How should breastfeeding mothers take care of breast health? Experts give advice

Proper breast care after childbirth can make the mother's milk flow smoothly and ensure that the secreted milk is enough for the baby. At the same time, it can make the mother's breasts healthier and avoid various breast diseases caused by milk blockage.

(1) Keep your breasts clean

During breastfeeding, you must pay attention to keeping your breasts clean, especially after sweating. You should wipe your breasts, nipples and areola with warm water in time to ensure that your breasts are clean and dry. After each feeding, it is best for mothers to wipe their breasts with warm water to keep them clean, which is helpful to prevent gastrointestinal infections in babies.

(2) Massage

Regular and appropriate breast massage after childbirth is very beneficial to breast health. Generally, you need to apply heat to the breast for about 5 minutes before massage, then gently massage the nipple and pull it outward, repeat this massage for 2 to 3 minutes, then hold up the breast with one hand, and gently massage along the breast towards the nipple with the other hand. Note that the movements must be standardized and serious during massage, and you cannot rub it at will, otherwise it is easy to hurt the breast. Effective breast massage can prevent breast sagging.

(3) Wear a suitable bra

Mothers who are breastfeeding after childbirth must choose the right bra to wear. Because milk often leaks out when feeding the baby, it is best to choose a cotton, loose, absorbent and soft bra, or you can directly choose a nursing bra specifically for breastfeeding. Because during breastfeeding, the breasts will be fuller and heavier, and a nursing bra can lift the breasts, which helps prevent sagging.

(4) The feeding method should be correct

The feeding method during postpartum breastfeeding is also very important, because the wrong feeding method can easily cause nipple diseases, so mothers should choose the correct feeding method according to the specific situation. When mothers feed their babies, they should try to put the nipple and most of the areola into the baby's mouth, which is helpful to prevent nipple cracking. Be careful not to forcibly pull out the nipple when the baby is sucking, which can easily cause nipple damage. At the same time, it should also be noted that when feeding, you must feed alternately on both sides.

(5) Avoid breast compression

During the recovery period after childbirth, you must pay attention to avoid squeezing the breasts, because strong squeezing of the breasts is not only easy to cause deformation, but also easy to cause internal breast hyperplasia, so you must protect your breasts after childbirth. In addition, you should also avoid lying on your side in the same direction for a long time when sleeping, otherwise one breast will be squeezed, resulting in unbalanced development of the breasts on both sides.

(6) Empty in time

Be sure to empty your breasts regularly and don't store milk. If your baby doesn't breastfeed for a long time at night and causes breast engorgement, you should express the milk in time, otherwise you may develop mastitis overnight.

Breast milk contains various nutrients and antibodies to fight diseases. It is the best food for babies. Postpartum breast care is to make the mother's breasts healthier so that more milk can be secreted for the baby. So for yourself and your baby, you must take good care of it.

This article was scientifically reviewed by Zheng Yuqiao, a pediatric expert at the General Hospital of the Rocket Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.