My daughter is 2 years and 4 months and still bf 3 or 4 times a day. The main reason I haven't tried to stop is because I am very prone to mastitis and have had it loads of times througout feeding 3 babies. My boys both stopped bf at 8 and 11 months but my daughter has happily carried on feeding. However, she has been unwell over the past 3 days ? with swine flu and is on medication and since yesterday has refused to breastfeed. She has previously been on 2 nursing strikes when she was 10 months then a few months later when she refused to feed for a week but I was still expressing then so expressed continuosly until she fed again.
Maybe this is the chance I've been waiting for to stop feeding her but I never intended to go cold turkey and 24 hours without a feed and I feel lumpy and uncomfortable.
I would appreciate any advice on stopping without it hurting.
Thanks xx

im no expert but could you not express? than slowly decrease your expressing day by day? x

Hi Thanks for your reply - I know expressing is an option and one which I will have to do if I get really uncomfortable but I expressed from birth until she was 16 months and the thought of starting again is a bit depressing!!! xx

Hi hun, this may sound v strange, and you may not fancy it much but I remember my mw saying a savoy cabbage leaf inside the bra relieves the pain of engorgement - yes and it has to be savoy!

I believe aspirin can help aswell, as that actually relives swelling and sorts pain (whereas paracetamol just sorts out pain).

Good luck - my 1st son just stopped bf without warning at 1 yr old - and I do remember the pain! I seem to remember it being about 2-3 days to get better?

My 2nd son I weaned off gradually - and that was preferable I must say!

And no.3 is still bf at 19 months despite my efforts to wean her off!

Hope it goes well - if it gets too painful I guess you cd just express the tiniest bit to make it bearable.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thanks Mims, I remember trying a savoy cabbage leaf when my son was a newborn and it did help but absolutely stunk!! I think I may have to get one though as I feel like I am about to burst!! It is really wierd feeling like this at this stage - it feels like I have a new baby again!
It feels too sore too express at the moment but I just hope it begins to feel better soon and that she doesn't suddenly decide she wants to start feeding again!
How long do you think you will carry on bf for? How old are your boys? You are like me with 2 boys then a girl - I am still loving every day of having a little girl (although the boys are fantastic too!)
xxx

Hi Arg, my boys are 7 and 4 and yes, my boys are fab but I was so pleased to have a baby girl. Never thought about it, but maybe that is why I am still bf her at 19mths!

Although I am happy to keep bf a little while longer, tbh I want to stop soon, because if she gets upset in the day, she's started running to me and pulling at my top - getting a bit embarrassing in public. It's my own laziness really - she's the first to wake up, so I bring her into the bed for a little feed, I get half an hour more sleep! I know to stop bf completely I will have to get up and get her a cup of warm milk first thing. Oh well!

Hope the stopping is going well for you - are you a bit less engorged today??

MIms x

Hi Mims I know what you mean, I have sometimes thought that I have kept feeding her because she is my little girl although the boys stopped themselves anyway.
The one thing that I keep thinking is that she has been slower than the boys with most of her development especially talking and I wonder if that is because she has 2 older brothers who talk for her and know what she wants anyway or because of her bf for so long.
Also, the boys were both potty trained by 2 years and 2 months and I know she is only 2 months older than that and does go on the potty every now and then but I also wonder if I haven't bothered so much with her because she still feels younger than that to me due to the bf. Does that all sound stupid?
Since she has stopped feeding I have suddenly realised that she is actually a toddler whereas the boys were still babies when they stopped feeding!
I am trying really hard not to think about it but I am still really full to bursting and hoping it will get better soon! I have to admit that I got really uncomfortable last night and was too sore to express so had to get some of the milk out by a more unconventional way with hubbys help!! Sorry if that was tmi but I was desperate!!
xx