Lactation consultants frequently suggest compresses made from cabbage leaves to reduce swelling in moderate to severe engorgement. References to cabbage compresses for swelling and engorgement date back to the early 1800's. Cabbage compresses have been used to reduce the swelling in sprains and broken bones.
Research data is sparse but published studies and anecdotal reports seem to support its value in reducing breast engorgement.
The common green cabbage (Brassica capitata) is used for engorgement therapy. Cabbage is known to contain sinigrin (allylisothiocyanate) rapine, mustard oil, magnesium, oxylate and sulphur heterosides. Herbalists believe that cabbage has both antibiotic and anti irritant properties. (Lawrence and Lawrence 257-258)
It is theorized that this natural mixture of ingredients from "Mother Nature's Kitchen" helps decrease tissue congestion by dilating (opening) local capillaries (small blood vessels) which improves the blood flow in and out of the area and allowing the body to reabsorb the trapped fluid in the breasts. In many cases, science is finding that recipes for cures from "Mother Nature's Kitchen" can't be duplicated in the laboratory. I believe that this is the reason why gel made from cabbage leaf extract has not been shown to be effective in treating engorgement (Roberts, Reiter and Schuster 1998). The use of cabbage leaves alone have not been shown to be effective in treating engorgement unless combined with other measures such as getting the baby to the breast and/or pumping.
Medical providers and lactation consultants often see trapped fluid throughout the mother's body after a baby is born in her face, hands, lower legs, and feet (especially if mother is diabetic, has lots of I.V. fluids and/or an epidural in labor). Lactation consultants are reporting a peculiar type of swelling in the breasts in some women who have an epidural in labor that makes the areola so swollen that it cannot be compressed for adequate latch on by the baby. The only logical conclusion that can be drawn from this anecdotal evidence is: if the rest of the body visibly swells with extra fluid so do the breasts. However, we have no current research to validate this conclusion.
No adverse effects from using cabbage compresses have been reported.
Cabbage compresses should always be used with other engorgement treatment routines.
CABBAGE IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ALLERGIC TO SULFA OR CABBAGE.
In addition, cabbage compresses should not be used if the skin is broken (i.e., cracked, bleeding or blistered nipples etc...). If the skin is broken, you can place the cabbage around the breast without covering the irritated skin.
Currently, I believe because more people then ever before are using cabbage leaves for treatment of engorgement, lactation consultants are gaining more clinical experience using them. Initial isolated reports of cabbage leaves completely drying up a mother's milk were wrong and perhaps a bit over cautious. We know that milk will continue to be made as long as milk is removed from the breast. That is why it is critical that cabbage leaf compresses be used along with other engorgement measures. I have found old references regarding the use of cabbage leaves for all types of swelling not related to the breast. I am convinced that the cabbage leaves themselves work only on the trapped fluid around the lactating tissue and not the milk volume in the ducts.
Joan Fisher is a lactation consultant in Canada.
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Copyright Marie Davis RN, IBCLC 1999 ![]()
Revised: