Does nipple massage promote uterine contractions?

Does nipple massage promote uterine contractions?

Nipple massage can promote uterine contractions. Therefore, women must be careful during pregnancy and never massage their breasts casually. If uterine contractions are caused, it will lead to miscarriage or premature birth. Women also need to pay more attention to rest during pregnancy, try to enrich their diet, eat more foods high in protein, avoid spicy and irritating foods, and proper exercise will help with production.

How to stimulate nipples to induce uterine contractions

Breast massage is actually very simple and pregnant women can do it at home. First, take a towel and soak it in warm water at 28℃-30℃. Then, apply a wet towel and massage both breasts alternately with your hands. Or you can use your index and middle fingers to hold the breasts, and gently rub the nipples and areolas with the tip of your thumb. You can also use your fingers to gently pull the nipples on both sides while pressing the areolas. When massaging the breasts, it is best to alternate between the two sides, 15-20 minutes on each side, 2-3 times a day, each time for a total of about 1 hour. In addition, a professional massaging bra or electric breast pump can achieve similar effects. When using an electric breast pump for massage, be sure to maintain the negative pressure at 20 mmHg, and alternate suction every 15 minutes or so. The stimulation intensity of a massage bra should be adjusted according to the individual differences of pregnant women, and should be used under the supervision of a doctor if necessary.

After massaging the breasts, if the abdomen becomes bulging and hard or there is intermittent abdominal pain, it means that the massage is effective and you should continue the massage, otherwise it may lead to a decrease in oxytocin secretion. If the contractions are too strong when you first start massaging, you can pause and wait until the contractions ease before continuing. Generally, they will gradually return to normal after repeating this several times. In addition, some pregnant women are not sensitive to breast massage, especially those who are obese or have inverted nipples, and it may take a long time to be effective.

Tips for nipple massage

1. If your abdomen becomes hard or you experience intermittent abdominal pain after massaging your breasts, it means the massage is effective. At this time, do not stop, continue massaging. Because once the massage stops, the secretion of oxytocin will decrease, and it will be particularly difficult to stimulate uterine contractions by massaging the breasts again.

2. When you first start breast massage, you may experience strong uterine contractions. This is a sign of sensitive uterine contractions. You should stop the massage and wait until the contractions ease before continuing. Generally, after repeating it several times, things will gradually return to normal.

3. For those who are not sensitive to breast massage, it will take a long time to see results and you need to be patient.

4. For obese women or those with inverted nipples, the massage effect is poor and they need to persist for a longer time.

5. Pregnant women who have not yet reached their due date should not perform the above massage to avoid premature birth.