Why do I have breast pain during confinement?

It is a normal physiological phenomenon for mothers to experience breast pain during the confinement period. It is mainly due to milk engorgement. Because the milk secretion is too much during the confinement period, and the baby does not completely absorb the milk, it will cause milk to accumulate in the breasts, resulting in breast pain. If you experience breast pain during the confinement period, you can massage the breasts and apply hot compresses to promote the flow of milk and drain the milk.

What causes breast tenderness after childbirth?

The main cause of postpartum breast pain is due to blocked mammary ducts. Most mothers will experience breast pain after childbirth, especially when milk is secreted in large quantities and the baby cannot suck it all, resulting in a lot of milk remaining in the mammary ducts. After a long time, the retained milk will clump and cause blockage, eventually making it difficult for the baby to suck out the milk. Too much milk retained in the breasts will cause pain.

In addition, if the mother's nipples are inverted or the milk is too thick, it will make it difficult for the baby to suck and cause breast pain. So in most cases, breast pain after childbirth is not due to milk withdrawal, but is caused by the milk in the breasts not being fully sucked by the baby. So what should you do when you experience breast pain?

What to do if you have breast pain after childbirth

1. Massage your breasts

When breast pain occurs, you can massage the breasts appropriately. Before massage, it is recommended to apply a clean warm towel to the breasts for a while. The intensity of the massage should also be appropriate. You can gently massage the painful area of ​​the breast while breastfeeding. This can promote the circulation of milk and blood in this area and relieve the pain.

2. Squeeze out the milk that the baby cannot finish

If the baby's unfinished milk is not squeezed out, more milk will accumulate in the breasts and aggravate the breast pain. Therefore, if the baby has not finished sucking out all the milk, the mother can use a breast pump or manually drain the remaining milk. In addition, you should feed your baby more often and pay attention to coordinating the amount of milk secretion and feeding to avoid excessive milk retention in the breasts and causing pain.

3. Maintain good breast hygiene

The nipple area should be cleaned as soon as possible after the baby finishes feeding to avoid dry milk clogging the milk ducts. When sucking milk, the baby will always bite the mother's nipple from time to time, which can easily cause wounds on the mother's breasts. When there are wounds on the breasts, it is necessary to take timely disinfection and anti-infection measures to avoid bacterial infection and inflammation.