Slowing or Stopping Your Milk Supply

If your breastfeeding/pumping experience is nearing or is passed, but you are still producing milk there are ways to help your breasts and brain chemistry get with the program. 

My training experience as a Certified Breastfeeding Educator through Birth Arts International taught me the theories behind these techniques but real life experience as a breastfeeding parent and 3x exclusive pumper has shown me how they can all help making the process of ending your milk production faster, less painful, and decrease your risk for plugged ducts or mastitis.

Do not try these techniques without talking to your care provider in conjunction with a lactation consultant first. Some of them can interact with other medications or are risk for people with certain conditions. 

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How Does Your Milk Start and Stop? 

Your body begins making colostrum during pregnancy, but supply-and-demand milk production does not begin at this point because high levels of Progesterone (a hormone very important to pregnancy) keep the production at bay. Many women leak or can hand express small amounts of colostrum later in pregnancy! 




Not long after your baby is born your body has one more thing to deliver-the placenta. This organ helped your baby get the nutrients it needed to grow and develop inside of you and once it is delivered, it triggers a sudden change in your hormone flow. Your progesterone drastically drops and this allows the prolactin to take over.



The hormone Prolactin rises and this causes lactation to begin. Somewhere around 30 hours after the placenta is born production switches from being a mainly hormonal event to one that is more local to the breasts. 




At this point milk production becomes supply and demand. Emptying the breast will trigger the production of more. Prolactin still needs to be present for milk production to happen, but it and other hormones like oxytocin play less of a role.



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So to stop milk entirely not only does the demand for your breasts to make more milk, and lower your prolactin levels to very low or non-existent. Everything listed below (except one, but you will see that later) are activities that can slow or stop your milk supply so discuss them with your provider and lactation consultant to make sure using them aligns with your goals! 

Things to Help Slow or Stop Your Milk

Slow down the demand & reduce stimulation to your breasts/nipples
Since your milk production is mostly based on how much milk is removed from the breast, demanding less milk out of the breast will slow production. If you slow or stop too suddenly though, you can have unpleasant symptoms like engorgement and sudden hormone shifts. It can also increase your risk for plugged ducts and mastitis. 

You may experience a letdown as you are weaning from stimulation on your nipples or breasts or nipples. Warm water, sexual stimulation, or clothing brushing against them may cause excess stimulation. To avoid these: when showering try to not let the water stream hit the breasts, ask your partner to avoid your breasts during sexual activity, wear comfortable clothing that fits snug, but not too tightly.

* Fun fact: even if you are making drops of milk or none at all you may still feel a letdown sensation from time to time. 

​I DO NOT recommend binding or tight bras. Weaning can cause engorgement, which is not only a buildup of milk but also your breast tissue swelling. Putting pressure on these can compress the tissue but it does not make the milk go away. Milk is made based on a hormonal supply and demand system, not because of how tight your clothes are. The pressure can cause plugged ducts which are not only painful but they can lead to mastitis. There are plenty of other methods of slowing milk that are safe and do not increase your risk of infection.

Hand Expression/Pumping/Hot Showers
You read that right. Hand expression and/or pumping are actually really important during the weaning process if you are experiencing uncomfortable engorgement. Removing just enough milk to be comfortable will not significantly slow down the process of drying up your milk, will help you feel more at east, and will help prevent plugged ducts/infection. This can also be accomplished with a hot shower because heat relaxes the muscles and will help your milk flow some.  Try to not let hot water hit your breasts too often though since it can encourage letdown. ​

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Cabbage leaves    yep.
Chilled cabbage leaves not only help ease engorgement but also can help slow milk supply. Experts are not really sure why, but they help!  ​

Remove and discard the first few outer leaves because they can be quite dirty. Refrigerate the cabbage whole, and remove individual leaves to use, rinse if necessary and pat dry. 

Apply directly to the breast until they are warm, repeat. 

Hormonal Birth Control
Milk production is partially controlled along with supply and demand. Changing your body’s production of these hormones can slow your milk production. 

Decongestants 
These medications can lower your milk supply because they shrink certain tissues in the sinuses. Breast tissue shares similar tissue to the sinuses and is impacted by these medications as well.  Talk to your provider or a lactation consultant about dosage. 

Peppermint, Menthol, Parsley, and Sage
These three herbs help dry up milk by slowing milk production in a variety of ways.  You usually need to consume more than you typically would in your diet for any effect though, so the occasional enjoyment of these should be fine if you are not trying to lower your milk supply (if it does, then avoid it).  There are several types of teas you can try, and herbal supplements with the guidance of your provider and lactation consultant working together. ​​

Tell me about it. What methods have you used to slow or end your milk supply?  How well did it work?