Bye-Bye Breastfeeding: Six Tips I Learned on My Journey

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Well, it’s bittersweet for me to report that after 25 months, my daughter has finally quit breastfeeding. It’s been a long journey and it’ll start up again shortly (three months ’til baby brother arrives!), but I’ve learned a lot along the way and built a ton of respect for others that have done it, especially for those that have had greater challenges on their journey than I did.

Prior to my daughter’s birth, my husband and I took a class on breastfeeding where we learned the basics on latch and hold, etc. They also touched on diet, sleep and self care, feeding frequency, diaper and supply expectations, and techniques. While this knowledge was all very valuable, what they couldn’t prepare us for was trying to establish all these things while utterly sleep deprived and irritated with each other. They also didn’t tell us how to navigate all the ups and downs of exclusively breastfeeding long-term. So here are a few tips I picked up along the way that I hope will help ease your journey:

1) Buy flanges in the right size
When baby was born, we thought we were prepared. I acquired a pump prior to her birth and thought I was ready to go. Wrong! By the time we were home two days, my breasts were full, hard, and sore — I was likely nearing mastitis. My tiny critter simply wasn’t able to keep up with my production (but she certainly tried!) and I needed to start pumping. I hooked myself up and — yowza! Did it hurt! It pinched like crazy ‘cause my flanges were too small. The pump came with a standard size, but my more-than-standard size, overly full nips were larger than the standard size could comfortably handle. A day later, I finally found the guide on this page and sent hubs to Target to purchase a more appropriate size. We were in business. (Note: Don’t pitch those standard flanges. Several months later, I found myself back at the standard size without any pinching, but for those first few months, I was two sizes up.)

2) Pump early and often
Pumping is a difficult thing to get used to. There’s no cute little critter looking at you or breathing on you, no baby smell, no warmth. You’re cold, topless, uncomfortable, probably killing your back leaning forward trying to make gravity work with you. And don’t forget the whir of the pump — you’ll never feel more sympathy for a dairy cow than when you’re listening to the in and out of those damn suction cups. Unfortunately, if you’re a working mom dedicated to breastfeeding, it’s a necessary evil, and the sooner you can get used to it and integrate it into your schedule, the better. I frequently postponed pump sessions thinking that there’d be plenty of time to build a stash later, but after less than two weeks back at work, I was down to my last few bags and my growing babe was putting a greater demand on my supply. So, for future sanity’s sake, pick up pumping on a daily basis from the get-go.

3) Buy milk catchers
Feeding baby (especially early on) is sure to trigger your letdown reflex. Before you know it, you’ll be soaking the side of your shirt that you’re not feeding on with valuable drops of breastmilk. You may not realize how much you’re losing, but it can be substantial and you can save it by simply sporting one of these clever catchers.

I didn’t hear about these until after I had quit pumping (and leaking), but I’ll definitely be investing for baby #2. Based on my research, the Haakaa (technically a pump) is the way to go for night time (who wants to put on a bra to night nurse?) and I’ll likely invest in some breast shells for my eventual return to work and for any baby-free outings.

4) Have a spare pump (if you can)
Prior to baby’s arrival, my very wise sister-in-law advised that I have two pumps, if possible: one for work and one for home. I took this advice and it worked out well, as I struggled with communications between my insurance company and the hospital’s medical store for nearly two weeks while I waited for the second. It also came in handy when one of them seemed to have some temporary issues with suction and I needed a backup while I waited for a fix.

I realize that purchasing a second brand new pump isn’t always in the cards, but ask your mom friends that no longer breastfeed if they still have one lying around that they could give you or that you could purchase from them for a smaller sum.

5) Bustier? Busti-nay.
This is probably just me, but I struggled with the idea that I was supposed to spend $30 on a bra with holes in it. (What can I say? I’m cheap.) I’m also fairly large-chested and, from the reviews I read, many of the pumping bustiers weren’t great for my body type. So instead of dropping the $30, I just took an old bra, circled my nipples with a marker, and cut out some holes. Even if you find a pumping bustier that you love (and if you do, please share!), this is just a good trick for a time you forget to bring it along. By the time I was done with pumping, I had done this to three of my old bras.

6) Know Your Supplements
I was one of those unfortunate women that, despite breastfeeding, had their cycle start up again only three short months after giving birth, and it took a major toll on my supply. In combination with my return to work, I was suddenly producing about half of what I had a couple of weeks earlier, so I did some research, added a pump session, and started testing some supplements:

• • Fenugreek: This was the first of the supplements that I tried. A friend had given me the remainder of an open bottle to try out and it worked! My supply picked up quite a bit. I continued to use it for awhile, but eventually, it started to upset my stomach (along with stress and sleep deprivation, I’m sure) and I started looking for something else. I imagine I’ll give it another whirl with my next child, incorporating it in some combination with the other supplements I found that worked, but I don’t imagine I’ll use it exclusively again.
  • Beer! Okay, not beer (although a couple of these will help, too), but the ingredient in it that helps your production: brewer’s yeast. Brewer’s yeast actually has a lot of health benefits and I continue to take it regularly, but I found that it was a good replacement for fenugreek when it started to upset my stomach. I also found that it helped with my energy level! Unfortunately, like the fenugreek, the daily serving size is still six pills, however, you can also buy it in a powder format and mix it in with whatever’s on the menu. I found it best in banana bread, granola,  and oatmeal, but there are a number of lactation cookie and smoothie recipes out there as well, if those are more up your alley.
  • CaMg: The last one I found that worked was a calcium magnesium supplement. I generally took this for two weeks out of the month (ovulation through my period) and instead of my production plummeting, it seemed to stabilize through my cycle. Bonus: the kind I took also had vitamin D which helps with calcium absorption and many people are deficient in anyway.

I hope you find some of these tips helpful and I wish you great luck on your journey. It’s absolutely worth it.

— Funky Crunchy Mama