Hurts..wean from breast to bottle

[adahc]

My son bit my nipple badly on one side till bleed! It was when I struggling trying to get him out as I don't want him to use it as a dummy. It's painful that I can not breastfeed him. So I decide that I'm weaning him from breastfeed completely. It hurts me emotionally and he kicks and screams for my breast.

Yesterday he only took 8oz of milk the whole day. My breast becomes large like Pamela Anderson and stiff. Should I go and see the doctor for it or I have to wait and it will go? How long? I couldn't sleep last night, with him being insecure about my hubby who is outside of the country at the moment and I stoped breastfeed him, it felt like hell on earth. Did anyone go through the same thing? What did you do? I'm open to all the solution, old wife's tale or not.

 

[LLL_Sarah]

Hi,

If you want to wean immediately you may well get engorgement and if this isn't handled well get plugged ducts which can lead to mastitis. So it is sensible to expressing milk when you get too full. Generally I suggest hand expressing rather than pumping because you don't want to take all the milk out but rather just enough to stay comfortable. This may seem to be prolonging the time you have milk (and it is) but it let's your body down more gently.

If, however, you'd rather continue the normal suggestion for biting is to pull the baby into your breast (and not try to get him away). Pull him is so far that his nose is covered. Then he will need to open his mouth to breathe and you can get your nipple out without damage. Also remember to use a finger (your index finger is usually the strongest) to break the sucking before removing your breast.

I would consider weaning when everything is going well and you have support at home. If a child is weaned rather than it being his own decision the baby is often clingy and more demanding so it is helpful to have others around who are going to share in the extra cuddles and carrying the baby will need.

Best wishes,
SARAH

 

[Paddles]

I had to wean a little earlier than I planned and it is hard emotionally. When I thought I was in control and was thinking about stopping it seemed ok but as soon as the decision was taken away from me it seemed like the hardest thing in the world - I especially missed the middle of the night nursing and closeness and that was the last to go for me. I wasn't in pain so don't know if that would be an option to make it a little easier on you emotionally as generally in the night the babies nurse better because they are sleepy and not likely to bite you.

My baby, like yours, wouldn't take her milk from the bottle and would scream and scream for me and it was really hard to ignore and keep insisting that she took a bottle. One day she screamed for 5 hours and refused any milk from a bottle..it was horrid but I had no choice, it took about a week for her to settle with the bottle. If you have someone else who can feed him it does make it a little easier - leave the room, make sure he can't see or smell you.

I weaned slowly though and did express for about 2 weeks after I stopped nursing, just because I wanted my babies to get as much breast milk as possible and also to make it more comfortable, I just expressed when I felt too engorged or I had some spare time and felt like giving them a bottle. It made the transition a lot easier and although I missed the physical comfort by the time I had actually stopped altogether I felt happier.

I don't mean to encourage you to stop, but just to let you know that it gets easier after a few days and if you do it slowly by expressing, either by hand as Sarah suggests or pumping then you shouldn't have any discomfort.

 

[adahc]

I was hoping that there's a pill out there I can take to help drying the milk.
It's hard emotionally but it has to be done one day. He took the bottle ok ut still very reluctant and not at all at night.
It's so hard making the formula in the middle of thenight too. How do you do it?

 

[Paddles]

There is a pill you can take to dry up your milk.. I discussed it with my dr, but it has unpleasant side effects - nausea and headaches if I remember correctly - and generally it is not recommended.. besides it still takesa a few days to dry the milk and honestly a little expressing will help.

My babies have always drunk their formula at any temperature - I don't worry about warming the bottle at night time. So I would have the water already measured in the bottles and the formula poured out to the correct measurement, so all you have to do is pour in the formula and shake until dissolved. Takes 30 seconds. If your baby will only take it warm then I would suggest having warm water in a thermos measured to the correct level so you can pour it straight into the bottle. Once you get into the habit, it really isn't that bad )