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feel like heavy rocks and you are very uncomfortable. Your mother or grandmother may tell you to"bind"your breasts, a practice that was common many years ago. However, binding your breasts is no longer encouraged as this could aid in the development of mastitis. You need to wear a supportive bra but make sure it is not too tight. Place pads in your bra to absorb any leakage and change frequently. You may also want to wear shirts that will not show wet spots if the leakage breaks through.

Another tip from long ago was to cut back on your fluids. You should always drink to thirst and not restrict your fluid intake. What you should restrict, however, is your salt intake as salt causes the body to retain fluids which will add to your engorgement. Some professionals recommend taking 200 mg of vitamin B6 daily for at least 5 days to help reduce the engorgement.

Anne Smith,IBCLC, recommends sage tea to help dry up your milk. She gives the following advice, "Sage tea contains a natural form of estrogen and can decrease your supply and help dry up your milk. You can buy it at the health food store, or use the spice from your kitchen. Take 1 tsp of rubbed sage with 1 cup of hot water and let it steep for about 15 minutes. You will want to add some milk or honey to it as it is very bitter. 3-4 ml every 6 hours usually dries up the milk quickly and goes down a little faster than the tea. The tincture is more readily absorbed in the mucous membranes, so it is somewhat more efficient at decreasing your milk supply."

Expressing some of the milk to relieve the discomfort is advisable. Be careful to express only enough milk to soften your breasts a little. A warm bath or shower is a good place to do this. Go as long as you can between expressing the milk. It usually takes 2-3 weeks for the majority of your milk to dry up, depending on how much of a supply you had built up prior to weaning. Do not be alarmed if you still occasionally have some minimal leakage for several weeks, even a few months, this is normal.

Weaning your baby from your breast is an emotional time for both mothers and babies. If you follow the above tips the physical aspects of stopping will be much easier to deal with. If you have any problems or concerns, be sure to ask your healthcare provider or a lactation consultant.

Learn more about this author, Valerie Johnson.
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