How to deal with Lactation Suppression
Breastfeeding a baby is the best option for all mothers because breast milk provides the most nutrition for the baby’s healthy growth and helps develop the immune system of the child to fight off diseases. However, in certain cases breastfeeding may not be advised; for instance, if the baby is premature or sick and unable to breastfeed. In other cases such as sudden infant demise or when the baby is weaning, the mother has to stop breastfeeding. The discontinuation of breastfeeding by allowing or encouraging your breast milk to dry up is called lactation suppression. There are many ways to do this, some natural and others involving the use of medications. The safest way is probably to allow you milk production to naturally dry up. In other words, do the opposite of what you need to do to increase milk production. For instance, usually to increase or maintain your milk supply, you are advised to nurse the baby often and express milk often as well. For lactation suppression, you need to decrease your nursing or expressing sessions, however, lactation suppression does not happen overnight but should be done gradually to avoid discomfort and pain.
It is interesting to note that a woman’s body is naturally designed to deal with lactation suppression by stopping milk production when it is not needed; this system only needs to be supported and encouraged by you. In order to stop nursing, you need to be ready to do so and if you are weaning your child then lactation suppression usually happens on its own without much assistance. For other people who might be having problems or mothers who might want to suppress lactation right after birth, the best way to do it is to do it gradually. For nursing mothers, cut down on your nursing sessions one by one by substituting breastfeeding with bottle feeding. Start by cutting one session per day and after a few days start cutting two breastfeeding sessions and substituting them with bottle feeding. After some days, you will produce lesser amount of milk than before. If you regularly express milk using any kind of breast pumps, using a manual or breast electric pump, then you should cut down on your expression sessions gradually if you want to decrease your milk production. If you express milk after every 5 hours or so, increase the time duration to 6 or 7 hours. Continuing to use this strategy will ultimately decrease the milk production, eliminating it after some time.
The body is naturally programmed to produce the amount of milk demanded; when the demand is lessened and finally stopped, the body also reduced and then stops producing milk. However, when you start suppressing lactation, you might suffer from engorgement in your breasts which can lead to swelling, pain and feeling of fullness. Over-the-counter pain relievers, ice packs and a supportive bra can help provide some comfort against engorgement. Make sure the bra is well-fitted but not too tight to cause additional pain and distress and use a safe pain reliever like Tylenol during the initial lactation suppression days. A home remedy to relieve discomfort caused by lactation suppression is the use of cabbage. Keep cabbage leaves in your refrigerator to keep them cold, take a big leaf of cabbage and keep them in your bra so that it is in constant contact with your breast. Using this cabbage leaf will help to relieve pain and prevent your nipples from getting chapped and you can reuse this cabbage leaf by placing it back in the fridge after each use.
Be careful when using medication meant exclusively for lactation suppression as they might come with unpleasant side effects. Although, infections with high-doses of estrogen will stop milk production but they might also pose safety concerns by producing blood clots in the mother’s body. Also keep away from medication that might lower your blood pressure and increases chances of stroke, a medicine Bromocriptine can cause this but fortunately it is no longer prescribed. Another tip to help with lactation suppression is to drink water, a lot of it and regularly. Drinking water helps to dry milk up faster and it also keeps you hydrated, healthy and reduces chances of severe engorgement. Finally, don’t experiment on your own with medication or remedies you are not sure of; always consult with your physician or health expert for advice.
The information contained on this site herein is for educational purposes only and is not meant for diagnosis or treatment. Any information found on this site herein should be discussed with a health care professional. Use of this information should be done in accordance with the health care plan outlined by your health care professional. For specific medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment,consult your doctor.
