Natural Means Of Stopping Breast Milk

Gradually reducing milk is the healthiest way to stop breastfeeding, according to experts from breastfeeding support associations. Natural weaning takes place over months or years, giving the mother and child the opportunity to adapt physically and emotionally to the changes. If you have decided it is time to stop breastfeeding, the baby has given up on its own or you need to wean for medical reasons, there are a few things to keep in mind to make the transition as easy and painless as possible.

How to reduce the amount of breast milk?

These are obsolete ones that are no longer recommended. Not only will tightness in the breasts make you feel very uncomfortable, it can also cause blockage of the milk ducts, which can lead to mastitis. All you need to do is wear a suitable breast support bra. If you are worried about a spontaneous leakage of milk, it is best to choose appropriate clothing that would cover the stains or use pads for nursing mothers.

Drink as much as you are thirsty. Don't limit yourself so you don't get dehydrated.

Salt helps to retain fluids in the body.

You could take 200 mg of the vitamin for 5 days to relieve breast fullness. Pyridoxine acts as a natural diuretic. It serves to remove excess water from the body.

To relieve full breasts, you will need to express some milk. Do not empty your chest completely, but only enough to relieve the tension. When you leave milk in the breast, the brain gives a signal to slow down and eventually stop production.

How often you squeeze depends on how you feel. Set aside as long as you can and squeeze minimal amounts. If you did it every 3 hours, start every 4 hours, then every 6, then 8, then every 12, and so on. Gradually reduce the amount of expressed milk, so lactation will decrease without causing physical problems.

A warm shower would also help reduce the discomfort of full breasts.

Natural remedies to stop lactation

Cabbage leaves are a home remedy that has been used for many years to relieve breast fullness and reduce lactation. Here's how to make compresses:

• buy plain cabbage;
• wash well and dry;
• remove the base and hard core;
• place the leaves in the refrigerator;
• wrap the chest and areola well, leaving the nipple open. The leaves should cover the breasts well, and you will feel relief from their coldness. Cabbage leaves are thought to help extract fluid from swollen areas in the body. Replace the leaves every 30 minutes or so.

For the same purpose, you can use cold compresses, an ice pack or other ice packs (such as frozen vegetables) to relieve pain and reduce bloating.

Sage (Salvia) - contains a natural form of estrogen and can reduce milk secretion. You can buy this herb from any health food store, herbal pharmacies, and maybe even have it in the garden and use it as a spice.

How to use it:

• In the form of tea - take a teaspoon of dried herbs or a few fresh leaves and make a decoction with a glass of hot water for about 15 minutes. Add a sweetener (sugar, honey) to the tea, as sage has a bitter taste. You can take 2 to 6 glasses a day.
• In the form of tincture - 3-4 ml. again every 6 hours. The tincture is easier to absorb, so it is more effective than tea.
• Direct consumption - take ¼ a teaspoon of dried sage 3 times a day for 3 days. You can mix the herb in vegetable juice (in other juices it will not mix well). You can also add it to foods or broths. If you do not like the taste of sage, you can add it to a small piece of your sandwich or to something else (for example to peanut butter). Sage tea combines well in many dishes made with chicken, rice, potatoes and sauces.

Do not use essential oil - do not take internally!

Jasmine - this is another effective remedy that is applied fresh. The flowers of the plant are applied to the breasts to reduce lactation. The effectiveness of jasmine flowers is compared with that of bromocriptine. Both products reduce serum prolactin levels.

Mint - According to some sources, mint in most teas, candies, biscuits and others is too much

weak to affect milk secretion (unless consumed in large quantities). For best results you can use in the form of tea or essential oil for massage.

There are other herbs that can reduce milk production. They are used in cooking, but not in such quantities that can create a problem. However, some mothers have noticed a decrease in milk secretion when eating foods containing the following herbs:

• parsley;
• black walnut;
• asterisk;
• lemon balm;
• oregano;
• periwinkle;
• thyme;
• yarrow;

These herbs are sometimes used by nursing mothers to control hyperlactation and in cases where they want to stop milk production (at weaning).

The time it takes to stop lactation depends on what the milk production is at the moment. If you have had some milk before weaning, it is possible to stop lactation quickly and without discomfort. However, if you had a lot of milk at the time of weaning, it will take time for it to gradually decrease. You will need to gradually reduce the squeezing over a few weeks.

You should know that it is normal for a few drops of milk to flow months or even years after stopping breastfeeding after nipple stimulation.