Expert: Sally Wendkos Olds - 3/16/2007

Question
Hi, I am a first time mother of a six month old girl. Her name is Hannah and is doing really well, but I have recently stopped breastfeeding and I really don't know what I am doing. I was told to pump just a little and I don't know how much just a little even is. So I gradually pumped less and less for about three days. I haven't been engorged yet, but my breasts are pretty sore. What should I do, How can I help the soreness? And how do I introduce formula. I am almost out of saved breast milk and have had to mix the breast milk with baby cereal or she won't eat it (she is a picky eater and really likes the cereal). Do I go with powdered formula or liquid??? Please help me!

Answer
Dear Shelbi,

First, congratulations for giving Hannah the best start in life by breastfeeding her!

I'm sorry to hear of the discomfort you're experiencing, and I am attaching an excerpt from my book (see below), which provides some suggestions for making weaning more comfortable.

I suggest that you stop pumping, and only express the tiniest amount of milk when and if your breasts become engorged.

To introduce formula: if you have any stored breast milk left, you can mix a little formula with that and gradually increase the amount of formula until Hannah is drinking all formula. You can also mix formula with the cereal -- chances are that Hannah will accept that if she really likes the formula. You can also add it to puddings or other foods that she has begun eating. Remember to add just one new food at a time. (I talk about this in my book also, in the chapter on weaning.)

As far as powdered or liquid, either one is fine. The powdered is usually cheaper, the liquid a little more convenient.

Good luck!

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.
------------------
If you wean slowly, you should have little or no discomfort from milk pressure. You'll gradually produce less and less milk until there's virtually none at all to speak of. If at any point during weaning, your breasts become overfull, you can express just enough milk to ease your discomfort, or you can put your child to the breast for a minute or two (if she's willing to stop at that). Don't overdo it or you'll just encourage your breasts to continue producing copious amounts of milk. If you're uncomfortably full most of the time, slow down the pace of weaning.
  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.