Lactation is the natural process of formation and excretion of breast milk, which is necessary for the development of the child. Over time, this function becomes unnecessary and the woman is faced with the task of suppressing it. How to stop lactation of breast milk? The answer to this and other questions can be found in the article.
How does the process of burning milk happen
To understand how to quickly stop milk lactation, you need to consider its physiological mechanism. Breast filling occurs under the influence of two hormones: prolactin and oxytocin. The first hormone stimulates the production of milk, and the second is responsible for its stimulation in the breast.
The more the baby suckles, the higher the lactation. By the same principle, it decreases. With the reduction of breastfeeding, milk production fades. This is due to a decrease in the level of oxytocin and prolactin. As a result, lactation is completely completed.
How long does breast milk burn out?
There is no specific time frame for stopping lactation. Deadlineprocess depends on the woman's physiology. For one mother, the complete completion of lactation occurs within a week, while for another, after 1-2 years, a few drops of milk may come out of the mammary glands.
Painful symptoms and sensations of breast fullness disappear within a week. But a slight secretion of milk during nipple pressing can be present from 2-3 weeks to several years.
Symptoms of burnt breast milk
During a process such as cessation of lactation, a woman should not experience acute pain. If the process of weaning the baby from the breast goes well, she may feel moderate heaviness and mild discomfort for several days.
If the cessation of lactation occurred abruptly, then the woman will feel pronounced symptoms:
- pain in the mammary glands;
- chest seals;
- high body temperature;
- feeling of fullness and heaviness in the chest;
- general disease state.
To avoid the above symptoms, you need to gradually end lactation. This will help to avoid discomfort.
Signs your baby is ready for weaning
With such a task as stopping lactation, one should first of all focus on the overall development of the child. When the baby is ready for weaning, the process is smooth and painless. There are several main signs that indicate a favorable period for stopping breastfeeding. To themfactors include:
- Child is over a year and a half old and has primary milk teeth.
- Baby chews solid food well. The daily diet consists of 3 main meals and a couple of breastfeeds.
- Child can easily be distracted from milk snacks. When the baby actively continues to demand the breast and does not switch to entertainment, then you need to wait a while, and then try again.
- During the day the child receives milk no more than 3-4 times. If the baby is used to falling asleep with the breast, then it is necessary to replace it with a song or a fairy tale. You need to start weaning with evening sleep, then move on to daytime. If the baby is ready for weaning, then in a few days he will get used to falling asleep in a new way.
Based on the above recommendations on how to stop lactation correctly, we can draw conclusions about the child's readiness for a new stage of growing up. If the baby reacts sharply to changes, then there is no need to rush him. Perhaps, after a short time, the baby will mature and be ready.
When should you not wean your baby?
Thinking about how to stop lactation, you need to consider not only the readiness of the baby, but also the absence of adverse factors. These include:
- Early spring. At this time of the year, SARS and influenza viruses are common. During the cessation of breastfeeding, the baby's immunity decreases, and the chances of getting sick increase.
- Summer period. It is also considered unfavorable for cessation of lactation. This is due to an increased risk of catching an intestinal infection, which actively develops under the influence of high temperatures.
- Teething period. At this time, the child's immunity falls, and he becomes susceptible to viruses. And also during this period, the baby most of all needs the moral support that he receives during breastfeeding.
- During a child's illness or shortly after recovery. And you also need to endure weaning if one of the relatives living with the baby has been ill. This is due to the high probability of catching the virus or complicating the course of an existing disease.
- During the changes in the rhythm of the baby's life. Changes may be related to the place of residence or replenishment in the family, or the baby has started going to the nursery, etc. Any changes cause stress for the child, so weaning should be postponed so as not to aggravate his condition.
If there are no negative factors, then you can act. Below are the main ways that are most often used to complete lactation.
Medication method
Doctors often prescribe special pills to stop lactation. To date, they help not only effectively, but also quickly cope with the task. The following drugs are considered the most popular.
Bromocriptine is a sought-after lactation suppressant. But, despite its popularity, the drug causes the greatest number of side effects. It can cause such unpleasant symptoms:
- drowsy;
- dizziness;
- dramatic drop in blood pressure;
- headaches;
- nausea and vomiting
- pain in the epigastric region.
Use of "Bromocriptine" in dosages of more than 10 mg per day may cause more pronounced side effects:
- blurred vision;
- hallucinations;
- calf cramps;
- dry mouth.
"Hinagolid" is a more advanced drug that suppresses lactation. Its effectiveness is 35 times greater than that of Bromocriptine. Also, side effects are much less common. The drug is suitable for those women who are looking for a way to quickly overcome lactation.
"Dostinex" ("Cabergoline") - the most modern drug to suppress lactation. Its benefits are:
- appearance of effect, noted already in the first day;
- minimum side effects;
- Duration of action of the drug is from 7 to 28 days.
The disadvantage of "Dostinex" is its high cost. For this reason, the drug has not gained wide popularity.
Mechanical method
This method consists in tightly bandaging the chest. The mechanical method is considered the most painful and time-consuming. And also its use can lead to blockage of the milk ducts of the mammary gland. As a result, lactostasis may develop. According to the results of the study, it has been provennegative consequences of the mechanical method. It will not help to quickly stop lactating breast milk and avoid various complications.
Natural method
This method helps both to properly stop lactation and avoid stress in the baby. The natural method is considered the least painful and allows you to cope with the task without the use of pills. The timing of lactation suppression can vary significantly - from several days to 3 months.
Principles of the natural method:
- It is necessary to start reducing the number of feedings during the lactation crisis - a state of the body that repeats for 1-3 days every month. It is at this time that hormonal influences become weak.
- Baby being weaned from night feeds. During the day, breastfeeding is reduced, replacing them with complementary foods. The baby is breastfed only when there is a feeling of fullness in the mammary glands, which may be accompanied by mild pain.
- The daily diet should not contain products that stimulate lactation. These include: hot drinks, fennel, dill, soups. Instead of tea, they drink diuretic herbs such as mint, sage. Reduce the consumption of fatty foods: cottage cheese, cod liver, butter, red caviar, etc.
- Clothes should not be very warm, especially in the chest area. Under the influence of high temperatures, milk production is stimulated.
- If there is a strong increase in temperature in the chest area, cold compresses can be applied for 20minutes. Exceeding the specified time can lead to mastitis - inflammation of the mammary glands.
- The stay of the child in the arms of the mother should be limited. Skin-to-skin contact stimulates milk production in the breasts.
- A woman should wear a cotton bra. Properly selected underwear can support the chest well. With a decrease in the mammary glands, the bra is changed to a new, suitable size.
Folk methods
They are suitable for those women who are looking for a way to stop lactation without pills. To do this, you can use decoctions of herbs with a diuretic effect. These include: sage, chicory, bearberry leaves, nettle, horsetail, cranberries and others. Ready-made decoctions will help reduce lactation by removing stagnant fluid from the body.
For the preparation of infusions, you need to take 1 tbsp. a spoonful of any of the listed herbs, place in a thermos or mug, pour 250 ml of boiling water, and then cover with a lid. After 2 hours, the decoction can be consumed. You can drink up to 6 glasses of herbal tea per day. Lactation will gradually begin to fade. You can also purchase ready-made herbs, which are taken strictly according to the instructions.
Compresses
This method will help both quickly and correctly stop lactation and avoid the appearance of mastitis. The following compresses are considered the most popular.
With camphor oil. The compress helps to facilitate the expression of milk. To do this, you need to take a few drops of camphor oil and rub it into the chest with massage movements. Duringprocedures should avoid the area around the nipples. Massage is carried out every 4 hours for 3 days. At the end, you need to wrap your chest with a warm scarf. If there is pain, severe tingling and swelling in the mammary glands, you need to take a paracetamol tablet.
From cabbage leaves. The compress will help both stop the lactation of breast milk and relieve swelling of the breast. For the procedure, you need to take two leaves of cabbage, preferably from the refrigerator - this increases its anti-inflammatory properties. They are rolled out with a rolling pin or softened in the hand so that the juice comes out. The leaves are placed in a bra and kept for at least 1 hour. Cabbage compresses are done 1 time per day until visible improvement.
With ice. The compress is done with a strong burning sensation, pain syndrome and inflammation of the mammary glands. For the procedure, you need to take ice or any product from the freezer, wrap it in a towel and attach it to the disturbing place. A cold compress should be kept for no more than 20 minutes to avoid mastitis.
Sage from lactation
How to stop the lactation of milk in the breast of a woman? Sage can be used on its own or as a supplement.
Benefits:
- The leaves of the plant contain phytoestrogens, which improve the hormonal background of a woman.
- Compresses with sage oil help reduce lactation in a short time. It is used for emergency weaning of a baby.
- Infusions and decoctions from the leaves of grass, contribute to the soft completion of lactation. And also they canuse during feeding, as sage is not capable of harming the baby.
Flaws:
Individual intolerance to sage
Contraindications:
- epilepsy;
- pregnancy;
- severe cough;
- kidney inflammation.
Additional action:
- disinfectant;
- anti-inflammatory;
- expectorant;
- diuretic;
- painkiller;
- reduce sweating;
- carminative;
- astringent;
- improves the functioning of the digestive tract.
Sage is used not only as a remedy in the fight against how to stop milk lactation, but also for the treatment of various diseases.
Uses:
- Infusion. Take 1 teaspoon of sage and pour a glass of boiling water. The remedy is insisted for an hour. The finished infusion is filtered through cheesecloth and taken a quarter cup 20 minutes before meals 4-6 times a day.
- Decoction. Take 200 ml of water and bring to a boil, then pour 1 teaspoon of sage into it. The product is boiled for 10 minutes over high heat. After this time, the broth is covered with a lid and allowed to brew for 20-30 minutes. After the product has cooled, it is filtered and drunk 4 times a day, 1 tablespoon each.
- Tea. A bag of sage is poured into 1 cup of boiling water. A cup of ready-made tea is drunk in 4 doses during the day. You can add honey to improve the taste of the drink.
- Oil. Used externally to reduce inflammationprocesses and elimination of seals in the mammary glands. To prepare compresses, take 25 ml of base oil and add a few drops of sage oil to it. The mixture is impregnated with slightly damp gauze and applied to the chest. The compress is applied several times a day for 30 minutes.
- Alcohol tincture. It is used if a woman is no longer breastfeeding a child. 30-60 drops of tincture are dissolved in 1 glass of water and taken 3-6 times a day.
Regular use of sage and honey tea will help not only to cope with the task of stopping lactation, but also improve bowel function.
Tips:
- It is not recommended to exceed the dosage of sage.
- For a soft cessation of lactation, you need to use sage in the form of decoctions and infusions. As an emergency remedy - alcohol tincture, oil, extract.
- Do not use the herb for more than 3 months.
The use of sage in folk medicine is widespread, including as a means to suppress lactation. Its main advantage is the absence of contraindications and the ability to use in conjunction with breastfeeding a baby.
So, to complete lactation, you must first identify the readiness of the child. The most painless is the natural way to wean the baby from the breast. But if an emergency completion of lactation is required, then medications are used. With proper weaning, milk burns out within a week, and the process itself is almost painless.
