Breast
engorgement is a condition in which new mother’s breast is painfully overfull
of breast milk.
It
happens when nursing mother's milk first “comes in”(right after birth, which
usually occur in day 2 to 5 after birth delivery. Most breastfeeding mothers
will experience breast fullness or slight pain during this period. New mothers
do not need to panic first.
Breast
engorgement can also occur when your baby suddenly breastfeeds less than usual
due to various reason like poor appetite.
To
prevent it from happening, nursing mothers can look for signs first.
Common
signs of breast engorgement:
- Swollen and
painful breasts.
- Flattened
nipples.
- Slightly swollen
and tender lymph nodes in your armpits.
Treatment
of breast engorgement
Before
nursing, you can take a hot shower or soak in a warm bath. Heat can improve
circulation and help the milk let-down. Warm compresses or a heating pad can
also be used to achieve the same effect.
Furthermore,
you should use pump to express a small amount of breast milk from both breasts
before you allow your baby to latch onto the breasts. This will soften the
breast and makes it easy for your baby to latch on.
Lastly,
you can also massage your breasts. Gentle breast massage improve
circulation.
How to
prevent breast engorgement
First
and foremost, do not skip breastfeeding, especially nigh time feeding. Instead,
you should try to nurse frequently and practice breastfeeding on demand which
mean you may need to nurse your newborn about 8 to 12 times in a day in the
first two months after birth.
During
breastfeeding, you should completely empty one breast before you switch to
other side. Your baby will ‘signal’ you when to switch side.
(a)
Your baby's sucking slows down a lot or stops for a minute.
(b)
You can no longer hear your baby swallowing.
Lastly,
you can wear a supportive bra. But make sure it does not have under-wire and
don’t bind your breasts as it can lead to plugged ducts.
Should
I call doctor?
In most
cases, breast engorgement can be treated at home without any medicine. Nursing
mothers must take action immediately to relieve the engorgement before the
situation becomes worse.
If you
experience fever associated with breast engorgement, you may visit the doctor
as it can be a sign of infection.
