Breast engorgement: symptoms and remedies
Breast engorgement occurs when there is too much milk production compared to what the baby eats.
In the early stages of breastfeeding, the breast must calibrate its production according to the baby’s requests. If she produces more milk than necessary, it can stagnate and coagulate, blocking the normal flow.
When there is an engorgement in the breast, the breasts are tense, shiny, the underlying circulation can be seen and the milk is very difficult to come out during sucking or squeezing and there may be a redness in the area of tension.
It should not be confused with mastitis, fissures and other difficulties that can be encountered while breastfeeding .
Symptoms of breast engorgement
The symptoms that make us recognize a traffic jam are:
- edema
- ache
- breast tense in the nipple area
- shiny and red breasts
- possible fever
Remedies for breast engorgement
To soften the breasts, you can make warm-moist compresses by wrapping a hot water bottle with a wet towel, take a hot shower or bath, or wet the breasts at the sink.
Once the breasts are warm, massages can be given to soften these lumps. The fingertips of 3-4 fingers are used, they can be moved by drawing circles or moving them towards the nipple, in both cases the movements must go from the periphery to the nipple .
Immediately after the massage, the baby is attached to the breast so that when he is suckling he can empty the breast and also that lump. If the breast is very tense even after feeding, you can squeeze the breast with your hands to reduce the tension.
Cold packs
Cold compresses can be made between one feeding and the next because when there is an engorgement, in addition to the stagnation of milk in the lactiferous lobules, there is stagnation of liquids in the tissues that protect the glands. This liquid can be drained with cold compresses and with massages that this time go from the breast to the shoulders to improve the flow of liquids in the tissues and along the lymphatic vessels.
General rule: immediately before feeding warm wet compresses, away from feedings cold compresses.
The poultices can also be made with ventilated green clay, hot or cold depending on the moment. In addition to this it may be useful to take soy lecithin which improves the quality of fats making the milk more fluid.
Attack the baby more often
It may be useful to attach the baby more often, in order to prevent the milk from remaining in the breast for too long, causing clots and therefore engorgement.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.