Drying Up Breast Milk: Options and When to Seek Help

Breastfeeding is wonderful and an amazing bonding experience to share with your little baby, but let’s be honest - it isn’t for everyone. Breastfeeding is hard, confusing, time-consuming, isolating, and at times, painful! No matter if you’ve breastfed for a day, a week, or over a year - or not at all - you may be wondering how to dry up your milk supply quickly and as painlessly as possible. 

Once your milk fully comes in, it may be painful to dry up your supply if you don’t want to continue breastfeeding. You will probably become engorged - when your breasts become uncomfortably overfull of milk. They will become tender, swollen, and firm. This engorgement will eventually stop as your milk supply diminishes. 

Make a gradual plan for reducing milk supply

When you decide to stop breastfeeding, a gradual approach gives you and your baby time to adjust. The NHS recommends dropping one feed at a time and waiting until you are comfortable with the new pattern before reducing another. Stopping suddenly can contribute to uncomfortable fullness and mastitis.

Your baby's replacement feeding plan matters too. Ask a healthcare professional for advice that fits your baby's age and needs, especially if you need to stop quickly for a medical reason.

Get support if stopping is painful or complicated

Speak with a qualified lactation professional or clinician about breast discomfort, problems reducing feeds or a need to stop sooner. Do not start a medicine or herbal product to reduce milk supply based only on an online tip. Check its suitability with your clinician or pharmacist.

A plan that works for another parent may not be right for you. You deserve practical support without pressure to follow a fixed timetable.

As you go through the process of drying up your milk, there are a few things you’ll want to watch out for. 

1. Engorgement. 

Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid engorgement when you stop breastfeeding. Engorgement can be extremely painful and uncomfortable. However, resist the urge to pump to relieve the pressure. Because breastfeeding is mainly supply-and-demand, pumping will stimulate your body to continue to produce milk. If you absolutely need to, pump for a short session or hand expresses some milk. 

2. Plugged ducts.

If your breasts are very full of stopping breastfeeding, one of the ducts that carry milk to your nipple may become clogged. Your breast may become red or feel warm to the touch. With gentle massage and warm compresses, you may be able to fix the plugged duct on your own.

3. Mastitis. 

If the plugged duct doesn’t clear, milk may be forced into the breast tissue, causing inflammation. You may get an infection, called mastitis, that feels very similar to the flu. Common symptoms of mastitis are red, swollen breasts; sharp pain during breastfeeding or pumping; a high fever; and chills. Call your doctor right away so you can get a prescription for antibiotics to help get rid of the infection. Mastitis can come on very quickly, so be sure to pay attention to your symptoms. 

Drying up your milk can be an uncomfortable process, but know that it won’t last forever! Following our tips and tricks that other breastfeeding mamas have tried can help make the process a little easier!