Weaning a baby from the breast is an important moment for the baby and the mother. Sometimes this happens naturally as the child grows up and eats solid foods. In some cases, the decision is made by the mother. There are situations when lactation is not possible due to illness or forced separation. After a woman stops breastfeeding, milk is released for several more months. Stagnation of milk often leads to mastitis, mastopathy and other unpleasant conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to know how to speed up the process of stopping milk production and how safe it is.

When and how to stop breastfeeding

Weaning of the baby from the breast can occur naturally when he grows up and at the age of 1-2 years he himself stops sucking the mother's breast.

It happens that the child is not yet a year old, but the mother has to go to work. If a woman is going to give her child to a kindergarten or a nanny, then she has to transfer him to bottle feeding at least 1-1.5 months before. Usually, children quickly switch to a new way of eating if formula milk suits them and does not cause allergies. For some time, the father or grandmother has to feed the baby from the bottle until he weaned from his mother's breast. Sooner or later, the process is successfully completed, there is such a need to stop lactation.

The cessation of lactation can occur both naturally and with the use of various methods of influencing the mammary glands.

Stop lactation naturally

The body of a woman is designed in such a way that the production of milk during the feeding period directly depends on the mode of attachment of the baby to the breast and the intensity of sucking. After the cessation of regular feeding, milk production gradually decreases, the breast ceases to swell. For some time, when pressed, milk appears, then completely disappears. At this time, the main thing is to observe the rules of personal hygiene, so as not to bring the infection into the mammary gland.

During the period of feeding, doctors recommended that the woman achieve complete emptying of the breast to stimulate milk production. It was required to give the child to suck out completely the milk from one breast, and then apply it to the other, express the remaining milk.

To complete lactation, it is necessary to express milk only until relief is felt in the chest. In the milky lobes, with incomplete emptying of the breast from milk, an enzyme is produced that reduces the rate of its formation. Milk can be expressed manually or with a breast pump.

If a woman feels that seals appear in her breasts, then she must carefully, effortlessly express milk completely in order to prevent the inflammatory process. In order for the lumps to dissolve faster, you can apply cold (from the freezer) cabbage leaves to your chest.

A warning: Warm compresses should not be used if seals have formed in the chest during the period of stopping lactation. This can cause a purulent inflammatory process in the milk ducts (mastitis).

If the lumps do not go away, the chest (one or both) turns red, the woman has a fever, the touch causes pain, then you need to urgently see a doctor, since, most likely, mastitis has formed. In this case, antibiotics are prescribed. If the condition worsens, surgical removal of pus is performed.

Ways to artificially stop milk production

After weaning a baby, a young mother receives a lot of advice from more experienced women on how to stop lactation faster. How effective and safe are the proposed methods and should they be trusted:

1. Drink less liquid. Reducing fluid intake has little effect on milk production. This will only lead to the fact that the bladder will fill up less often. In addition, this can lead to inflammation of the kidneys.
2. Bandage the chest tightly. This should also not be done, since milk stagnation can lead to inflammation in the mammary glands, the formation of lactostasis (milk stagnation) and mastitis. Instead, you can wear a tight bra day and night.
3. Apply ice to the chest. This really helps, as it slows down the process of blood supply to the mammary gland, the supply of substances necessary for the formation of milk. However, you should be extremely careful using this method, since severe hypothermia often leads to inflammation.

Video: How not to stop lactation

Folk remedies to stop lactation

Many women prefer folk remedies that stop lactation. In folk medicine, sage and peppermint are used for this.

Using sage to stop lactation

This plant contains phytoestrogens, substances whose action in the body is similar to the action of estrogens (sex hormones produced by the ovaries). The functioning of the mammary glands is determined by the ratio of the sex hormones estrogen and prolactin (the hormone responsible for lactation). When using sage, there is a decrease in the level of prolactin due to estrogen, which causes a decrease in lactation. Sage is used in the form of a decoction, which is drunk several times a day.

Decoction of sage

For 2 cups of boiling water, take 1 teaspoon of dry grass. After cooling, drink the decoction for 6 times. This remedy is safer than drugs to stop lactation, but it has contraindications. It should not be used for allergies to the plant, as well as for diseases of the stomach, kidneys, and nervous disorders. It will take about 4 days to stop lactation with sage.

You can use sage oil (add 5 drops to a small amount of water and drink several times a day). It is useful to lubricate the mammary glands from the outside with this oil in order to relieve inflammation, prevent lactostasis and mastitis.

Using peppermint to stop lactation

This herb contains menthol, which inhibits the production of milk. On the other hand, it contains essential oils that dilate blood vessels, accelerating blood flow, which, on the contrary, can stimulate milk production. Different varieties of mint differ in menthol content. Peppermint is used to stop lactation. It is taken in small quantities. Often this plant is brewed with sage.

Peppermint infusion

Dry peppermint (2 tablespoons) is poured with warm water (2 cups). Insist 1.5 hours, filter. Drink 2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day. Peppermint infusions should not be taken with cardiac arrhythmia, as well as with hypotension, since mint contains substances that greatly lower blood pressure.

The use of cabbage leaves

Cabbage leaves are used to eliminate inflammation, as well as a means of reducing milk production.

You can stop lactation both with the help of the upper, dark green, cabbage leaves, and using the inner leaves. A juicy leaf is taken, crushed with a rolling pin to squeeze out the juice. In this form, it is applied to the chest, a bra is put on top, the sheet is held on the chest until it fades completely. The amount of milk produced decreases, pain in the chest disappears.

Video: How to deal with lactostasis

Medicines to stop milk production

Medications are used only when absolutely necessary. Lactation is a process associated with hormonal balance in a woman's body. Any shift that disrupts the natural balance of hormones can lead to unpredictable consequences. First of all, the consequences of the intervention are tumor diseases of the mammary gland and a disorder in the functioning of the reproductive system.

Drink pills only after the complete cessation of breastfeeding. Medicines are used in the following cases:

• emergency termination of pregnancy in the last term;
• the birth of a dead child;
• purulent mastitis with the possibility of transition to mastopathy;
• severe illness in the mother that makes feeding impossible (AIDS, tuberculosis, cancer, heart failure);
• severe pathology in the newborn.

Most drugs to stop lactation cause nausea, dizziness, headache, fainting, and increase blood pressure.

Most often, hormonal preparations based on estrogens are used, which suppress the action of prolactin, testosterone (a male sex hormone that reduces the action of female hormones), gestagens, which have the same effect as estrogens. In addition, drugs are used that act directly on the pituitary gland, where prolactin is produced. These drugs have a number of contraindications. They greatly increase blood pressure, act on the heart, stomach, liver and kidneys.

For a healthy woman, the best way is a natural decrease and gradual cessation of milk production, which does not affect health and does not have complications.

Sooner or later, the time comes when it is necessary to stop breastfeeding the baby, and you need to somehow stop the lactation of milk. And here certain difficulties arise. Weaning a baby from the breast is not difficult (see how to do it simply). But how do you get milk to go? Unpleasant "chewing" sensations in swollen breasts, underwear wet from milk - which of the women is not familiar with these sensations?

There are many ways to stop lactation. The best thing is to make this process slow, gradual, natural. This will help to avoid inflammation in the chest (and the worst - mastitis), stretch marks and sagging breasts.

Natural Ways

The method of "reducing feeding"

The ideal solution is to stop breastfeeding your baby gradually, naturally. To do this, first reduce one feeding. As soon as the child gets used to it, remove the other, then the third. In between pumping, express your milk, leaving a little bit of milk in your breast each time. Let it "burn out" gradually. Do not let the breasts swell too much, otherwise painful sensations are inevitable. Completely stop feeding your baby at night (see how to do this).

After a while, you will see that the flow of milk in the breast becomes less and less frequent. Milk itself arrives in smaller quantities. This is the easiest and most natural way to reduce lactation.

Is it possible to tighten the chest?

More recently, there was an opinion that to stop lactation, the breast should be tightly bandaged with an elastic bandage or other dressings. There is little benefit from this, but you can harm yourself. A tight bandage interferes with blood flow to the chest. The circulation is deteriorating. How much milk has arrived, you also do not feel. This can lead to stagnation of milk in the mammary glands, cause lactostasis and such a dangerous disease as mastitis.

We read an article about lactostasis

And here it's all about mastitis

So just put on a comfortable bra. Well, if it is made of cotton fabric, without inserted "pits", dense, that is, something like a corset. This will also help reduce the risk of stretch marks from overfilled breasts, preventing them from sagging.

Is it possible to reduce lactation with the help of products?

There are simply no products that can help reduce lactation. But salty, smoked and spicy food is undesirable, because it can provoke thirst. And drinking plenty of water will cause a rush of milk when it has almost disappeared. Therefore, try not to use these foods, limit the amount of liquid, exclude juicy foods.

Folk recipes

At home, herbal decoctions, primarily from diuretic herbs, help to reduce the flow of milk. These include cranberries, bearberry, sage, parsley, basil. Their infusions help to remove excess fluid from a woman's body. This reduces the production of milk by the mammary glands.

Preparing an infusion of these herbs is easy. Take two tablespoons of one of the above herbs, pour into a ceramic cup or thermos. Pour 400 ml of boiling water, close the lid. You can drink after two hours. Drink infusion instead of water. It is allowed to drink up to 6 glasses of infusion per day. Soon after the start of the reception (somewhere on the fourth day), you will feel significant relief. The breasts will become softer, the flow of milk will decrease.

Belladonna, horsetail, jasmine, white cinquefoil, elecampane are also diuretics. They are brewed and taken exactly according to the instructions written on the package.

Well helps infusion of peppermint. In addition to being a diuretic, it is also a sedative. Pour 3 tablespoons of mint herb, crushed, into a thermos. Add two and a half cups of boiling water to it. Leave for an hour, strain, drink 300 ml per day, dividing them into three doses, on an empty stomach.

Store cooked flocks in the refrigerator for no more than two days.

The well-known herb, sage, will help you reduce and then stop lactation. It not only quickly blocks the production of milk, but also helps to strengthen the woman's immunity, improve her genitourinary system. Prepare a decoction from it in the same way as from diuretic herbs. Take half a tea glass three times a day. You will see the effect soon enough. After four days, the amount of milk will be significantly reduced.

If you are nervous, it is psychologically difficult for you, drink soothing herbs - mint, motherwort, valerian.

By reducing the amount of any liquid (including soups and milk), you can reduce the flow of milk.

Compresses

Camphor compress. Take camphor oil and lubricate the breasts (except the nipples) every four hours for three days. Be sure to wrap yourself in a warm scarf or scarf. If you feel a strong bursting, tingling, discomfort, take paracetamol.

Cabbage leaf compress. It is believed that they help "burn" milk, make the breast softer. For a compress, take two medium cabbage leaves, cool them in the refrigerator. This will enhance the anti-inflammatory properties of the leaves. Roll out a little with a rolling pin or just knead the sheets in your hands so that the juice comes out. Apply softened leaves to the breasts, carefully bandage. Leave the leaves until they wither (at least an hour). Do a compress once a day until the condition improves (usually a week is enough).

Cold compress. If you feel pain in the breasts, inflammation, it is recommended to make a cold compress. Take ice or a frozen product from the refrigerator that is convenient to apply to the chest. Wrap it in a towel or soft cloth. Apply to sore chest. Keep not too long, a maximum of 20 minutes, so as not to catch a cold.

Video: How to reduce the amount of breast milk

Pills to stop lactation

If, for some reason, lactation needs to be stopped as soon as possible, and there is a lot of milk, you have to turn to official medicine. At the moment, there are many drugs and tablets that contribute to the rapid cessation of milk production by the mammary glands. They are quickly gaining popularity as effective means of "burning" breast milk. But among practicing physicians, the expediency of their use is still a matter of great controversy.

Why can't you take drugs on your own?

All drugs to stop milk production are made on the basis of hormones. And no one can say with certainty that you get more from them - benefit or harm. That's why do not prescribe these medicines to yourself. Each drug has restrictions on admission. They can cause harmful effects. Most of them should not be taken with diabetes, frequent high blood pressure, diseases of the liver, kidneys, and some other diseases. Only a gynecologist or other specialist can prescribe treatment. He will determine for you the necessary doses of the drug, when and how to take it.

List of popular drugs

Today, the most popular drugs for stopping lactation are:

Parlodel;

Bromkreptin;

Microfollin;

Acetomepregenol;

Turinal;

Norkolut;

Orgametril;

Duphaston;

Primolyuta - nor;

Sinestrol;

Utrozhestan;

Cabergoline;

Dostinex;

Bromocamphor.

They are produced on the basis of different hormones with different concentrations. The duration of admission is also different and ranges from one to fourteen days.

The same medicines are prescribed if seals are found in the mammary glands that cause pain, a feeling of inflammation, that is, when all signs of mastitis are present. (see links above) .

A little about medication

This article does not claim to be complete coverage of the topic of cessation of lactation and feeding. An entire chapter could be written about each of the options for stopping feeding. The purpose of this article is to give mothers the most general idea of ​​the various situations that may arise when a feed needs to be terminated, as well as to provide guidance on what to expect when a feed is stopped.

How does the feeding end?

Natural cessation of feeding. The baby decides when to stop breastfeeding. Mom is guided by the needs of the baby. Sucking gradually becomes less and less until it stops completely. May occur any time from 1 year to. years 7-9. Extreme age limits fall into the category of rarer cases. The average age at which we stop feeding, assuming the baby is allowed to suck as much as he wants, is 4.2 years.

Termination of feeding at the initiative of the mother. Mom decides to stop breastfeeding for various reasons.

"Self-weaning" from the breast. The baby, unexpectedly for the mother, abruptly throws the breast.

Forced and/or sudden cessation of feeding. Feeding has to be ended, often for medical reasons.

Stopping feeding and suppressing lactation at any age comes down to a simple principle recommended by the International Organization for the Support of Breastfeeding Moms La Leche League - "gradually, with love." This is the most gentle and humane way in most situations, both for the baby and for the health of the mother.

Immediately after the birth of a child

The mother is unable to breastfeed for health reasons. The newborn cannot breastfeed. Mom decides not to breastfeed. The child is stillborn, dies in childbirth or shortly after birth.

In the first few days, colostrum is produced in the breast.

On the 3-7th day, even in the absence of sucking, the breast will be filled with milk.

The breasts may become hard, swollen, hot, painful, and red.

The extinction of lactation takes about 2-3 weeks. During this time, the breast will stop swelling, although milk can still remain in the breast for quite some time without causing discomfort.

If milk continues to flow spontaneously from the breast (not with pressure) 3 months after stopping feeding, contact your doctor to find out the cause.

The goal of a mother who cannot or will not breastfeed immediately after birth is to reduce discomfort and suppress lactation. Mimicking the natural process of lactation decline is the healthiest and safest way.

Wearing a well fitting, comfortable and tight (but not tight) bra 24 hours a day.

Applying cold compresses to reduce swelling, pain, and burning in the chest. For example, an ice pack wrapped in a towel or handkerchief.

Regular pumping with hands, mechanical or electric breast pumps to relieve the feeling of fullness in the breast. In the early days, you may need to pump quite often, every few hours. Unlike pumping to maintain lactation, the breast does not need to be completely emptied. Before pumping, you can apply a warm compress to your chest or take a warm shower. Milk flows more easily when exposed to heat.

Acetaminophen (Paracetamol, Tylenol, Panadol, etc.) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nurafen, Actren, etc.) help relieve pain. Check with your doctor before taking medication.

Cold cabbage leaves relieve pain and swelling of the breast.

Sage, parsley and mint infusions help reduce milk production.

If lumps form in the breast, consult your doctor. It could be lactose. With lactostasis, the breast must be emptied completely until the seal disappears. Then you can resume pumping until relief, and not completely.

Other Methods

medicinal method. In the countries of the former USSR, Bromocriptine mesylate (trademarks Parlodel, Bromolactin, Krypton), a drug that suppresses the production of prolactin, is often used to suppress lactation. In the US, this drug is not recommended for lactation suppression due to serious side effects that include nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, peripheral vasoconstriction, as well as hypotension, myocardial infarction, convulsions, stroke, and death. Be sure to check with your doctor if you want to take this medicine.

Cabergoline (trademark Dostinex) is an alternative drug to Bromocriptine mesylate. In some European countries it is used to suppress lactation. Side effects - headache, dizziness, fatigue, orthostatic hypotension, nosebleeds, lactation suppression. Be sure to consult with your doctor and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the medicinal method of stopping lactation. Remember that you will need to take care of your child even if you feel unwell.

Breast ligation does not prevent breast swelling in most women, and the risk of lactose stasis and mastitis is significantly increased.

Restriction in nutrition does not affect the production of milk. Studies show that it is only severe exhaustion that leads to a noticeable decrease in milk, and not a temporary restriction in nutrition.

Liquid restriction does not reduce milk volume. Lactation is reduced in cases of exceptional dehydration, when urine output is significantly reduced (10% dehydration), for example, in a mother with diarrhea and vomiting in the absence of water. By limiting yourself to drink, you will go to the toilet less, and the amount of milk will not decrease.

For reflection.

If you decide not to feed on your own, and the baby shows signs of an allergy to formula, you may consider re-feeding.

If you are unsure about your decision not to breastfeed, you can keep lactating for a while by pumping.

If you have lost a child, you may consider donating milk. Many premature and sick babies need donated milk to survive. Your milk can give life to another child.

If you've wanted to breastfeed but can't for medical reasons and are very worried, try talking about your feelings with a lactation consultant, psychologist, or understanding loved one.

If you have deliberately and seriously decided not to feed, and someone questions your decision, try to draw the line of acceptable discussion. Prepare in advance a phrase that can be used in such cases. For example, “Thank you for your concern. I prefer to discuss this issue with our pediatrician. If I need your help, I will ask you myself” (try to sound friendly but confident).

Children up to a year

Breast milk is the main source of nutrition for children under one year of age, supplementing the child's diet with adult food from the middle of the first year of life. In most cases, the cessation of feeding at this age occurs at the initiative of the mother or is forced. There are cases of self-weaning, but most often these are temporary "strike" and the baby eventually returns to suckling.

It will take some time to stop feeding and lactation.

You can control the speed of the feeding stop process, depending on the baby's reaction.

If your child becomes ill, is under severe stress, or is in the process of learning a new skill, try to delay the weaning if possible.

An older baby is more likely to cry and resist stopping feeding.

The milk in the breast will gradually disappear.

Milk can be released with pressure after stopping feeding for several months to several years.

If milk flows out spontaneously (not with pressure) for more than 3 months, consult a doctor to find out the cause.

You may lose or gain weight.

Warm, friendly and confident attitude helps to stop feeding. When you stop breastfeeding, you don't stop loving your baby.

Try to replace the feeding that is easiest for the baby to refuse. Save the most important meal for last. If the baby does not take the bottle from your hands, ask your father or grandmother to feed the baby instead of you.

If possible, plan a few days or a week between feeding changes. Thus, the baby will gradually get used to the bottle, and your lactation will gradually fade away. This reduces the likelihood of breast swelling, lactostasis and mastitis.

If your breasts swell between feeds, gently express some milk to ease the feeling of fullness.

If you are not able to gradually stop feeding, see recommendations for stopping feeding immediately after birth.

If lumps have formed in your chest or you have a fever, you need to start pumping your chest until it is completely empty. If the temperature does not drop within 24 hours, consult your doctor.

If your baby shows signs of an allergy to formula, you may want to consider re-feeding.

Children over one year old

Many health professionals recommend breastfeeding your baby "for at least a year, and longer if mutually desired." Having fed the baby up to a year, you can look at the year as the “final” of an important stage in the life of the child. By the year may be timed to go to work. In your circle, it may be customary to feed up to a year.

You may feel tired, irritated, sad, insecure. You may try to solve some problems (waking up at night, poor appetite, or the child's dependence on you) by stopping feeding.

A baby often gets a fairly large portion of its nutrition from breast milk. Suckling may be on the decline during the day and frequent at night. Most often, sucking takes an important place in the life of a child.

Some health organizations recommend breastfeeding for more than a year or "at least 2 years" (WHO). If you are breastfeeding an older baby, you may feel pressure from others to stop feeding as soon as possible. You may feel lonely and insecure.

What to expect?

• It will take some time for the feeding to stop. The duration of the process depends on the number of feedings.
• Breastfeeding will probably need to be replaced by bottle sucking or drinking from a baby cup.
• A younger child may be upset about the cessation of feeding (crying, whining).
• The older the child, the more options to “negotiate” with him.
• You may experience feelings of sadness or helplessness.
• You can control the speed at which feedings stop, depending on the baby's reaction.
• Stopping feeding is rarely the solution to any problem.
• The child's need for attention is likely to increase, at least temporarily.
• If you are not sure about your readiness for weaning, if you feel guilty, the baby may start to suckle more. Warm, friendly and confident attitude helps to stop feeding.

Try the no-offer-no-refuse tactic. If the child asks, give him the breast. If he does not ask, do not remind him of feeding. This is one of the most effective and safe methods of stopping feeding.

Try changing your feeding circumstances. Babies usually like to suckle at a certain time of the day or in a certain place. For example, if your baby likes to breastfeed when you sit on the couch, try to avoid sitting on the couch.

Enlist the help of relatives. Dad or grandma can help the baby wake up in the morning instead of you if the baby likes to breastfeed immediately after waking up.

Anticipate the urge to suckle and offer a substitute or distract the baby. If you know roughly your baby's suckling pattern, you can prepare food or drink ahead of time to distract your baby, or come up with a distraction (reading, walking, new toy, visiting friends).

Distraction. Some babies suckle a lot at home and don't suckle at all outside the home. With such children, it helps to spend as much time as possible in an interesting place for the child outside the home.

Postponement. Older children may be able to wait longer before feeding.

Replacement. Morning, evening or night feedings can be replaced with massage, stroking, reading, hugging or any other manifestation of attention and love.

You can try to reduce the duration of feedings.

"Bargain". Most often works with older children. Children over 3 years old understand the concepts of "contract" and "promise".

The most beloved and important feedings for the baby are easiest to remove at the very end.

Other methods.

You may stop feeding abruptly. In this case, use the tips for stopping lactation immediately after childbirth. An abrupt cessation of lactation can lead to a depressive state due to a sharp drop in prolactin levels. If you are prone to depression or suffer from mental illness, consult your doctor.

Separation from the child for a while. It is advisable to avoid this method of stopping feeding, especially if the child is not used to being separated from you. The disappearance of two of the most important things from the life of a child, mother and breastfeeding, can affect the well-being of the baby. Upon returning, the child may become even more attached to you. Try to spend more time with your child when you return. If the baby sucked a lot of milk, your breasts may swell. Tips for suppressing lactation immediately after feeding will help in this situation (see above).

Smearing the nipples with something bitter (mustard) or frightening (brilliant green) is a popular folk method. The bitter and often stinging substance can burn the breast or irritate the delicate skin of the breast. Feelings of fright or disgust can cause a lot of stress in a baby.

Pay attention to methods that do not affect the decrease in milk in the section Immediately after birth; .

If you are unsure about your desire to stop breastfeeding, try partial weaning. Partial weaning can be a reduction in suckling time, cessation of only daytime or only nighttime feedings.

If you are replacing breastfeeding with a bottle, pay attention to the liquid you will be giving your baby at night. Sucking on a bottle of milk or sugary liquid can lead to tooth decay in children.

If the baby shows signs of stress (stuttering, waking up at night, the baby “does not come off” from you during the day, a new fear of separation, attachment to a new object (bear, blanket), biting (if this has not happened before), this may be a sign that that the cessation of feeding is progressing too quickly for the baby.

If you feel very tired, your breasts become very full, the cessation of feeding may move too quickly for you.

You can change your mind and continue feeding.

Forced or sudden cessation of feeding

In extremely rare cases, a sudden illness or hospitalization of the mother, or the loss of a child, leads to the need to stop feeding quickly and unplanned.

You may be concerned about the well-being of your child.

You may feel guilt, sadness, resentment, anger, helplessness, fear.

You may experience fear of death. You may be afraid that the baby will be left without you.

You may experience symptoms of "milk fever" - fever, weakness, chills, "flu" condition. The temperature can last 3-4 days.

A sharp drop in prolactin associated with a sudden cessation of feeding can lead to an exacerbation of depression or feelings of sadness.

What to do?

Follow the recommendations for stopping lactation immediately after birth (see above) .

Try to keep your presence of mind. With the cessation of feeding, your love for the baby does not disappear. Repeat this to yourself often.

Many diseases and medicines are compatible with feeding. Explore options to continue feeding if desired.

If you do not have the opportunity to quickly learn about the possibility of feeding in your condition, if possible, express milk for a while while you investigate the situation.

If you are suddenly hospitalized, tell your doctor that you are lactating. This will help the nursing staff to help you avoid milk stagnation and infection and, if possible, support your lactation until you are discharged.

If your relative or friend is lactating and is in the hospital, contact the patient's doctor and warn him about it. In emergency situations, you can skip mastitis and bring the infection to an abscess. A midwife or nurse can help you express milk to maintain lactation or stop milk production.

If your relative or friend is in this situation, try to help her get through this time. Reassure mom, try to inspire her with confidence that everything is in order with the baby, that he is loved and taken good care of.

Natalia Wilson (Freelance lactation and lactation consultant. LLL)

Ways to stop lactation

Mother's milk is the most valuable and useful product for the baby, but despite this, the time will come when the baby will need to be weaned. It doesn’t matter if this is done out of necessity for the mother or because the baby has already grown up. Most importantly, this moment in time is usually not given due attention in terms of mom's feelings. You can find a lot of discussions on the topic of what to do to wean a child from the most expensive and enjoyable activity for him, but what about a mother with overflowing mammary glands? This is exactly what I want to talk about.

We wean the baby

For those who are faced with this issue for the first time and have not yet decided how the child will be weaned from the breast, I offer information on possible options. Those who have decided on this issue, you can safely proceed to reading the next part of the article.

Everything that I want to tell the reader of MirSovetov, I myself experience at a given moment in time, therefore I build my judgments and conclusions on real feelings that are not muffled by time, as a rule, these experiences are quickly forgotten, like any other unpleasant events.

Age. The first dilemma that mothers face is at what age this should be done. It is believed that the younger the child, the easier it will endure the process of weaning. And another opinion tells us that the longer breastfeeding (BF) lasts, the healthier the baby will be. Again, others believe that prolonged feeding leads to inhibition in the development of the child. Perhaps each of these statements has its own reasons and is true in its own way. But I propose to approach this issue from a different angle. The condition of the nursing mother is the main criterion. One way or another, after birth, a child is already a separate life, and although he is closely related to his mother, you cannot force a woman to be a “victim”. Therefore, wean your baby from the breast when you feel the need to. Only your emotional and physical state can be a 100% indicator. In addition, the confidence and willingness of the mother to stop breastfeeding will have a positive impact on the baby. My baby turned 1 year and 2 weeks old, at the moment when I decided to take him away from breastfeeding. Previously, I asked this question for 2-3 weeks, sometimes I told my son that the milk would soon run out and I would have to eat on my own. Apparently, when my inner voice told me “enough”, I came with the child from the street in the evening and said: “That's it!”.

Ways. How to tell or explain to the baby that mom has no more milk? This is the question that scares me the most. In fact, this is a contrived problem. Subconsciously, every mother understands that with the termination of breastfeeding, the thread between her and the baby will become weaker. On the second day, I wanted to spit on everything and continue breastfeeding. The sensations were as if you were tearing off a piece of your heart, but on the other hand, the painful sensations in the glands made me hold on, because I understood perfectly well that sooner or later everything would start all over again.

So the options might be. Put on closed clothes so that the child cannot reach the breast and, when he tries, explain that there is no more milk, only in a mug. Let him drink and eat as much as he wants, having had enough, the child will stop his attempts. I have chosen this method.

As an option, very common, the child is sent for 2-3 days to his grandmother, so that he does not see his mother. This method is good for mothers, but, in my opinion, it is morally more difficult for a child. Imagine that he will not only be weaned from GV, but also from his mother! It's double stress.

With older children, you can already negotiate. Starting from about 1 year and 4 months (but again, children are different, so judge by your child, his level of development and perception). You can buy a skin-colored band-aid and seal the nipples so that the halo is also covered. When the child reaches for the breast, tell him that “the tit is now like this and you can’t take milk from her anymore.” My friend used this method when weaning her one and a half year old son. The child was puzzled, but no longer approached with this question. The first night I cried in my sleep, but then I calmed down, and I didn’t have to raise this issue anymore.

Another similar option is the suggestion of the concept of "titya - kaka." The nipples are smeared with lemon juice or other unpleasant-tasting product (usually something bitter). After 2-3 attempts, the child no longer wants to try to attach to the breast. The only thing is to choose such "lubricants" that will not harm the child. For example, I have heard about using mustard for this, but it is not only bitter, but also pungent. There are also special ointments that can be purchased at the pharmacy. But here is the individual decision of each mother.

Gradual weaning. Recently, psychologists advise to stretch the process of weaning for 2-3 months. To do this, it is recommended to gradually reduce feedings, starting with one in the morning and gradually reducing to once a week or two, reducing them to zero. That is, we remove the morning feeding, the next two weeks later, and so on. Last but not least, we remove night feedings. This method is also considered favorable for the mother, since the milk is supposed to burn out gradually. But it seemed to me that this is not a very good option when feeding on demand, and not according to the regimen.

Weaning period. How many days will the child wean? From 2-3 days to several weeks. But this does not mean that the child will require the breast all this period. He just needs time to forget this process. Therefore, try not to appear topless in front of the child for the first month (or longer) so as not to disturb his memory and desires. He will reach for his chest, you will need to be sensitive to his behavior and give him food or drink. Tears and tantrums about this in different children last for different times. For example, I weaned my eldest daughter with the help of my mother, it was three or four sleepless nights for her. But I decided to excommunicate my son on my own, next to me he endured all this easier than I expected. We cried only on the first evening when we went to bed, but after 20 minutes I found something to distract him and he fell asleep. You can distract with a toy, a phone, something else that the child will show interest in, in our case it was the melody of Wind Music - I think everyone is familiar with this thing.

Weaning from breastfeeding provides an answer to another question: when do children stop eating at night. When you no longer need to breastfeed. For some time the child will wake up at night, you need to give him a drink. It can be milk, tea or just some water. I gave milk for the first three nights, but, seeing that he drinks no more than 3-4 sips, I realized that he does not wake up from hunger and replaced milk with tea. When the child is not bothered by anything, he sleeps all night without waking up at all.

It is desirable to drink the child from a mug, and not from a bottle. This is due to the fact that the child needs to wean from the innate sucking reflex. If you use a bottle, then after a while you will have to fight the attachment to the bottle. And after weaning, you will continue to get up at night to feed the baby, but from the nipple.

Cessation of lactation

Now let's talk about mom's feelings. Unfortunately, say mammary glands. that more milk is not needed, there is no possibility. We no longer feed the baby, but the milk continues to abide. As a result, the chest is greatly stretched, and the sensations become more and more unpleasant and painful with each flush. It is recommended to wear a bra during this period of time. It should be pitted, but dense cotton (natural) fabric and should not stretch. That is, to play the role of a corset. If you don’t have one in your wardrobe, you can wear any, but get ready for the fact that it can cut into the body and cause itching: stretched skin becomes more sensitive. You will need to wear it until the milk completely burns out. Alternatively, it is recommended to tighten the chest with an elastic bandage or something else. But it is more painful and unpleasant.

Troubles begin on the second day, when there is a lot of milk. Choose for yourself which option you prefer. You can express milk little by little, this will help alleviate the "pressure", you can use a breast pump and express to soft breasts, but leaving some milk. In the first option, the burnout of milk will pass faster, but for several days there will be a lot of discomfort. In the second, there will be no painful sensations, but the burnout process will be delayed. To some extent, this is the same as taking the baby off the breast gradually.

When decanting according to the first principle, for different women, the moment of cessation of milk production can begin on 3-5 days. I pumped a little on days 2 and 3, the hot flashes stopped on the 5th day. These days, give up hot and liquid food: soups, tea, etc. Or rather, reduce to a minimum, arrange fasting days for yourself. It is better to keep the restriction in the liquid until the milk in the glands completely burns out, that is, until the moment when the breast returns to its pre-feeding size, it becomes soft and all seals, even small ones, disappear. After that, for about another 1-2 months, give up anything that can help restore lactation. Especially from beer, because after drinking it, hot flashes can resume. Or do not abuse these products, eat in small quantities and monitor the body's reaction to them.

The process of burning milk is also accompanied by certain, not very pleasant sensations. If during hot flashes it is felt how the skin is stretched, then combustion is accompanied by the reverse process - “stretching”. It's less painful, but also unpleasant. Something seems to be sucking out the contents of the glands from within, and at times there is still a tingling sensation. After the tides stop, the "resorption" will last another 5-7 days.

Pain and psychological state (despite the fact that most women are already depressed while caring for a child) lead to nervous breakdowns and increased excitability. Therefore, it will be necessary to show patience to the mother herself, and care for her husband and other family members. You can drink sedative herbs or antidepressants.

Suppression of lactation

It's no secret that there are a lot of recommendations on what to eat and drink to improve lactation. Did you know that there are also various means to suppress lactation? These can be specially made drugs that can be purchased at a pharmacy, but it is better to use them only as directed by a doctor (in agreement with him), or folk remedies. I want to talk about both options, because I think that sooner or later this knowledge can be useful to any woman (and caring husbands too).

Medical (chemical) preparations. There are many different drugs that can be prescribed by a doctor to suppress lactation in various situations that require it. All these drugs have a hormonal composition that affects the brain, or rather, the anterior pituitary gland, forcing it to work in an inhibited (suspended) state. The course, depending on the drug, can last from 1 to 14 days. Here are some names of such drugs: bromocriptine, parlodel, dostinex, microfollin, norkolut, turinal, acetomepregenol, orgametril, duphaston, primolyut-nor, utrozhestan, cabergoline. All of them are created on different hormones and in different concentrations, this explains such a time interval for taking them. These preparations are produced both in the form of tablets and in the form of solutions for injection.

Since these hormonal drugs have a number of side effects and harmful effects on the woman's body, it is possible to decide on their use only after consulting a doctor and under his strict supervision. For some drugs there are contraindications: hypertension. phlebeurysm. diseases of the kidneys and liver, diabetes mellitus, thrombophlebitis, as well as various diseases and abnormalities in the work of the reproductive organs of a woman.

I also want to draw your attention to the fact that prolonged pain in the area of ​​the mammary glands, non-absorbable seals during the period of cessation of breastfeeding can be a sign of mastitis. If there is any doubt or suspicion, immediately contact your attending gynecologist for a check, it is in such cases that the use of the drugs listed above to suppress lactation is most often recommended.

Folk remedies. And now let's talk about the means that each woman can use on her own during the completion of lactation. Before special pills were invented, to suppress lactation, such a simple procedure as taking diuretics was added to the restriction in liquids. There is no need to drink chemicals and pills, because there are a lot of herbs that have this effect.

When you stop lactation, your task is to get rid of excess fluid, thereby stopping the production of milk, contributing to its “burnout” or “resorption”. Drinking diuretic herbs should be started on the first day and continued for 5-7 days, then as needed, but most likely this will be enough. I started taking an infusion of a diuretic herb on the 4th day (before that, I just didn’t know that something could be done), after 2-3 hours the hot flashes stopped, and literally after 5-7 hours the sensations from the by-catch changed to the sensations of “burnout » milk. The chest became softer, tightness and pain began to weaken.

Here is a list of some herbs that have diuretic and diaphoretic effects: bear ears (bearberry), lingonberries, basil, Russian beans, wintering horsetail, madder dye, garden parsley, elecampane. In general, it will not be difficult to find such herbs, they are in every pharmacy.

But the most interesting thing is that there are herbs that contribute to the cessation of lactation. Salvia officinalis is most often mentioned for these purposes. One of its healing properties is the cessation of lactation in nursing mothers. For this, tea is made and drunk for several days, healers say that 2-3 days are enough to completely stop this process. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on a woman's health, treats infertility and strengthens the body. Other herbs: white cinquefoil, jasmine, common belladonna.

I managed only with diuretic grass, but since after stopping feeding, milk production can resume for another 6 months, I think you can also drink herbs to inhibit lactation if you wish. MirSovetov warns that if you find milk in the glands after a six-month period from the last breastfeeding, you should seek medical advice, as this may be a sign of some disease.

Weaning a baby from the breast is an important moment for the baby and the mother. Sometimes this happens naturally as the child grows up and eats solid foods. In some cases, the decision is made by the mother. There are situations when lactation is not possible due to illness or forced separation. After a woman stops breastfeeding, milk is released for several more months. Stagnation of milk often leads to mastitis, mastopathy and other unpleasant conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to know how to speed up the process of stopping milk production and how safe it is.

It happens that the child is not yet a year old, but the mother has to go to work. If a woman is going to give her child to a kindergarten or a nanny, then she has to transfer him to bottle feeding at least 1-1.5 months before. Usually, children quickly switch to a new way of eating if formula milk suits them and does not cause allergies. For some time, the father or grandmother has to feed the baby from the bottle until he weaned from his mother's breast. Sooner or later, the process is successfully completed, there is such a need to stop lactation.

The cessation of lactation can occur both naturally and with the use of various methods of influencing the mammary glands.

Stop lactation naturally

The body of a woman is designed in such a way that the production of milk during the feeding period directly depends on the mode of attachment of the baby to the breast and the intensity of sucking. After the cessation of regular feeding, milk production gradually decreases, the breast ceases to swell. For some time, when pressed, milk appears, then completely disappears. At this time, the main thing is to observe the rules of personal hygiene, so as not to bring the infection into the mammary gland.

During the period of feeding, doctors recommended that the woman achieve complete emptying of the breast to stimulate milk production. It was required to give the child to suck out completely the milk from one breast, and then apply it to the other, express the remaining milk.

To complete lactation, it is necessary to express milk only until relief is felt in the chest. In the milky lobes, with incomplete emptying of the breast from milk, an enzyme is produced that reduces the rate of its formation. Milk can be expressed manually or with a breast pump.

If a woman feels that seals appear in her breasts, then she must carefully, effortlessly express milk completely in order to prevent the inflammatory process. In order for the lumps to dissolve faster, you can apply cold (from the freezer) cabbage leaves to your chest.

A warning: Warm compresses should not be used if seals have formed in the chest during the period of stopping lactation. This can cause a purulent inflammatory process in the milk ducts (mastitis).

If the lumps do not go away, the chest (one or both) turns red, the woman has a fever, the touch causes pain, then you need to urgently see a doctor, since, most likely, mastitis has formed. In this case, antibiotics are prescribed. If the condition worsens, surgical removal of pus is performed.

Ways to artificially stop milk production

After weaning a baby, a young mother receives a lot of advice from more experienced women on how to stop lactation faster. How effective and safe are the proposed methods and should they be trusted:

1. Drink less liquid. Reducing fluid intake has little effect on milk production. This will only lead to the fact that the bladder will fill up less often. In addition, this can lead to inflammation of the kidneys.
2. Bandage the chest tightly. This should also not be done, since milk stagnation can lead to inflammation in the mammary glands, the formation of lactostasis (milk stagnation) and mastitis. Instead, you can wear a tight bra day and night.
3. Apply ice to the chest. This really helps, as it slows down the process of blood supply to the mammary gland, the supply of substances necessary for the formation of milk. However, you should be extremely careful using this method, since severe hypothermia often leads to inflammation.

Video: How not to stop lactation

Folk remedies to stop lactation

Many women prefer folk remedies that stop lactation. In folk medicine, sage and peppermint are used for this.

Using sage to stop lactation

This plant contains phytoestrogens, substances whose action in the body is similar to the action of estrogens (sex hormones produced by the ovaries). The functioning of the mammary glands is determined by the ratio of the sex hormones estrogen and prolactin (the hormone responsible for lactation). When using sage, there is a decrease in the level of prolactin due to estrogen, which causes a decrease in lactation. Sage is used in the form of a decoction, which is drunk several times a day.

Decoction of sage

For 2 cups of boiling water, take 1 teaspoon of dry grass. After cooling, drink the decoction for 6 times. This remedy is safer than drugs to stop lactation, but it has contraindications. It should not be used for allergies to the plant, as well as for diseases of the stomach, kidneys, and nervous disorders. It will take about 4 days to stop lactation with sage.

You can use sage oil (add 5 drops to a small amount of water and drink several times a day). It is useful to lubricate the mammary glands from the outside with this oil in order to relieve inflammation, prevent lactostasis and mastitis.

Using peppermint to stop lactation

This herb contains menthol, which inhibits the production of milk. On the other hand, it contains essential oils that dilate blood vessels, accelerating blood flow, which, on the contrary, can stimulate milk production. Different varieties of mint differ in menthol content. Peppermint is used to stop lactation. It is taken in small quantities. Often this plant is brewed with sage.

Peppermint infusion

Dry peppermint (2 tablespoons) is poured with warm water (2 cups). Insist 1.5 hours, filter. Drink 2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day. Peppermint infusions should not be taken with cardiac arrhythmia, as well as with hypotension, since mint contains substances that greatly lower blood pressure.

The use of cabbage leaves

Cabbage leaves are used to eliminate inflammation, as well as a means of reducing milk production.

You can stop lactation both with the help of the upper, dark green, cabbage leaves, and using the inner leaves. A juicy leaf is taken, crushed with a rolling pin to squeeze out the juice. In this form, it is applied to the chest, a bra is put on top, the sheet is held on the chest until it fades completely. The amount of milk produced decreases, pain in the chest disappears.

Video: How to deal with lactostasis

Medicines to stop milk production

Medications are used only when absolutely necessary. Lactation is a process associated with hormonal balance in a woman's body. Any shift that disrupts the natural balance of hormones can lead to unpredictable consequences. First of all, the consequences of the intervention are tumor diseases of the mammary gland and a disorder in the functioning of the reproductive system.

Drink pills only after the complete cessation of breastfeeding. Medicines are used in the following cases:

• emergency termination of pregnancy in the last term;
• the birth of a dead child;
• purulent mastitis with the possibility of transition to mastopathy;
• severe illness in the mother that makes feeding impossible (AIDS, tuberculosis, cancer, heart failure);
• severe pathology in the newborn.

Most drugs to stop lactation cause nausea, dizziness, headache, fainting, and increase blood pressure.

Most often, hormonal preparations based on estrogens are used, which suppress the action of prolactin, testosterone (a male sex hormone that reduces the action of female hormones), gestagens, which have the same effect as estrogens. In addition, drugs are used that act directly on the pituitary gland, where prolactin is produced. These drugs have a number of contraindications. They greatly increase blood pressure, act on the heart, stomach, liver and kidneys.

For a healthy woman, the best way is a natural decrease and gradual cessation of milk production, which does not affect health and does not have complications.

Laktostasis I want to stop lactation

Asks: Marina, St. Petersburg

Gender Female

Age: 30

Chronic diseases: No

Hello, I have lactostasis in one breast. For 3 days my son is resolving, but nothing works out, I do everything as the breastfeeding consultant and the surgeon said. As I give a sore breast, my son drinks milk and then squeaks, does not want to help his mother, and the MEDELA HARMONI breast pump does not help. Gynecolos said if you don't want to feed drink dostinex, the bumps will disperse.
Please let me know if this can be done. It's just a pity for the son and she is already tired. Temperature 38. All day I make the baby suck. I wake up at night to feed.

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Hello! One "Dostinex" is not enough. No bumps will disperse, only the milk will burn out, and it may even be worse. I would recommend trying the 2 old methods. 1 - Before feeding, apply a warm dry compress to the diseased mammary gland for 5-7 minutes or use a breast pump. 2 - Also, before feeding, you need to take a warm shower closer to a hot one, after which, without waiting until you cool down, start feeding the baby or use a breast pump. The "milk lumps" should soften and fall away as soon as your baby starts suckling. After feeding, you can apply cold through a towel for 1-2 minutes, and a cabbage leaf at night.

Marina 2015-06-22 04:49

I do all this and even apply a cabbage leaf. This is all recommended by the breastfeeding instructor. I feed my baby at night every 3 hours during the day every 2 hours starting with sore breasts. I am not a supporter of breastfeeding and want to switch to artificial. How can I do it in this situation? Wait until the lumps disperse and then drink the pills according to the scheme in the instructions?

Try the same Traumeel C cream, Arnica ointment or Malavit solution. They also contribute to a good outflow of milk in the ducts. In no case do not start drinking drugs that complete breastfeeding, it will only get worse, the milk will burn out and there will be “bumps”. Apply the baby more often at night, even if he sleeps, during sleep his mouth will work harder, thereby he will dissolve the "milk lumps". Drink plenty of warm water daily to improve circulation. Do not deprive the baby of the only joy in this life, and when he grows up, he will only be grateful to you, as you instill in him natural immunity.

Once again I repeat all this I already do. You are just repeating the words of a breastfeeding trainer.
Thanks. I will look for a momologist who will look and tell me what to do.
Since the same problem has already appeared on the second breast.
I can't take care of a child with a temperature under 40 and no appetite. And everything that I eat is a fountain from my mouth and what kind of immunity is there, I can only drink cold water

Madina 2017-01-04 23:44

Hello. The child is 1.3 months old. She didn't breastfeed. I have been pumping her since birth and giving her breast milk through a bottle. I do it by hand. The breast pump does not draw out milk, so I have been pumping it manually for 1.3 months. On both mammary glands, either seals, or bumps. No matter how much you decant, do not press, they do not pass. I visited a mammologist and a surgeon, they said there was nothing. The mammologist said that bumps in the chest after childbirth and feeding can form and this is normal. Tired of constant pumping. They advised Dostinek to drink, they said the milk would stop, and the bumps would dissolve. I drank it, but the milk didn't stop. Formed. And the bumps didn't shrink. Please tell me what should I do to stop the milk? Is it true that the bumps will dissolve? Or should I not have taken Dostinex at all? Help me please. I'm tired of expressing. And bumps, and seals, everything is tired. Already 1, 3 months every day every feeding I express. Or I had to get rid of the bumps; and then drink Dostinex? If the bumps don't dissolve, what might be formed in their place? I am very afraid. How to stop milk? I drank Dostinex, but it didn't go away. And there are bumps, they have not decreased, they have not resolved. What to do with them?

Hello! Tell me, did the mammologist send you for an ultrasound? If yes, please attach results. If not, then it is necessary to pass, given that even a breast pump does not help to reduce lumps. Dostinex will help if it is true lactostasis, but it seems to me that it is not just lactostasis, so it would be more expedient to undergo an ultrasound scan, after which it will be clear that lactostasis is either benign tumors or mastitis has already formed.

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Milk stasis or lactostasis is one of the unpleasant problems that occur during breastfeeding. Young mothers can face it, only " acquaintances” with their first child, and women who have already nursed 2-3 children. How to remove the stagnation of breast milk at home so that there are no dangerous consequences?

The danger of lactostasis

Stagnation of milk during breastfeeding can lead to unpleasant consequences. If the breast is not drained in time, then this condition can not only lead to refusal of breastfeeding, but also to serious complications.

You can notice lactostasis by the following symptoms:

• Unpleasant sensations appeared in the chest, which do not disappear even in the absence of touch;
• When palpating, seals are revealed, which are painful to touch;
• The skin of the breast turns red.

If the temperature also rises, then we can talk about the onset of mastitis - an acute inflammation of the glandular tissue. If treatment is not started at this stage, then a bacterial infection can join the inflammation.

Mastitis is treated with antibiotics, but sometimes surgery is required in case of complications.

Complications of the disease:

• abscess;
• breast necrosis;
• phlegmon, etc.

These diseases increase the risk of developing fibroadenomas of various etiologies.

Causes of lactostasis

There are quite a few factors that provoke congestion in the mammary glands.

Among them are the following:

• The baby is not sucking out enough milk. The rest clogs the ducts, forming plugs;
• A disease occurs after hypothermia, with the introduction of pathogenic flora into the body;
• A woman incorrectly applies the baby to her breast, the milk ducts are pinched;
• Injuries to the chest, which can be caused by blows to the area of ​​​​the mammary glands, squeezing them by wearing too tight or uncomfortable underwear, even sleeping on the stomach;
• skipping feedings;
• Physical exercise;
• History of breast surgery.

Unexpected stressful situations and constant being in a nervous state on the verge of collapse are capable of causing stagnation.

Chest pain, what to do?

The stagnation of milk still appeared. What to do in this situation at home? Finding out the cause is too late, you need to take decisive action.

The chest must be completely emptied, and try to clear out:

• You need to give the baby a problem breast. This should be done as follows: attach the child to the nipple so that the compacted area is under his lower jaw. This is easy to do even when the lobule in the upper part of the mammary gland is inflamed. Mommy lies on her side, the child is laid "jack". The position is uncomfortable, but it is worth being patient in order to avoid dangerous consequences in the future;
• Mommy takes a warm shower and, after complete relaxation, expresses herself manually or with the help of a special device - a manual or automatic breast pump;
• A cabbage leaf is applied to the seal.

How to drain the stagnation of milk, so as not to worsen the condition? You should not press on the nipple, but on its halo. During pumping, it is periodically worth doing a compaction massage, gently kneading the hard area with your fingers.

If the above measures do not help, you need to see a doctor.

Self-massage while breastfeeding

Learning how to do when milk stagnation occurs is quite simple. After each feeding, it is required to lubricate the palms with oil - preferably castor oil - and attach them to the mammary gland: one from above, the other from below.

Hands make circular movements that should not hurt. Perhaps - with an already formed seal - touches will not be very pleasant, but no more. The halo and nipple should not be touched, and oil should not get on them. In time, the massage procedure lasts about 5 minutes.

How to stretch the seal during milk stagnation, if it has already formed?

In this case, massaging the breast tissue is required with slightly different movements, combining rubbing and stroking. The knots are smoothed out with spiral movements, the fingers pass clockwise. Only after such preparation do they begin the general massage procedure.

Circular strokes start from the periphery of the mammary gland, the hands move towards the nipple - sometimes the milk begins to drip. This is very good, which means that the milk duct begins to free itself from blockage.

SOS! Lactostasis!

Actions that should not be done with lactostasis in any case:

• Put warm alcohol compresses on the seals that have arisen. Alcohol is absorbed through the skin and blocks the release of oxytocin, a hormone that helps push milk out of the ducts. In addition, if inflammation has already begun, heating can cause an abscess to open and the purulent contents will spread throughout the body;
• “Break” the seal with vigorous movements - the duct can be injured, and the infection can spread through the bloodstream;
• Stop breastfeeding with a sick mammary gland;
• Limit fluid intake in the body, especially if the temperature has risen. If you provoke dehydration of the body, in the future the process of lactation will not be restored.

You should not ask your husband for help to suck milk. An adult does not capture the nipple as much as a baby, can injure a delicate organ and cause cracking. In addition, an adult has its own microflora in the mouth, which can get into the milk, go up the duct and aggravate inflammation.

Lactostasis after cessation of feeding

So that milk stagnation does not occur after the cessation of feeding. In this case, the preventive measures are somewhat different. First, you can not abruptly stop pumping. Regular pumping is no longer required, but as soon as it is felt that the breast has become full, it should be released.

Only milk does not need to be removed to the last drop. Production decreases gradually. It is worthwhile to massage before pumping, but you should not relax the chest with warm water procedures. This increases lactation.

Secondly, use folk remedies to reduce lactation: infusion of sage, mint and parsley. You can also use medications - they are prescribed by a doctor.

Sometimes it is advised to apply ice to relieve soreness. But the causes of mastitis at the initial stage of lactation are no different from the factors that cause it during the cessation of feeding. If the mammary gland is cold, the situation will worsen.

When seals have already appeared that develop into an inflammatory process, you need to empty the chest completely, and be sure to seek medical advice.

Prevention of congestion

What to do to protect yourself from lactostasis while breastfeeding?

Try to learn to sleep on your side so that your chest is not squeezed. Immediately after childbirth, doctors advise a woman to lie on her stomach more often to speed up uterine contractions. In this case, you need to put your arms bent at the elbows under your head so as not to injure the mammary glands.

In advance, you should take care of comfortable underwear made from natural fabrics. The bra should: securely support the chest, do not restrict movement, do not squeeze the mammary gland.

Drafts must be avoided. Dress according to the weather, so as not to get cold and sweat.