Expert: Sally Wendkos Olds - 9/27/2006

Question
Hi Sally - Thanks for your answer...  I'm on day 2 of not nursing him and really engorged!  I keep seeing posts about using cabage leaves to help dry up the milk.  Do you know anything about this method?  How many days can I expect to be this engorged?  Thanks again, Meghann
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Followup To

Question -
I have somewhat of a tricky question.  I am returning to work next week; I know under normal circumstances, this shouldn't mean I have to wean my son...  in my case, it probably will mean exactly that, as I'll be in the field (away from my son and refrigerators/freezers) for a minumum of a week at a time.

My son just turned one, and has been eating solids (shares all meals with us), drinks from a cup, and onl nurses for comfort now (i.e. when he;s tired and wants to sleep).  He should be emotionaly fine with not nursing...

My main problem is that my milk supply has not decreased at all, even with dropping nursing sessions out.  My breasts are painfully engorged.  How can I at least decrease my supply?  If its decreased, I can handle the discomfort.  If not, hiking in the wildreness with engorged breasts sounds like a nightmare - how do I make my milk stop completely if I can't get it to decrease to a reasonable level?

Answer -
Dear Meghann,

First, congratulations for giving your son the best start in life by breastfeeding him!

If you are still nursing your son, his suckling is continuing to stimulate your breasts to produce milk. Although I know you don't want to deprive him of the emotional comfort he is receiving, if you want your breasts to stop producing milk, you will have to cut out more of the feedings than you have so far.

I am adding to this message a section from my book (see below) which relates to sudden weaning. I hope that some of the suggestions will work for you. As a fellow hiker, I can empathize with your nightmare!

Good luck!

Sally

Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters.
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If you wean slowly, you should have little or no discomfort from milk pressure. You'll gradually produce less and less milk until there's virtually none at all to speak of. If at any point during weaning, your breasts become overfull, you can express just enough milk to ease your discomfort, or you can put your child to the breast for a minute or two (if he's willing to stop at that). Don't overdo it or you'll just encourage your breasts to continue producing copious amounts of milk. If you're uncomfortably full most of the time, slow down the pace of weaning.
  If you have to wean suddenly, you are likely to be quite uncomfortable for several days unless you're producing very little milk. You can hasten the drying-up process and minimize discomfort in a few ways. You'll want to wear a firm, but not too tight, bra, perhaps in a size larger than the one you usually wear. You can also relieve discomfort by expressing just enough milk to ease the pressure on your breasts. And you may also get relief from icepacks applied to the breasts several times a day. Ask your doctor to prescribe a pain-reliever, which can be relatively strong, since, once you have weaned, you don't have to worry about the medication reaching your child.
  Two once popular remedies are no longer recommended. One, binding your breasts, can actually make you feel worse and cause a plugged duct besides. And medicine to dry up your milk usually did not work and often had unpleasant side effects; it has been taken off the market for this purpose.  

Answer
Hi Meghann,

I'm sorry to hear you're still so engorged and uncomfortable.

I have heard of the cabbage leaf treatment, but I really don't know how helpful it is. I have heard complaints about the smell! If you're still home during the day, so the odor won't be a problem, it can't hurt to try it for a couple of days.

As far as  how long you'll be this engorged, it's hard to say. Every woman is different, and every woman responds differently. I'm sorry I can't give you a more definitive answer. I think the best treatment is just to hand-express a small amount of milk from time to time -- just enough to relieve the pressure, not enough to stimulate production -- and to do what you can to mitigate the pain.

Best wishes,

Sally