How long does it take for breast milk to dry up?

Question

I had my son a month ago and never breast fed. I was scratching my nipple yesterday and noticed milk was coming out a lilttle then I squeezed my nipple and milk was coming out. I thought my milk would be dried up by now. I wonder if this is why my nipples itch.

Answer 1

Your nipples itch because they're telling you that your baby needs that breast milk! =]

They are 'itching' to feed your baby! =]

Give that baby the breast milk you've been blessed with! =]

Answer 2

It varies per person. It could be a month or several months. The more you stimulate them, the longer they take to dry up.

Answer 3

It really DOES depend on how old your child is, how much stimulation your nipples are getting, your diet and even your genes!

It usually takes a few day to a couple of weeks to get through the engorgement stage once you have a baby, but after that - even though you aren't necessarily engorged any longer - you'll still be able to produce milk and even express some manually (like you said you've done).

A lot of women are able to start milk production again after months of being 'dry' too -- and some do it with no outside help and only their desire to start breastfeeding their babies! The maternal body is really a piece of art in itself.. =)

But if its really bothering you, you could try the cabbage remedy to dry your milk. Its a really easy, very old natural way to dry you up within a week or so at most..

All you have to do is get yourself a tight bra (pre-pregnancy size.. it has to be tight enough to keep your b*****s squeezed and bound) -- and some cabbage.

Place a cabbage leaf inside your bra and change it whenever it starts to whither and turn brown, or every 2 hours (whichever comes first). And repeat this for a few days until you see no signs of itching, engorgement or fever/heat/pain in your b*****s.

If your b*****s get fever, its alright to take a Tylenol for the fever and discomfort -- but other than that, its recommended that you wait it out for a few days until you see relief.

I hope I helped a bit! Good luck and congrats on your new son! <3

Answer 4

You know, I breastfed my son for the first 5 months. He is now 1.5 years old and I can STILL squeeze out drops of milk. Very annoying.

Answer 5

honey, idk the answer to your ? but my dd is bottlefed and at eleven weeks i still have milk; i think if i were able to breastfeed i could easily relactate at this point and feed twins....and NO we don't stimulate them in a hot shower, my hub knows better, wearing a bra tight enough to cut me in half,etc....so i am really beginning to wonder myself...LOL, if i had been able to breastfeed,  i don't think she would have starved, LOL

mark's wifee and others....the question did not ask anything regarding should she breastfeed...do you realize how much you irritate ppl when you take every opportunity to throw in your view on breastfeeding? believe me, those of us that have been reading on her more than one or two days have a pretty good idea what you think....FACT IS, not every one CAN or WANTS to breastfeed, and that IS and should remain their choice...why is it so  important for you guys to be so overbearing all of the time when you get the slightest chance??? if you can't answer the ? asked, just keep trucking, believe me, everyone will be happier.....and as i said, some of us CAN NOT breastfeed and i imagine their are some women who are rather sensitive about the subject because they really wanted too....so why rub it in their face at every turn? do you really think that if a doctor tells you that you absolutely CAN NOT breastfeed for a legitimate medical reason, that you know better than the doctor? or that someone who can't breastfeed, just shouldn't have children? or should just let them starve if they can't find themselves a wet nurse? come on, live your life and let every one else live theirs; believe me, most of my generation, and quite a few others were primarily bottle fed, and we all turned out just fine....i am healthy, happy, educated-one college degree when i got out of high school, working on a double major now in computer science (programming) and mathematics; i have always been intelligent, earned college credits while in high school, always in the most 'advanced' classes in school (including grade school, at my school they started in the 3rd grade and so did i), was always picked on in nursing theory classes as the only one who 'could sleep through lecture and still make an A on the test'--and i worked 2nd shift and weekends all the way through school and was going full-time, hence the sleeping in class :O; i am picking up my curriculum very quickly now after being out of school for quite a few years compared to a lot of younguns who were probably breastfed; so do u really think i suffered? or would i have been the next einstein if my mom had breast fed me? sorry to all the others at fluffing my own feathers, but i am just fed up with this better than thou attitude some ppl have on here....sheeeshhhhh *eyes rolled back so far i don't know if i will ever be able to see again*

and i might also add i have four siblings that are probably smarter than i am and they were all bottle fed too *gasp*

Answer 6

It's different for everyone, my mom said that she could still squeeze some out years after she breast fed me and she  was only able to for 6 weeks cause I was a difficult one haha.  Maybe try pumping and giving it to him in a bottle, if it's there you might as well use it!  And it is free!!