Kathy said,
*************************
 
I came up with similar results when I tried to research this. So I  don't 
understand all the precautions that are given to mothers in re cabbage  use. 
I have been toying with the idea of asking willing engorged mothers to  
encase one breast in cabbage and leave the other one free. My assumption is that 
 if there is something in cabbage that works, it is on the local level, not 
 systemic. I would then ask them to report back to me if they notice a 
difference  between the two breasts. I realize that this is NOT a scientific 
study, just a  way to try to tease away at this....It seems to me that some 
moms like the  feeling of cabbage and if it feels good and is relatively 
harmless or even  mildly effective then they should be able to use it without 
being  frightened.
********************************
 
If someone would replicate the  1988 case study that Wendy Rosier presented 
in Breastfeeding Review (November),  instead of putting cabbage on the 
breast for inadequate periods of time and then  stating it doesn't work, perhaps 
we'd get somewhere.  Wendy used the  cabbage on the breast until it wilted, 
changing it if necessary, pumping and  breastfeeding as needed.  Used it at 
least 2 hours on, 2 hours off.   Cabbage will never trump the pump (or 
breastfeeding), though in my personal  experience it has been effective in 
drying up milk when no breast stimulation is  forthcoming.  
 
The studies that were done  where cabbage was applied 20 minutes 4 times a 
day (Nikodem & ???) and 30  minutes 3 times a day (Arora) didn't even begin 
to try and replicate what Wendy  had done.  In fact, Nikodem didn't even 
cite Rosier in her study, despite  the fact it was done 5 years after Rosier's. 
 
 
Sort of like giving someone an  aspirin of 81 mg to a person suffering from 
a severe headache and then  announcing that aspirin doesn't work for 
headaches.  No, if you don't use  the appropriate dosage!!!
 
Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC,  FILCA -- Queen of Cabbage by virtue of 
defending that particular vegetable in  court.

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