How to relieve chest pain after childbirth

Many pregnant women will find that their chests hurt from time to time after giving birth. In fact, this is a normal phenomenon. After giving birth, as milk is secreted, the breasts will accumulate milk, which will cause chest pains from time to time. In the early stage, it is a symptom of colostrum. With excessive milk secretion, the patient will also experience breast engorgement and chest pains from time to time. At this time, the patient should breastfeed the child as soon as possible, so that the breasts can be emptied in time and the symptoms of breast engorgement will be alleviated. So how to relieve the chest pains from time to time after giving birth?

In addition to breastfeeding on demand, the following methods can help you relieve the trouble caused by breast engorgement:

1. Wear a bra with good support and do not take it off when sleeping at night. But make sure the bra fits well and is not too tight.

2. Feed your baby more often, every 2 to 3 hours, even if you need to wake your baby up. Let your baby eat from both breasts each time.

3. If your areola (the dark part around the nipple) is too hard, it will be difficult for your baby to hold the nipple. To reduce damage to the nipple and help your baby latch on, you can first express milk by hand or use a breast pump to extract some milk until the areola begins to soften. It may be easier to express milk while in the shower because the hot water itself tends to soften the areola. Of course, this process takes some time, you need to be patient and keep trying.

4. Mothers with too much milk should avoid frequent milk expression or pumping. Because emptying the breasts is equivalent to telling the breasts that the baby needs this much milk, the breasts will continue to secrete more milk than the baby needs. When the bloating is too uncomfortable, you can occasionally use a breast pump to suck out the excess milk, or express the milk by hand until the bloating is no longer uncomfortable.

5. Some mothers find that gently massaging the breasts while the baby is feeding can be helpful. This will encourage smoother flow of milk and help relieve breast tightness and discomfort.

6. Although there is no theoretical support, some mothers recommend applying an ice pack for a short while after breastfeeding. Crushed ice in a plastic bag should work too. However, some mothers feel that hot compress is more comfortable.

7. Some mothers find that applying fresh cabbage leaves to the breasts is helpful, but there is no theoretical basis for this. The cabbage leaves may have a cooling effect, but they do not help the milk to be expelled from the body in a timely and effective manner, which is the real cause of breast engorgement.

8. If you feel severe pain, you can take some mild painkillers, such as acetaminophen.

9. Look forward: You will quickly get through this stage, establish breastfeeding habits that suit you and your baby, and fully enjoy this pleasant breastfeeding time with your baby.

Many women will find that they secrete too much milk when breastfeeding, and the baby cannot finish the milk, so their breasts will be swollen every day. At this time, the patient can use a breast pump to empty the breasts, the milk accumulation will be reduced, and the symptoms of breast engorgement will improve. When the patient experiences breast engorgement, psychological counseling must be provided to avoid anxiety, which can easily lead to postpartum depression. When intermittent chest pain occurs, the milk must be drained in a timely manner.