My dd is 9 months old and I've been nursing/pumping since she was born. After Thanksgiving I'd decided I've had it and am going to switch to all bottles. I just can't pump any more. So I've gradually been dropping 1 feeding/pumping a week since then. Friday I didn't pump at all and thought I've pretty much dried up. Well evidentally my body has a different idea. My boobs are huge, misshapen, and SORE!!!! Any ideas????

ouch!! i don't have any ideas I nursed mine till a year or little more and when I did wean I did it like you and dropped one a week and never had the soreness. But, still had a little milk (if squeezed) a good 6 mos after. But I do send my sympathy.

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"Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body." ~Anonymous

Try wearing a tight-fitting sports bra.

I was told cabbage leaves! Never tried it myself, LOL but I do know some people that did and they swear by it.

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan8.Samantha7,Cameron4

I know exactly how you feel. My girls weren't satisfied at the breast and I nursed/pumped for 6 months. Some people act like you should be able to fix it but you can't. I tried everything from herbs to pumping extra to stimulate the milk production. You made it longer than me. I totally feel your pain. Try to wear a sports bra. I put bags of frozen peas in my bra. It helped so much. It doesn't last long. If I were you I would not pump to relieve any pressure. That seemed to make it worse for me.

I did it. I would squeeze the leaf to get the "juice" to come out and then I'd put it in the freezer for a few minutes. The coolness helped to soothe the tenderness. But boy was i stinky. I wore 2 T-shirts to help mask the stench. But it worked. Within a week, my milk was gone.

I recently weaned my 2 year old. I found I still had to pump to prevent the pain and risk of mastitis (again). I was pumping morning and night. Then tried only night, then cut how much I pumped by minutes. Then, when I was down to 5 mins., I tried to skip a night or two. It took time, but going down gradually worked best.

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I really wish I had some advice for you
I got a breast abscess and my milk supply decreased when I had it, and stayed that way after. My milk started to decrease/dry up on it's own. I wish I could have kept breastfeeding (my daughter was only about 3/12 months old) but just didn't have the milk.

Some things to try to ease the discomfort:

A warm shower where you let the water hit your back and flow to the front. This may allow your breasts to "leak" enough to ease the discomfort.

Cabbage leaves will definitely help. Squeeze the cool leaves (either refrigerated or frozen) enough to release the "juice" a little. Place them in your bra for 15 minutes or so at a time. Your breasts will probably leak, but you will feel relief.

Hand express enough milk to ease the pressure every time you begin to feel pain. Don't over-express (as you don't want to give your body the signal that it needs to produce more). BTW, be sure to mix the expressed milk with baby's formula so you don't waste the milk. You can mix formula and breastmilk in the same bottle.

Cool compresses will help with inflammation and swelling. Use cool washcloths, bags of frozen veggies, whatever you can tolerate.

Be sure to check the breasts for lumps and/or redness to prevent an infection. If you feel a lump, gently massage it away.

Wearing a sports bra may help, but DO NOT bind the breasts. This will increase the risk of infection.

HTH

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