Before you use cabbage leaves for engorged breasts, you want them to be cold. So, place a head of cabbage in the refrigerator. You can use green or red cabbage, but red cabbage is more likely to leave stains or discoloration behind on your nursing bra and breastfeeding clothing.
Once the head of cabbage is chilled, remove it from the refrigerator. Peel off the outer layer of leaves, and throw them away. Then, pull off two of the inner leaves and place the head of cabbage back into the refrigerator, so it will be ready the next time you need it.
Next, place the clean, cold cabbage leaves on your breasts. Wrap each leaf around each breast, but leave your nipples exposed. By keeping the cabbage off of your nipples, the skin around your nipples will stay dry and intact
Hold the cabbage leaves in place on your breasts the same way you would hold a cold compress. Or, you can wear a bra to keep the leaves in place for you. If you're worried about leaking, put a clean, dry breast pad over your nipple on top of the cabbage leaf to soak up the breast milk.
You can leave the cabbage leaves on your breasts for approximately 20 minutes or until they become warm. Then, remove them from your breasts.