How to reduce swelling of the areola

If the areola is edematous, it generally needs to be treated in time. However, during treatment, it is necessary to understand the cause of the areola edema. The cause of areola edema may be simple edema, local inflammation, or edema caused by feeding the child. Simple edema can be treated with hot compresses, while simple edema does not require ice compresses. However, if you cannot solve the problem yourself, you need to go to the hospital for treatment in time.

What to do if you have nipple edema during breastfeeding

(l) When breastfeeding, you should start with the breast that is less painful to reduce the sucking force on the other breast, and let the nipple and part of the areola be sucked in the baby's mouth to prevent the nipple skin from becoming more chapped.

(2) Alternate the position of the baby during breastfeeding so that the sucking force is dispersed around the nipple and areola.

3) Breastfeed frequently to facilitate milk emptying and soften the areola, which is easier for the baby to suck.

(4) After breastfeeding, squeeze out a small amount of breast milk and apply it on the nipples and areola. Expose and dry the nipples briefly, preferably near a window in the sun. Because breast milk has antibacterial effects and is rich in protein, it is beneficial to the healing of nipple skin. After breastfeeding, you can also apply a thin layer of water-based lanolin on the nipples. It is harmless to the baby and does not need to be wiped off before breastfeeding.

(5) After breastfeeding, wear loose underwear and bras, and put the nipple shield in the right place to facilitate air circulation and healing of skin lesions.

6) If the nipple pain is severe or the breasts are swollen and the baby cannot suck the nipple well, breastfeeding can be temporarily stopped for 24 hours, but the milk should be expressed and fed to the baby with a small cup or spoon.

What to do if breasts swell during lactation?

1. Let the newborn suck more

Postpartum mothers should try to let their babies suck on the nipples under permitted conditions. This is the best way to deal with breast engorgement. Babies have strong sucking abilities and their little mouths are particularly powerful, so this helps unclog the mother's milk ducts and allow milk to be discharged as quickly as possible. The correct feeding posture is also very important. When breastfeeding, you can squeeze out some milk first, which will help the baby to hold the nipple accurately. Let your baby suck on the same spot twice to relieve breast engorgement. Generally speaking, babies should be fed 8-12 times a day.

2. Use a breast pump

After delivery, it may be due to certain reasons, such as the baby is not around and cannot suck the nipple. Therefore, using a breast pump is a very convenient and clever trick to extract some milk to relieve the discomfort caused by breast swelling. This way the lumps will dissipate very quickly. Some mothers believe that with the help of a breast pump, the milk will flow out uncontrollably or gradually decrease. There is no need to worry about this point of view, it is a wrong point of view.

3. Massage your breasts regularly

The mother should first check whether the breasts are retracted. If there is filling, it must be pulled out. Then use your left and right hands to massage alternately; check for lumps. If there are any, it is recommended to massage from top to bottom repeatedly to make the area unblocked and the lumps removed; you can also gently squeeze both sides of the breasts alternately with your hands until you feel a sense of relief.

4. Cold compress with towel

Do not use hot compress. If there are lumps in the mother's breast, it means that the mother is already in a state of edema. At this time, hot compress will aggravate the edema and it will be difficult to discharge milk. So be sure to apply cold compress. If there is no swelling, hot compress is recommended. Cold compress is not ice compress, and the water temperature does not need to be too low, room temperature water is enough, and it will not have any adverse effects on the mother. Cold compress method: Wet a towel with room temperature water and apply it to the milk knot area. This should be the easiest way.