Breastfeeding

Question: I just had a baby and I'm not breastfeeding -- will my breasts dry up on their own?

Answer: If you let nature take its course, in a week to ten days, your breasts will typically dry up and feel like they did before pregnancy. Most women find they are most uncomfortable when their milk comes in — around day three after delivery. There are some measures you can take, though, to ease the discomfort caused by engorgement and hurry the process along.
• Wear a snug-fitting bra to "bind" your breasts.
• Avoid nipple stimulation, which encourages your breasts to produce milk.
• Don't pump, even to relieve engorgement — it encourages milk production.
• Apply cold compresses to your breasts a couple of times a day.
• Place a large, fresh, slightly crushed green cabbage leaf inside each of your bra cups, changing the leaves when they wilt, until your breasts are soft again (it may take 48 hours or so). No one knows for sure why cabbage leaves are so soothing. Some lactation experts speculate that there's an anti-inflammatory agent in cabbage that helps ease pain and reduce swelling.
• Drink two to three cups of sage tea each day (sage discourages milk production).
• Take a mild pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, as needed.