Hi

From day one my LO didnt take to the breast we stayed in hospital for a few days to try to get it right, expressing the colustrum inthe first few days so she got what she needed, we got her to latch on but she would only ever take short feeds and therefore was feeding all the time. At 3 wks she hadnt gained any weight as wasnt feeding long enough to get the fatty milk so we had to introduce formula.

We then did expressing, breastfeeding and formula which was hard work right uptil this week then the 6 week growth spurt hit and she took loads more feeds and became even more fussy with the breast taking less from me each time. So as of 2 days ago I stopped the breastfeeding and she seems more calm as she knows where her feeds are coming from. I feel sad about it as i would of liked to continue longer but i hope I have done the right thing.....

Thing is i dont know what to expect how long does it take for your milk to dry up? Is it normal for my boobs to feel lumpy and sore? How long does it take for your boobs to go back to their pre pregnancy size?

Any advice reassurance please that Ive done the right thing

Thanks x

Firstly,if you and baby are happy,then youve done the right thing.Theres no point in perservering if it is stressing you both out and you have allready given her the best start.
Your breasts will get engorged and sore before going down again and the only way to deal with it is to take painkillers and wait it out.Try not to be tempted to express it off as this will signal your body to make more milk.It should be more comfortable in 10 days ish but they might still leak for a while afterwards.

thanks keri its hard but I think Ive made the right decision she seems much less stressed out and is taking feeds a lot less frantic.

Yeah, unfortunately it's normal to feel lumpy and sore. I found that having a heating pad really helps to take down the pain, and taking a warm shower can bring on a let-down which will relieve some pain as well. My boobs went down to pre-preg size really quickly, before I even stopped leaking so make sure you have plenty of nursing pads to put in your smaller-size bras. I'd say it took about 2 weeks for my milk to dry up and stop leaking, but I think everyone is different on that one.