What should I do if my mammary glands are blocked and causing breast swelling?

Many mothers often encounter a problem after giving birth, that is, breast engorgement. Breast engorgement will not only prevent milk from flowing out and making it impossible to breastfeed, but will also cause mammary duct obstruction and produce pain. New mothers will panic when encountering this situation, and some will fall into misunderstandings and use the wrong methods. In the end, not only may the problem not be solved, but it may also lead to mammary duct obstruction, milk drying up, and ultimately making it impossible to breastfeed. Therefore, it is very important to master the correct way to treat breast engorgement. At the same time, you should also pay attention to your diet. By adjusting your diet, you can solve the problem of breast engorgement more quickly. For example, don't drink milk soup so early after giving birth. Artificial breast pumping is not a good method because it is easy to get infected, etc. Let us learn together how to correctly relieve breast engorgement!

(1) Do not drink milk soup so early after giving birth

The most common reason for postpartum milk swelling, fever and mastitis is drinking milk soup immediately after delivery, which causes the milk to accumulate in the alveoli but cannot be discharged smoothly through the mammary ducts. Eat a light diet after delivery, and drink the milk soup after the milk ducts are unobstructed.

2. Breastfeeding after childbirth

The purpose of initiating breastfeeding is to activate the mammary glands and keep the mammary ducts unobstructed, just like dredging a river. Once it is unobstructed, all ducts will be unobstructed and there will be no pain or swelling.

1. Soups that promote milk secretion cannot relieve breast swelling

On the 2nd to 3rd day after delivery, the new mother's breasts will further develop mammary ducts and mammary alveoli under the stimulation of estrogen, progesterone and prolactin. Both breasts will begin to swell and expand due to congestion, causing obvious distension and tenderness. This is a natural result of hormonal changes in the body, not because of insufficient milk supply. At this time, the mammary glands are not completely unobstructed. Drinking milk too early will only make the mammary glands more congested and the swelling and pain more severe.

2. It is not a good idea for your husband to pump breast milk. Be careful of infection.

Some mothers know that letting the baby suck more can relieve breast engorgement, but when breast engorgement comes suddenly, the baby may have just fallen asleep, and they may ask their husbands to help express the milk. In fact, sucking by a baby is different from sucking by a husband. The bacteria in the mouth of an adult can easily cause nipple infection, which not only fails to relieve breast swelling, but can also easily cause mastitis.

3. Hot compress aggravates breast swelling, cold compress is the only way

When breast engorgement occurs, many parents will think of using hot compresses to swell the milk ducts and thus help unclog the milk ducts. However, the reason why breast engorgement causes unbearable pain is because the milk ducts are excessively enlarged and swollen. Applying hot compresses at this time will only make the pain more severe. On the contrary, cold compress can help the mammary ducts return to their original shape and relieve redness, swelling, heat and pain.

4. Sucking is the best solution

When facing the problem of breast engorgement, frequent sucking is the best solution. You can let your baby suck or use a breast pump. At the same time, breastfeeding mothers should also get enough rest and sleep, and avoid mental stimulation and breast infection, which is conducive to the gradual increase in milk secretion.

3. 6 steps to relieve breast swelling at home

Step 1: When taking a bath, the mother can rinse her back with hot water to promote blood circulation.

Step 2: Mom asks Dad to help massage her back to relax stiff and tense muscles.

Step 3: Mom sits down and rests, choosing a relaxed forward-leaning posture.

Step 4: The mother should keep a relaxed and happy mood every day and let the baby suck breast milk directly; or while the baby is sucking, the mother can gently massage the lumps in the breast. After the mammary glands are slowly unblocked, the milk can be discharged smoothly.

Step 5: If the mother still feels engorged after each breastfeeding, she must squeeze out the remaining milk.

Step 6: The mother can feed the baby alternately with both breasts, feeding the left breast first this time and the right breast first next time.

(IV) If milk swelling or blockage worsens, seek help from a lactation consultant as soon as possible

Once the swelling and pain become severe, or the lump becomes larger, you have to worry that the milk swelling will cause milk regurgitation, and the swelling and pain will cause fever and mastitis, and the baby cannot suck it away. At this time, don't wait any longer, find a lactation consultant to clear the blockage as soon as possible. Clearing the blockage is the best way. When the body temperature rises above 38 degrees and you feel chills, you need to go to the hospital for a check-up to see whether the temperature rise is physical or inflammatory. If it is caused by inflammation, you must use lactation and antibiotics to treat it.