What Do I Do To Stop My Breastmilk Flowing?

Hello Ma’am; I really don’t need you to put this up as a post because I believe you must have passed through this stage in d past as an experienced mum; hence I need you to advise me.
My baby is over one
year already hence I’ve started weaning her which I don’t have a problem with but the problem lies in the fact that milk hasn’t ceased from flowing in my breast and am scared it could get engorged; please what do I do?  But if you feel like putting it up u can still go ahead; thanks a bunch!


*Pls permit me put this up so that other new mothers can also learn from the tips you get.
REPLY:

HOW TO STOP BREAST MILK FLOW AFTER WEANING THE BABY:

Dear poster, even though other experienced mums have comments for you below. I would also share my personal tips to help your breast milk stop flowing. It’s different for different women. For me, three days after weaning my babies, the breast milk flow starts reducing drastically.

Initially it’s very painful sometimes even causing fever. What I do is endure because expressing the milk will create space for more let down and with more milk being produced in that factory, it will take long for it to dry up. Enduring the pain helps.

However, sometimes the pain gets worse and I go express just a little to help relax a bit. After three days, it begins to just heal and dry up on its own until breast returns to normal no-milk-zone.

For some mums, it takes long for the milk to dry up. Even after the pain ceases, they still see little drops of milk when force is applied on the breast. If there is no pain then just give it time to naturally dry up but, if you are worried, go to a hospital and see a Doctor for medical advice ok?

Read our post on: I want to wean my baby but don’t know which solid foods to start from.

27 thoughts on “What Do I Do To Stop My Breastmilk Flowing?”

  1. Poster, when did you begin the weaning process? The milk doesn't stop flowing at once as if you turned off a tap. It's a gradual process. The breasts get engorged and very painful to touch at first, then after 3-4 days, it starts to go down and the pain goes away. After that, the milk gradually dries up and stops flowing. How long it takes varies across individuals. I know someone who still had milk in her breasts 9 months after commencing the weaning process.

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  2. @ poster God bless u for dis post.i"m actually trying to stop breastfeeding my baby but na war,infact right nw as I"m wrting dis we re battling wit d issue(d boy can suck for africa).pls experienced mums help us out,hw do I stop dis milk from flowing and him from sucking especially @ night.tanx

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  3. When you want to wean your baby,you have to undergo some processes which is 1)you have to make up your mind & shut ur ears to d baby's cry for breastmilk,2)you have to get a disposable breast pad to enable soak up the breast milk cos once its full & its nt been sucked out it starts to gush out on its own(for pple like me),3)you DON'T have to touch or try to squeeze out any breatmilk maybe to ease the pains cos it can be very painful and even give fever,once u keep pressing out,more keeps flowing so drying up easily won't be possible,so you jst leave it and it dries up after 3 or 4days.4)you have to be on some form of pain reliever. As for your baby crying @ nite for breastmilk,if he/she sleeps by ur side obviously he will be expecting some TLC from your breast,so u either take him to sleep with someone or he sleeps by your hubby's side so once he wakes up and doesn't see you he gets to know you are serious! And finally you just have to make up your mind.its nt easy but weaning gives them the opportunity to want to explore other foods!

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  4. D weaning process started 4days ago and truly my greatest fear has bn d engorgment since d milk aint going out dt much bt I do mk use of breast pump once in a yl
    @silent reader; Grandma is my saving grace oh; had to stylishly tie her down cuz we jst celebrated d baby's birthday ovr d last wkend if nt I would av seen hell; sure ma baby sucks pass ur own sef till she clocked dt one night suckg was non-negotiable with her.
    POSTER

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  5. You know me and old School tingz. I try to avoid taking medications except pain relievers cos it can be very painful. What I do is just let them be. They get full and then begin to go down when there is no sucking. Avoid squeezing the milk out cos expressing will surely lead to another let down. If you must express to relieve pain, a little is OK so you don't encourage a let down.

    Don't worry, it will go. I know some women take drugs to let it dry up fast. I will put it up for more experienced advice, Let me also warn you that every comment may not be what you want to see but just pick the good comments from other mothers and dispose the ones that you feel can't take, hahaha.
    Good morning sis.

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  6. Good day,

    I have been reading for a while, this is the first time am commenting. I started weaning my son when he was about nine months, I stopped breastfeeding during the day, only at night. He caught on and never demanded during the day, but once we reached home, he sucks till the next morning. When I was finally ready to get him of the breast milk finally, he was one year one month, he was already eating solids and other food comfortably, he was only using the breast milk as dessert (lol). I sent him to my sister's house for 3 days, and during that time, my breasts got engorged at night, the times he demanded for it. I used pain reliever and ensured I had lots of breast pad, when the pain was much I used hot water to press. By the third day, the pain had subsided, and when he came home, I ensured I did not cave in, even though he still slept beside me. When he woke, I gave him water and some beverage and that was how he was weaned. But the milk still came out till about five months after, before it finally dried up.

    Different people have different experiences, but please I advise that you do not use any thing to try and stop it, it may affect your milk production for your next baby.

    Reply
  7. Get a very tight bra, wear it morning and night. It will hold up the breast and minimise milk let-down, the less milk that comes out the faster the dry-up. The very tight bra also helps with the pain. Do this for 3-4days. It worked when I weaned my first born

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  8. Hello poster and silent reader,the ladies have given very good tips already but like a few already said the milk might take a few days to months to stop flowing.

    If u cannot bear the pain plz take pain killers to ease the pain but whatever you plz don't give in to bfeeding your baby.

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  9. I usually go cold turkey when I want to stop breastfeeding. Not advisable because it is very very painful.

    Then I use cabbage to stop the pain. Get the cabbage and carefully peel it such that the petal is not torn. Cover your breasts completely with the petals (use as many as you need). The petals are actually shaped like bra cups so it is perfectly snug. Then wear your bra. This stops the flow of breast milk within a few hours (for me) and the pain and swelling stops.

    Very fresh cabbage works best for this. Tear off the soft outer petals and use the slightly thick ones inside.

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  10. Go and see your doctor there is an injection they give you that stops it. My older cousin was like a tap and she had to be given an injection with all her three babies to stop the milk after a year. Don't know the name if I find out from her today will post it her but it is only given at the hospital by your doctor please do not go to any random pharmacist abeg

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  11. I just weaned my baby two weeks ago, she's my 1st child I av no experience. It was hard bcos my baby does not take any food except breast milk and she was over 1 year old. I had to turn deaf ears to her cries, she even had fever due to much crying. But i was determined, i didn't use any method I just stop giving her. She's ok now and eats very well. My breast milk stop flowing after 3 days and I took pain reliever tablets for the pain, tho it still drips atimes now but i know it will eventually stop.

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  12. Mrs Pea thanks for the tip. For new mothers she has said it all. Dt's how i weaned my baby gal too bt i was lucky cos i sent her down to my mum and that helped me a lot.

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  13. Na wao! Must everytin abt women be pain! If not menstrual cramp coupled with heavy and painful breast its ovulation pains, child birth and now child weaning process!! I dread pain o

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  14. @poster, whenever u bath(make it a hot shower), express ur breast a little, ds wud help reduce d pain n also d engorgement. Cut off breastfeedin no mata wat, n replace wit water or beverage of choice especially at nite. Wear tight bras as some1 suggested n pain reliever if d pain is too much to bear.
    Weanin is a gradual process.

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  15. Am so scared now..the thought of d pain when breast feeding starts, or d thought of d pain of weaning a baby is scary….God keep blessing my mother 4 me o..hian.

    Am thinkin of startin a family, buh as it is…am postponing it till next year…

    @hubby….sorry o

    BeBe

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  16. My wife and I have been going through this challenging issue with the hope that a natural remedy may surface at last but our hopes seem to be far reaching. What happened was that, we lost our baby ( first child), when he was just two months. This is getting to the sixth month after the unfortunate incidence, but her breast milk still flows with any little pressure on the breast. My wife's breast also feel lumpy unusually. We need some advice please.

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  17. Am so scared cos have stopped breastfeeding for close to 2years but with any little pressure on my breast the milk comes out pls what can I do? And I do not want to take medicine cos am scared of side effect

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  18. I stopped breastfeeding my baby on Monday. This is the 3rd day and my breats still hurt so much! I've been taking painkiller but it's not helping so much.how long will this continue

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  19. Hello mums, my baby is a year and six months now and he stopped sucking breast since 10months and ever since then my right breast is still flowing and d left breast is no longer flowing. Wat do I do pls.

    Reply

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