How to deal with breast engorgement How to deal with breast engorgement

Breast engorgement, also known as milk swelling, is a reaction that many mothers experience during the lactation period after giving birth. Milk swelling can easily lead to swelling and pain in the breasts, and it is also very difficult to feed the baby correctly, which makes many mothers very troubled. If milk swelling lasts too long, it can easily cause the mother to have a fever, which needs to be dealt with in time. You can use a hot towel for heat compress, or a breast pump for assistance.

What to do if breast engorgement occurs?

If the milk is swollen, you need to suck it out in time and apply hot compress.

What is breast enlargement

Many breastfeeding mothers will encounter the problem of milk engorgement, especially when they first start to produce milk after delivery and after the breastfeeding period, their breasts will become hot, swollen and painful. Although it looks moister and smoother than usual at first glance, the whole area is swollen and painful, which is very painful. And no matter how hard the mother tries, it is difficult for the baby to latch on to the mother's breast, causing great trouble to both the mother and the baby.

Causes of breast engorgement

1. Increased blood and water

The term "milk engorgement", as the name suggests, means that the breasts swell due to excess blood and water. After a mother gives birth, the level of prolactin in the mother's body will increase significantly to stimulate the body to produce milk, so tissues such as the mammary glands will begin to swell. Generally, the blood and water content are the highest three or four days after delivery.

2. Too long intervals between feedings

If the mother does not express her milk in time after the baby is born, or if there are too many gaps between feedings, it can also cause breast engorgement.

3. Too much milk

Sometimes, even though the mother has breastfed in time, her breasts still become engorged. This is caused by excessive milk secretion from the mother herself. Excessive milk secretion accumulates in the breasts, making it difficult for the baby to drink it all at once, causing the breasts to become hard and swollen. Some mothers may switch to formula feeding because it is too painful, but this will only aggravate the discomfort of breast engorgement.

Symptoms of breast engorgement

1. Breast pain: When there is too much milk in the mother's breasts, the breasts will swell and feel more or less painful. Especially starting from the third day after giving birth, severe discomfort will occur. To solve this problem, you have to express the milk as quickly as possible.

2. Inverted breasts: Some new mothers may also experience inverted nipples.

3. Low fever: Some new mothers may experience chest pain and low fever at the same time.

4. Lymph nodes: New mothers may also have lymph nodes in their armpits.

What to do if your breasts swell

1. Early breastfeeding

A relatively simple preventive measure is for mothers to breastfeed their babies early. The best time to breastfeed is within 30 minutes after giving birth. At this time, the mother's body has more milk, and it can effectively prevent milk engorgement. At the same time, you should pay attention to the number and order of feedings. It is generally recommended to feed every two to three hours. If you have too much milk, you can use a breast pump to express it. This will relieve the milk engorgement after a day or two.

2. Hot compress

Using a hot towel to apply a hot compress to the breasts can also effectively prevent milk engorgement and relieve the milk accumulation in the mammary glands. It should be noted that the areola and nipple should be excluded from the hot compress area to avoid burns. At the same time, the temperature of the towel should be moderate, not too hot or too cold.

3. Massage

Massage should be followed by heat. It is usually recommended that mothers use both hands to support one breast at the same time, massage from the bottom to the nipple area, and then squeeze the secreted milk into a container.

4. Hot Bath

Sometimes if a mother feels breast pain, she can relieve the pain by massaging while taking a hot bath.

How to deal with breast engorgement

1. Breastfeed frequently during the day and night. Strong, efficient sucking by the baby is the most effective way to remove milk from the breast. Newborns must feed at least 8 to 12 times a day in 24 hours. During the period of milk swelling, feed the baby every one and a half to two hours during the day and every two to three hours at night.

2. Apply a soft towel dipped in cold water to the breasts, or use a cold water bag for cold compresses, which can help reduce breast congestion and relieve swelling and pain. Before breastfeeding, you can apply a hot, wet towel to your breasts for a few minutes, and then gently massage and pat them to soften the breasts and areola and reduce the feeling of milk swelling.

3. If you have milk engorgement, you can relieve the discomfort by soaking your breasts in warm water. First, prepare a basin of warm water and place it on your knees, then bend your upper body to your knees so that your breasts can be soaked in the basin. At this time, you can also gently shake your breasts, using gravity to make the milk flow out more easily.

4. During breastfeeding, the food eaten by pregnant mothers contains too much fat and protein, which causes the breast milk to become viscous and causes milk engorgement. Therefore, if you have breast engorgement after childbirth, it is best not to eat greasy supplements and drink less soup to help reduce milk secretion and stop milk production faster.