Stop Breast Feeding.

I don't have any advice for stopping suddenly but wanted to share that going back to work is not always a reason to stop--I worked full time and breastfed both of my children (my maternity leaves were 6 weeks). Find out what your state's laws are for employers--NY employers have to accomodate a nursing/pumping employee until the child is 3 years old if the parent wants. You know what is best for your family, but working and pumping is doable! Breastfeeding for the first year is so good for your baby (and for you) that it would be too bad if you feel you have to stop for work.

If it is too difficult, you could substitute formula when you are at work and nurse when you are home just to make that transition easier on both of you. My hormones went nuts when I weaned.

I had to cold stop, so I'm not sure how to wean out. I would start with trying to introduce a bottle of breast milk, and from what I've heard, you might have to try a few different types of bottles before you can find one they'll like. Are you going to be pumping or going to formula? It's great that you could breastfeed as long as you did, and dont let the breastfeeding crazies get you down!

Thankfully, you have options as to how to go about doing this.
The first options are to pump breast milk for bottle feeding or graduate to formula. The next option is the bottle you choose. Bottles that have nipples similar to the breast (they usually state it on the packaging) are the best bet (they work the best when I weaned my daughter).
The next option is go cold turkey off the breast where all feedings are from a bottle or to gradually wean your baby off the breast only introducing a bottle at 1 or 2 feedings a day for a span of time (could be a few days or weeks depending on how well your baby does with adjusting). Gradually increase the number of feedings you use a bottle versus the breast until you are at zero feedings with the breast.
There is no right or wrong way and you are the best judge of what will work or is working with your baby once you start the process. Some babies will take to a bottle with no problem and others will take some work, will remain unknown until you try.
I took my daughter off cold turkey at one month old and she never new the difference. I used the "breast-like" nipples and pumped for a few weeks and then moved to formula because I was personally tired of pumping.

Slow and steady if you can. It will be easier on your and your baby if you do it slowly. I always liked to evaluate the baby's eating schedule and see which of all his/her feedings were their least favorite. Start with that one and substitute a bottle/table feeding instead. Usually it is the lunch time one. Then after about 3-4 days, which gives your body a chance to adjust to the new demands of the feeding you can take away another feeding. Since breastfeeding is a supply and demand thing, slowly stop demanding that your body make the milk. The last feeding will be the hardest, but if you have done it slowly you shouldn't be as uncomfortable as if you had quit cold turkey.
If it isn't possible to do it slowly, then you need to find a good sports bra that is a size or two too small. Wear it day and night. Try not to express any more milk than it takes to relieve the engorgement.
Hope that all goes well for you.
J.--SAHM of 6 1/2

I removed one feeding a week until there were no feedings left. The first two days of the week are the worst then the rest of the week is ok. Same thing the next week and so on. You might even be able to get away with dropping your daytime feedings and still keep up evening production - if you want to try this drop the daytime feedings first. I dropped my three daytime feedings then my dinner feeding then night feeding and then the morning feeding last. No matter what you choose I would not recommend stopping all at once as you may find it very uncomfortable. Also, if you are feeling a lot of pain I would pump for a few minutes to relieve the pressure but not do a full pump which may encourage your body to make more milk. Like the other mom's said, don't stop if you don't want to but if you've decided go for it. I nursed my two for 6 months but once I was done I really liked having my body be all my own again. Best of luck! Oh also, once you drop the last feeding you will still have some milk supply for a few weeks before you 'dry up' completely.

I breast fed my son until he was one and I worked full time (12hr/day). When I decided to finally stop (about a month before), I also wanted to get him used to regular (cow) milk, at this time I was just using a breastpump. I would pump just about half a bottle of my milk and mix it with regular milk (per the pediatrican) that way he got used to it a little at a time. Basically you will have to gradually stop the feeds, you don't want to quite cold turkey you will be so in gorged you wont be able to stand it. I slowed the feeds down and i didn't pump as much. You are going to feel a little ingorged at first and after about a week your body gets used to not producing as much (your body only produces as much milk as you pump the day before). If you slowly get to were you are only pumping about 1-2x aday you can just quit. when i got to this point it didn't hurt at all (about 3wks or so).

It's NO FUN! But, do it a little at a time. Depending on how long you have until you go back, drop one feeding a day each week. Do not pump, as much as you'll want to. Your breasts will become extremely hard & will be a bit painful but mostly just uncomfortable. I had been down to only twice a day for 6 months when I quit completely, and it still took a full week before I was comfortable. Good luck!

I also worked full-time and breastfed my son, it was a struggle, but definitly doable. I didnt catch how old your baby is, but if you can start doing some pumping now to build up a stash in your freezer, that might be helpful. That is one thing I wish I had done. I pumped at work, just using a cheap pump, I had both a manual and an electric. But eventually switched to just hand expression. Some of the things that were most helpful for me: I would pump at work, and sometimes I would also pump at home on one side while my son nursed on the other, I seemed to get really high output then. Keep you calorie intake up and drink lots of water. Even if I didnt have time to sit and pump as much as I usually did if I was having a busy day at work, I would do a few just quick pumps. I found that my son seemed to reverse cycle a bit. He would not consume as much from the bottles during the day while I was at work, then he would nurse more when I was home. Good luck.

Why would you need to stop nursing? Mom's work full time while nursing all the time! Just nurse immediately before leaving for work, pump on your lunch hour, and nurse as soon as you get home.

On the advice of my pedi, I planned 6 weeks to slowly wean my son off the breast. After his very first bottle, my son was so jazzed about the concept of "fast food," he refused to nurse and I spent three days of vacation so engorged I thought I was going to die. I actually yelled at my husband for looking at my breasts (which, at that moment, were reminiscent of Dolly Parton's) because looking made them hurt! <g> But, after those first few days, all was fine again.

I'm not sure I'd recommend "cold turkey," but my son left me no choice. Good luck!

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