15Feb
| Pros of Stopping Breastfeeding Cold Turkey | Cons of Stopping Breastfeeding Cold Turkey |
| You have your body back. | Painful |
| You are less tired. | Painful |
| Your baby learns to drink out of a cup. | Baby has a hard time. |
| You are done! | Emotional |
| You don't have to eat as much. | Emotional |
| You don't have to worry how much milk your baby is drinking. | Might have to go to the Doctor. |
For my past two kids, I chose to stop breastfeeding cold turkey. Last week was my second time doing it. After this round I decided, it would be a good idea to write this article while it was fresh on my mind. What are the pros and cons of stopping nursing cold turkey?
Pros of Stopping Breastfeeding Cold Turkey
- You are done nursing! Okay, I know a few women who love nursing, but if you are like me, you are excited to stop! Yay, who isn't excited to have their body back?
- You don't feel fatigued all of the time. Again, I know some women don't feel this way, but nursing wears me out! Suddenly, you won't feel like you have to drink half a gallon of water before you can nurse. You don't feel like you need to eat a jar of peanut butter every day to keep up on the calories and sleep 15 hours to supplement the wear and tear on your body.
- You don't have to worry if your baby is nursing enough when you can hand them a sippy cup of milk! Today I gave my little girl a sippy cup; she picked it up and drank her milk in-between her bites of dinner. It was wonderful! It is nice when your baby can decide when they are thirsty and how much they need.
- You start fitting in your pre-pregnancy/ nursing clothes! I love finally getting to wear shirts that I love and haven't been able to fit in for almost two years!
- You lose weight right after you stop nursing. Many of my friends have said that they drop the extra few pounds when they stop nursing, so the faster, the better.
- You are not tempted to keep nursing forever. I have a tough time disciplining myself to stop nursing. I say, "I will only nurse three times a day this week and slowly cut it back." FYI, that never happens! I stink when it comes to giving in to what the baby wants rather than "schedule" I have set for them.
- You don't have to try and find a private place to nurse your baby anymore! Again handing your baby a sippy cup is one of the best feelings, even if you are mega sore because you have cut it off cold turkey!
Cons of Stopping Breastfeeding Cold Turkey
- It HURTS! AHHHH! It is SO painful! Think about drinking a gallon of water and not being able to go to the bathroom for a week; that is the type of pain you will feel in your chest.
- Your baby will be so sad! You feel hopeless as your baby begs to be nursed as you get them used to the new reality of getting milk from a cup. It is a little bit of a nightmare!
- Can I say emotions? Not everyone wants to hide in their bed for a week and cry, but it is a thing! Trust me; I am an emotional wreck.
- Mastitis can happen. I didn't have this problem, but I was VERY engorged and let me tell you again, SORE! Be aware that Cold Turkey may not be for you, so check with your doctor.
"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey."
-Pros and Cons Team
Written by: Sarah
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