Help with Drying up Breast Milk ASAP

this might sound weird...but are you on Birth Control? As soon as I started on my Nuvaring birth control my milk supply went away practically overnight. I still had slight leakage but I NEVER experienced engorgement when weaning my daughter. Just an idea? I would talk to you dr about it and see if they have any suggestions

K. -

I am so sorry you have to do this cold turkey - it is never fun.

#1 Don't pump - you'll just stimulate more.
#2 Most decongestants dry up milk very quickly - Psuedophederine (sudafed) is really fast!
#3 Ice for Discomfort - no shower spray on the breasts or stimulation of any kind.
#4 Recent studies show that binding the breast doesn't do much for reducing supply - it just makes the pain worse and can increase your risk of mastitis, just use a good supportive bra is enough.
#5 Cabbage enzymes reduce milk suply. ie. Cold cabbage leaves placed directly in your bra until they wilt, then replace them.
#6 Herbal SAGE also reduces milk supply. I have a tincture form you can buy if you want it.

Please call if you want/need more info. Good luck, and I hope everything works out OK!

J. @ Every Mother & Child ###-###-####

Hi K.!

I am sorry you are having to go through this....remembering the pain of weaning makes me cringe. You just want to attach that baby again right? ;) Well, the only thing that I found that helps is to not touch them at all. AT ALL. Someone told me to rub them so that the milk would come out on it's own and that eventually they would drain themselves. Well, the rubbing and washing actually just delayed my milk from stopping. By my 3rd child I learned to just grin and bear it. Some say ice helps, but I was in so much pain I wanted nothing on them. Not even ice. Take a pain killer if you can and let them be. The less stimulation, the faster it dries. 4 days tops. At least for me. I hope you get through this quickly!!

Good luck with your surgery! I wish you all the best! :)

M.

Hi - the cabbage leaves do help a little - but put them in the freezer for a while first so that they are ice-cold. Also, drinking sage tea helps your milk dry up more quickly. Good Luck!

Well I know what you are going through. Buy a breast pump, At first pump four to five times a day after three days three to four after another three days two time then three days once a day and so on until you stop produceing. It does take time but pumping really helps.

K.,
I went through a similar situation and I feel your pain!
So here are some tips that worked for me:
1. Do not let hot water run over your breasts in shower
2. Do not express or pump (because your body will react to produce more thinking that you are still breast feeding)
3. Wear a SUPER tight sports bra 24/7
4. Take green cabbage leaves, roll them with a rolling pin to break open the veins and leave them in your sports bra on your breasts for as long and as often as possible (yes you will smell like cabbage soup :)).
Hang in there! It took mine about a week to dry up completely. Take care- Meg

i just simply wrappped a ace bandage around my entire breast for three days. Don't take it off and i also wore a sports bra that was a soze to small underneath. it took about a week to dry up. good luck. J.

Hi K.,
So sorry about everything.... but, my SIL is not able to breastfeed at all, and so she has to dry up her milk as soon as it comes in (she's had 3 kids) and the quickest way is to use cabbage leaves directly on the breast. Apparently there is some enzyme in the leaves that causes your milk to dry up quickly (within a few days or so) and she used that everytime! No problems.

Try taking a decongestant like Benadryl. That helped me.

Hi K. ~ Sorry to hear about your impending surgery. While I was breastfeeding (I have two boys: 7.5 and 4yrs), I was not comfortable taking allergy medications because they dry up your milk supply - how fast I can't say. Check with your physician or pharmacist for their suggestions. Good luck. K.

I'd try decongestants if you can. Birth Control did it to me but if you are having surgery on your breast the hormones could affect that. Try binding, cold compresses, don't touch them, don't let the hot water from shower on them.

Im not sure if this helps dry up the milk but when my friend had her baby she used cold cabbage leaves in her bra. She did not breast feed and I did so Im not sure if that is what it is for. Hopefully you will get another response with the same advice. Sorry I dont know of any other suggestions. Good luck with everything.

I heard that cabbage is the way to go. Where some in your bra and it works pretty fast. I thought it was ridiculous the first time I heard it, but it has worked for some of my friends that did not breast feed. Good luck!-Jen

I know this will sound strange but it will work. You need to pump out all your milk then wrap yourself in an ace bandage as tight as you can stand it for about 3 days. It really works. I have heard of the cabbage thing but I have heard from several moms that it doesnt work.

This may sound really strange but it does work. When I had my boys, I didnt breast feed and my milk came in so bad and so fast I would listen to anything to have it dry up. Cabbage leaves. I really mean it. Take cabbage leaves, cut out the hard vein in the leaf and put them inside your bra. Put them everywhere except on your nipples. When the cabbage leaves become limp replace them. It really does work, the nurse in the hospital gave me info on this. Good Luck. Let me know if this works for you, I would love to know. Hope all goes well with your surgery! 'L.

Cabbage Leaves!! I decided not to breast feed our second child, and they told me at the hospital to use cabbage leaves! And believe it or not, it works! Make sure they're cold - it feels better when you're really SORE. And wear a tight fitting sports bra. I'll admit, it's not comfortable, but it dries in a couple of days. And you'll smell like cabbage~!! LOL

Here is what I did with both of my boys and it worked great. Empty yourself out, either let the baby nurse on both sides or pump and dump until you are empty. Then get 2 ace bandages and wrap them around your breasts as tight as you can stand it. Keep yourself bound like that for 48 hours and then take the bandages off. You will be good to go without any pain. My sister-in-law told me that one and I have passed it onto others and they have had great success too. Good luck!

Steph