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schedule was, the volume of milk production will decrease and stop. Try to avoid allowing your breasts to become so full that they are hard, hot, or painful. Avoid expressing more than about half of the milk volume at a time, using your best judgment. This is a very natural way of reducing milk production.

In order to decrease milk production more quickly, several herbs have been suggested. The most common are dried sage, peppermint, and yarrow. Before taking anything to reduce milk supply, speak with your doctor. There is no substitute for professional advice. Decreasing your liquid intake will also reduce milk production.

If you are weaning your baby:

If it is possible, taking the time to wean a baby from breastfeeding is the best way to go about stopping breastfeeding. Most doctors suggest reducing feedings slowly, by about one per week. Moving slowly will make weaning more comfortable for both mom and baby. Be sure to supplement baby's diet with other liquids and foods as appropriate to the age of the child. Weaning slowly should reduce the discomfort and complications that can come from having overfull breasts. However, if breasts do become overfull, express a small amount of milk by pumping or hand expression. Try to express enough milk to remain comfortable, but not enough to empty the breasts. Over a short time, milk production will decrease.

If your baby resists weaning, try having someone else feed the baby a bottle or use another means of comforting the baby. Remove yourself from the baby's vicinity while this is happening. After a couple of days, most babies will no longer miss the removed nursing session. Daytime feedings are the easiest to remove, and should probably be the first to be replaced by formula or other foods. At night, many babies nurse for comfort as much as for nourishment, and nighttime feedings are hard to give up. It often works best to save the nighttime feedings for last.

With careful planning and consideration for the health of mother and baby, breastfeeding can be stopped gracefully. When the time comes to make this choice, select the method that will fit your situation best. Consult with your pediatrician regularly to ensure progress in weaning is safe for you and your baby.

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