Breast leaking and cabbage...?

Question

My husbands coworker told him that his wife puts cabbage leaves in her bra to help dry up the breast milk because she isn't nursing. Has anyone EVER heard of this cuz I sure haven't. Does it work and what is it about cabbage that dries the milk up???

Answer 1

Cabbage leaves dont dry the milk up, they help reduce the pain of engorgement. Theyre generally cool since cabbage leaves are full of water and are in the fridge, they stay cool for a while in your bra, thus relieving the pain a little.

Answer 2

I was as shocked as you seem to be after my first child was born and the nurse at the hospital told me to stuff my bra with cabbage leaves. Honestly -- I refused to do it at first... and when the pain became unbearable I opted for 'binding' -- that's when you wrap your chest tightly with bandages, etc. A few days of that with no relief and I finally gave in and did the cabbage thing... And it worked.

Of course I thought it was totally coincidental... so I refused again after the birth of my second child. Duh! And my third.....

By the time we had our fourth baby -- I was sure to send my husband out to the grocery to pick up some cabbage and have it at home before I got back from the hospital. :)

It's my understanding that the cabbage doesn't actually dry the milk up... The binding coupled with the cool cabbage discourages milk production... And if milk is not produced for a certain period of time the entire process starts to drop off until you produce none.

One side note however -- it didn't matter to me if the cabbage was cool or warm.. it still worked... So I'm not sold on the 'it's just cold' theory... Or else ice packs would work just as well... And they don't -- at least not for me.

The fact is - the jury is still out as to how exactly the cabbage thing works.... But, as reluctant as I was, I have to admit that it DOES work.

Answer 3

My mother in law suggested cabbage leaves to me because I had planned on not breast feeding. Her daugther had done the same and said that she stopped producing milk within days. Once my milk had come in, my breasts were engorged, rock hard and extremly painful. I did the cabbage leaves but I can't say that it did the trick. The only thing it really did for me was help ease the pain (the coldness of the leaves) and I had to change them out often. I have read that wearing a fitted sports bra will help stop producing milk. I did that and continued using cabbage leaves to ease the pain and within a week my breasts had stopped producing.

Answer 4

It's not uncommon to be able to express milk for several months after weaning. Eventually it will dry up on its own. If you're feeling a slight engorgement, or if milk is leaking and annoying you, you can try putting fresh green cabbage leaves over your breasts to help dry up the milk supply.
Wash the leaves, crush them slightly and place them over your breasts inside your bra. Change them when they wilt, but leave them on around-the-clock for 48 hours or so. Drinking two to three cups of sage tea a day will also help dry up your milk. Or, you can just wait and let nature take its course.

Breast pads can help control wetness but they won't do anything to diminish your milk supply. Whatever you do, don't pump routinely. If your breasts are uncomfortably full, you can certainly pump once to empty your breasts completely, and make yourself more comfortable. After that, only pump if you get really miserable, and then pump only for comfort.


I did the cabbage leaves trick and it did work. It took about a week if I remember right. Use a bra you don't like very much because it tends to stain it and remember to change the leaves often (cabbage is cheap) because cabbage does stink. I think it works wonders. My Dr. suggested it because they don't recommend anything else nowadays.

Answer 5

Never heard of that. I guess the cabbage leaf would keep the milk from leaking through to her clothing. If she is not nursing, the milk production will slow down and then cease. If it doesn't, there may be a hormone imbalance. But cabbage or any other leaves? Don't think so.

Answer 6

Why would you stuff your boobs with cabbage when there's nursing pads out on the market? No, I've never heard of that, but you can go to the baby section at any store and pick up some reusable or disposable nursing pads that you put in your bra and it will take care of that leakage during pregnancy and when you actually start to nurse. No, I never heard of that, and no, I would never try that. And as far as soreness, you can get vitamin E, aloe vera and lanolin will help with the soreness, but don't wrap them up because that actually will dry your breast milk up if you do that after you have the baby, and I wouldn't recommend doing that during pregnancy either.

Answer 7

When I met with my lactation specialist, she suggested I place the cabbage leaves on my breasts to ease the pain and discomfort caused by breast feeding and engorgement. I've never heard of cabbage drying up breast milk, but I did find it alleviated the pain I was experiencing
good luck and hope this helps!

Answer 8

I've only hear of cabbage being used for soreness, not for "drying up". but many women swear that cold cabbage leaves are the best pain relief for engorged breasts!

Answer 9

i have never heard of this at all..it sounds kind of silly to me, plus i dont think that wearing cabbage in your bra will smell very well...

Answer 10

ive neva heard that but make sure 2 take the motrin they will give u afta u deliver and wrap them boobs tight!!! that will help with the pain and leaking..