Stopping pumping, been an arduous journey! Tips please

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CABBAGE saved my life. Try it and you'll regret not having dne earlier.

How did you use it exactly, thanks.

Seriously, 12 hours and the milk was gone. And I was pumping 9oz per session.

Leave the cabbage in the fridge.

Peel a feel leaves flat it with rolling pin and cover your entire naked breast with it. Wear the tightest bra you can tolerate over it and wait. 20-30 min maybe. Until the leaves warm up.
Repeat.
Do it for 2-3 hours (I did right before bed). Lastly dip your breast in a bowl of the coldest water you can tolerate (it huuuuurts). Wear the tight bra for bed.
My milk was gone next morning.
If you still see milk redo it every 24 hours until it's gone. .

No mastitis and no plugged ducts for me.

+1 for cabbage.

Buy from the grocery store. Wrap it in saran wrap and stuff in sports bra. Wear for 12+ hours 24/7. Sleep with it too. Change out.
WARNING: It smells really really really bad. DH thought it was the garbage that stunk, but it was the cabbage leaves in my bra. Your body heat initiates a chemical reaction in the cabbage.

You'll notice a decrease within hours. Completely dried up within in a day or two (depending if you had an oversupply or not). The milk gets stored deeper into the breast tissue, so keep wearing the cabbage leaves for an extra day or so.

Don't spend all that $$ on sage and sudafed (and why put extra stuff in to your body??) when cabbage leaves are quick, cheap, and effective.

MyLC said not to wear for more than 1 hour at a time since you can get candidiasis.

My LC said just the opposite. Wear for several hours and change out 2x/day. Agree with the above posters about how quick and effective cabbage is.

You're breeding candida on your nipple sitting with a sweaty warm cabbage leaf in your bra for that long. Yuck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have an oversupply why do you want to stop?

If you go longer between pumps, you WILL produce more watery BM. Is that what you are planning to feed your poor child??

Why not just let it dry naturally like nature intended? Breastmilk is really good for your baby. My friend tried to drops pumps and ended up getting mastitis which was very painful. Also I have heard stories of issues with periods and hormones and emotions. You will end up dealing with all that. Do you know what you will take if you have issues with periods and hormones? No one can tell you since nothing exists to help with that.

+1.

Many women want to but can't continue nursing because they dry up and you are doing it unnaturally OP. Its a big sacrifice as an exclusive pumper but there plenty of foods you can eat even if you can't have dairy. You should continue pumping, it will be so much less as weeks pass by since your LO will start ramping up on solids. I want to offer encouragement to continue if you can.

[Anonymous]

Cabbage is ridiculously effective. I thought it was bizarre at first, but it even feels good against your skin. Pair that with some Sudafed and you should be good to go.

[Anonymous]

Eh, don't worry about yeast with the cabbage leaves. You don't need to cover the nipples , it's the breast tissue that matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have an oversupply why do you want to stop?

If you go longer between pumps, you WILL produce more watery BM. Is that what you are planning to feed your poor child??

Why not just let it dry naturally like nature intended? Breastmilk is really good for your baby. My friend tried to drops pumps and ended up getting mastitis which was very painful. Also I have heard stories of issues with periods and hormones and emotions. You will end up dealing with all that. Do you know what you will take if you have issues with periods and hormones? No one can tell you since nothing exists to help with that.

+1.

Many women want to but can't continue nursing because they dry up and you are doing it unnaturally OP. Its a big sacrifice as an exclusive pumper but there plenty of foods you can eat even if you can't have dairy. You should continue pumping, it will be so much less as weeks pass by since your LO will start ramping up on solids. I want to offer encouragement to continue if you can.

Can you give OP a break? She didn't ask for a pep rally to keep pumping. I EPed for 8 months and it is HARD. I get why OP is stopping and I credit her for sticking it out this long. You obviously are a BFer and not an EPer or you wouldn't be pushing OP to continue. And, solids did nothing to decrease my DS appetite for BM or formula.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CABBAGE saved my life. Try it and you'll regret not having dne earlier.

How did you use it exactly, thanks.

Seriously, 12 hours and the milk was gone. And I was pumping 9oz per session.

Leave the cabbage in the fridge.

Peel a feel leaves flat it with rolling pin and cover your entire naked breast with it. Wear the tightest bra you can tolerate over it and wait. 20-30 min maybe. Until the leaves warm up.
Repeat.
Do it for 2-3 hours (I did right before bed). Lastly dip your breast in a bowl of the coldest water you can tolerate (it huuuuurts). Wear the tight bra for bed.
My milk was gone next morning.
If you still see milk redo it every 24 hours until it's gone. .

No mastitis and no plugged ducts for me.

+1 for cabbage.

Buy from the grocery store. Wrap it in saran wrap and stuff in sports bra. Wear for 12+ hours 24/7. Sleep with it too. Change out.
WARNING: It smells really really really bad. DH thought it was the garbage that stunk, but it was the cabbage leaves in my bra. Your body heat initiates a chemical reaction in the cabbage.

You'll notice a decrease within hours. Completely dried up within in a day or two (depending if you had an oversupply or not). The milk gets stored deeper into the breast tissue, so keep wearing the cabbage leaves for an extra day or so.

Don't spend all that $$ on sage and sudafed (and why put extra stuff in to your body??) when cabbage leaves are quick, cheap, and effective.

MyLC said not to wear for more than 1 hour at a time since you can get candidiasis.

My LC said just the opposite. Wear for several hours and change out 2x/day. Agree with the above posters about how quick and effective cabbage is.

You're breeding candida on your nipple sitting with a sweaty warm cabbage leaf in your bra for that long. Yuck!

That is why the PP said she covered it with saran wrap

[Anonymous]

OP--been reading dcum for months and finally compelled to write.

I hope the cabbage leaves provide you w/ a quick solution.

if not, here's what worked for me. As someone who had to EP for 10 months (latch and low supply issues--took 3 mo of pumping 7x/day b4 even made enough to exclusively feed bm) and told by dr. to give up dairy (until tests confirmed DC had no dairy allergies at 9 mo. visit) I can tell you drying up took an entire month. (b/t/w did you know that even after weaning scans can detect breast milk in the ducts even more than 1 yr later?)

Here is how I did it. My milk wasn't watery during this time so I was still able to freeze enough so that my dc had almost enough milk til she turned 1.

i gradually dropped number of sessions by going a bit longer b/n pumps. first, I dropped the 12 to 3 am session and got my first 5 hrs of straight sleep in over 9 months, other than a few times when i fell asleep from exhaustion and woke up so painfully engorged. at the same time, i also pumped for less time (so reduce every two days or so time from 20 to 18 to 16 to 14 mins. etc. until you only pump enough to relieve some pressure but not enough to tell your body to make more milk). towards the end only pumped 5 min. or less ea. session.

also tried sudafed at the same time, but didn't notice that this dried me up any faster. had to fight pharmacist to sell me some when she asked why i needed it.

Finally, i took regular lechitin pills which are supposed to prevent cloggged ducts. this also helps during regular pumping w/ this issue.

good luck! expecting #2 in late april, and already told hubby that i am not killing myself to pump or breast feed w/ dc#2. can't go through that sleep dep again for so long.

[Anonymous]

OP. Thank you for the suggestions and support (especially for the support. I am riddled with guilt. It's all me but that's how I am wired. I really really wanted to pump till LO was one and I would have but I feel like I am missing her growing up. Everyone gets a piece of her but me and she is such a huge part of me, it kills me hearing the cooing and prattling with others. I feel like my own baby is growing up not bonding with me.

To the PPs exhorting me to continue, I would probably have breastfed till I naturally dried up, continuing to forgo the allergen foods, that's no big deal in the bigger scheme of things for me but I am not breastfeeding and I can't possibly be a good mother, I don't think I have been with the pumping especially with my difficult breasts where pumping sometimes has taken a lot of work and time, massage, stop, wait, try again but I have been able to give good milk for long. Just way too exhausted now and health is getting impacted.

Reduced to 4 pumping sessions. Something in me is holding on to this and haven't purchased the cabbage yet. I know I am being my worst enemy here.

To the PP who asked about what I will use, I have already tried alimentum and LO spit it out most decisively. Next we tried nutramigen. LO tolerated it but promptly reduced feeds. Gerber soothe is what worked. I had to ensure some formula worked. It has 30 percent lactose and some broken down proteins, not to the extent of nutramigen. So either LO has a mild mpi or I will see some adverse effects once I go all formula. I was just testing out what works so LO was consuming 50-60% BM along with formula.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP--been reading dcum for months and finally compelled to write.

I hope the cabbage leaves provide you w/ a quick solution.

if not, here's what worked for me. As someone who had to EP for 10 months (latch and low supply issues--took 3 mo of pumping 7x/day b4 even made enough to exclusively feed bm) and told by dr. to give up dairy (until tests confirmed DC had no dairy allergies at 9 mo. visit) I can tell you drying up took an entire month. (b/t/w did you know that even after weaning scans can detect breast milk in the ducts even more than 1 yr later?)

Here is how I did it. My milk wasn't watery during this time so I was still able to freeze enough so that my dc had almost enough milk til she turned 1.

i gradually dropped number of sessions by going a bit longer b/n pumps. first, I dropped the 12 to 3 am session and got my first 5 hrs of straight sleep in over 9 months, other than a few times when i fell asleep from exhaustion and woke up so painfully engorged. at the same time, i also pumped for less time (so reduce every two days or so time from 20 to 18 to 16 to 14 mins. etc. until you only pump enough to relieve some pressure but not enough to tell your body to make more milk). towards the end only pumped 5 min. or less ea. session.

also tried sudafed at the same time, but didn't notice that this dried me up any faster. had to fight pharmacist to sell me some when she asked why i needed it.

Finally, i took regular lechitin pills which are supposed to prevent cloggged ducts. this also helps during regular pumping w/ this issue.

good luck! expecting #2 in late april, and already told hubby that i am not killing myself to pump or breast feed w/ dc#2. can't go through that sleep dep again for so long.

Thank you! I have been taking lecithin last few weeks,just wish I had stumbled upon that earlier. Would have saved me a lot of pain. Congratulations and good luck to you too.

[Anonymous]

NP. This thread has been very useful to me and I got the cabbage leaves, do I just not pump that day or do I pump then put the leaves for 15 mins at a time for 2 hrs or do i do it in lieu do the pump? Please let me know.

[Anonymous]

Pump to relieve the engorgement only.

I was so desperate that I emptied my breasts before doing it, though and it worked anyway.

[Anonymous]

Another tip I received was that it's not necessarily the duration of time you pump, but the amount you produce to watch when you wean off the pump. I also EP'ed and I completely understand your emotional struggle in trying to quit. It is hard, even if you don't have the same nursing bond that BF'ing mothers talk about. It's still a bond to be able to produce milk for your baby and it's hard to get over this emotional hurdle. It took me a while, but I do think I'm a better mom now because I'm not stressed during the day about finding time to pump, making sure my baby is safe or asleep while I need to, or having to unplug halfway through because the baby is crying.

Anyway, if you normally produce 6 ounces at a pump session, stop pumping when you get to 5 ounces. You will have relieved most of the fullness but by not draining, you won't fill up as much. Then after a day or two of surviving that, drop about another ounce. If you go slowly, you should be okay. And, if you feel a lump/clog, it's ok to relieve that with a little extra time than normal - but just do it for the one side that is clogged. There's no rule that you have to wean completely evenly.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. This thread has been very useful to me and I got the cabbage leaves, do I just not pump that day or do I pump then put the leaves for 15 mins at a time for 2 hrs or do i do it in lieu do the pump? Please let me know.

Stop pumping completely and put the cabbage leaves all day long in 15 min increments till your cabbage is done. Next morning pump and start all over again with the cabbage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CABBAGE saved my life. Try it and you'll regret not having dne earlier.

How did you use it exactly, thanks.

Seriously, 12 hours and the milk was gone. And I was pumping 9oz per session.

Leave the cabbage in the fridge.

Peel a feel leaves flat it with rolling pin and cover your entire naked breast with it. Wear the tightest bra you can tolerate over it and wait. 20-30 min maybe. Until the leaves warm up.
Repeat.
Do it for 2-3 hours (I did right before bed). Lastly dip your breast in a bowl of the coldest water you can tolerate (it huuuuurts). Wear the tight bra for bed.
My milk was gone next morning.
If you still see milk redo it every 24 hours until it's gone. .

No mastitis and no plugged ducts for me.

+1 for cabbage.

Buy from the grocery store. Wrap it in saran wrap and stuff in sports bra. Wear for 12+ hours 24/7. Sleep with it too. Change out.
WARNING: It smells really really really bad. DH thought it was the garbage that stunk, but it was the cabbage leaves in my bra. Your body heat initiates a chemical reaction in the cabbage.

You'll notice a decrease within hours. Completely dried up within in a day or two (depending if you had an oversupply or not). The milk gets stored deeper into the breast tissue, so keep wearing the cabbage leaves for an extra day or so.

Don't spend all that $$ on sage and sudafed (and why put extra stuff in to your body??) when cabbage leaves are quick, cheap, and effective.

MyLC said not to wear for more than 1 hour at a time since you can get candidiasis.

My LC said just the opposite. Wear for several hours and change out 2x/day. Agree with the above posters about how quick and effective cabbage is.

You're breeding candida on your nipple sitting with a sweaty warm cabbage leaf in your bra for that long. Yuck!

That is why the PP said she covered it with saran wrap

If you are Saran wrapping and then putting in, you aren't really getting the benefits, leaf should touch the breast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CABBAGE saved my life. Try it and you'll regret not having dne earlier.

How did you use it exactly, thanks.

Seriously, 12 hours and the milk was gone. And I was pumping 9oz per session.

Leave the cabbage in the fridge.

Peel a feel leaves flat it with rolling pin and cover your entire naked breast with it. Wear the tightest bra you can tolerate over it and wait. 20-30 min maybe. Until the leaves warm up.
Repeat.
Do it for 2-3 hours (I did right before bed). Lastly dip your breast in a bowl of the coldest water you can tolerate (it huuuuurts). Wear the tight bra for bed.
My milk was gone next morning.
If you still see milk redo it every 24 hours until it's gone. .

No mastitis and no plugged ducts for me.

+1 for cabbage.

Buy from the grocery store. Wrap it in saran wrap and stuff in sports bra. Wear for 12+ hours 24/7. Sleep with it too. Change out.
WARNING: It smells really really really bad. DH thought it was the garbage that stunk, but it was the cabbage leaves in my bra. Your body heat initiates a chemical reaction in the cabbage.

You'll notice a decrease within hours. Completely dried up within in a day or two (depending if you had an oversupply or not). The milk gets stored deeper into the breast tissue, so keep wearing the cabbage leaves for an extra day or so.

Don't spend all that $$ on sage and sudafed (and why put extra stuff in to your body??) when cabbage leaves are quick, cheap, and effective.

MyLC said not to wear for more than 1 hour at a time since you can get candidiasis.

My LC said just the opposite. Wear for several hours and change out 2x/day. Agree with the above posters about how quick and effective cabbage is.

You're breeding candida on your nipple sitting with a sweaty warm cabbage leaf in your bra for that long. Yuck!

That is why the PP said she covered it with saran wrap

If you are Saran wrapping and then putting in, you aren't really getting the benefits, leaf should touch the breast.

Exactly!