When you breastfeed regularly, your body establishes a continuous cycle of breast milk production. If for some reason you decided to stop breastfeeding you’ll notice that your breasts will still produce milk for a certain period of time even if your baby is no longer breastfeeding. You will even notice that your milk leaks when you hear your baby cry. This is completely normal and the leaking will stop as your supply dries up and milk production ceases.
Avoid Wearing Restrictive Bras
In an effort to suppress lactation, many women in the past did binding. Binding is when women bound their breasts with bandages or brassieres in an attempt to stop milk production. Recent medical studies no longer support or recommend binding since doing so may make the breasts vulnerable to infection and swelling. Should you decide to stop breastfeeding, wear supportive bras and not bras that would restrict your breasts.
Go for Dark Clothing and Use Breast Pads
Wear dark tops if you’re worried about leaks and make sure you wear a bamboo breast pad in your bra.
Don’t Dehydrate Yourself
Though dehydration may help in stopping milk production, it will also affects your entire health and well-being. Make sure you drink lots of water and that you go for foods that are filled with vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 helps relieve engorgement during the first week after you stop nursing.
Don’t Fear Hot Showers
When you shower, your breasts are likely to leak milk. Many women think that leaking milk enhances milk production- this is not true. Breastfeeding enhances milk production and not hot showers. If your breasts are engorged, hot showers can certainly relieve the pressure and pain you are experiencing.
Gradually Stop Breastfeeding
Instead of quitting right awat, you may want to do it gradually. If you usually breastfeed every 4 hours, you may want to add one more hour to it. If you usually express 8 ounces of milk, try to cut it down to 5 or 6. By gradually reducing the breastmilk you express, you avoid some of the symptoms associated with lactation suppression.