I mentioned in Breastfeeding The Final Chapter, that I smelled of Chinese stir-fry due to the cabbage leaves under my three sports bras and ACE bandage. This has caused a bit of confusion for some of my childless and/or boobless readers.
Here’s the dealio, there is some sort of enzyme in the actual cabbage leaf that helps when you are engorged with milk. It works when your milk first comes in (but you are supposed to use them SPARINGLY if ‘n you plan to breastfeed, so it doesn’t effect your milk supply) and it works especially well when you have had enough and decide it’s time to wean, whenever that may be. Not only is the enzyme helpful in easing your pain, but if you keep your cabbage in the refrigerator, the leaves are cold and just HAPPEN to be shaped the right way to fit in your brassiere.
Helpful hint: If you are especially blessed in this area, you might tell your husband to get the BIGGEST HEAD OF CABBAGE he can find so you don’t have to put small bite size pieces of cabbage all over yourself, but can just use one large leaf per boob…if not, you will end up with what is essentially coleslaw in your bra and then you have the joy of retrieving small dried up pieces of cabbage from all over your house because they fell out the bottom of your bra.
Not that I know, I’m just saying…it seems perfectly logical that that COULD happen to someone. If say, their husband bought a head of cabbage the size of a brussel sprout.
LOL.. good info there! I didn't breastfeed with Hunter.. But I might do so with our second (whenever that might be).. congrats on the column.. You are doing an awesome job! I know the fam is very proud
I know this is an older post but…I just found your blog. I used cabbage leafs and drank a glass of beer to bring my milk in. Something about the yeast in the beer. Booth helpful hints from my Grandma. It worked (4X). I do recall smelling like Chinese food for the first week or so atfer milk came in.
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