How long for breasts to return to 'normal'

CharleneUK

I can't stand hubby around the boob now, feels weird and if any milk came out I'd be horrified! :eek:

full-time-mum

Lentilsforteaagain wrote: »

As for me, well my little one turned 2 six weeks ago and boobs are his favourite thing. Everyone tells me that stopping cold turkey only takes "3 days of constant screaming and then they come through it" ... but I just can't do that to him. I'd like to stop really as he's feeding an awful lot during the night still (but only usually once in the day) but just don't know how to! Any thoughts?

I feed mine until they were 3 - at the end it was just first thing in the morning and last thing at night dropping to just the night time one.

If you don't want to stop then don't - just be a little more discrete as they get older. However, if your DS is feeding during the night, then it is almost certainly a comfort thing not a nutrition thing and you will need to take the bull by the horns at some point, you really don't need the disturbed nights any more. Personally, I would be more concerned with sorting out the nights rather than the breastfeeding - although they do sort of go hand in hand.

Get you OH to deal with him in the night, offer water and not milk. If he is not really hungry then he might just decide that it isn't worth waking up for just daddy and water. I suspect that you are in for a rough ride at some point, you just have to decide whether it is now or in 1 or 2 years time.

I suggest that you talk to your HV/GP and also read about controlled crying in Toddler Taming - Dr Christopher Green. His approach to all things children is no nonsense, down to earth and no preaching. If you decide to go down this route then make sure you have a support network in place first as it could take up to 2 weeks although hopefully only a few days. Its no point doing this half-heartedly otherwise you WILL fail. Tell everyone that you are embarking on the programme and explain it to them. Get someone to ring each morning to ask how it went - you are less likely to bottle it if you know you'll have to admit it in the morning. If possible, arrange for someone to take DS out for a few hours in the day so you can nap - especially important if it takes more than a few days.
I found that, having made the decision to go for it, it was easier than I thought. It was a means to an end so although I felt bad leaving them to cry, I knew it was about saving my sanity and that of my family.

Hope this is of some help.

Lentilsforteaagain

Thanks for that You're quite right about it being more for comfort than milk and being used as a dummy does wear thin at 3am! Many nights it's constant from about midnight through to 7am, literally constant in that as soon as he's not on the boob he cries for it Saying that though, one night a couple of weeks ago he slept through in his own bed all night!!!! Never done anything similar before or since though!

I'm happy to carry on feeding him for another year if he feels he needs it as he's only 20lb at the moment and is just over 2 so I think he needs all I can get into him

I'll look out for that book, it sounds like it might be helpful.

pulliptears

How strange, I was only thinking about this yesterday as Id got a bit of leakage and kids are now 14 and 9. And I never breastfed.

I put it down to my hormones being all over the place with coming off the contraceptive pill, although reading this I seem to be normal. yay!

Ellie2758

Well my youngest is nearly 16 and it still happens to me. SO glad I found this post - does it end at menopause?