There are a million ways you can switch from breast milk to formula. You can quit cold turkey. You can wean. You can mix formula and breast milk. There are no wrong answers and everyone will tell you something different. Here is what I did and why I did it:
For mom
I quit pumping cold turkey when I got down to two pumping sessions. I had just had enough and needed to be done. I hand expressed in the shower and would put the pump on every few days for a few minutes as needed. Make sure to relieve the pressure, but you will be uncomfortable for about two weeks no matter how you wean. Consider getting a hand pump to help you relieve the pressure without the hassle of the electric pump.
Cold cabbage leaves in your bra help a little – wear them for as long as you can. There is actually an enzyme in cabbage leaves that reduces the swelling. You can also take Benadryl to help dry you up a little. Sudafed will also help. But remember, if you decide to take Sudafed, check with your doctor to see if it is safe for baby. There is some mixed advice out there. Make sure to read the Benadryl/Sudafed instructions before using and talk to your doctor.
For baby
I decided to wean the girls over a couple of months. Remember some breast milk a day still provides a benefit to the baby.
I had an ample freezer stash so when I quit pumping I was able to wean the girls with the leftover milk I had stored. At that time, the girls were getting six bottles a day. I did six bottles of breast milk for a week, then dropped to five bottles of breast/one of formula and every few days I exchanged a bottle of breast for formula until we were giving one bottle of breast milk and five bottles of formula.
I was able to give the girls about one month of one bottle of breast milk per day because I weaned down to one bottle of breast milk. I do think there are some benefits to even four ounces of breast milk a day, which is why I chose this route. I wanted to allow the girls to make sure they were getting breast milk for as long as possible. I also didn’t want to mix with formula because I didn’t want to waste the breast milk. I was afraid they wouldn’t finish the bottles and I would be sad to throw away the milk.
However you choose to wean, there is no wrong answer. Do what you feel comfortable with, follow your instincts and most importantly, fed and love your baby ☺
Rachel is a mama to two beautiful identical twin girls, Izzy and Maddy, and lives in Atlanta with her husband, girls, and cute little pup. Rachel graduated with honors from New York University earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and the Founders’ Day Scholar Award. She also received her Masters of Science in Nursing degree from New York University. Rachel has spent the majority of her career as a pediatric nurse and currently works in pediatric oncology.
