I think it's time to stop EPing

[ellipsis]

I'm an anxious mess. I already feel like I'm trapped in my house and I've had a very stubborn plugged duct for the last 24 hours now with no signs of letting up. I'm *terrified* of getting mastitis after I got an infection immediately after birth and had an extended hospital stay. I don't think I have PPA enough to warrant medication, but I get so emotional every time this happens. Stopping pumping is going to impossible since I get plugged ducts so easily, right? I'm already taking Lecithin.

Head pats or advice welcome.

[longtimenopost]

Hugs. Plugged ducts are the worst. Do you have access to a hot tub? Massage in a hot tub and power pumping after were the only things that unclogged me when I was EPing for DD in the NICU.

Weaning can be hard and emotional, but what I've seen on here and was true for me is that the freedom I felt outweighed the (irrational) guilt!

[ellipsis]

Can I just start taking hormonal birth control to stop the milk production? I literally have a bruise on my boob from massaging too hard.

[ellipsis]

Sept 29, 2015 10:14:43 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

EPing is not easy. I was much happier and better able to bond with my baby when I stopped. Big hugs to you.

This is a good point. I feel like I am always rushing to feed her and put her down to sleep so that I can pump.

[anna7602]

Sept 29, 2015 10:50:00 GMT -5 ellipsis said:

Can I just start taking hormonal birth control to stop the milk production? I literally have a bruise on my boob from massaging too hard.

I would take Sudafed and sage tea as a first step. But I wouldn't stop pumping cold turkey due to your clogged duct issue.

[ellipsis]

Sept 29, 2015 10:55:21 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Sept 29, 2015 10:50:00 GMT -5 ellipsis said:

Can I just start taking hormonal birth control to stop the milk production? I literally have a bruise on my boob from massaging too hard.

I would take Sudafed and sage tea as a first step. But I wouldn't stop pumping cold turkey due to your clogged duct issue.

Thanks. Yeah there's no way I could go cold turkey, but weaning just by spacing out pumps would take FOREVER for me.

[Deleted]

I read this post yesterday so I know this woman took a drug to stop her milk production:

www.fearlessformulafeeder.com/2015/09/fff-friday-seven-years-later-i-still-think-about-that-day/

bromacriptine is the name.

Anecdotally when I stopped EPing with Ben I feared it would be awful but it was just a few days discomfort. I had a pretty low supply and was down to 3 pumps a day by then.

Good luck.

[noodleskooze]

How often are you pumping now? I weaned from EPing by:
1. Spreading out the time between sessions by 30 min/hr. So if I was doing every 5 hours, I stretched to every 6 hours, did that for two days, then spread it out more.
2. Drank the No More Milk tea.

[ellipsis]

Sept 29, 2015 11:24:35 GMT -5 noodleskooze said:

How often are you pumping now? I weaned from EPing by:
1. Spreading out the time between sessions by 30 min/hr. So if I was doing every 5 hours, I stretched to every 6 hours, did that for two days, then spread it out more.
2. Drank the No More Milk tea.

Every 3 hours during the day and every 4.5-5 hours at night. I have an oversupply so that's not helping things (~45oz per day).

[ellipsis]

Sept 29, 2015 11:39:23 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

ellipsis, that's about where I was in terms of output, and it was hard. It took a couple of weeks. I wasn't prone to clogged ducts, but I do think I had one while I was weaning. I spaced sessions out but also them sessions a little shorter (before second letdown). I don't know that I would recommend the shorter sessions. I stopped that after a few days because I was in too much pain.

Your boobs are going to feel like they might explode at some point in the process, but IME that stage only lasts between 24-48 hours. It gets better from there.

Thank you! I had been working on shortening the 4 daytime pumps down from 20 minutes to 15. That alone took about a week I think? The extra pumping that I have to do when I get a clog just feels like 2 steps forward 1 step back.

[Deleted]

Sept 29, 2015 11:16:23 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Also, some people say to wear a tight-fitting sports bra, but I found it more comfortable to just let the boobs be as free as possible.

This will likely worsen plugs.

I EP and had tons of plugs. I just accepted my fate and it got better at 4.5-5 months. It was a toss up which would be less comfortable.

[sillygoosegirl]

Mint tea and cabbage green leaves in your bra are supposed to help reduce supply too. Heat, or hot water are supposed to help plugs.

It sounds like if you could get your oversupply under control and number of pumps down, EPing could work for you. I know for some people it ends up being all or nothing, but it might be worth trying for something in between.

[mudslide]

Sept 29, 2015 10:50:00 GMT -5 ellipsis said:

Can I just start taking hormonal birth control to stop the milk production? I literally have a bruise on my boob from massaging too hard.

Yes and take some decongestant (the kind you get from behind the counter)