How to Relieve Breast Pain and Swelling With Cabbage Leaves
Learn the step-by-step processing for using cabbage leaves to relieve pain and swelling due to breast engorgement, weaning, or drying up milk your supply.Medically reviewed by Rebecca Agi, MS, IBCLCMedically reviewed by Rebecca Agi, MS, IBCLCIt's no secret that breast engorgement, an over supply of breast milk, or weaning a baby from breastfeeding can cause discomfort. Many chestfeeding and breastfeeding people—and researchers—believe that placing cold cabbage leaves on the breasts can reduce the pain and inflammation that may occur during the breastfeeding process.Researchers say cabbage leaves contain anti-irritant and antibiotic properties, which may help relieve tissue congestion, improve blood flow, help with drainage, and relieve engorgement. Read on to learn how to use cabbage leaves for breast engorgement and weaning.
Parents / JR Bee
How to Use Cabbage Leaves on BreastsFollow these steps for using cabbage leaves to relieve the discomfort of full breasts while weaning or engorgement at any time while breastfeeding:Refrigerate: Place a head of cabbage in the refrigerator—you'll want to make sure it's cold. You can use either green or red cabbage, but red cabbage is more likely to leave stains or discoloration behind.Take what you need: Once the head of cabbage is chilled, remove it from the refrigerator. Peel off the outer layer of leaves and either use them for cooking or throw them in the compost bin. Then, pull off two of the inner leaves and place the head of cabbage back into the refrigerator so it will be ready the next time you need it.Clean the leaves: In the sink, use cold water to rinse off the two leaves you just removed. You want to be sure that they are clean and free from dirt, pesticides, and residue.Dry them: Remove excess water from the leaves by gently patting them dry with a clean towel.Cut the stem: After you rinse the leaves, carefully cut out the stem from the center of each leaf without cutting it into two pieces. You want to keep it as one piece with a slit down the middle. Once you remove the stem and cut the slit, the leaves will be able to fit nicely over your breasts without covering your nipple.Place on your breasts: Next, place the clean, cold cabbage leaves on your breasts. Wrap each leaf around each breast, but leave your nipples exposed. By keeping the cabbage off of your nipples, the surrounding skin will stay dry and intact.Hold the cabbage leaves in place: You can do this the same way you would hold a cold compress. Or, you can wear a nursing bra to keep the leaves in place for you. If you're worried about leaking, put a clean, dry breast pad over your nipple on top of the cabbage leaf to soak up the breast milk.Leave them on: You can leave the cabbage leaves on your breasts for approximately 20 minutes or until they become warm. Then, remove them from your breasts.When you are done, discard the wilted leaves and use fresh ones the next time. You can repeat this process until you begin to feel some relief.Precautions for Using Cabbage LeavesIf you are still breastfeeding or pumping for your child and just want to use cabbage leaves to help decrease breast swelling, be careful not to overdo it. While the use of cold compresses or cold cabbage leaves does help to lessen breast swelling and engorgement, it can also lower your milk supply. If you continue to use cold cabbage leaves on your breasts after you relieve the swelling and engorgement, it's possible to end up with a greater decrease in your breast milk supply than you were expecting.If you're weaning your baby or you want to dry up your breast milk and stop lactating altogether, you don't have to worry about the cabbage leaves treatment causing a low breast milk supply. You can continue to use the cabbage leaves on your breasts for as long as they are helpful.If you have a sulfa allergy, a ingredient which appears some antibiotics and eyedrops, and is naturally occurring in kale and cabbage, you should avoid using this remedy entirely, as it could result in hives or a rash.
Related: The Best Breastfeeding Books to Help You Through Every Nursing Challenge
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