What to do if your breasts are swollen and painful during lactation

The lactation period is a special period. It is a very happy thing for new mothers to feed their children with their own milk at this time, because there is nothing better than breast milk for the baby at this time. The mother feels satisfied when she sees the baby eating milk with a satisfied look on his face. However, if breast pain occurs at this time, mothers should be anxious. Today let’s talk about what to do if you have breast pain during breastfeeding.

Common breast problems during lactation include:

1. Nipple cracking:

Cause: Failure to properly care for breasts during pregnancy; failure to master correct breastfeeding techniques.

Treatment: Clean and care for the breasts. Apply lanolin after each feeding to keep the nipples soft and smooth. Correct the baby's sucking posture to avoid repeated nipple cracks caused by incorrect sucking. Wear loose cotton underwear and bras and continue breastfeeding. If the pain of nipple cracks affects breastfeeding, you can use a breast pump and a special nipple shield.

2. Breast pain:

Reason 1: Milk stasis

Treatment: Wear a comfortable bra, apply hot compress on the affected side for 3-5 minutes before breastfeeding, massage the breast to clear the lumps, increase the number of feedings, express milk correctly and use a breast pump.

Reason 2: Mastitis

Treatment: Use a breast pump as early as possible. If there is no breast abscess, the expressed milk can continue to be fed. If a breast abscess occurs, the expressed milk should be discarded. You should see a doctor and receive anti-inflammatory treatment under the doctor's guidance.

3. Nipple illusion:

Cause: Within one month after the baby is born, if the mother's milk production is low or the mother and baby are separated for various reasons, such as feeding the baby with milk from a bottle, the baby may no longer be willing to suck the mother's nipple.

Treatment: Maintain confidence in breastfeeding and do not give up breastfeeding easily; make full use of the breast pump to help mothers promote milk secretion in various difficult situations; use auxiliary feeding devices and special feeding cups, and try to avoid using bottles.

The above provides a detailed introduction on what to do and how to deal with breast pain during lactation. From this, we can know that breast problems during lactation are quite common, so mothers do not need to worry too much, as long as they do a good job of prevention. However, if similar problems occur, you can also solve them yourself as mentioned above. Of course, if the problem is serious, you should still see a doctor.