Done Weaning

S.,

I am not sure exactly how long it will take to dry all the way. You could inquire to your OB-GYN for drying medications. They are out there and I think they are alot quicker and then you wont be full and in pain and no leaking.

J.

My daughter just stopped one day on her own. She was down to feeding just at night and sometimes at nap time. She just up and quit. My breast are smaller than most so it did not hurt or feel full. It took 2 -3 weeks to "dry up" and then yes I am back to my prepregancy bra size... so sad.
B.

I just went through this when DS was 14.5 months, but I work so I've been only nursing him once a day for two months now. It's been 3.5 weeks now and finally I am not feeling full. I still have sharp pains and was leaking at about 3 weeks. I even still feel a small letdown. Hope that helps.

Hi S.

I nursed until my daughter was abou 13 months old. My breasts went back to their normal size about 1 1/2 months later (however I was at my pre-prgnancy size when my daughter was 3 months old). I felt full on and off for about a month after I stopped. I have read that you can leak up until 1 year after you nurse. I'm sorry you had to stop nursing under those conditions. That must have been stressful. I feel grateful to have had the abiltiy to nurse my daughter and still takes a sippy well, with no problems. Good luck to you.

Jen

S.,
I think everyone is different. I bf-ed for 14 months and weaned too. I think I only had "dolly parton boobs" for maybe a week or so. If its been 8 days, your end may be near. If you are in pain from the fullness, try ice packs. The leaking may go on for a while. I had friends who leaked for MONTHS (you may want to invest in some good nursing pads). At night, you may also want to wear a sports bra or something to keep your breasts "holstered."

Other things I have heard about is putting cabbage leaves directly on your breasts to help.

As for them getting back to "normal" . . .that's funny. I am not sure that they ever do. You may begin to see a "new" normal. The days of nice, perky, full breasts may be over. :-(

As for the weight, I lost all of mine from breast feeding, so I was more concerned about gaining some things BACK after I stopped.

By the way, congrats on nursing so long AND having an excellent outcome with your surgery! Hoping that your "new you" is right around the corner!!
B. :-)

S., when i weaning my children it took me about a week or less.if you were down to only twice a day i don't see why your having so much trouble. my doctor told me to wear real tight bras or wrap an ace bandage or cloth around myself so i could not fill up with milk.

I had similar feelings for quite some time after weaning my daughter. I was told by my midwife to not touch the breasts at all and to not put them directly in the hot water when I showered. Oatmeal increases your production too, so if you are eating this at all, you should stop for awhile.
It took 1-2 months for all leakage to stop for me, but everyone is different. I think it is admirable that you chose to breastfeed for so long! (My daughter was 3 1/2 when she self-weaned.)

Good Luck! And best wishes!

I put nursing pads on when I was weaning to catch all the leakage. I also put heat compresses so the engorgement pain won't be as painful. Take cooler baths- hot water causes engorgement, and don't let anyone (esp your partner) touch your nipples - any stimulation like that stimulates milk production.
I was a 34B and now am a 36C, but I also am flatter the same time. The perkiness goes away. The nursing revved up my metabolism so much I lost all my post baby weight. But as soon as I stopped nursing, I slowly started to gain weight. Now I'm doing aerobics for 45 minutes each morning before I go to work. Pure torture but no choice!

Sorry S., but I have to give the tired answer of, "everybody's body is different."

ON the plus side, know that probably within the next 2-3 weeks you are going to be feeling better (and NO you don't have to lose all your baby weight though your breast size post-pregnancy may change)and be terribly thankful that you were able to breastfeed your child for that long.

I've worked with moms that wanted to breastfeed and couldn't. It's heartbreaking.

Hi,

I also had to wean quite quickly with my first son due to medical reasons. Afterwards, I was also still producing milk, and I took sage for a few days. You can drink it as a tea or take it as a tincture (liquid drops). It is EXTREMELY effective at drying up your milk supply and preventing your body from producing milk. The treatment is safe and effective. You can buy the tea or tincture at a health food store, natural food store, etc. Or online.

Good luck. A.

Hi S.! Since your babies are so close in age you probably never went back to the old you. Once I was done weaning both my girls I became flatter ( A cup post baby and was a B cup before baby) than before. Now maybe they would have perked up a bit, but I always get pregnant again before I can find out. Feeling full in the morning is normal. The leaking should be stopping soon, I think it took my body about a 7-10 days this last time. Your body is just catching up with the program. Good luck with your move! And enjoy having a little extra on top!

Hi S.
I was wondering, based on your comment that it was a "quicker than desired weaning," if maybe you wouldn't like to still be nursing your son.... You can always offer it to him and resume one or two nursings a day, if you feel you weren't truly ready to wean him.
Congratulations on your successful surgery. I'm sure it has been an emotional time, and emotions can play a huge role in lactation. It could be that this scare boosted your "mommy hormones" and actually increased your milk production briefly.
As for your breasts returning to size, everyone has a different experience. I have been nursing without stop for the past three and a half years, and though I was still lactating, my breasts did return to normal size and shape before the birth of my son five months ago. Now, of course, they are slightly larger since I am producing so much milk.
I guess my suggestion is that it might be worth it to you to consider resuming nursing your son if you feel that you weren't ready to fully wean him.
Hope this helps.
Wishing you the best...

A.

Hi, S. ~ I only breastfed for four months, but I did a slow weaning so I'm not sure if this will help you any. I do remember that it did take some time for my breasts to stop feeling so full and leaking a little. My daughter is now almost 20 months old, but if I remember correctly, it took a couple of months. As for them going back to normal ~ I actually lost a cup size and that happened about 2-3 months after stopping. And no, I did not lose all my baby weight for that to happen. In fact, I just lost it all about 4-5 months ago after my daughter started walking. Nothing like chasing after a toddler to help you lose weight! :-) Hope this helps. Good luck! L.