Reducing Breast milk/Drying up!?

Question

I recently switched from Breast Feeding my baby to formula and cannot dry up. I have tried Cabbage leaves, Tight Sports bras, wrapping myself. Drink lots of caffinated drinks. I am so engourged it hurts to breath sometimes. I have heard of "Sage Tea" but I cannot find it anywhere. Does anyone know where I can get this or do you have a better suggestion... and No I am NOT pumping.

Answer 1

It sounds as though your baby is relatively young, and your body is still in peak performance... why are you weaning so soon? Breastmilk is recommended for the first year for optimal benefits to baby and mother.

At 6 months, you'll start giving him cereals and purees, and he'll start gradually taking less milk, and so your production will start to decline. Your body can't just shut the production off, it does take time.

I went through the La Leche League website: http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/engorgement.html
They also recommend warm compresses, and say that when weaning suddenly, you can express some of the milk to ease the pressure while your mild production slows down. http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/medical.html

I wish you and Mack (I'm guessing that's his name from your screen-name) all the best.

Answer 2

I breastfed my son for only 3 months, and i had a really hard drying up too. I pumped for a month after that just to start getting my body used to reducing the milk, then I stopped completely. Do not take warm baths! Do not wear tight sports bras! This is all promoting the milk!!! Warm air or water, and pressure pushes the milk through the glands, and then your body produces even more, thinking that your baby is taking in the milk. Take cold or lukewarm showers, don't linger. Wear loose bras, or if you are home, don't wear one. Try to sleep on your back. If you have a partner, and you both are sexually active with each other again after having the baby, do not let your partner massage/grope or even touch your breats during lovemaking. You're goal is to keep ANY kind of stimulation to a minimum.
My son is now turning 4. I can STILL squeeze milk easily! It's not a bother, I don't get engorged, it never comes out by itself. But I still produce milk! I've seen many doctors, and the first explanination they have is that maybe I have an underactive thyroid. I've had it checked several times, and it's fine. It's a mystery why I'm still producing milk.
I hope this helps you!

Answer 3

Are you trying to stop cold turkey? If so, PLEASE rethink what you're doing. You are already engorged and you are risking painful plugged ducts which could lead to mastitis and even a breast abcess. NO professional would EVER suggest that you wean cold turkey. Pump enough for comfort. Or at least hand express. Trust me......mastitis is MISERABLE and you don't want to risk it.

You can use cabbage leaves in your bra, as you said. You can probably get some sage tea from the health food store. Lots of mint may help as well. Taking decongestants may help dry you up as well. Caffinated drinks won't do anything.

Take a hot shower and let some of the milk leak out to help make you more comfortable. You can use ice packs on your breasts to help with engorgement - bags of frozen peas work great as they form to your body. Ibuprofen is also helpful.

Answer 4

Take a warm shower everyday let the water run over your breast, also soak in the bath tub. Continue to wear tight fitting bras or the sports bras...It takes about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 weeks,

Answer 5

It's been a long time since I had babies, but I seem to remember that some ladies who wanted to quit nursing would ask their doctor for some kind of a shot of medication. Have you tried that?

UPDATE:
I was looking for more info about this, and found that it's not considered as safe as it once was.


Found online at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1370/is_n10_v23/ai_8310005
"Suppressing breast milk - drug Parlodel for use in drying up milk production
FDA Consumer, Dec-Jan, 1989
FDA has asked that the manufacturer of the drug Parlodel (bromocriptine) stop labeling the drug for use in drying up milk production and preventing breast engorgement in mothers who don't breastfeed. (Parlodel is also approved for treatment of Parkinson's disease.)

In a related move, FDA requested that the manufacturers of products containing estrogen and androgens stop labeling these sex hormones as lactation suppressants.

FDA's Fertility and Maternal Health Drugs Advisory Committee suggested die changes, in part, because these drugs, which can have serious side effects, benefit only 10 percent of the women who use them to suppress lactation. Also, the drugs' effectiveness is also diminished because of the high occurrence of rebound. Breasts become engorged again after the woman stops taking the drugs.

FDA estimates that this action covers about 40 oral and injectable drug products for lactation suppression."

Answer 6

To help with the engorging take a hot bath or apply hot wash clothes to your breast and it will release the milk. As for completely drying up, see your doctor. They have a prescription that dries up the milk ducts until your next pregnancy.

Answer 7

interesting question as I puzzled about that myself even as, about a 12 months after my son became weaned, i might want to nevertheless squeeze milk out of mine. And it nevertheless looks like you could get plugged ducts. probable not explaining that good, i do not recognize a thanks to articulate it or describe it without going into too a lot -more beneficial than i favor to ingredient. :) someone had instructed me that your breasts should not be an analogous when you get pregnant & in some ideas they received't! :) i became waiting to nurse as long as my sons nevertheless had to. and also you could get pregnant even as lactating & nursing! some females's bodies artwork otherwise than others. for sure, some females have had different thoughts in nursing/lactating or be able of & how lengthy, etc. My breasts all started making waiting right away & expelling a number of that premilk stuff with my first being pregnant. And my breasts were continually finished & user-friendly to lactate for both my boys. i do not recognize if my mom became waiting to nurse me as i became in an incubator for a pair months after i became born. (Premie) And my mom & I were very close even in spite of the reality that she did not get to attempt this or cuddle me right away like with my sis. So, even in spite of the reality that breast is often staggering, Momma's which couldn't shouldn't experience undesirable as all can nevertheless artwork out besides & yet in a special way might want to be presented! :) And certain, furnish & call for oftentimes has a roll in it!

Answer 8

to begin this i want to say that i HAVE NOT breatfed yet, i plan to with this baby but with my first i went straight to formula,

what i did with her though was a combination of ace bandages, cabbage leaves and sports bras. plus one thing the hospital told me was to NOT let them hit the warm water while taking a shower they said that it would induce milk production.. wish i could be of more help : /

Answer 9

I stopped breastfeeding my son about 4-5 months ago, and I still lactate. Not sure why. I don't pump either.

Answer 10

Ask your doctor about it..I know when I was pregnant mine was telling me about a pill that you can take that 'dries' up the breastmilk...
Good Luck!