Breastfeeding/Fast Weaning

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Expert: - 1/17/2007


Question
Hi! I am supposed to have breast augmentation in early February. I have a 2-year-old son that I breastfeed. My situation is odd, so I will not go into details, but I need to wean my son, but most importantly...dry up my milk quickly. I am very scared it will not dry up in time and I don't want to risk a major infection from having milk in my breasts during surgery. I would like for my breasts to be completely dried within two weeks. I have already (90%) weaned him from night feedings, but he hasn't slowed much during the day. I have now duct-taped my breasts and plan to use ice packs, but I plan to give him a feeding or two for the next three or four days...for his sake and for the fact that I have enjoyed breastfeeding and do not want to stop. However, my surgery is free (talk show) and I can't pass up this opportunity. My goal was to BF until my son reached 24 months. He is now 25 months, so I am okay with doing this. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to speed the process more.  

Answer
Dear Lauren,

First, congratulations for giving your son the best start in life by breastfeeding him!

You seem to be well on the way to weaning your son. I am sending an excerpt from my book (below) and hope that it's helpful. Good luck with your surgery.

Best regards,

Sally

Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters.
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  "If you have to wean suddenly, you are likely to be quite uncomfortable for several days unless you're producing very little milk. You can hasten the drying-up process and minimize discomfort in a few ways. You'll want to wear a firm, but not too tight, bra, perhaps in a size larger than the one you usually wear. You can also relieve discomfort by expressing just enough milk to ease the pressure on your breasts. And you may also get relief from icepacks applied to the breasts several times a day. Ask your doctor to prescribe a pain-reliever, which can be relatively strong, since you don't have to worry about the medication reaching your child.
  "Two once popular remedies are no longer recommended. One, binding your breasts, can actually make you feel worse and cause a plugged duct besides. And medicine to dry up your milk usually didn't work and often had unpleasant side effects; it has been taken off the market for this purpose."  

Breastfeeding

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Sally Wendkos Olds

Expertise

What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.

Experience

I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.

Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.

Other points of interest I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding. To find out more about me, go to

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