Q&A plus photo: Breasts leaking, and I need new glasses

We're still sad.

But on to today's post. First, a question from Melissa:

"I have an 18 month old son that I exclusively breastfed for 16 1/2 months.  I quit gradually cutting out one feeding at a time.  In July, we finally quit that last feeding.  It is now September and I still have milk in both breasts.  How long does it take for that to "dry" up?  I am not leaking and there is little stimulation because they are still very sore.  Every time I take a shower, it is like I am going back in time to when he was a newborn; it just flows."

I get this question every couple of months, so I'm finally just posting it. It totally depends for each woman. Some dry up within a week (probably the same women who had a harder time getting supply up to begin with), while others still have some milk for months, and I've heard of women having milk for a year or more after they wean!

If it's bugging you enough to take action, you could drink tea you brew out of sage leaves and mint, put cabbage leaves in your bra for a few hours at a time, and drink a lot of red wine. If none of that works or you want to get really serious, take Sudafed (the old-fashioned kind that dries up all your mucous membranes, not the new non-drowsy kind) for a week or however long you can take the total-body dessication properties. That should seriously curtail your milk supply. (Conversely, if you're trying to build supply, stay away from all those things.) Avoid Guinness beer, oatmeal, and almonds, which increase your supply.

If anyone wants to share data points on how long it took to dry up after weaning, feel free.

And now a picture. I walked into the deli across the street the other day and saw this granola bar (click on the photo to see it bigger):

I, of course, misread "Blueberry Noni" as "Blueberry Yoni." I won't post my first thought, but my second thought was "the yoni hat." And then I laughed so hard the checkout girl thought I was losing it.

I have you all to thank, so I thought I'd share.

Comments

[lisak]

It took me--I don't know, months-- if not years. I know several months later, if stimulated I could still get drops, and I didn't want to see how much more. I was amazed when I checked over a year after weaning that I could still get a couple of drops--not that I think that really counts. I had such over supply issues that I think I could easily re-lactate if wet nurses ever came back in demand. When I stopped nursing I did it over months, 1 nursing at a time, so in the end we were down to just at bedtime for at least 2-3 months, maybe longer. He's 8.5 y.o. now, so it's hard to be exact (however, he nursed until 3.5 yrs and would have happily continued, but I was ready to have my body back, back, back!). My supply pretty quickly dropped to not much within a couple of weeks. Though at a month I could still spray in the shower. When it completely went away, I don't know.

[paola]

I've been told that once you have started to produce milk due to pregnancy and, but not always, child birth, your body never really forgets, and there are moments where your body just produces it for old times' sake. I know of women who have not breastfed for years, whose children are grown up, who start leaking when they see or even hear a baby crying. Ah, the human body, how wonderful it is!!!

[Kelly]

It took me at least 6 months. What I found worked best, besides avoiding oats and beer, was to avoid liquids (especially water). It's not the most healthy way, but it helped immensely to dry me up if the rest of me was dry too.

[Jan]

I actually experienced this recently. My son is 21 months, stopped nursing at 7 months (his choice, *sigh*). A few weeks ago, I suddenly noticed a little dampness on my t-shirt when I woke up in the morning, and for a few days I actually even felt some pressure like my breast was full.

I was actually really concerned about it (have you heard of IBC? Yeah, I don't want that) and went to see my doctor. He tested my prolactin levels (and reassured me about IBC) and guessed that it would probably stop on its own. My prolactin levels were normal and he was right, though I'm sure I could still squeeze out a few drops.

A friend told me she knew a woman who still got plugged ducts, even, a year after weaning!

And my mom, who's 65 (today -- happy birthday, mom!), says her breasts still ache when she hears a baby cry.

Oh, and I can recommend breast reduction surgery to decrease your supply. Too drastic? :)

[Cat, Galloping]

Ha! I breastfed for 4 *weeks* and had milk (at least a few drops) for 9 *months* after!

[Fahmi]

Thank you so much for posting this! We just weaned the boy, at 19.5 weeks and my friend (who stopped at 10 months) told me she was fine in a week. I am still sore and full-feeling, and I still see drops. I guess because it was a gradual wean, it will take a while for the body to stop, as opposed to if I'd just gone cold turkey.

[colicmommy]

Months. I think I was finally totally "dry" 6 months after my son weaned himself at 8 months. With my daugther, we gradually weaned at 13 months, and I was dry 3 months later.

Of course, the SECOND I got pregnant with my third, I started leaking colostrum again. (sigh)

[Shandra]

My data points: With my daughter I only pumped for 4 days (and a little after, since the milk was starting to come in and it was easier to decrease gradually) and it still took about 3 months for things to get back to normal, really.

I'm still nursing my 2 yr old a bit, so no experience with longer nursing/weaning there yet.

[Jenn]

I took me a full 10 days to get my milk in (PCOS and severe blood loss at delivery) and then I had to pump and pump and pump to get enough of a supply to feed my twins. I nursed them until they self-weaned at one year. I haven't nursed since the beginning of August. The left breast dried up maybe two weeks ago. The right one still leaks and I can get drops out if I try. I never got engorged though with weaning or even felt full (I guess because they did the weaning gradually) so I suspected I'd dry up fast.

[Charisse]

Weaned a year and a half ago. Never leaked more than drops, but still get those occasionally.

yoni hat. hahaha.

[PJ]

Thanks for posting this question Moxie, I truly thought it was just me. I stopped nursing when Joe was 14 months and he's 18 months today and I still leak when I'm not wearing a bra. It's good to know I'm not alone, but I'm not looking forward to years of this :)

[rudyinparis]

My supply diminished over a few weeks--with both children, very naturally and gradually. I was never an over producer, though. The opposite. [I never felt boob envy, size-wise before--but I did feel crazy MILK envy at work in the pumping area--to see women come out of their pumping space with frothy bags overflowing with milk, there I was, with my paltry 3 ounces... There is no "wearing falsies" equivalent, no way to fake it. I was just a dry, dessicated little thing, not an Abundant Earth Goddess Mother.]

My yoni story: years ago I was at the dog park chatting with a very nice woman. Soon it was time for her to go, so she started calling her dog, yelling: "Yoni! Yoni!" across the park. I said, incredulous, "What is your dog's name?!" She said, "Yoni" and spelled it for me. Then, "I made it up." All I could say was, "Oh." I mean, what do you do?

[emily]

Yoni is a common Hebrew nickname - short for Yonatan (Jonathan). There are a lot of unsuspecting men and boys out there called Yoni and at least one I know traveled in India and un-shortened his name immediately and forever.

[Diane]

I also weaned in July. However, still producing! Not to the extent of Melissa, but it's still there! Maybe my problem is the oatmeal I eat every morning! I think I'll try more red wine. Yes, that is an ideal solution. Yum!

[Jen in Redwood City, CA]

I saw that same brand of granola bar and also misread it as "Blueberry Yoni." Glad it wasn't just me!

[Nick]

rudyinparis, I feel your pain.

That being the situation, I'm not too surprised at what happened--I weaned over a six-month period and barely noticed it in my breasts.

And I'd never leaked, anytime anywhere. Which is good, considering what I went through with the pump at work while trying to EBF the first six months. Any leakage would have pushed me over the edge.

[anon]

tell me you didn't really exclusively breastfeed a kid until 16.5 months
I think a kid over 9 months should get some real chow too.

[hedra]

Oy, anon. In common usage, 'exclusively breastfeeding' also means 'without supplements standing in for breastmilk, such as formula or cow's milk' not 'without any other complementary foods'. The same is true of formula. Maybe where you are from people don't say "I exclusively formula fed" to mean they didn't breastfeed, but did use complementary (solid) foods as they went? Around here, that's common usage. And 12 months exclusively on breastmilk/formula is also physiologically within the norm, even if 6-9 months is more common. Check your research.

Anyway...

The twins are in mid-wean right now. I'm not expecting to stop lactating any time soon, though... my mom would get letdowns YEARS later. If I inherited those genes... sigh. Fortunately, I never leak. I just *hurt* instead. Whee.

Oh, and the yoni hat thing was a welcome laugh. Still working out the balance for the weaning-related PPD, and today wasn't one of the better days.

[hedra]

Clarifying, that didn't make as much sense as I thought...

6-9 months is common range for introducing the 'solid chow', but 12 months is also within norm for introducing the 'solid chow'. There, hope that now made sense.

[Jen]

Anon, I'm assuming she means that breastmilk was the only liquid her kid got... not the only food.

Correct me if I am wrong?

[pnuts mama]

yeah, i'm thinking ebf means didn't give formula/etc. which i am assuming was to provide context for the question (as in, i was breastfeeding frequently up to that point, not a quick 1x a day feeder) so we all could understand where she is coming from in trying to ascertain how long before the milk will dry up. not "i never fed my child anything but breastmilk til they were 16.5 mos old". although i do know plenty of 12 month olds for whom breastmilk remains their primary source of nutrition. so, no biggie.

we weaned for good in january and there is still milk in there, not much, but if i tried i could get a few drops. like rudyinparis, i was never an "overproducer"- but we got the job done.

[Julia]

Almonds increase supply?! Dammit. I've been pounding them by the handful because I'm starving and never have time to pull together real meals for myself. But since I'm already deep in the throws of an oversupply problem, I'm guessing I should stop. Crappity crap crap.

[Melissa]

That "dog named Yoni" story made potato chip bits come out my nose. And they are sea salt and vinegar! Ouch!

I have milk envy too rudyinparis. :-( I get about 3 or 4 ounces a pump session and then hand squeeze another ounce or two if I can. Then I yell at my boobs and choke back tears and imagine my little girl starving to death while I'm at work (which of course she doesn't - she's too busy stuffing her face with avocado). :-)

[Simone]

With my first son I got my period after 3 months--even though I was breastfeeding. Almost immediately, I dried up except for a few drops. I tried everything to get my supply back up, to no avail. The ironic thing is, those drops kept coming for almost 3 years! Then 8 months after drying up for good, I got pregnant again. Same supply issues, and after breastfeeding for only one month, dried up quickly, and totally. So, in my experience, it can go either way and I haven't determined what makes the difference.

[Maria]

Just another data point: breastfed frequently up till 11 months, than reduced to one nighttime feed at 4-5 am (because the other times he would bite - probably teething related, but I couldn't get him to stop and it was getting to me big time). We continued the nighttime feed until almost 14 months, when he gloriously started to Sleep! Through! The! Night!

It's only 1.5 month later, and not surprisingly, I can still squeeze out drops of milk. No full boobs anymore though, and I have never ever leaked.

[SJ]

I had low milk supplies too - with big boobs but that apparently doesn't matter. I had (at the time undiagnosed) thyroid issues, so I am hoping that the next time around it will be better. I dried up almost instantly (weaned at 7 months), but I think my body was desperate to get any energy back anyhow due to my non-functioning thryoid.

[Lucky]

Data: my daughter dumped me rather suddenly at around 21 months. A month or so after she turned 2, she got interested again and my supply went right back up for 1-2 nursing sessions / day. I noticed drops in a hot shower well over a year later. Like lisak, I would probably make a great wet nurse.

[Duchess]

I stopped breastfeeding for 4 days thinking that I would formula feed but he doesnt seen to take to the formula well so I want to go back to breastfeeding but only seem to pump a few drops...Can I get the supply back?

[cheap ugg boots]

This is some VERY cool, expressive, abstract act. The intricacy of the guitar and the swingset collage definitely has a catching appeal!