Author Topic: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.  (Read 60429 times)

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Offline marblelicious

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #315 on: October 24, 2007, 19:07:58 pm »
oh yes I know, I will have to keep pumping to prevent all those things from happening to me. I am feeling really desparate here and don't know what else to do (we've tried for the past 3 months, except when he was sick) with my DS when it comes to weaning...he's one stubborn baby.

Offline Aly Mac

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #316 on: November 05, 2007, 06:53:24 am »
Hi everyone.

just a quick question, as I can't seem to find an answer anywhere.  I am still nursing L 4.x a day up to yesterday. I dropped the mid morning feed, and again today - so far so good.  do I need to do anything for myself with this? ie: pump or anything.  They feel ok, not engorged or anything. I jsut don't want it to effect my morning or bedtime supply as I really want to keep with these.  If I need to pump, then I will just go back to nursing in the day, as I"m doing it more for some freedom for me more than anything. (I am still struggling with the why this morning - I have perfectly good milk? why am I giving her cows milk/  but that's another thread!).  Also, can you do this adhoc, or is it worse to alternate too much? 

sorry, wasn't such a quick question afterall!!
Aleesa.....


Offline deenz

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #317 on: November 06, 2007, 00:14:29 am »
I would say you don't need to pump.  I didn't anyway, and all was fine, I continued on with nursing twice per day.  As long has your breasts feel fine, then I wouldn't worry.  I wouldn't drop the 3rd feed for a little while though, just to slowly decrease your supply, rather than dropping two feeds together.  Not sure re the adhoc thing - do you mean you might sometimes do the mid-morning feed, and sometimes do the mid-afternoon feed?  Not sure how your breasts would manage that??

Offline Harpersmom

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #318 on: November 10, 2007, 14:11:08 pm »
Hi I am finally saying goodbye to nursing.  DS is 20 mo and he has just been latching hard and poorly and using more teeth.  Plus I am ready to not have to be the one to do bedtime.  Last night dad handled bedtime quite well and suprisingly so did ds.  He went to sleep pretty easy after some crying and cuddles.  Then slept through the night.  So this am I am a little engorged on the right side and sore.  Do I need to pump or do any compresses or supplements to help me dry up and keep me from getting blocked ducts or even mastitis?  Thanks
dr.a

Offline lisi's mum

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #319 on: November 10, 2007, 15:23:34 pm »
Congratulations, and enjoy the free evenings!  ;D

Try not to pump - if you're really sore give yourself a warm compress / shower and massage out just enough milk to take the edge off things - you don't want your body to think it still needs to make that milk.

Sage tea helps dry things up - just a few sage leaves in some boiling water and let steep 15 minutes, drink around 3 cups a day. Tastes pretty nasty (dh actually likes it  ::) works wonders for sore throats too, but that's another story!) but works. Peppermint tea helps too.

If a duct blocks, which is unlikely, then massage, massage, massage. Warm compresses, more massage and when you're not doing that stick a cabbage leaf in your bra or even better a compress with quark or natural yogurt.

Well done on such a great bf career!
Katie


Offline Muriel - Elisa's mama

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #320 on: November 10, 2007, 17:57:52 pm »
Hi! I need some advice!
I stop BFing last week, weaning slowly the last two feeds I had, one morning and one evening. so since last monday I did not pump. It seemed to go fine but since yesterday i feel my breast as a bit sore and also feel some hard points in some parts of the breasts. I also see a bit of liquid/ milk? coming out today, which i did not see for the last days.
It is not very painfull just a bit disturbing (like i woudl have waiting a bit with a feed and the breats is full), is this part of the normal process or is this what we call block ducts or others? i did not get really any trouble during the last 7 mo of BFing so i am not recognising any symptom or can compare to anything!
well any suggestion are welcome!!

Muriel
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Offline Samuel's mum

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #321 on: November 10, 2007, 18:06:59 pm »
It might be you have blocked ducts but as long as it's not painful I wouldn't do anything just yet. When people wean they do sometimes go through phases of being a bit lumpy or engorged.

As for why there was a sudden change yesterday perhaps something is going on in your menstrual cycle which is causing some changes. Or could your breasts have had some stimulation (from DH ;), a power shower, a sleeping position) - that might have been enough to set off a little bit more production.

It's normal for milk to still be there for quite some time yet (and occasionally leak). For some people it can take weeks and months for milk to go entirely.

For now try some cool compresses (like wet cold washcloths) for relief.

However if the lumps do continue to feel uncomfortable and move into feeling painful I would worry about blocked ducts and I would try and 'clear them' with some warm compresses and massage (massaging towards the nipple) and perhaps a little bit of hand expression or even pumping (the absolute minimum after warm compresses and massage). I know it might seem like going backwards to pump at this point and stimulate your supply but it's worth a few more days of pumping and scaling it back down again to avoid mastitis.

Check out the FAQ on mastitis and blocked ducts.

Hope you are all sorted soon. It really might be completely 'normal' but just be aware of what blocked ducts might feel/look like.
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Offline Muriel - Elisa's mama

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #322 on: November 10, 2007, 18:34:04 pm »
Emma, great, many thanks for you so fats answer and good advices!! i belive that if it stays one or two more days then may be i have to think of block ducts. i will look at the threads again to watch out! I tried warm compresses and it felt better right away!! i will try the sage tea too, may be that's help also. wel it feels so bizarre to still have milk without being baby-pumped!!
well, no stimulation from DH this week so i guess my hormones are trying themselves out to see for my cycles to come back to normal again!! hey, did not had periods for 7 mo and did not miss those ones!! ;)
I try with compresses and tea for a couple of days if i see the lumps get harder then i will do a tour at my doc!
weel at leats it is nice to see it is normal and can take a while to go back to normal!! well i do miss my baby-boob times but enjoy the new freedoom too so i guess it takes the same time than to place BFing in place!! :D
many many thanks again and I let you know how it goes!! ;D
Muriel
Elisa 4/4/2007

Offline Harpersmom

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #323 on: November 11, 2007, 01:33:05 am »
Just fyi.  I am still sore so I will try a shower in a bit.  But I made some tea.  Pot of water with a stalk of sage leaves broken in half, juice of half a lemon and then peeled and put the pulp in, then 2 bags of peppermint tea and put on the stove for about 20 min.  It tastes amazing. I sure hope it works.
dr.a

Offline lisi's mum

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #324 on: November 11, 2007, 08:01:16 am »
That's quite a concoction!

A wee herb won't work instantly - keep it in a thermos and sip away throughout the day for a good few days, the cumulative effect will help.

Hope the soreness goes away soon.
Katie


Offline Muriel - Elisa's mama

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #325 on: November 11, 2007, 09:24:06 am »
hi katie & marpersmom - well nice idea to put lemon and pepper munt tea in the sage tea! i will try that!! i am drinking it since yesterday and it taste a bit special on itw own!! ;).... well still i woke up last night with pain so decide at 4.00 am to pump a bit to try to realase the pain and took ibuprofen to be able to go back to sleep, well it seems to work, my breasts stilll are sore and painfull but i feel less hard lumps so i guess the pumping helpt a bit too!
i will try the hot shower now too!
well it is nice to know others are going through the same!! i did not think it would be such a big deal and just went very slowly with the weaning but still, what a body adaptation again!!! :P well sorry to vent here but women definitively have more jobs to do that men on this department!!! ;D ;D i guess this is why our LOs are asking for mama later when they need comfort... way cool, right!! 8) 8)
Muriel
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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #326 on: November 11, 2007, 14:46:57 pm »
I finally pumped a bit last night too.  I just couldn't take the discomfort.  It was uncomfortable just to move my arms.  I feel much better today and my tea is ready.  Yum.  Elisa glad you are feeling a bit better too.  It is nice to know we all go through this.  Since I had been doing only 1 feed a day for over a month I didn't think I would be so achy.  Ahh motherhood... blessing and a curse.... luckily more of a blessing  ;) :-*
dr.a

Offline Muriel - Elisa's mama

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #327 on: November 11, 2007, 19:56:22 pm »
so comforting to be few in the same boat!! ;)
well, i skipped 3 feeds in 3-4 days for each and it was fine for few days.. but now i am tapping with cold cabbage in my bra.. i tought i was back like at stewing time 7 mo earlier!!! ;D ;D ;D luckily we can take ibuprofen now!!! ;D
well good lukc on your side for this night! i wish you also a more calm night without pumping!!!
muriel
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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #328 on: November 13, 2007, 19:55:05 pm »
aleesa - thanks for telling me about this thread. in the last few weeks before cade turned a year, i would only nurse if i was home. so somedays he would nurse more than others KWIM? i was not going to pump when i was away from him, etc. so don't worry if some days you nurse more than others. i understand what you are saying. if you want to run errands, go for it and don't worry about what your boobs are doing or lilly.  they will both adjust fine and you will enjoy yourself more.

as for me, i started officially weaning at a year. my plan was to drop one feed every month or so. I ended up dropping two feeds though. I dropped the night time feed first b/c DH likes to put Cade to bed and he was not hungry enough to really nurse well. cade starting biting me and it just wasn't worth it. plus, i didn't like the feed! right now, we're in the middle of dropping a nap. since he is now only napping once a day, the other feed just disappeared which worked out perfectly. We had a little problem with biting week after last but it worked itself out (didn't want to end nursing on that note). Cade is not walking yet, but i'm hoping when he starts he'll drop one of his feeds on his own.  ??? i think the hardest will be first thing in the morning but i'll do it over the weekend so DH can wake him up and give him breakfast right away.  cade loves to eat and is ready for breakfast quickly after he nurses. i'm ready to wean but i'll be sad when it is over. feels like it is the only time i get cuddles!
 
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Offline Aly Mac

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Re: WEANING thread...Come and share your experiences and offer support.
« Reply #329 on: November 18, 2007, 08:42:37 am »
Hi guys.

L is now on 3 bf a day (cut out the mid morning feed) but she is teething - a molar came through this week, tooth number 9 :o and she seems to want me to feed her more (she was always likethis with teething) Anyone else have this happen while they were weaning? I'm not actively weaning altogether, but don't want to go backwards with what I have done so far.

Anyone's experiences would be a great help.
Aleesa.....