Stopping Your Milk Supply and Reducing Engorgement

Whether you are a mom who has decided on bottle feeding or a mom who has elected to no longer breastfeed and/or pump, two questions remain....How do you get my milk supply to stop coming in?  How do I stop the pain of engorgement?

There are a variey of ways to dry out your incoming milk. Some women do a combination of methods.  Some of the most popular ways are:

Cabbage Leaves - Placing cabbage leaves in your bra or directly on you. Chilled cabbage leaves have been stated to work better than warm.

Ice Packs - Chilled gelpacks help reduce swelling. It works well when you have more than one gelpack so you can alternate when the one you are using becomes warm. A bag of frozen peas works just as well! This method has proven a significant reduction in engorgement pain.

Ace Bandage Wrap - Wrap yourself tightly in an ace bandage. This helps prevent the extra room where the milk would normally try and fill up again at. This method works well, but generally goes hand in hand with the ice packs. Many women find comfort in placing ice packs on themselves and then wrapping in an ace bandage.

Hot Compressions - This can be done by taking a hot shower or by placing your breasts inside of a bowl of hot water. Hot water will cause the milk to run which will definitely help with becoming engorged. Lack of stimulation will relieve the pain and discomfort and not produce additional milk. 

Pumping - If you were previously breastfeeding you should not quit cold turkey. You should pump one less feeding each day and slowly allow your milk supply to stop. The less you use your supply, the more your body will recognize that you are no longer in need of production. If you become engorged, you can pump out a bit of the milk for additional comfort.

Sudafed - Since Sudafed acts as a decongestant, some women claim that they have felt the relief of engorgment by taking as stated on the box. Please consult your doctor before attempting.

 

What did you think of this article?




Trackbacks
  • No trackbacks exist for this post.
Comments

Leave a comment

Submitted comments are subject to moderation before being displayed.

 Name

 Email (will not be published)

 Website

Your comment is 0 characters limited to 3000 characters.