There are many reasons a woman may decide or need to stop her milk production temporarily or permanently.
Mothers decide to stop breastfeeding for health reasons. Others do so because they’re ready to wean the baby or because they decided they don’t want to breastfeed anymore.
Whatever the circumstance, there are options and techniques to achieve this. Some are considered natural, and some others require the use of medicine and prescription.
Through the years, many techniques used to dry up breast milk have been analyzed and refined because some of the previously done practices have proven unreliable or dangerous.
So let’s see what alternatives you have when you’re looking to dry up breast milk naturally.
How to dry up breast milk naturally
Before we dive into the different ways you can dry up breast milk, you must define whether you need to do it for a little while or whether you would like to stop completely. It is important to decide whether you will return to breastfeeding at some stage or whether you want to stop it altogether.
There’s a different technique for stopping breastfeeding temporarily. You don’t want to dry up breast milk rather than decrease milk supply until you can resume breastfeeding.
Some reasons for temporarily stopping breastfeeding include a medical condition, a medical treatment, or a study on your body, and if your doctor recommends avoiding breastfeeding.
In such cases, you can use what’s known as the “pump and dump” technique, where you hand express or use a pump to extract breast milk and throw it away.
This technique is mainly done when you need medication or treatment that may be a risk for your baby if ingested through breast milk. While “pumping and dumping,” your body understands that it still needs to keep up with the breast milk production, and it doesn’t dry up.
If this is your case, ask your doctor if it’s necessary to dump the breast milk or if it’s safe to give it to your baby later on, and in that case, you can bottle feed it or store it for later use.
Now, if what you want is to stop breast milk production, then here are some alternatives on how to accomplish it.
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Sudden weaning process
Weaning may seem the most logical. You just do cold turkey and let your body stop milk production when it notices the lack of demand.
Eventually, your body will understand the signs and lower your milk supply until it stops altogether. However, until that happens, this can be uncomfortable and may lead to an infection called mastitis from a clogged milk duct.
Mastitis, a condition that must be addressed to prevent more severe complications like breast infection and can be very painful and is very common while breastfeeding. A lot of nursing women can be afflicted with mastitis especially if they are subjected to long periods of breast engorgement.
Be warned that if you choose sudden weaning as a type of lactation suppression, you will notice breast engorgement pain and milk leakage. You can hand express to relieve pain but doing so will only prolong the process of drying up breast milk.
Another reason why breastfeeding advocates don’t recommend sudden weaning is because of the emotional impact it may have on both the mother and the baby. The bond that forms between mom and baby is further strengthened with skin-to-skin as well as eye-to-eye contact during breastfeeding sessions.
So, before you attempt suppressing lactation, make sure both of you are emotionally prepared to deal with what’s to come as you make changes to your feeding routine with your baby.
Cold compresses
When you decide to stop breastfeeding until your body catches up, you will experience breast engorgement.
If you want to avoid the need to express breast milk to get some relief so you can see results faster, using a cold compress to soothe your aching breasts can help.
The cold temperature soothes pain and reduces swelling, so keep some ice packs, cold packs on hand, or even a bag of frozen peas to help you deal with the discomfort.
Don’t forget to cover the cold pack with a towel to prevent the ice from burning your skin.
Cabbage leaves are also believed to suppress lactation, and if you place the chilled leaves inside your bra, covering your entire breast, it will dry up breast milk.
There’s no proof of cabbage leaves’ as being effective in stopping milk production aside from it being a cold compress.
Herbal supplements
Peppermint or sage tea is among the preferred herbal teas to stop milk supply, but they need to be consumed significantly throughout the day to dry up breast milk quickly.
Even commercial blends intend to suppress lactation, like No more milk tea by Earth Mama.
If you don’t like drinking tea, you can also try peppermint oil, jasmine, parsley, or chaste berry in tinctures or tablets.
Before taking any herbal supplement or tea, consult a lactation counselor or a healthcare provider because some herbs in high doses can cause toxicity to your baby and must be used with caution.
Avoid hot showers
If you want to stop producing milk, you must stay away from the hot shower or warm compresses, as this does the complete opposite.
A warm, humid environment such as the one a hot shower provides is recommended to unclog milk ducts and stimulate milk supply.
To avoid nipple stimulation from hot water, you can turn your back to the shower or drape a towel on your breasts, so they do not get in direct contact with the water, which can trigger breast milk letdown.
Breast binding
Years ago, this was used as a trusted lactation suppression method, but it’s been debunked with time.
Breast binding is not only uncomfortable when you have engorged breasts, but it will also cause leakage and blocked milk ducts.
In the end, it will not get your milk dry by itself but will also be painful in the long run.
While you deal with stopping your milk supply, you will feel more comfortable using a supportive bra, not bindings, to help you carry the weight of your engorged breasts.
Restricting fluids
Your fluid intake has always been linked to milk supply, and it’s widely believed that since breast milk is mostly water, the more water you take, the higher your milk production.
There’s some truth to this, but there’s no evidence that if you restrict your fluids, your breast milk supply will be affected because we also receive hydration from the food we consume.
Also, restricting fluid intake is a dangerous approach because it may lead to dehydration, negatively affecting the mother.
Needless to say, lessening fluid intake is not advisable as a method to dry up breast milk naturally.
Medication
Certain medications have been related to milk suppression if you want to dry breast milk quickly.
Seek professional medical advice before attempting this to ensure exposure to such medications doesn’t cause significant side effects to the baby.
Birth control pills that contain estrogen can be prescribed to decrease milk supply gradually.
Most mothers that are nursing and want to take a birth control pill will be prescribed one that only contains progestin because estrogen (which is the female hormone responsible for various roles in the body) interferes with milk production.
There has even been a common practice where women have been injected with a single high dose of estrogen to suppress lactation, but this has been discontinued due to the risk of blood clot formation.
Another medication is Sudafed or pseudoephedrine, a decongestant agent in most cold medicines that nursing mothers can take.
There have been reports that women who took pseudoephedrine started noticing a low milk supply afterward.
Other drugs can be specifically prescribed to hinder breastmilk production, like cabergoline, a prolactin inhibitor used to treat hormone imbalance.
Some side effects of using cabergoline include stomach issues, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and drowsiness. As such, this medication needs to be prescribed by a medical professional.
How long does it take for milk to dry up?
Every body and metabolism is different, so the time it will take your body to dry up your breast milk supply ultimately will vary.
It can take a few days or even a few months, and there are cases where even a year later, women have reported that if they squeeze their breast, some breast milk may leak.
So be patient, avoid stimulating your breast, and be constant in your efforts.
After you have a baby, your body will be wired to offer comfort and nurture your little one; therefore, you will notice that your breasts will fill up as soon as you hear them cry or even if you simply think about them, hear their voice or smell their skin.
It is a natural reaction of a mother, postpartum. Breast milk production becomes instinctive, so it’s normal to have some setbacks while trying to dry up breast milk.
Conclusion
The decision or need to choose lactation suppression is very personal and should always be respected as such.
It’s a journey that will physically and emotionally impact both the mother and the baby, so there’s a lot at stake.
While dealing with the side effects of stopping milk production, you can take pain medication such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or even anti-inflammatory medication.
If you want your baby to continue receiving the benefits of breast milk without having to nurse them, you can prepare for that moment by using a breast pump to express enough milk and store it. However, bottle feeding doesn’t always offer the comfort breastfeeding does.
Frozen breast milk can be stored for up to 12 months, and you can continue feeding your little one.
If you don’t produce enough milk to store, there are milk banks where women donate their breast milk supply to babies needing it.
Consulting with a healthcare provider or a lactation consultant will offer much insight into what to expect on your breastfeeding journey, leading to the best decision for you and your baby.