Any suggestions on drying up my breast milk?

[Corie]

I have been wearing a tight sports bra for close to a week now.
Plus, I have been putting cabbage leaves inside each bra cup.
(My friend suggested this.)
My breasts are hard as rocks right now and extremely sore!!

How long is this milk drying process? Am I doing it right?

Please help with any suggestions.

Thank you!
Sincerely,
Corie

[kaitlinsmommy]

Were you down to one nursing when you quit? I'm sorry I don't have any advice. I wish I could help you. I just weaned dd about 6 weeks ago (we were down to one nursing) and I didn't have any problems like that. There is still milk in my breasts if I squeeze them but they were not engorged or leaking.

I will look at my weaning book tonight and see if there are any tips that could help you. Good luck!

[Momof3Labs]

Yikes, you could be developing mastitis! It is not good for breasts to be hard as rocks and extremely sore. How old is your baby, and how often were you nursing when you weaned him/her?

[lizajane]

i think you are already doing what i have heard to do.

but wanted to offer a quick unsolicited piece of advice- check for plugged milk ducts. they feel like ropes under your skin. it is hard to tell when you are engorged, but you would see bright red skin that felt warm and sore to the touch. plugged milk ducts cause mastitis, an infection, that feels like the flu. (or as i liked to say when i had it twice, like you have been hit by a truck.)

[Puddy73]

You might want to try standing in a warm shower or putting warm washcloths on your breasts. Also, you may need to pump a little to reduce your supply more gradually and prevent mastitis.

Jennifer
Mommy to Annabelle Mae 9/8/03

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

[Corie]

I appreciate all the responses that I recieved but they all had something to do with someone who had breast-fed their baby.

I did not breast feed at all. I just gave birth by C-section last Thursday, October 21st. I immediately put on a tight sports bra and then once I got home from the hospital, I started putting the cabbage leaves in each bra cup.

Do each of your responses still hold true since I didn't breast-feed before trying to dry up my milk?
Please let me know.

I will also call my OB/GYN tomorrow to make sure that everything is okay.

Thanks for your help!!

Sincerely,
Corie

[Saartje]

You gave birth less than a week ago. Your milk has probably just come in. (It takes a few days in any case, and I believe it takes longer after a C-section.)

Your breasts being sore and swollen is called engorgement. The engorgement should let up within 24-48 hours. (If it's been longer than that without improving, definitely contact your physician.) You may still leak milk for a few weeks, though, so be prepared.

Try using ice packs (a bag of frozen peas works well) and pain relievers to make yourself feel better until the engorgement lets up. A hot shower, as previous posters have suggested, will make you feel better, but it may not be best for you, since that can stimulate milk production, which you apparently don't want.

[Momof3Labs]

Even though you didn't nurse, all of the suggestions above apply to you. Here are some additional resources:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/weaning/lactation-suppression.html