Natural Ways To Dry Up Breast Milk

Postnatal

oi-Staff

By Pooja Kaushal

Saturday, January 9, 2016, 11:01 [IST]

Breastfeeding might not be the choice of every mother, but it is the best choice for every baby. Studies have proved that babies who have been breastfed do better off in life compared to the ones denied this 'privilege’. And this includes physical, mental and psychological health.

Doctors advise mothers to exclusively breastfeed their baby up to 6 months. Once the weaning starts, the demand for milk goes down and the baby also starts relying on formula milk and solid food gradually.

In this process, the need for breastfeeding decreases and, as a mother, you are left with the concern of how to dry up your breast milk supply.

Before we go into the tips to dry up breast milk supply, let us look at some of the benefits of breastfeeding a baby. You will also be happy to know that it is not only good for the baby but is also very good for you.

This beautiful order of nature gives a breastfed baby the strength to fight illnesses.

It acts as a shield against diseases, keeping your baby healthy and happy. It builds up a strong bond of affection and love between the mother and baby that will last a lifetime.

And from a mother’s perspective, breastfeeding helps shed off those baby fats at a faster pace.

However, breastfeeding cannot go on forever and, at some point, you have to let go. However, how do you go about doing it? Given here are some simple tips on how you can dry up your breast milk supply.

• Wean gradually: This is by far the best way to approach it. Wean gradually. As your baby’s requirement decreases, your body will eventually adjust to the change. Over a period of time, the milk supply will go low and in a natural manner your breast milk will dry up.

• Do not pump: Weaning gradually is surely the best method, but along with that you need to do your part as well. Do not pump unnecessarily. Do it only when it is required. It is possible that you feel a little discomfort initially.

It would be best to switch to a routine where you can increase the interval between pumping and decrease the duration.

• Cabbage leaf method: This is an old household method to help dry up breast milk. Take leaves of cold cabbage leaves, crush with a rolling pin to enable breaking the enzymes and line them inside your bra.

Weird as it may sound, but this method has been found to be very effective. The enzymes in the cabbage do help dry up breast milk. Once the leaves start wilting, replace them with a fresh set. Make sure to do this for at least 24 to 48 hours.

•Have sage tea: The natural oestrogen in sage tea can help cut down on your supply of breast milk, thereby helping it to dry up in a natural manner. You can purchase sage tea from stores or can make you own from your spice rack.

Steep one teaspoon of rubbed sage in one cup of hot water for about 15 minutes. Adding milk and honey may enhance the taste and make it more appealing.

Having a cup of this sage tea, every six hours, can help dry up breast milk. You can use this method along with the cabbage compresses.

•Peppermint essential oil: Ingesting peppermint oil capsules is one of the other tips to dry up breast milk supply. But this should be done under the supervision of a trained person or under the guidance of a medical practitioner. Peppermint tea can also help to a great extent.

These are some of the common methods that tell you how to dry up your breast milk supply. Along with these, you can opt for a few more tips like applying cold compresses at intervals or avoiding stimulation of the breasts.

The duration for drying up the breast milk supply usually differs from a person to person..