Stopping Breast Milk Production, or, Lactation Frustration

I wrote this post because when my breast milk came in we were desperate to find something to stop it, and there was so little information available. My doctors had very little advice, and they no longer give shots or pills to dry up your milk production.

Below are my reviews of the different things I tried to decrease my milk production. Something must have worked because my physical discomfort was minor.

Take a pain reliever: You will get some when you leave the hospital.
Verdict: Do it. This is easy and effective.

Binding: In the hospital I was told binding my breasts might help. They gave me a garment to assist me in this process, a pink and blue tube top, but it was so large it barely stayed up and did not provide any pressure. One size does not fit all. At home I used a tight ice pack, and when I wasn’t icing I wore a tight bra with either a sports bra or tank top.
Verdict: Easy to do and almost compulsory when you are icing anyway.

Sage tea: totally gross, like drinking your Thanksgiving stuffing. However, it is easy to access, as sage is a rather common spice, and all you need is a tea ball or strainer to make it. Just fill your tea ball about half way, or put a few spoonfuls in a pot, cover it with boiling water and let it steep a few minutes until it is nice and green.
Verdict: It will taste terrible, but maybe it helps and it didn’t have any unpleasant side effects that I noticed. I would do it again.

Cabbage leaves: the instructions were to freeze cabbage leaves and then apply them directly to your breasts. Allegedly something in the cabbage assists in stopping the milk production. I was also advised to eat cabbage, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. The frozen leaves felt nice for maybe one minute, which was as long as they stayed frozen and cool. After that they got warm and smelly. Soon, I smelled like cooked cabbage. Then I could not escape that awful smell. When I took off the leaves and threw them away, the whole room that the trash can was in smelled like cabbage. I swear that I can still smell it on the sports bra I was wearing then, even though I have washed it many times since.
Verdict: This is a bad remedy if you are going to be hanging out with anyone else, or if you dislike the smell of cooked cabbage. I have no idea if it helped and would not do it again because the possible benefits do not outweigh the discomfort.

Ice: My mom and mother-in-law went to the drugstore to find some ice-packs for me. They ended up picking out two reusable packs meant for lower back pain that came with a cloth holder and strap. They worked pretty well because I could secure them in place with the strap, and if I did it tightly enough then it had the double effect of icing and binding all in one. The strap was not terribly comfortable, but I was able to sleep in it, which allowed me stay iced almost constantly. I found that the pack generally lasted long enough to refreeze the second pack. Another good alternative to the holder and strap was stuffing the icepack in a tank-top with a shelf bra to hold it in place.
The hospital recommended using bags of frozen peas because they conform well to the shape of your breast, but I did not explore this option, and am glad I didn’t because the only thing worse than smelling like cooked cabbage would be smelling like cooked cabbage and peas.
The downside of the ice is that you look funny having a big icepack sticking off your chest, and you have to do this for a quite a few days, but at least you don’t smell. You should ice as much as possible, but if you have to go out, as I did for Leah’s funeral, you can take a short break.
Verdict: Fairly easy and only marginally uncomfortable, also, I think this is what helped the most.

Avoiding Hot Water: This is only hard to do when you are taking a shower. I stood with my back to the water as much as possible. Obviously you have to get wet to get clean, but just try and avoid letting the water hit you square in the chest.
Verdict: This is really important. The one time that I leaked a lot was just after a shower.

Having breast milk come in is very traumatizing, as it serves as a constant, painful, physical reminder of your loss. It feels like your body is rubbing salt in your wound. I was not prepared for how difficult this aspect of pregnancy loss would be for me, because I don't think it is something you can understand before you experience it. I thought that after the pain of giving birth, having my breast milk come in would be comparatively easy. However even though it was technically physically less painful, I found it to be much more emotionally distressing.