How many days does it take for milk to stop flowing?

Pregnant women begin the lactation period after giving birth. Breast milk provides a high-nutrition source for the baby's growth, but babies grow up one day. When the baby changes from an infant to a toddler, which is what we commonly call the weaning stage, readers who are mothers will experience breast engorgement. After the milk engorgement, the milk will stop flowing, which means that the baby will completely say goodbye to breast milk.

Weaning should be gradual. The production of milk is the result of the combined action of prolactin and the lactation reflex. The baby's sucking stimulates the nerve endings of the nipple and transmits the stimulation information to the anterior pituitary gland, causing it to secrete prolactin. During the weaning process, the baby sucks less time and frequency, and the secretion of prolactin also decreases. This is a natural process. Therefore, the key to weaning is to reduce stimulation to the breast nipples. In addition to reducing sucking, avoid letting the baby touch the breasts; appropriately control the amount of water intake in the diet; when the breasts are swollen and uncomfortable, you can squeeze out a small amount of milk, but you should not over-squeeze to avoid stimulation and excessive milk secretion; you can also use ice packs to cool the breasts to reduce discomfort; in addition, you can also use some medications to stop milk production under the guidance of a doctor.

Weaning is a gradual process, and few mothers can successfully stop weaning in a short period of time. The methods of weaning mainly include natural weaning and artificial weaning. Natural weaning is the best method, which mainly involves reducing the number and duration of breastfeeding to stop the breasts from producing milk. Artificial weaning includes dietary adjustment and taking weaning medicine. Mothers whose breasts are engorged during weaning can also wean with the help of a lactation consultant. Generally speaking, artificial weaning is relatively quick, but natural weaning is a safer method.

How to recover milk after weaning

1. Mothers should gradually reduce the number of breastfeeding times from 3 times a day to 2 times or 1 time. Excess milk should not be accumulated in the breasts. It should be squeezed out until the breasts are soft and there is no swelling or pain.

2. In terms of diet, the mother's diet should be light and not greasy. She should drink less water and soup, especially milk-producing foods such as chicken soup and fish soup. She can eat more leeks, hawthorn, etc.

3. After weaning, you should wear a well-fitting or slightly tight bra. This can not only inhibit the secretion of milk, but also relieve breast pain.

4. For drug treatment, you can drink the water boiled with roasted malt (50 grams of decoction, 3 times a day), or apply Glauber's salt externally (wrap it in a small cloth bag and apply it on the breast, avoiding the nipple and areola), or take vitamin B6, ethinyl stilbestrol, bromocriptine and other drugs, but you must take them as prescribed by the doctor.

5. If symptoms such as breast lumps, local skin redness, and fever appear during weaning, you should seek medical attention promptly.

6. After successful weaning, mothers are advised to engage in appropriate physical exercise and do more chest expansion exercises to help the breasts regain elasticity more quickly.