10 Best Home Remedies To Decrease Breast Milk

While some mothers experience low secretion of breast milk while others face excess secretion of breast milk, a condition which is medically known as hyperlactation. In this condition, the body tends to produce more breast milk than required resulting in leakages and spraying, causing a lot of embarrassment and discomfort as well.

Apart from the breasts feeling full, which might lead to a case of mastitis, where a woman suffers a sense of feeling overfull all the time. Moreover, there could be pain each time the mother feeds the baby. While feeding the baby from one breast, the other one may start leaking milk involuntarily, with the helpless mother having not control over the situation. However, there are several effective home remedies to decrease breast milk and plug the leak.

Causes & Symptoms

Causes: Presence of lot of alveoli or milk-producing glands, voluntarily pumping to increase the flow.
Symptoms: Excess outflow of milk, leakages from the other breast simultaneously, inability to stop the flow of milk.

10 Best Home Remedies To Decrease Breast Milk

Hyperlactation or excess milk flow is a problem that is embarrassing and can cause a lot of discomfort as well. The mother will be unable to mingle freely in society for fear of wetting her clothes while feeding the baby. There are several easy and effective home remedies to decrease breast milk, and here are the 10 best:

10. Green Gram Paste Poultice

Take a handful of green gram and soak it in water overnight.
Grind the soaked green gram into a fine paste. Apply the green gram paste on both the breasts. Allow it to sit for a couple of hours.
Wash with mild soap and dab dry. Continue the process until results show.

Applying green gram paste on the breasts helps reduce the production of milk and helps the hyper lactating mothers by reducing the flow enough to feed the baby only. Excess production of breast milk is blocked by the action of green gram paste, which acts as a poultice. Green gram is one of the best home remedies to decrease breast milk.

Applying green gram paste on the breast does not cause any side effects. However, the mothers need to ensure that the wash their breasts thoroughly before feeding the baby in order to prevent any infection. Applying green gram paste may cause a bit of discomfort.

9. Lentil and Ghee (clarified butter) Poultice

Take a handful of lentils (50g) and soak in water overnight.
Grind the lentils into a fine paste. Mix the paste with 2 teaspoons of ghee.
Apply the mixture as a poultice on both breasts. Allow it to sit for a few hours.
Wash with mild soap and dab dry. Continue the process as long as required.

Lentil poultice mixed in pure ghee (clarified butter) has the power to stem the flow of milk that is produced in the breasts. This remedy has been recommended in folk medicine and has been in practice for ages. Lentil and ghee poultice is one of the best home remedies for decreasing breast milk.

Applying lentil and ghee paste does not have any side effects. Ensure that the breast area is cleaned thoroughly before the baby can be fed next. Applying lentil and ghee may cause a lot of discomfort.

8. Sage Leaf Tea

Boil 1 teaspoon of dried sage leaf powder with 1 glass of water.
Steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink the Sage tea.
Continue the process for as long as required.

Sage (Salvia officinalis) leaf has been used as folk medicine for centuries. It is a culinary herb that has been part of the cooking of several cultures across the world. Sage is a diuretic and stimulant with excellent anti-inflammatory properties as well as antimicrobial and antioxidant qualities. Sage tea helps control the secretion of the mammary glands and reduce the quantity of milk produced. Sage leaf tea is one of the best natural remedies that answers the question how to decrease breast milk?

Sage does not cause any side effects when the recommended dose is taken for a short period. Prolonged use and exceeding the dosage is dangerous as it can cause damage to the liver and the central nervous system.

7. Jasmine Flowers

Take a bunch of fresh Jasmine flowers. Put the flowers in a soft cloth.
Tie the cloth against your breasts (with flowers touching breasts)
Let it sit for 2 to 3 hours. Repeat the process for a couple of weeks

Jasmine flowers have the power to decrease the milk produced by the mammary glands and filling up the breasts. This remedy has been used in folk medicine for ages and has been recommended by old women who have experience in handling such cases. While the exact scientific reason is not known, what is evident is that the remedy is very effective. Jasmine flowers make one of the best home remedies for decreasing breast milk.

Jasmine flowers do not have any adverse side effects when they come in contact with the skin of a lactating mother.

6. Coconut

Grate one-half of the coconut. Roast the grated coconut over a gentle flame.
Put the roasted coconut in a thin cloth. Place the cloth against the breasts.
Let it sit for a couple of hours. Continue the process for as long as required.

When the grated coconut is roasted mildly and placed against the breasts, it inhibits the production of milk and reduces the output. This is another fold remedy that has been handed down through generations and is very effective as a remedy for decreasing the quantity of breast milk secreted by the mammary glands. Coconut is one of the best home remedies to decrease breast milk.

Coconut does not have any adverse effect when it comes in contact with the skin or any body part.

5. Cabbage Leaves

Take 2 fresh cabbage leaves (large). Wash the leaves and dab them dry.
Place a leaf against each breast. Fix it in place using a soft cloth.
Let it sit for a couple of hours. Remove leaf and wash with mild soap.
Continue the process for as long as required.

Green cabbage leaves need to be tied topically on each breast to inhibit the secretion of milk by the mammary glands. This is also an ancient folk remedy that has been suggest by old grannies and has been passed down through generations. The remedy is quite harmless and effective as well. Cabbage leaves make one of the best home remedies to decrease breast milk.

Tying up cabbage leaves topically against the breasts does not cause any adverse side effects. It is only the mild discomfort that the lactating mothers need to put up with.

4. Parsley

Take a bunch of fresh Parsley. Make salad and eat daily.
Parsley can also be consumed as juice. Steam cook the parsley and run it through a mixer-grinder. Boil the cooked parsley and add a pinch of black pepper to make soup.
Drink the soup daily for a couple of weeks.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) can be consumed as salads, or made into juice or can be used to make delicious soup. Consuming parsley regularly inhibits the production of Prolactin and Oxytocin, which are responsible for increasing the secretion of milk by the mammary glands. Parsley is one of the best home remedies to decrease breast milk.

While Parsley does not cause major side effects when used for a short term, it should not be used on long-term basis as it can lead to anemia, kidney and liver problems.

3. Peppermint Essential Oil

Mix 1 teaspoon of Peppermint essential oil with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.
Apply this mixture topically on both breasts. Let it sit for a couple of hours.
Wash with mild soap and dab dry. Continue the process for as long as required.

Peppermint essential oil is very useful in inhibiting the secretion of milk by the mammary glands as it stems the production of the important hormonal juices that are responsible for milk production. Ensure that the Peppermint essential oil is diluted with any skin-friendly carrier oil like coconut oil as it can harm the skin if used in undiluted form. Peppermint essential oil is one of the best home remedies for decreasing breast milk.

Using Peppermint oil topically on breasts does not cause any side effects. However, the oil should be diluted using a carrier oil like coconut oil. Moreover, ensure that the area is washed with a mild soap to remove all traces of oil before feeding the baby.

2. Oregano Poultice

Crush a bunch of fresh Oregano leaves to make a paste.
Apply the paste evenly on both breasts. Let it sit for a couple of hours.
Wash with mild soap. Repeat the process for a couple of weeks.

Oregano leaves have the power to inhibit the production of milk by the mammary glands. The oil found in Oregano restricts the hormonal activity and prevents the production of Prolactin and Oxytocin which play a major role in the secretion of milk that accumulates in the breasts. Oregano leaves make one of the best home remedies to decrease breast milk.

Oregano leaf paste does not cause any adverse side effect when applied topically. However, the area needs to be washed thoroughly afterwards as the smell can be very strong and could affect the baby while feeding.

1. Geranium Leaves

Grind a bunch of fresh geranium leaves into a fine paste.
Apply the paste topically on both breasts. Let it sit for a few hours.
Wash with mild soap and dab dry. Continue the process for as long as required.

Geranium leaves are used to extract scent, which is used in the cosmetics and perfumery industry. Geranium has a strong and pleasant smell and the leaves also have medicinal properties. When a poultice is made and applied topically on the breasts it inhibits the production of milk. Geranium is one of the best home remedies to decrease breast milk.

Geranium poultice does not have any adverse effect. However, as the smell of geranium is very strong, washing thoroughly afterwards is important lest it affects the baby.