Cabbage Leaf Compress for Lactation Support

Research suggests that applying cold cabbage leaves to the breasts may offer some relief from breast pain associated with postpartum engorgement, though the evidence is notably mixed and inconclusive overall. The available body of literature includes two Cochrane systematic reviews, a 2023 meta-analysis, and several additional reviews drawing on randomized controlled trials, with most sources finding that cabbage leaves show hints of benefit for pain reduction but no strong evidence that they meaningfully resolve engorgement itself or outperform no treatment at all. Studies indicate that the intervention is generally considered inexpensive and low-risk, but the trials underpinning these findings have consistently been criticized for small sample sizes, methodological weaknesses, and variability in study design, making firm conclusions difficult to draw. Readers should be aware that researchers across multiple reviews have called for higher-quality studies before any confident recommendations can be made about this practice.