the weaning process on Monday, but I am still unsure of what to do.  insane, right?

On Monday, I gave him an afternoon bottle that was 2oz BM mixed with 2oz Formula.  Yesterday, I gave him two afternoon bottles (around 4 and 6..he was hungry) both were straight forward formula, no BM.

do I just keep going cold turkey, adding a new feeding with just formula every couple of days?  or do I pump and keep mixing?

My boobs are H.U.G.E because I had done crazy pumping the last couple of weeks...and now my supply is at its top game.  grrr.  they are hard and painful too.... if I go cold turkey, isn't like 3-5 days and they'll get the message?

neen01

From what I have read you should drop a feeding every 4-7 days so that your body has time to adjust.  If you are super huge and painful then you can pump a little to relieve that.  If you do not empty then it won't send the message to make a ton more.  If there is no problem with formula then you can just go to straight that - people only mix if the baby won't take it otherwise.   So just pick a feeding and replace it and then 4-7 days later add a new one.

MrsSmith81

you would want to wait like pp said and drop a feeding after at least 4 days. If you go cold turkey while making that much milk you risk getting mastitis.

ll3414

I haven't started weaning yet - but i plan to in a couple months so I have been researching.  I think there are 2 issues here - getting DS used to formula, and getting your body used to not producing milk. 

In terms of DS - I would slowly mix each bottle with a formula/BM mixture - gradually increasing the amount of formula and decreasing the amount of BM.  Maybe every couple of days increase each by an oz or so...

In terms of your body, you want to eliminate a feeding at a time or else you can end up with serious infections, etc.  Start by eliminating 1 pumping session at a time, and then every 4-7 days eliminate another.  It's not a process you want to do overnight... or else it can be extremely painful for your body.

pumpkinhead06

thanks girls!  now do I keep pumping in the morning/evening to relieve some of the pressure, or just feed as normal and not pump?  I am assuming not pumping b/c I don't want my body to make more, right?  I want it to get adjusted to making less....

He did fine with the formula yesterday...no issues, and actually (:o() less spit up then ever before.  I'll stick to giving him the afternoon session as formula for the rest of the week, and then drop another feeding. 

Unforn.  I am on a bit of a time frame... I need to have him totally weaned by August 14th. 

there is a little part of me that is very sad about this whole weaning process, even though it's a choice I made to not bring my pump back to work for the next school year...

ll3414

I would definitely keep pumping - but reduce the amount of time you pump each day.  How often do you pump now? Just morning and night?

I don't think you will have a problem being fully weaned by Aug 14th...

TheButlers:)

I am actually right in the middle of the weaning process and happy to answer questions, but I am still stumbling through:)  Right now I have dropped a few feedings, so I pump in the morning to relieve pressure, once at work, and once at night (so around 4:30am, 11am, and 730pm).  I gradually decreased sessions, dropping one every 3-4 days or so and trying to take it slow because I have had mastitis 3 times and it really stinks!  My next step will be to drop the 11am pumping session at work, and then hopefully the morning or night one.  DS is strictly on formula now though because we had trouble getting him to take it...now that he does I don't want to confuse him with the bm so I am pumping and freezing in hopes of donating it all once I am done.  So the pumping is necessary for me bc that is all I am doing..if your pumping sessions are "extra" then maybe you could drop them.  It has been a bit painful for me just getting my body to adjust, but I have been lucky enough to have a really strong supply so I figure it will take time for it to go down.  I hope this helps!!

MrsSmith81

How many pumps a day are you doing now? I would drop one every 4-5 days (you'll know when your body is ready and has stopped making the milk for that feed because you'll stop getting engorged at that time) and in the mean time you could make the other pumps shorter but I would keep them to keep mastitis at bay. I don't think you'll have any problem being weaned by the 14th even slowly dropping pumps.