When Does Breast Milk Drying Out
For varying reasons, breast milk can stop by itself at any point. Breast milk can stop on its own because if you don’t pump or breastfeed, your breasts will eventually stop producing milk.
Therefore at some point, the breast will stop making milk without the need from you to interfere. It can happen when baby is months old or as old as 2 years. However you can hasten this process if you need. The main element in stopping milk supply is by stopping stimulation milk production.
Is it Safe to Dry up Breast Milk Naturally?
It is totally safe to dry up your breast milk. It has been done before by many moms, especially working moms when they needed to stop breastfeeding their babies. While some moms go for medications, it is safer ,cheaper and easier to dry your breast milk naturally without pills.
You do not need to take any pills given the risks involved. You only the patience to try out the natural methods as they eventually work.
Why Drying your Breast Milk is Necessary
There are many reasons that necessitate nursing moms to dry up or stop production of their breast milk. some of this include;
1. Restricted from Breastfeeding for Medical Reasons
As a breastfeeding mom, you may be restricted from breastfeeding your baby for medical reasons. Some illnesses such as mastitis may prevent you from breastfeeding as the milk is unsafe for the baby. Some moms have recurrent clogged ducts and for this reason, and can’t continue breastfeeding.
Hence for such medical reasons, you may need to stop breastfeeding. Drying up the breast milk helps solve these issues in addition to other treatments.
2. Being under Medication
When you are under certain medications, you can be advised not to breastfeed your child. Some medications can still leak into your breast milk and potentially harm your child. It is highly advised to let your doctor know you are breastfeeding so that they can advise on the safest medications for breastfeeding.
If you are not taking medication that are safe for breastfeeding, one option for this would be to express the milk but throw it away. A better solution however would be drying up the breast milk completely, especially if you are going to be under this medication for a long time.
3. Baby no Longer Needs to Breastfeed
You can make a deliberate decision to stop your milk supply because you are done with breastfeeding. It is recommended that you breastfeed your child for at least 2 years. As such you can wait for the 2 year mark and then dry up your breasts.
However, some moms stop breastfeeding their babies earlier than this. You can stop your baby from breastfeeding at whatever age you feel is necessary such as 1 year or 1 year and a half.
Read: How to Manage Breastfeeding while Working from Home
4. Elective Non-Breastfeeding at Birth
You can make a conscious decision to put your child on formula and not breastfeed at all. It is ok to choose not to breastfeed your child at all for personal reasons, especially for mental health reasons. Some moms decide as early as after birth that they are not going to breastfeed their child and hence must dry up the breast milk immediately.
5. If Travelling/Away from the Baby
If you are going to be away from the baby for personal and work reasons, you may consider drying up your breast milk. You can’t breastfeed your baby or express milk for them when you are too far away from them.
Natural & Safe Ways to Stop Breast Milk Production
1. Gradually Start Pumping Less
Most working moms after returning to work need to pump breast milk for their babies. If you pump at work and have decided to dry your breast naturally, the fastest and safest way to do this is to start pumping less and less with time.
If you abruptly stop pumping, your breast milk will still come and be painful to you or even cause mastitis. The safest natural way (without getting mastitis) to stop this milk production is to gradually reduce the supply.
- Drop the quantity and frequency to which you pump. Say if you pump thrice a day, drop to twice a day then once a day then eventually no pumping, and your breast milk will dry up naturally.
- Start going longer between pumps and pumping for shorter periods of time.
- When you have too much milk in your breast that it is uncomfortable, express by hand just only enough to relieve the discomfort.
How fast this method works depends on your current pumping schedule and how fast you can gradually bring that to a halt. The method also involves less pain as you help your breast milk supply adjust to the breast milk demand.
2. Gradually Breastfeed Less
Drying up your breast milk entails ensuring that less and less is produced over time. If you decide that you want to stop breastfeeding and dry up your breast milk, then start doing so gradually.
- One of the easiest way to do this is to gradually reduce how many times you breastfeed your baby. Say if you breastfeed thrice a day, drop to twice a day then once a day then eventually no breastfeeding, and your breast milk will dry up naturally.
- When you have too much milk that it is uncomfortable, express by hand just only enough to relieve the discomfort.
How fast this method depends on your current breastfeeding schedule and how fast you can gradually bring that to a halt. The method also involves less pain as you help your breast milk supply adjust to the breast milk demand.
3. Use Green Cold Cabbages
You can use green cold cabbages as a natural way of drying breast milk. It is one the fastest, cheap, and most natural ways to get rid of breast milk.
- Put a washed cabbage in the fridge to get cold.
- You can use any of cabbage
- Take the cold cabbage leaves out.
- Spread them out around your breasts in your bra.
- Change out the leaves regularly throughout the day.
It has been proven as a real and effective way to dry up breast milk, working in a matter of few days. A few mom friends in our group have testimonies of using cabbage leaves to dry their breast milk in as fast as 2 days.
Also cabbage is cheap and easy to access hence convenient for mot moms. Some moms don’t like the cabbage in the bra method due to the discomfort and bad smell but it is worth it.
4. Use Birth Control Pills
Hormonal birth control with estrogen or progesterone dries the milk naturally by controlling the milk hormones and reducing milk supply. The method is also fast and recommended by doctors as safe for drying up breast milk after deciding to stop breastfeeding.
There is no pain involved as the pills will regulate how much milk your breast will produce. They are also cheap and anyone can easily access them.
5. Wearing a Tight Sports Bra
A tight bra is one of the ways to stop milk production if you are not breastfeeding.You can reduce the milk supply that your breast is producing by keeping it in one place without nipple stimulation. A tight bra helps in ensuring no bounces for your breasts and containing discomfort.
Many moms have tried and tested this natural method as true in drying off breast milk fast.
- Using a tight bra or binding to tie the breast
- Layer on the bras as needed to ensure tightness on the breasts.
- Alternatively, you can would up or tie them with a cloth or band.
The zero stimulation that this method offers ensures that milk production is minimized. However you need to stay in the bra or wounded at all times, even when sleeping.
6. Don’t Pump/Breast Feed at Birth
If you decide at birth that you don’t want to breastfeed then you need to stop milk production immediately. The natural and easiest way to dry any produced milk after birth is by not breastfeeding or pumping at all.
Having milk let down after birth relies on the simulation the breast gets from breastfeeding or pumping so avoiding this immediately after birth will dry up your milk. It is a deliberate and easy way to stop milk production by allowing the breast to learn that the milk is not needed.
7. Use Natural Herbs
Some herbs are known to help reduce the milk supply in your breasts. The best herbs that are known to naturally help in drying out breast milk include ;
- Peppermint
- Mint
- Sage- Sage tea contains a natural form of estrogen and can decrease your supply
- Black Walnut
- Chickweed
- Herb Robert
- Lemon Balm
- Oregano
- Parsley
Secrets/Tips for Drying up Breast Milk Naturally Fast
- When gradually dropping breastfeeding and pumping to dry your breast milk, ensure that you replace the feeding you have eliminated from the baby. Ensure that you are giving the baby enough milk or formula.
- Some home remedies for breast pain after stopping breastfeeding include ice. You can use ice packs to help soothe the pain when you are trying to adjust your pumping or breastfeeding schedule. There is specific great rounded gel set specifically for the breasts that make it easier.
- For the period you are drying up your breast milk, try to avoid any stimulation or warm water as it may trigger a letdown. Avoid hot showers as this can stimulate milk production.
- While warm water from the shower can help relieve engorgement pain, it will stimulate more milk production and take you longer to have your breast milk dry up.
- Avoid too many fluids and eating types of food that specifically boasts milk supply such as oats.
- Only express if you absolutely need to relieve pressure to ensure that milk is not being constantly made.
- Take 200 mg of vitamin B6 each day for 5 days to relieve engorgement.
- If you are using the cabbage method to naturally stop your breasts from producing milk, make sure you use green cabbage as red cabbage will stain on your clothes.
- You need the support of family and friends as the process may be draining and overwhelming for you.
How Fast can you Dry Up Breast Milk Naturally
Be patient as drying milk may take up to a couple of weeks. It is the fastest you can naturally get your breast to be clear of any milk. If you want to dry up your breast milk faster than this in days, you need to use medication as well as a combination of the above natural methods of drying breast milk.
Using medication can take 5-6 days for some moms. Be aware however that these pills may have side effects. While some natural methods are not as fast as many moms want, they are safer (without getting mastitis), cheaper, and more convenient.
