how long does it take for your milk to dry up?

I am working on stopping the pumping altogether. I just don't want to do
this routine anymore. I won't go back to breastfeeding either, so I'm
trying to "dry up". But I have no idea on how to go about it. I am only
pumping every 6-8 hrs, but still put out over 16 oz every time, which is
almost double what she eats. I can't stop cold turkey, the engorgement is
unbearable. Is there a "method" for stopping breastfeeding?

On 2006-01-27 13:10:34 +0800, "oregonchick" said:

I am working on stopping the pumping altogether. I just don't want to
do this routine anymore. I won't go back to breastfeeding either, so
I'm trying to "dry up". But I have no idea on how to go about it. I
am only pumping every 6-8 hrs, but still put out over 16 oz every time,
which is almost double what she eats. I can't stop cold turkey, the
engorgement is unbearable. Is there a "method" for stopping
breastfeeding?


You can take drugs, but the best way for your body is gradual.... could
you try leaving the expressing 1/2 or 1 hour longer each day? Cabbage
leaves, avoid all other stimulation (hot showers/foreplay). I can't
even remember the name of the drug you can take, now, sorry. What
about going on the combined pill?

Jo
--
Woman, Wife, Mother, Midwife

I wouldn't pump until you're "empty" - just enough to relieve the
tenderness/pain. Then your body will gradually get the message to produce
less and less. Drugs are really not the way to go - they're usually only
given in exception circumstances, like when a baby is stillborn and the
mother wishes to stop lactation before it starts.
Morag

"oregonchick" wrote in message
...
I am working on stopping the pumping altogether. I just don't want to do
this routine anymore. I won't go back to breastfeeding either, so I'm
trying to "dry up". But I have no idea on how to go about it. I am only
pumping every 6-8 hrs, but still put out over 16 oz every time, which is
almost double what she eats. I can't stop cold turkey, the engorgement is
unbearable. Is there a "method" for stopping breastfeeding?

Morag in Oxford wrote:
I wouldn't pump until you're "empty" - just enough to relieve the
tenderness/pain. Then your body will gradually get the message to produce
less and less. Drugs are really not the way to go - they're usually only
given in exception circumstances, like when a baby is stillborn and the
mother wishes to stop lactation before it starts.
Morag

Seconded. Exactly what I was told with engorgement and it worked. It
only takes a little milk to relieve it, although being a dairy fairy it
might take you a little bit more. IIRC, cold turkey could lead to
blocked ducts, which isn't good.

Jeni

how many pump sessions are you doing? I seem to think you are only doing 4
or 5, in which case dropping one all together is probably not a good idea,
but you can shorten one, then drop it and repeat with each one until you are
not doing it at all, or there has been a significant drop and you are
prepared to go cold turkey.

Anne

"Notchalk" wrote in message
You can take drugs, but the best way for your body is gradual.... could
you try leaving the expressing 1/2 or 1 hour longer each day? Cabbage
leaves, avoid all other stimulation (hot showers/foreplay). I can't
even remember the name of the drug you can take, now, sorry. What
about going on the combined pill?

The drug is not recommended anymore, as it was found to cause cancer.

To Betsy:

Gradually reducing the times you pump and/or the amount you pump. IOW, let
one pumping session go for a few days until your body adjusts and then take
away another pumping seesions, etc... Go longer in between pumping sessions.
Cabbage leaves do help to reduce or dry up supply.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

"oregonchick" wrote in message
...
I am working on stopping the pumping altogether. I just don't want to do
this routine anymore. I won't go back to breastfeeding either, so I'm
trying to "dry up". But I have no idea on how to go about it. I am only
pumping every 6-8 hrs, but still put out over 16 oz every time, which is
almost double what she eats. I can't stop cold turkey, the engorgement is
unbearable. Is there a "method" for stopping breastfeeding?


Well, my body, and baby, have effectively done this naturally since as my
daughter started dropping naps she stopped letting me pump as often. I
currently pump 2x a day-morning and night, and get barely enough for a 6 oz
sippy each time. (And am torn on whether to continue or not-I'd really like
Alli to get some breast milk until age 2, but I don't know if my body will
continue to produce that long since I can only pump 2x/day.)

What I'd suggest is dropping pumping cycles one at a time, and not pumping
until you're done when you do. So, instead of pumping every 4 hours, pump
every 6. Or instead of every 6, pump every 8, and then every 12. At that
point, you can probably stop altogether-I suspect I could do so now without
pain at all. This is effectively what my daughter forced me into starting at
about 10 months or so.

I'm sure you're going to get a lot of rationales for why you should keep
going, so I'm not going to do it. I will say that for me it got easier with
time, and that the stage of engorgement and producing enough for two babies
and feeling tied to the pump because otherwise your breasts are about to
burst was about as bad as it got once supply was established.

"Morag in Oxford" wrote in message
...
I wouldn't pump until you're "empty" - just enough to relieve the
tenderness/pain. Then your body will gradually get the message to produce
less and less. Drugs are really not the way to go - they're usually only
given in exception circumstances, like when a baby is stillborn and the
mother wishes to stop lactation before it starts.
Morag

Even then, all that was done was that I was started back on a full-strength
birth control pill earlier than typical.

The drug is not recommended anymore, as it was found to cause cancer.

it is still given in very rare cases, the long term risk of cancer is
sometimes a fair exchange for the short term reduction of distress.

Anne

oregonchick writes:

I am working on stopping the pumping altogether. I just don't want to do
this routine anymore. I won't go back to breastfeeding either, so I'm
trying to "dry up". But I have no idea on how to go about it. I am only
pumping every 6-8 hrs, but still put out over 16 oz every time, which is
almost double what she eats. I can't stop cold turkey, the engorgement
is unbearable. Is there a "method" for stopping breastfeeding?

I haven't anything to add to what the others have said on the actual
question, but since you *haven't* in fact had a lot of people giving
reasons for not stopping... I wonder whether you would at least consider
taking two or three weeks to have a(nother) serious try at getting your PPD
treated, before you give up? I'd hate you to give up pumping and then find
you feel no better, because the pumping wasn't actually the problem. (You
should not have to stop feeding to take PPD meds: if your doctor tells you
to do this, you need a new doctor, IMHO.)

Also, I saw that elsewhere you asked questions about burning calories by
exercising. If that's a concern, giving up pumping makes no sense - with a
new baby, there's no way you'll get enough exercising time to burn remotely
as many calories as you're currently burning to make milk. I think it's
also possible that having this concern so early is itself because of the
PPD, so to me it's another red flag. (Of course, I accept that exercising
has many benefits besides burning calories - but then so does
breastfeeding, or pumping milk for your baby!)

Sidheag
DS Colin Oct 27 2003