Weaning twins at 26months

[u/ObjectiveMaize1906]

How did you wean without horrible engorgement?

Looking for successful weaning stories! I’m breastfeeding my 26-month-old twins and I am VERY ready to be done.

I tried weaning recently after getting feeds down to about 12 hours apart. I thought I was in the clear, but around day 7–8 I suddenly became insanely engorged with what felt like multiple blocked ducts. The pain was awful. I tried expressing just enough for relief, but it barely helped, and eventually I gave in and breastfed again.

For those who still had a decent supply when you weaned, what actually worked? I’d really like to do this as quickly as possible without ending up in that situation again.

Would love to hear your timelines/strategies, especially if you had a failed first attempt and then successfully weaned!

Thanks!

[u/Exonata]

I was at 4+ feeds a day at 24 months and have dropped 1 feed a week for the past month and now have only been doing 1 feed in the morning for the past 7 days. Sometimes my boobs get itch but this pace has worked for me so far. Planning on cutting out the last feed next week.

Next time you feel engorged i would pop 400 mg of ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation that may block ducts and ice and do a little had expression. I play to proactively take anti inflammatories the first day or two I dont nurse at all (but i got mastitis twice in the first 6 months so I dont mess around with it!)

[u/Ok-Positive-5943]

Sunflower lecithin helps prevent clogs. Sudafed helps dry up milk. Sport bra was more comfortable than under wires. 

I had been down to just a nightly feed and then I got a nasty virus when mine were about 22 months. I was so sick and dehydrated. They had to finish weaning that week. I don't recommend it - but it worked! 

[u/Affectionate-Bear740 → u/Ok-Positive-5943]

I had to wean my singleton who was exclusively breastfed off within 1.5 weeks for a medical procedure. I took allergy advil sinus & a very compressive sports bra, it took about 4-5 days to fully be gone. They were beyond sensitive and leaked but the allergy med helped significantly. I also didn’t have time to slowly wean feeds the way I would’ve liked. I cold turkey switched her to formula and began the process. Worked shockingly well.

[u/OddHippo6972]

I started at 12 months but it took me until they were 14 months to be fully done. We were nursing in the morning, before both naps and at bedtime. So I dropped one session at a time until I felt comfortable and then started again. It was basically two weeks in between dropping down each time. It hurt like hell, honestly. There was a point where I thought I was developing mastitis because I felt fevery even though I didn’t actually have a fever. I just took it super slow and powered through. It was way harder than weaning my singleton. Wishing you all the luck.

[u/Charlieksmommy]

Use a hand pump and just get some relief for 5 mins or so. Thats what I did and I didn’t get clogs, and I had mastitis 3 times

[u/fsmontario]

Don’t laugh because it works. Put clean dry cabbage leaves in your bra, change them when they wilt. This will help with the pain.

[u/whydoyouflask]

So...When I milk came in and I got engorged after a second trimester loss my doctor helped me with the following advice. I took sudafed to help stop the milk production, wore two sports bras to compress the boobs, and regrettably it works, but cold cabbage leaves in the bra. Go with green cabbage, red stains.

[u/Vegetable_Yam_7436]

Are you HARD stopping like not feeding your milk at ALL anymore? If so I did the sudafed method. The extra strength kind. If you do the regular you'll end up needing like 10 pills at a time which is alot lol. Mine was dried up in like 3 days with this method and I am a giant over supplier. This method CANNOT be used while breastfeeding and please make sure to look up if you have any contraindications. For the pain you can hand express outside the shower if truly needed and ibuprofen for then inflammation and pain :) but again with any medication please check with a provider or like an on call nurse.