When it comes to stoppage of breast milk production, natural weaning is the ideal way as it happens gradually. It also gives both the mother and the baby adequate time to emotionally, as well as physically, adjust to the change.
But sometimes, lactating mothers may be compelled to opt for sudden weaning due to certain reasons such as a medical condition, or in case of a tragic loss of their baby. Sudden weaning can lead to emotional and physical anguish in lactating moms like increased risk of developing mastitis, blocked ducts, along with a deep sense of loss and sadness.
Therefore, it may become necessary to come up with strategies to quickly and effectively stop breast milk production.
Suppression of lactation may become a consideration for nursing moms due to following reasons:
You may not want to nurse your baby due to personal reasons. But, breastmilk is still being produced and getting accumulated. This can become a source of pain and discomfort.
As the baby grows, you may wish to introduce the baby to formula food or solid foods. This will reduce the baby’s consumption of breast milk. As a result, breast milk may get accumulated and can cause considerable physical distress to the mother.
Sometimes you may develop certain medical conditions like mastitis (breast infection) or blocked ducts which can make breastfeeding a painful task. Certain treatments like chemotherapy may also leave mothers with no choice but to stop breastfeeding.
At times, breasts continue to discharge milk even after the baby has shifted from breast milk to formula or baby food. In such instances, you may choose to suppress lactation and avoid the resulting discomfort.
In some rare cases, your baby may be intolerant to lactose. This means that the baby is not able to digest the lactose present in your breastmilk and can suffer from stomach issues like bloating, diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea. You may then decide to discontinue breastfeeding and suppress lactation.
In the tragic case of loss of a baby after birth, during infancy, or in the case that the mother has put up her baby for adoption, she may go in for breast milk suppression.
Some of the ways to stop breast milk are listed below:
Generally, it takes not more than a few weeks for breast milk to dry up. In some cases, it may take longer. The experience can vary slightly from person to person depending on factors like the age of the baby when he was weaned off, the amount of milk produced, how much milk is expressed, and nipple stimulation. But for most women, the worst is usually over within a few days.
Mastitis is a form of breast infection which causes the breast tissue to inflame and become painful. When breasts become full, it may happen that a duct gets blocked due to which milk doesn’t clear up, and some part of it may enter the nearby tissue causing inflammation. The breast becomes sore, and the skin may turn red as well. The affected mom may experience flu-like symptoms such as aches and trembling. Some of the ways to treat blocked ducts and mastitis can be:
If nothing is working and your breasts are still painful and sore, you may like to consider pumping out all your breast milk with the help of an electric breast pump. You can have a detailed discussion with your doctor before taking a decision.
Sometimes a mother has to stop breastfeeding due to some medical treatment like chemotherapy. In such a situation, the baby can still be provided with breastmilk if the mother so desires. In some tragic cases where a nursing mom loses her baby, she can offer her breast milk to help other babies. There are certain milk banks and non-profit organizations like Human Milk 4 Human Babies Global Network that supports breast milk donation and aim at sharing human milk on mom to mom basis. This can be a healing experience for nursing moms as they struggle to cope up with the loss of their baby or the feeling of guilt and sadness.
Notwithstanding your reason, it is important to prepare yourself emotionally for the advent of lactation suppression. Hormone levels are likely to fluctuate considerably as milk production will reduce. Mood swings can set in. Therefore, a good support system becomes crucial to maintain your psychological and physiological well-being.