What to do if the milk is suppressed

Breast health during lactation is very important. The nutrients needed for the child's physical development mainly come from breast milk, and the breasts of lactating mothers are quite sensitive. There are many things that need to be paid attention to. It is also easy to squeeze or press the breasts, which not only causes pain but also affects the child's feeding. So, what should you do if the milk is suppressed? Let’s take a look below.

If the mother feels pain in the nipple when the baby is sucking, or pain when the breast is touched, then 99% of the time the mammary gland outlet is blocked. The mother should not be careless and should check whether there are small white spots on the nipple or whether there are lumps in the breast. If so, it is milk compression, which is mostly caused by incorrect feeding method or too much milk.

Once the milk is compressed, let the baby suck more on the compressed breast. The mother should be patient and let the baby suck more. You can also use a hot towel to apply heat to the hard area (pay attention to the temperature to avoid burning the skin).

The quick way is to wash your hands and breasts, and then use your hand to slowly stroke along the base of the breast towards the nipple where there is a lump (pay attention to the strength), stroke a few times, then squeeze the nipple to squeeze out the milk. Repeat this operation for a while, and you will find that a transparent liquid flows out of the blocked white spot. If you continue, you will find that the exposed area of ​​the white spot is also larger than before.

Now use a cotton swab to push the white spot outwards (you can apply some erythromycin ointment) until the white spot comes out completely. (Some people use a needle to prick it, but I don’t recommend it to prevent infection), and the mammary gland will be unblocked. At this time, squeeze out all the suppressed milk and the lump will disappear.

Although the mammary duct is unblocked, it may not be completely unblocked. In the next three days, you should pay attention to the breast that has been squeezed for milk, let the baby eat more, and squeeze out any remaining milk immediately to prevent milk squeezing again.

If milk compression is severe and a high fever occurs, please seek medical attention immediately without delay.