Breast dressing is one of the ways to stop lactation, which is used by women who want to transfer the baby to artificial feeding. But this method is rather unsafe. If you don’t know how to dress the chest and what conditions to take into account and follow the rules, you can seriously harm your health.
An incorrectly performed procedure causes not only pain. Destructive changes in the tissues of the pectoral muscle can begin, as well as inflammatory and stagnant phenomena in the mammary gland itself, and this is fraught with the appearance of mastitis or lactostasis. So is it necessary to dress the chest?
Gradual transition to artificial feeding
Urgent weaning of the baby from the breast is necessary when a woman has inflammatory diseases of the mammary glands (the same mastitis, for example), herpes rashes in the nipple, neoplasms, etc. But then the doctor prescribes a way to stop lactation. Modern medicines can interrupt milk production after taking just one pill.
If there is no urgent indication, this method is better not to use - a sharp abolition of breastfeeding will negatively affect the psyche of the child and his health in general. Natural and safe is gradual weaning.
WHO recommends starting a meal replacement at 2 years of age, reducing the number of breast-feedings by one every day (first daytime, then nightly). By this age, the sucking reflex is extinguished in the baby, and the weaning process takes place naturally. No additional measures are required, only the remaining milk must be carefully expressed. Moms who have already produced a little of it, can transfer to another nutrition an already one-year-old child. Absolutely no harm to him.
And if you still need to dress the chest? Preparation
Whatever the reason why the woman chose such an unsafe method (for example, to pay off a large output or because of the poor quality of milk), she should know how to properly bind the breast. It is advisable to start changing the baby's nutrition to artificial mixtures a month before the first procedure.
On the day of the dressing, you need to limit the intake of fluid so that it does not stimulate the secretion of milk. Salting should be discarded: they retain water in the body. To reduce the likelihood of discomfort and pain, it is better to wear a bra without pits and natural materials between dressings.
For the procedure itself you will need elastic bandages. They can be replaced with any piece of long and dense matter. A sheet or towel will work. In addition, you need to buy camphor oil in a pharmacy.
How to bandage the chest
Before the procedure, it is necessary to express milk or feed it to the child. The chest should be empty. This will create the necessary conditions for a full outflow of blood and reduce the risk of stagnation. But to feed the baby after each dressing is not worth it. Stimulation of the nipples will provoke the production of milk.
A bandage of an elastic bandage soaked in camphor oil rewinds the entire chest. It should fit snugly to the skin, exerting light pressure, but without leaving marks from a bandage or hematomas. It is unlikely to succeed on its own, so it is better to ask for the help of a loved one, after explaining to him how to dress the chest. Bandages should cover the entire surface of the body from the armpits to the lower ribs. For convenience, the knot is left on the back.
The first dressing is removed after 6 hours. But if there is a lot of milk and the chest began to put strong pressure on it, you can remove it earlier. Having fed the child, it should be imposed again. And so on until the secretion of milk is significantly reduced. It usually takes 1-2 weeks.
Additional ways to reduce lactation
We looked at how to dress a breast to reduce milk production. This method can be effectively supplemented. Compresses are made with camphor alcohol. They improve blood circulation and help to avoid the development of mastitis. But camphor should not be in contact with the nipples, so slots should be made in the material. The compress solution itself is heated in a water bath and allowed to cool in warm water.
Another effective method is sports. Excretion of fluid from the body, along with sweat, will contribute to the rapid cessation of lactation. Water treatments will also help. The temperature in the bath should not exceed 37 ° C. For greater efficiency, you can add eucalyptus or peppermint oil to the water, only 5-7 drops.
If during tugs with bandages (or after) there is pain or some unusual and disturbing changes in the tissues, think about whether to bind the chest further. Be sure to consult a doctor.
A bit about drugs
As already noted, pharmacy products to stop lactation give a very quick result, which does not always positively affect the health of the mother and child. The action of such drugs is due to the effect on the hormones oxytocin and prolactin, responsible for the production of milk.
The doctor, depending on the general condition of the patient, prescribes Dostinex, Bromocriptine, Parlodel or others. All of them have a number of contraindications and side effects (dizziness, cramps, nausea, etc.). But if you choose between methods such as dressing the breast or taking hormonal pills, the doctor will still recommend the latter. After the timely cancellation of their intake, all side effects disappear.
Folk remedies
Reduces lactation of sage. It contains phytoestrogens that suppress the action of prolactin. It does not cause such serious complications as breast ligation or taking hormonal pills. Yes, and it’s convenient to use: ready-made tea is sold in the pharmacy, which you just need to pour boiling water and drink in the recommended doses. Sage can be replaced with white cinquefoil or jasmine.
Also, cabbage leaves, previously mashed with a rolling pin, are applied to the chest. They are removed only after all the juices are absorbed into the body. After consulting with a doctor, you can drink a week-long course of diuretic folk remedies (parsley, lingonberry, horsetail).
