Milk stagnation: what to do when your breasts hurt? When milk comes in and your breasts hurt, should you pump or not? Breast pain after pumping

Breastfeeding is one of the happiest periods in the life of every woman. After all, with mother’s milk, the baby receives all the vitamins and microelements necessary for development, as well as immunoglobulins, which prevent the child from contracting infections. However, problems often arise during the feeding period. One of the most common is lactostasis, or stagnation of milk in the breast. This phenomenon is very dangerous for a woman, and therefore you need to act very quickly. How to strain milk stagnation at home and what needs to be done to avoid lactostasis?

What is lactostasis

Lactostasis is stagnation of milk in the breast during breastfeeding, which most often develops due to a violation of the outflow in one or more ducts of the mammary gland.

Milk stagnation can occur regardless of the due date, age of the baby, or the type of child. Externally, lactostasis manifests itself in the form of a painful tubercle, sometimes accompanied by redness of the skin. The general health of the woman remains normal without an increase in temperature.

Treatment of the pathological process must begin quickly, otherwise there is a possibility of inflammation developing, followed by infectious mastitis and tissue abscess. These diseases are eliminated surgically while taking antibacterial drugs.

Causes of milk stagnation

Most often, lactostasis develops in conditions created not for one, but for several reasons, adding up to a whole complex:

poor breast emptying;
violation of the outflow of milk from a certain area of the mammary gland;
excess milk production.

In turn, in each of these complexes a number of specific reasons can be identified:

Poor breast emptying:

Rarely putting the baby to the breast;
insufficient water intake by mother;
refusal of night feedings or rare feedings during the arrival of milk;
to the baby's chest;
large breast capacity;
artificial mixture;
poor breastfeeding by the baby;
excessive passion for pacifiers.

Impaired milk flow from a certain area of the mammary gland:

use of nipple shields;
damage to the chest in the past as a result of trauma, surgery;
improper use of a breast pump;
presence of mastopathy in the past;
Mom wearing a bra that is too tight;
sleeping on your stomach;
anatomical features associated with poor milk passage;
insufficient rest, stressful situations, mental and physical overload.

Excess milk production:

hyperlactation caused by excessive pumping;
genetic predisposition;
increased levels of prolactin in the blood.

Finding out the causes of lactostasis plays an important role in preventing its recurrence in the future.

Symptoms of milk stagnation

Lactostasis can be easily recognized. Its signs are:

feeling of fullness, heaviness in the mammary gland;
milk is poorly expressed - in a small stream, drops;
redness at the site of the lesion;
the appearance of lumpy compactions that, when touched, cause severe pain.

Milk stagnation with fever also happens. In advanced cases, it can reach maximum levels. At the initial stages, the increase is insignificant - up to 37.5 ° C, or absent altogether.

Lactostasis or mastitis?

Mastitis is a consequence of advanced lactostasis. If, despite all the treatment, the temperature persists for more than 2-3 days, and the condition continues to worsen, this is a reason to contact a specialist. These symptoms may indicate the onset of the development of non-infectious mastitis, which already requires serious medical treatment. Mastitis complicated by infection is called infectious and in some cases requires surgical intervention. Breastfeeding with any form of mastitis is prohibited.

Is it possible to feed a baby with lactostasis?

If you have lactostasis, it is not recommended to stop breastfeeding. On the contrary, it must continue. And the more often you apply it, the faster you can get rid of stagnation. It is the baby who is able to quickly and easily free the milk ducts from accumulated milk.

Put your baby to your breast even more often than you did before.
Allow your baby to suck on the breast instead of a pacifier, even if he is not hungry.
Try to give your baby the problematic breast more often, and to avoid stagnation of milk in the second breast, express it.

Important! Apply the baby to the breast correctly (so that it does not grasp the nipple, but most of the areola).

Choose a feeding position that places your baby's chin closer to the affected area, as the lobe of the breast where your baby's tongue is is best emptied. If this is problematic, better monitor the child’s correct latch on the breast. In this case, the entire breast is emptied evenly.

How to cure lactostasis at home

You can get rid of milk stagnation during breastfeeding at home. However, taking medications is not always necessary. Of course, in each specific case an individual approach to the problem that arises is necessary, preferably with the advice of a specialist.

Breastfeeding

As mentioned above, your baby actively suckling at the breast can help treat lactostasis.

One of the most difficult areas to treat is stagnation of milk in the axillary lobe, but this can also be eliminated if you use the right feeding position. The child should be positioned in such a way that his chin “looks” at the problem area:

What if the child cannot dissolve the stagnation of milk due to severe swelling of the gland? In this case it will help method of softening halos with pressure. It should also be carried out before putting the baby to the breast.

Here's what to do:

place your fingers on the areola so that their tips touch the base of the nipple;
lightly press the areola with your fingertips towards the chest;
remain in this position for at least 2 minutes;
when indentations appear on both sides of the nipple, move your fingers in a circular motion a few millimeters, but so that the resulting new area slightly overlaps the old one, and repeat the action;
move along all segments of the halo in a circle, softening it. Pay special attention to the area where your baby's chin will be during feeding.

If the swelling is too severe, then the pressure time should be increased by a few more minutes. After this, express your breasts a little and feel free to put your baby on it.

The second most effective method for treating lactostasis after putting a baby to the breast is pumping.

Pumping

It is best to express breast milk when there is stagnation by hand, but always before feeding the baby. Only in this case will the child be able to dissolve the accumulated milk clots faster and more completely. It is also possible to strain milk stagnation with a breast pump, but only with simultaneous breast massage in the direction of the nipple.

Important! There is no need to pump after feeding. On the contrary, this will only increase the flow of milk, and the pain will become even more unbearable.

Technique for expressing milk for lactostasis.

To strain the thoracic ducts, you need to take a comfortable position.
Then position 4 fingers so that they are under the chest, and the fifth (big) is on top.
Now you need to feel the blocked area. It should be lumpy. When the “enemy” is detected, proceed to neutralize it.
Gently apply pressure on this area towards the nipple. Try to express everything you can.
It is best to pump under a warm shower or while sitting chest-deep in a bath of warm water.

Video about expressing breast milk by hand - doctor's advice

Additional measures to treat lactostasis may include:

massage;
compresses;
medicines;
physiotherapy.

Massage

Massage helps a lot with lactostasis. Moreover, this is one of the most effective methods that quickly relieve milk stagnation. But it should be carried out extremely carefully. The main rule is not to cause pain (mild discomfort is acceptable). Otherwise, this can lead to even more severe swelling and injury to the mammary gland.

You need to start with light stroking, then begin non-pressure circular movements with 4 fingers (you need to stroke not the skin, but the fabric underneath it).
This is followed by kneading the stagnation of milk in the breast from top to bottom along the idle duct towards the nipple.
To do this, you need to feel the bumpy area and move your fingers down, lightly pressing on the chest, as if rolling the lump from the top of the breast to the nipple area. The pressure should be increased gradually, but it should not be too painful.
Pressure should begin from the edge of the tubercle. First, pressing lightly on the area itself, and then increasing the pressure, but towards the nipple. Then move to the underlying compaction area and repeat the procedure. In this way, work your way from the seal to the nipple.

With this massage you can squeeze out the milk clot through the canal in the nipple.

Important! Another effective massage option is a shower. The water should be warm and the stream powerful. Additionally, the affected area is rubbed with honey if there is no allergy to it.

Here are some more useful tips.

To massage the breasts, you can use special oil, then you can slide your hands over the surface of the skin.
While breastfeeding, massage the breast at the site of the lump towards the nipple.
It is allowed to gently squeeze the breast while feeding the baby. This will speed up the flow of fluid from the clogged gland.
Immediately after the massage, place your baby on your breast.
Massage should be done as often as possible - always before feeding, pumping and after them.

And remember: if a breast massage is performed, it should not hurt the mother. A woman’s patience can result in breast injury and tissue damage.

Compresses

Compresses can be used for any form of lactostasis, including when the temperature rises, but always not hot, but cold.

In fact, it doesn’t matter at all what exactly you apply to your chest, the main thing is that it is cold. This can be a towel soaked in cold water or ice cubes in cellophane wrapped in a towel. The main goal of the procedure is to reduce blood circulation in order to reduce swelling and slow down milk production.

Such compresses should be made after feeding the baby; their duration should be short - 10-15 minutes. As soon as discomfort occurs, the procedure should be stopped.

Among the folk remedies for lactostasis are the so-called absorbable compresses. Unfortunately, they do not have any scientific evidence base, but, according to many mothers, they are very effective. Such compresses do not necessarily have to be cold; it is allowed if the applied ingredient is at room temperature. There are also no strict instructions for use. Absorbable compresses can be placed on the chest for either a few minutes or several hours, without being tied to feeding the baby. So these could be:

cut or beaten cabbage leaf;
cold cottage cheese;
flatbread made from a mixture of honey and flour/bread;
fabric soaked in mumiyo solution.

Medicines and dietary supplements

"Traumel" marked "C". This is a drug of homeopathic origin. Prescribed for chest pain, to eliminate the inflammatory process, improve lymph and blood circulation, and improve vascular patency. You need to apply the product 4-5 times a day, including before.
Arnica ointment. Improves blood circulation by warming tissues. Has a local irritant effect.
Ointment or liquid concentrate "Malavit". The drug belongs to the dietary supplement. Relieves swelling and can reduce pain.
Magnesium sulfate. It is used as a compress from the contents of ready-made ampoules sold in pharmacies.
Gel "Progestogel". Contains the hormone progesterone, which suppresses milk production. The absorption of fluid from the breast tissue improves, swelling and compression of the milk ducts decreases. Apply in the form of applications 1-2 times a day for 2 days. The use of the drug is not supported by lactation consultants due to decreased lactation.
Dietary supplement lecithin. It is recommended to take for frequently recurring congestion. Lecithin is a natural emulsifier that reduces surface tension at the interface between two phases, helping the resulting clot to dissolve. Dosage 1200 mg 3-4 times a day.

If the mother has stagnation of milk with a temperature, then you can take an antipyretic drug based on ibuprofen. However, if the situation allows, it is better not to do this, since the temperature allows the body to fight the proliferation of bacteria in the place of stagnation of milk, helps to quickly get rid of the resulting plug due to the expansion of the thoracic ducts and is an indicator of the mother’s condition.

Important! Prolonged fever for more than two days is a reason to consult a specialist, as it may indicate incipient mastitis.

Physiotherapy with ultrasound

It will help get rid of plugs in the mammary gland ducts and locally increase the temperature of the tissue. It is carried out by qualified personnel upon the direction of a doctor in a clinic or maternity hospital. After the procedure, you should put the baby to the breast or express milk. It is not prescribed in case of an inflammatory process, otherwise the situation can only worsen.

Usually one or two procedures are sufficient. If there is no effect, you should stop treatment and seek advice from a specialist.

Important! The main rule after any warming manipulations is to give the affected breast to the baby or express it, and then apply a cold compress.

By following these recommendations, you can achieve improvement in just a couple of days, but there are situations when the fight against lactostasis can drag on for 7-10 days. Signs that treatment is helping is an improvement in the condition of at least one indicator: a decrease in temperature, a decrease in pain, size and hardness of the lump. Otherwise, you should seek medical help.

What not to do

Action	Cause
Stop putting your baby to the breast, even if there is a fever.	A child suckling the breast is the most important treatment for treating lactostasis, so breastfeeding should not be stopped or limited. Breast milk, when stagnated in the mammary gland, does not lose its value for the child and is not harmful to his health.
Immediately after the temperature rises, take antipyretics.	Temperature is a protective reaction of the body that allows one to assess the condition of the mother. At the same time, heat does not affect the quality of milk. The use of antipyretics is possible only in extreme cases or if a woman does not tolerate the temperature well.
Try to express your breasts to the last drop.	The more you empty your breasts, the faster they will fill. You only need to express before feeding.
Apply warming compresses and do physiotherapy after feeding.	Heat will increase blood circulation and aggravate milk stagnation. Warming procedures can only be done before feeding, and not after it.
Apply alcohol-containing products to the chest, as well as camphor oil, Vishnevsky ointment, Dimexide.	These remedies will not bring any real benefit. They can negatively affect the taste of milk, cause local burns and even slow down milk production in some parts.
Ask your husband to suck out the clots.	There is a risk of nipple initiation and cracking. However, subject to cleanliness and careful handling, such an action is permissible.
Use medications that inhibit lactation and reduce milk supply.	Dostinex is one of these drugs. Its effect is reduced to reducing prolactin, but it has no effect on stagnation itself.
Take antibiotics, use Levomekol.	Taking most antibiotics is not compatible with breastfeeding. As a result, the main method of treating lactostasis, breastfeeding, will not be available. Levomekol is used only for purulent mastitis.
Drink No-shpa and similar antispasmodics.	No-spa is not capable of expanding the thoracic ducts, as some believe.
Wait until lactostasis disappears on its own.	The situation is more likely to worsen than improve.
Express your breasts while experiencing severe pain.	This creates a risk of injuring the breasts and causing swelling.
Open a white dot yourself if it is present on the nipple.	You can easily get infected. It is better to try steaming the nipple with warm water and then offer the breast to the baby.

Video advice from a doctor

Prevention

Based on the causes of lactostasis, one can easily identify the basic principles of its prevention.

Change positions more often during feeding so that all areas of the mammary gland are emptied evenly.
Feed your baby at night.
Give your baby breastfeeding on demand, not by the clock.
Do not limit the duration of feedings.
If possible, do not give your baby a bottle with a nipple or a pacifier.
During feeding, massage your breasts.
Correctly attach the baby.
Avoid using nipple shields or using them for short periods of time.
Each feeding should be done with each breast in turn.
Stop lactation gradually.
Wearing comfortable, well-sized underwear.
No restrictions on drinking.
Get proper rest, as stress hormones block the production of oxycin.

Often during lactation women have a problem: breast pain during or after feeding. Painful sensations can be due to various physiological reasons. But this condition is not always the norm. In some cases, discomfort in the chest becomes a sign of a particular disease or occurs due to an incorrect feeding regimen, improper technique, or non-compliance with the rules of caring for the mammary glands.

There are physiological factors why breasts hurt during feeding. When a woman is pregnant, her mammary glands gradually begin to prepare for the process of natural feeding of the baby. They enlarge, the nipples become darker, and sometimes colostrum is released from them.

When a newborn appears, transformations in the body accelerate significantly. The main role is played by prolactin and oxytocin - hormones involved in the production and secretion of milk, which replaces colostrum. It is at this time that many mothers complain of discomfort, which can be caused by the following reasons.

Adaptation for sensitive skin on the nipples. This process manifests itself when the nipples hurt during breastfeeding. Cracks may form on the nipples.
Rush of milk. Often women talk about this condition as bloating or slight tingling, and sometimes pain occurs.

Chest pain can be caused by physiological processes occurring in the body during lactation

Full development of lactation will take 3 months from the moment the child is born. This means that the “flushes” and “leaks” of milk will remind you of themselves all this time.

During hot flashes, pain is felt in the mammary gland and lower abdomen. Over time, the body develops a reflex in which milk comes only during feeding. When the feeling of fullness begins, it is recommended to lightly express the milk.

If a woman gives her baby food on demand and monitors proper attachment, the discomfort quickly goes away. If it persists and progresses, you should urgently visit a doctor to determine the cause.

5 causes of acute pain

Gynecologists classify several causes of pain. Some listed above are physiological. But there are also dangerous ones that require special attention and specific treatment.

The causes of pathological pain that occur during lactation include:

cracked nipples;
lactostasis;
mastitis;
vasospasm;
candidiasis.

There is no need to attribute chest pain to milk influxes. Problems can be much more dangerous, and in case of any discomfort it is better to play it safe and consult with your doctor.

Only a specialist will be able to determine exactly why the breasts hurt after feeding or while latching on the baby.

Cracked nipples

Due to lack of experience, a young mother may develop painful cracks in her nipples. This happens under the influence of the following factors:

Cracked nipples are a common cause of breast pain.

Incorrect nipple latching - when only part of it, without the areola, gets into the baby’s mouth. This provokes the formation of mechanical injuries and, as a result, cracks.
Washing your breasts too often - water removes the protective lubricant and causes dry skin, which leads to cracks.
Violation of pumping technique. Sometimes, when forced to leave without a child, during a period of illness and taking medications, or when breastfeeding is completed, a woman needs to express milk. You should not press hard and perform manipulations only in the area of the nipple. It is recommended to use a breast pump for expressing, and the main rule is not to overdo it.
Abrupt interruption of feeding - cracks appear when, at the end of lactation, the mother suddenly pulls the breast out of the baby’s mouth. To stop the process, it is recommended to insert a clean little finger into the baby’s mouth and carefully remove the nipple.

Medicines for the treatment of cracks

Every woman after the birth of her baby should understand what to do if her breasts hurt during feeding. The most effective and popular remedies for cracks include preparations based on dexpanthenol or pure lanolin, and sea buckthorn oil.

If the cracks are very deep, the doctor may prescribe powerful healing agents - Actovegin, Avent, Solcoseryl.

Products containing dexapanthenol:

ointment or cream for cracks Bepanten (smearing wounds is recommended when chest pain develops after feeding);
Panthenol spray with a high content of vitamin B (sprayed on the chest after the baby has eaten, on cracks from a distance of 10–20 cm).

Topical products containing pure lanolin perfectly protect the skin, increasing its elasticity and firmness:

Kornegregel gel (applied after feeding);
Videstim ointment (rub into nipples between feedings).

The simplest and most easily accessible means of treating and preventing cracked nipples is breast milk. After lactation is completed, you need to lubricate the nipples with a drop of milk, leaving it like that until dry.

Should I stop breastfeeding?

Special silicone or latex pads help reduce pain during feeding with cracked nipples

It works as a barrier between the baby's lips and the nipple, thereby significantly reducing the intensity of pain and the risk of injury.

To ensure that the process of using the pad does not cause inconvenience, it is important to choose the correct diameter..

If the cracks are very deep and blood is released from them, then the pads will not be beneficial. In order to treat deep injuries, breastfeeding will have to be interrupted. At the same time, empty the mammary glands, carefully expressing, and give the baby milk from a spoon or pipette. After the wounds have healed, full feeding should be resumed.

If you notice that your baby is being capricious and refusing to feed, the tips in this article will help you find the causes of this problem.

If there is severe pain during breastfeeding, the process of suppuration begins in the cracks, the temperature rises and general health worsens, you need to urgently tell your doctor about it.

Causes and signs of the development of lactostasis

Lactostasis or blockage of the milk ducts turns lactation into a real torment. With the development of this pathology, an obvious compaction forms in one or several alveoli at once. The mammary gland becomes hard and hot, but the body temperature does not increase.

Stagnation of milk often causes pain. If your breasts are hot but your body temperature remains normal, cool compresses may help. To cure lactostasis, you do not have to give up feeding. And even, on the contrary, it is better to put the baby to the breast often and for a long time - this will help to quickly overcome congestion. It is important to understand that painful sensations are caused precisely by lactostasis. If there are no obvious lumps, the chest may simply be cold.

Source of pain – mastitis

Acute postpartum mastitis usually develops as a complication of lactostasis

Mastitis is an infectious inflammatory process that can lead to an abscess. Often the pathological process is accompanied by the appearance of blood and pus in the milk.

If the pathology develops and worsens, surgery may be required on the damaged mammary gland.

The development of mastitis is promoted by:

breast injuries;
hypothermia;
penetration of infection through cracks in the nipples;
advanced form of lactostasis.

Symptoms and methods of correcting vasospasm

Vasospasm is pain that occurs immediately after feeding. A disorder can be suspected by a change in the shade of the nipple caused by spasm of the blood vessels.

Vasospasm occurs due to a change in temperature at the moment when the baby releases the nipple. The spasm blocks the flow of blood and a burning pain develops. With frequent vasospasms, a woman is recommended to undergo examination to exclude the development of diseases with Raynaud's syndrome.

To prevent such violations you need to:

try to keep your chest warm;
immediately after finishing feeding, close it;
give up strong brewed tea and coffee, which can provoke vasospasm;
undergo several chest massage sessions.

If candidiasis develops

The cause of pain may be thrush, caused by reproducing fungi of the genus Candida.. The disorder can be identified by a whitish coating on the nipple and in the child’s mouth.

In this case, the breasts hurt during feeding and during pumping. The baby may refuse to breastfeed and cry constantly.

When a fungal disease affects not only the nipples, but also the milk ducts, the breasts hurt not only during, but also after feeding. Such situations occur very rarely and are associated with poor functioning of the immune system and poor hygiene. Thrush should not be treated on your own; it is better to seek qualified help from a professional.

Learning the technique of proper application

It is the incorrect grip of the nipple, according to doctors, that is considered the most common cause of breast pain during feeding. In addition, incorrect application technique leads to the development of complications - cracks and mastitis of an infectious nature.

If the grip is incorrect, the woman feels acute pain at the very beginning. When even slight discomfort is felt, you should not continue - it is important that the baby takes the nipple again, but correctly. This is the only way the mother will feel comfortable and the baby will be well fed.

The correct grip technique involves sequentially performing the following actions.

Wait until the child opens his mouth well. You can help him with this by running the nipple along his lower lip - the child’s unconditioned reflex will work.
Pull the baby's head towards you. After grasping the nipple, a small part of the areola should remain in the field of view. With proper grip, the nipple in the mouth is located at the level of the root of the tongue and is not injured.
If the grip is incorrect, you should tighten the skin of the areola: place your thumb on top of the areola, and your index finger on the bottom, this will form a fold that is placed in the baby’s mouth.

The woman's actions are not affected in any way by the feeding position. The baby quickly gets used to it and grasps the nipple correctly, thereby not causing the mother any discomfort.

When attaching a baby, many mothers experience pain. This happens mainly due to improper nipple latching. In this case, it is better to remove the breast with your little finger and give it again, but this time correctly.

Correct grip may be hampered by a frenulum that is too short or abnormalities in the structure of the upper palate.. When the grip seems to be normal, but pain is still bothering you, you should consult a pediatric dentist. Pathologies of the structure of the palate are diagnosed extremely rarely, but often the baby’s frenulum turns out to be too short. In the latter case, it can be trimmed - the operation is performed within a few minutes by a qualified doctor.

You can learn the correct feeding technique and find out answers to common questions by watching the video:

8 rules for pain prevention

To prevent problems with the mammary glands, women need to follow a number of rules:

maintain hygiene (take a shower at least 1-2 times a day);
check the condition of the nipples every day to see if they have any microscopic damage or injury;
feed the child on demand, and not strictly according to the clock;
express milk correctly;
avoid hypothermia;
give a second breast only after the first is empty;
regularly feel the mammary glands for lumps;
Visit a specialist every year to monitor the condition of the mammary glands.

conclusions

The causes of pain in the chest are varied and not always safe. Sometimes the smallest cracks can cause serious problems. To prevent the development of dangerous complications, it is important to consult a doctor promptly. Only a specialist will be able to accurately determine the cause of the pain and select the optimal treatment.

How to avoid breast problems during breastfeeding, and what to do if they do appear? A family and perinatal psychologist and lactation consultant answers the questions:

According to experts from the World Health Organization, milk must be expressed in the following cases:

for feeding a premature or sick child (when fed with mother's milk, children "recover" faster);
to relieve very full breasts;
to maintain milk production during mother's illness;
to reduce the leakage of milk from the breast when a lot of it is produced;
to stimulate the production of more milk when there is not enough milk;
for the prevention of milk crises (during difficulties with milk production, you will have your own small emergency);
for feeding the baby when the mother goes to work or leaves home.

Problem one: The milk has arrived!!!

The baby was born. The mother is recovering from the ordeal of childbirth and is worried about the baby: will everything go well with breastfeeding? Every day in the maternity hospital, a woman’s temperature is measured, the gynecologist checks whether the breasts have enlarged and whether the milk has come in. And then, 4-5 days after giving birth, she, worried, freezes in front of the mirror: her bust has changed beyond recognition, in other words, it has been “blown away” to the indecent size of silicone prostheses from porn magazines. In addition, sleeping on your stomach or side is no longer possible due to nagging chest pain.

It is already difficult for a baby, whose life experience is only a couple of days, to adapt to feeding: he still does not know how to “properly” latch onto the breast - open his mouth wide, grasp not only the nipple, but also the area around it. And here’s a new test: sucking on my mother’s heavy breasts. Incomparably more effort is required. Especially if “defects” are discovered (which did not interfere earlier in life) - flat or inverted nipples, which are difficult for the baby to hold in the mouth. Or another misfortune: milk pours over the edge - the child “chokes”, swallows air, angrily turns away from the breast, clears his throat, burps. And if the breast is filled “over the edge”, the child will not be able to grab onto it. This is where the mother herself should come to the rescue: express excess milk, work out all the milk ducts, “soften” the breasts. However, she herself needs this. Otherwise, the next day the pain will become cutting, the temperature will rise to 40 degrees, and lactostasis will form.

The process of formation and “excretion” of milk is very complex. Judge for yourself: each mammary gland contains from 15 to 20 lobes, in a lobe - from 20 to 40 lobes, inside each lobe there are alveoli, in the cells of which milk is produced. It is from them that milk flows through the small excretory ducts into the mammary ducts, then enters the milk sinuses located under the areola, from where it leaves the breast through numerous holes in the nipple.

By the way, both doctors and representatives of “pro-breastfeeding” groups agree on the benefits of pumping in the first days. “Stone breasts” should be expressed until a feeling of relief appears, but NOT EARLIER than one day after the milk comes in (a substance that curtails excess lactation appears in a full breast after about 24 hours; if you express the breast before this time, the same amount of milk will come, and may hyperlactation “starts”, and, as an unpleasant consequence, the need for regular pumping). At the same time, it is necessary to continue to feed the baby “on demand”: on demand from both sides - mother and baby.

Expression technique

The most useful method of breast expression is manual. It is convenient for women and effective. Also according to the recommendations of Dr. B. Spock: you need to “put your thumb and forefinger on the edge of the isola, squeeze it rhythmically. Move your fingers slightly towards the nipple by moving the milk. In order to influence all the milk ducts of the gland evenly, after a while, shift the position of the fingers along clockwise." Before pumping, massage your breasts in a circular motion, paying special attention to the downward direction of your breasts, towards the armpit - this is where, due to the pressure of the breast mass and the indirect location of the milk ducts, excess milk most often accumulates and is retained. Massage will help move the accumulated milk closer to the nipple. It is easier to express your breasts if they are warm, for example after a shower.

If pumping your breasts is difficult, change your body position: lie down and relax. It is impossible to collect milk while lying on your back, but this position greatly facilitates the resolution of complex congestion. If a lump has formed in the armpit area, try lying on your side while feeding so that your breast hangs over the baby. You should try to feed in a position so that the baby's nose-mouth line corresponds to the hardening in the chest. By empirically selecting a “therapeutic” position, you can settle on all fours that look quite exotic! But until the baby takes the breast, be sure to feed expressed milk, even if there is very little of it, because for the baby it is the most useful product, a cure for all diseases. Put your baby to your breast as often as possible! Do not give up! Everything will definitely get better!

Problem two: “Battle wounds” or cracked nipples

Who would have said that this little creature, so dear to the heart, whose appearance the parents had been waiting for for 9 whole months, would cause so many unpleasant sensations, and even more so in the most “protected” places. Well, all is forgiven for the baby! No matter how much the mother explains to the baby that it is necessary to pull not only the nipple itself into the mouth, but also the areola around it, he does everything in his own way. That’s why he often “bites” with his gums. This is how mom develops painful cracks that cannot be touched without groaning. You have to feed him with expressed milk (with continuous feeding, the cracks take longer to heal!).

Before each feeding, squeeze out a drop of milk and lubricate the entire nipple with it: the milk itself contains healing components. This treatment will prevent new cracks from appearing. Treat the “old” ones with various ointments. Help will be provided by: Solcoseryl ointment, Bepanten, Purelan, Aekol, Garmostan, Rotersept, Lanolin, Chicco Mamma Donna nipple cream (many of them do not need to be washed off before feeding).

By the way, you should wash your breasts with water as little as possible so that the applied natural lubricant is not washed off... Use sea buckthorn oil as follows: dip a cotton swab in the oil, apply to the breast for 5 minutes, gently rinse with a small amount of water without pressing on the breasts (if burning sensation, treat your chest with Vaseline). Karavaev’s balm, Vitaon, turns out to be an almost miraculous remedy: it not only heals the wound, but also relieves pain. There are minimal chemicals in the composition, which means minimal penetration into breast milk will not harm the baby. However, you should not lubricate the breast immediately before feeding, otherwise the breast will slip out of the small mouth. Treatment with brilliant green in maternity hospitals is mainly intended for disinfection of the breast, but with frequent use it dries the skin and the cracks only become rougher. A regular baby cream with vitamins A, D, chamomile, and sea buckthorn from domestic manufacturers will help in treatment. In addition, you can try feeding through special pads for damaged nipples Purelan from Medela, containing 100% lanolin.

Problem three: Milk stagnation

Sometimes nursing mothers experience painful conditions such as nipple swelling, inflammation of the mammary glands, blockage of the milk duct, or lactostasis (milk stagnation). There is engorgement, redness, a feeling of pressure, chest pain, and an increase in temperature on the chest. General condition like flu. It is impossible to bring down the temperature with medications: they will get into the milk, which will have unpleasant consequences for the baby (in the “best” case, an allergy to the “new composition” of milk will appear). Try to reduce the temperature without the help of medications by doing a general wrap with a damp sheet from the armpits to the groin, wearing socks (2-3 times a day for 1.5-2 hours).

Painful lumpiness and redness of the skin indicate a blockage of the duct. The red spot is formed for the following reason: a lot of milk is still coming in, it has not been expressed, the lobule has become greatly enlarged, the tissues have been stretched, damaged, and as a result, hemorrhage. Even when the problem with stagnation is resolved, this place will still hurt for several days. After pumping, unpleasant sensations are not uncommon - painful tingling, in addition there will be slight swelling from the breast pump. In addition to treatment, avoid stress in every possible way: use auto-training and meditation. If there is no improvement after 1 - 2 days, consult a doctor to avoid further surgery.

Lactostasis can form for several reasons:

a long pause between feedings or a strong, long sleep for the baby, especially at night, skipping feedings;
choosing the wrong position for feeding. For example, in a standard “sitting” position, the axillary and lateral lobes (the largest, with convoluted ducts) are the worst emptied. In such cases, the baby should be placed “from under the arm”: the mother is sitting/lying, the baby’s head is on a pillow near the chest, the butt and legs are behind the mother’s back (the baby is on the side, under the arm). “The location of lactostasis on top “in the center” is typical for those cases when the mother holds the breast with “scissors” during feeding - the nipple is between the index and middle finger, the index finger is strongly pressed into the breast. “Giving the breast like a cigarette” is not worth it: it’s better if the child is holding it himself, you need to support the breast with your whole hand: thumb on top, the rest under the breast;
sleeping in an uncomfortable position. Try sleeping on your stomach. Then, during strong hot flashes, the milk will simply flow out and not stagnate;
bad bra. Incorrectly selected underwear from a dubious manufacturer can compress the milk ducts. In addition, from any position the lower lobes of the gland are best emptied. Check: the bra must be loose! The breasts will leak slightly, and you should use absorbent disposable/reusable breast pads.

You shouldn't get carried away with pumping. Excessive stimulation of the body to produce milk, which is not useful for your baby, is a harmful additional burden on the body. In the end, milk is your calcium, phosphorus.... You suffer from excessive leaching of elements, and the baby does not get “his” enough. Remember that at the beginning of feeding the baby drinks liquid “fore” milk, and at the end fatty “hind” milk. Now imagine that you strained milk, diluted it with water, gave half of it to the child, and the rest... poured it into the sink. No one will benefit from this! But the quality of the milk will suffer!

In addition, you can pump so much that mastitis begins when there is a lot of excess milk! You feed one baby, not an entire nursery! There is an inverse relationship between the amount of milk sucked and the amount of milk that comes in: the more milk is sucked, the more comes. Over time, the chest produces as much “nectar” as the eater needs. Moreover, the baby HIMSELF regulates the flow of milk from the mother: he eats more - more milk is produced at the next feeding, and vice versa. Milk flows intensively during the feeding process, at night, and also after drinking liquid. To regulate the amount, there are lactogenic teas, homeopathy and other medicines.

You need to express until your breasts become light and the milk stops flowing in streams. It is impossible to express until the last drop: the process of milk production is endless. The more you pump, the more you will receive, even if you sit there 24 hours a day.

Folk, non-medicinal remedies can help alleviate the painful condition:

switch to a low-fat diet, consume little liquid, since water again turns into milk, which is difficult to express. However, drinking plenty of fluids just saves you from fever - you have to maneuver between treating one and the other;
prepare a compress for thickening - a bran cake (or cool cottage cheese) with honey (this method is not suitable for everyone, especially in hot weather: honey spreads over the chest and sticks to clothes);
apply a cut cabbage leaf (the juice must be squeezed out of the cabbage, which is the medicine), (so that the leaves do not fall out when walking, they have to be wrapped);
massage, it is better to give it to another person; (unfortunately, this person is not always at hand, and if he is, he does not feel the power with which he can influence the “patient”);
semi-alcohol compresses on the chest, at night, during the day; (not everyone will risk using this method, since at high temperatures alcohol increases the load on the heart, and not everyone can stand the close smell. In addition, alcohol and vodka compresses are well absorbed, disrupting the outflow of milk from the affected lobule, and regular use of alcohol compresses and may completely “curtail” lactation);
applying warm (cloth) will help relax the muscles of the milk ducts;
applying cold (towel, ice). Oddly enough, both warm and cold help! BUT: ice can cause your chest to get cold and only provoke the development of the disease! (the method is optimal in terms of ease of use and strength of impact, moreover, you can change the heat/cold temperature arbitrarily, adapting to individual sensations);
in case of stagnation and the beginning of suppuration, the appointment of reducing injections (don’t worry: not all medications mean the end of feeding, some are designed only to alleviate the mother’s condition and stop breastfeeding for a while);
physiotherapy (ultrasound, magnet), absorbing “pebbles” and “nodules” in the lymph nodes (carried out in a hospital or residential complex, you will have to “move around” the city).

A breast pump will come to the rescue.

To quickly resolve painful conditions, it is imperative to express milk. Breast pumps will be indispensable assistants. However, for many women, manual expression will remain the most convenient and effective. It’s good that those “wild” times when instead of technical devices you had to suck out milk are a thing of the past. dads. There was no question of whether it was a pleasant procedure or not, because what was at stake was the preservation of such a part of the wife’s body as the breasts, her life and health, the life of the baby, the heir.

Breast pumps are either mechanical or electric. In mechanical suction, suction is created due to the muscular force of the mother’s hand; the pressure force is not regulated. In electric ones, the vacuum value changes, which makes the pumping process more comfortable. Breast pumps are strongly recommended for use during breast injuries, injuries, and inflammation of the mammary gland.

The most popular models of breast pumps are from the Austrian company Avent (manual) and the Swiss company Medela (electric). Breast pumps, including the most powerful so-called clinical ones, used in maternity hospitals, can be rented both in the relevant institutions and in stores.

Storing expressed milk

Expressed milk should be stored in boiled containers (glass, plastic). The container should not be filled to the top, as milk expands in volume when stored in the refrigerator. At room temperature, milk is stored for 6-10 hours, in the refrigerator - for a week, in the freezer - from 2 weeks to several months. Specialized stores sell sterile bags for storing expressed milk, and special containers for heating and storage.

You need to use expressed milk “according to the rules”:

do not heat milk above 36.6 C (heat destroys enzymes and destroys the immune properties of milk);
do not heat in the microwave, but melt in a “water bath”;
Do not refreeze milk that has already melted.

If possible, at the first time of introducing complementary foods, cook porridge with mother’s milk: it tastes more familiar to the baby and is healthier.

Problem four and last: Already mastitis!!!

Mastitis is an infected inflammation of the breast tissue. Develops against the background of lactostasis, a strong flow of milk. It is formed after the appearance of cracks in the nipples (it is through them that the infection most often penetrates inside). However, the infection sometimes “spreads” from other diseases, even from the common cold and flu. As a result, your health worsens, your body temperature rises, part of your chest becomes red, painful, and hot to the touch. Treatment of mastitis is similar to the treatment of lactostasis: massage, frequent latching of the baby to the breast, pumping. Express as often as possible: every two hours, if there is no improvement - every hour and a half, an hour, no matter how difficult it is.

If you have mastitis, you can continue to feed your baby breast milk. Don't be afraid to infect your child. Firstly, the infection that caused the inflammation entered his body several days before his mother showed visible signs of the disease. Secondly, with milk, the baby begins to receive active immune protection against this infection due to the mother’s treatment. As a rule, when such a child is weaned from the breast, he gets sick 2 times more often than when breastfeeding continues. In addition, no one can suck milk from a sore breast better than a baby. For mastitis, it is necessary to prescribe antibiotics that are compatible with breastfeeding (tell your doctor that you are going to continue breastfeeding!). The usual course is at least 5 days.

Against the background of untreated mastitis, a BREAST ABSCESS may develop. It never appears without visible signs in one day: in place of lactostasis, a cavity filled with pus forms. Treatment is carried out: regular pumping of the sore breast plus a course of antibacterial therapy. And so on until the discharge of pus stops. In the meantime, you should feed only from a healthy breast.

We wish you never to find yourself in such unpleasant situations and to get sick less. And if this happens, get back into shape as soon as possible and enjoy the happiness of motherhood!

Breastfeeding has to be stopped for various reasons: the mother is forced to go to work, various diseases, and sometimes the baby refuses milk himself. After completing breastfeeding, many women experience breast pain, especially if weaning occurs too abruptly. To prevent possible complications, you should be very careful about the condition of your breasts during such a difficult period.

Reasons for stopping breastfeeding

The opinion of doctors about the time of cessation of lactation is quite contradictory. Some believe that you need to feed a child until one year, because then milk no longer contains so many useful elements and, when complementary foods appear, loses its importance. Others are inclined to believe that feeding must be continued until 2-3 years of age, so that the child’s body receives the necessary substances that contribute to the full development of the nervous system and strengthening the immune system. In reality, a lot depends on the feeling of the mother herself, because she is the one who knows the baby like no one else and can determine when that very moment comes.

Reasons for stopping breastfeeding may include:

Child refusal is when the baby turns away and does not want to accept the breast. In this case, you need to wait a little and offer to eat milk a few days later. At the same time, a woman should not forget to express overfilled breasts.
Medical indications. It happens that a mother develops diseases that are not compatible with breastfeeding, since she has to take antibiotics and hormonal drugs
Weaning at the mother's request. This can happen for various reasons: going to work, stressful situations or fatigue from breastfeeding. Holding a baby in your arms all the time and waking up “at the first call” becomes not so easy, and if the baby is teething, he can painfully bite the nipple while sucking.

Important! There may be many reasons why a woman would want it as soon as possible, but at the same time she must be aware that she will never have another opportunity to give her milk to her baby.

Why can breasts hurt after cessation of lactation?

Stopping breastfeeding should be done gradually - first eliminate night feedings and only then reduce daytime feedings. Demand creates supply and the body must accept that milk production is no longer required. Problems begin to be observed already in the first 2-3 days after weaning, stabbing pains and pain in the chest appear due to incoming milk. To relieve pain, a woman should regularly express her breasts as they become full. It is also useful to direct a cool shower stream onto your chest, which will narrow the blood and milk ducts and reduce the secretion of prolactin.

If a woman has severe breast pain after stopping breastfeeding, the cause may be:

Lactostasis is a blockage of the milk ducts, which leads to pain and congestion in the breasts. When feeling the mammary gland, a woman may feel a lump that can change shape and move during palpation. The consequences of pathology are often the proliferation of microorganisms in the mammary glands and purulent inflammation. Also, mommy may be alarmed by hardening of the breasts and an increase in body temperature, which often serves as a sign of the transition of lactostasis to mastitis.
Mastitis is damage to breast tissue caused by infection. It is characterized by redness and the appearance of a painful lump in the mammary gland. The chest constantly hurts, becomes hot and increases in size. There may be traces of blood or pus in the milk.

Important! If treatment for mastitis is not started on time, the consequence may be the development of gangrene, which requires surgical intervention.

Usually, after stopping breastfeeding, the breasts stop hurting after 2-3 weeks. If weaning occurred according to the rules and gradually, negative symptoms may not be observed at all. To complete lactation successfully and without consequences, it is recommended:

Express regularly by hand or using a breast pump. In this case, you should not empty your breasts completely; it is enough to express until the condition eases. This principle will reduce the amount of milk in the breast and avoid stagnation.
Cross out from the menu foods that cause increased lactation: hard cheese, meat, chicken eggs and warm tea.
During the day and at night, wear a bra made of natural fabrics with wide straps that provide good support to the breasts.
If the mammary glands continue to hurt severely, it is allowed to take medications with an effect (for example, Paracetamol or Ibuprofen). After all, the woman is no longer breastfeeding, which means you can take medications without fear for the baby’s health.
Accept . Novopassit, motherwort or valerian extract are good options.
Apply cold compresses. Particularly useful is the application of a beaten (wet) cabbage leaf to the breast, which promotes the resorption of lumps, reduces pain, and also has an anti-inflammatory and cooling effect. You can also use ice wrapped in a towel. Keeping such compresses is allowed for no more than 10-15 minutes.
Take herbal infusions that suppress lactation. The most effective are decoctions of sage, parsley and peppermint. To prepare the infusion, pour 1 tbsp. l dry herb 200 ml boiled water, leave for 30 minutes. Drink 0.5 cups of the prepared product 2 to 4 times a day.

Important! Before using medications, you should consult your doctor.

Drink only cool water – warm and hot drinks increase milk flow.
Take a cool shower daily.
See a doctor immediately if your breasts become red and painful, or if your body temperature rises.

On a note! In most cases, milk production stops after one week unless the nipples are further irritated.

A breast pump will help make expressing breast milk easier

How to prevent lactostasis when completing breastfeeding?

The main symptom of lactostasis is thickening of the breast area. When breastfeeding stops, a plug forms in the ducts, blocking the passage of incoming milk. If, when curtailing lactation, your chest hurts, it is necessary to use preventive methods to avoid stagnation:

Avoid stressful situations and physical activity.
Massage the breast, making circular movements from the base to the nipple. The location of lactostasis can be easily determined by the increased density of the tissue area. The lump should be massaged with special force, but so that the chest does not start to hurt too much, for about 1-2 minutes. After the procedure, the milk is expressed.
Grate raw carrots and apply to places where the chest hurts and lumps are observed.
Wear only comfortable underwear made of quality materials.
Do not overcool, but do not overheat your chest.
Dip a cotton pad into camphor oil warmed to room temperature and press it onto the affected area, cover with cling film and leave for 2-4 hours. After the time has passed, remove the lotion and rinse your chest in the shower. After this treatment, the chest pain stops, the gland tissue relaxes, swelling and lumps disappear.
Don't fall asleep lying on your stomach.

What do we have to do?

If, when folding the breast milk, the breast begins to hurt, and lumps form inside the gland, it is necessary to take measures to prevent the development of lactostasis and mastitis. The first step is to take an analgesic drug and express the accumulated milk. It is more convenient to do this under a warm shower.

Immediately before the procedure, the woman’s mammary glands are lubricated with a thick cream or oil. Expressing should be done with gentle movements from the base of the gland to the nipple, paying special attention to the painful lobes - after the procedure there should be no lumps left in the breast. If you leave congestion untouched in at least one breast, this will significantly increase the risks of purulent inflammation in this area.

Important! If a woman has severe breast pain, and there is congestion in the gland itself, it is necessary to visit a clinical facility. The doctor may prescribe medications that suppress lactation and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Nutrition and medications at the end of lactation

All drugs to stop milk production act at the hormonal level, suppressing the production of prolactin, which is the name of the hormone responsible for the production of mother's milk. The most effective drugs are: Dostinex, Utrozhestan, Parlodel, Bromocriptine, Bromcamphor.

Most pills to stop lactation have many side effects, the most common being vomiting, dizziness, and increased blood pressure. Therefore, such drugs should be used only in extreme cases: when the chest continues to hurt, mastitis and lactostasis appear.

To reduce breast milk, you should temporarily exclude the intake of fermented milk products, juicy fruits and vegetables, and any hot dishes. It is also not recommended to drink hot drinks, as this can trigger increased prolactin production.

When completing breastfeeding, you should pump only in cases where the breasts become full and begin to hurt a little. The usual procedure will help relieve pressure in the glands and eliminate discomfort. After pumping, a certain amount of milk should remain in the breast; you should not empty the lobes completely - this can lead to increased lactation. After a while, the body will “understand” that the baby no longer needs mother’s milk and the production of prolactin will stop.

What not to do?

Do not suddenly stop breastfeeding, as this may negatively affect the baby’s well-being.

There are many versions about methods of stopping lactation, which are not only unfounded, but can also harm the health of the mother. Strictly contraindicated:

Lubricating the mammary glands with mustard and other products that have a pungent taste can not only frighten the baby, but also cause digestive problems.
If the baby is not feeling well or is having difficulty teething, it is better to postpone weaning until a more favorable period.
It is thoughtless to take medications to suppress lactation. They are allowed to be used only in critical cases (for example, during an upcoming operation) and only as directed by a doctor.
Abruptly stop guards. When weaning, you should gradually cancel night feedings and reduce daytime feedings. On average it can take from 3 to 4 months.
Overheating the mammary glands can cause diseases and inflammatory processes.
Be hungry and thirsty. Such methods will not affect the production of prolactin in any way, but will lead to exhaustion and poor health of the woman.

Do I need to bandage my breasts?

Breast ligation is an ancient method - its essence was not to complete lactation, but to show the baby that the mother no longer has milk, it has ended. Few people knew that such actions not only did not give the desired effect, but could also provoke dangerous consequences. Blockage of the milk ducts leads to injuries to the mammary glands and the appearance of congestion, which can lead to the development of lactostasis and mastitis, in which the breasts become inflamed and very painful.

If lumps are detected after this method, it is necessary to immediately remove the bandage and empty the breasts with your hands or using a special device. Untimely actions can lead to surgical intervention.

Milk secretion after curdling

The release of milk after stopping breastfeeding is a completely natural process. This phenomenon can be observed for three years. A provoking factor may be taking medications or wearing tight underwear. With self-palpation (stimulating the nipples with your fingers - for example, during intimacy), the level of prolactin released increases up to 8-10 times.

Spontaneous milk separation can last from 3 to 6 months. In some cases, the process continues even longer than the specified time. However, you should not buy pharmaceuticals prematurely - if your chest does not hurt and there are no negative symptoms, this may be a completely normal reaction. A good reason to consult a doctor would be menstrual irregularities, inability to conceive, or changes in the nature of discharge from the mammary glands.

Lactostasis after stopping breastfeeding

If, after cessation of lactation, your chest hurts and lumps are felt in the gland, these may be symptoms of lactostasis. Most often this happens due to a sudden refusal to breastfeed, in which case milk production does not stop and the fluid stagnates in the ducts. Sometimes the chest begins to hurt so much that it is almost impossible to touch it. In such a situation, it is necessary to urgently begin treatment to avoid the development of inflammatory processes and purulent abscesses.

First of all, you should strain the breast, removing any accumulated compaction. In this case, you do not need to empty the breasts completely - this will help prevent increased secretion of prolactin. If the chest begins to hurt severely, you can take an analgesic. A therapeutic massage will also be helpful. It happens that you cannot remove the lumps on your own - in this case, you need to consult a doctor who can prescribe prolactin secretion inhibitors, anti-inflammatory medications or antibiotics, depending on the severity of the disease.

When should you go to the doctor?

If, after finishing breastfeeding, your breasts ache and hurt a little, this is a completely natural reaction of the body to the processes taking place. But in some cases, immediate consultation with a doctor is required, these include:

Redness of the skin of the chest.
Temperature increase.
The discharge is brown in color interspersed with blood.
The appearance of cracks in the nipples, especially if they hurt and bleed.
Feeling of burning and itching.

It is also necessary to make an appointment with a doctor if, after three years, there are disruptions in the menstrual cycle, signs of infertility, or changes in the color of discharge from the mammary glands.

Breast care when stopping breastfeeding

It is no secret that after stopping breastfeeding, the breasts begin to tingle and hurt: at such moments, a woman needs to be especially attentive to the mammary gland and follow the rules of prevention:

Wet the gauze folded several times in cold water and apply it to the chest. It is better to use this method after pumping: when the milk ducts collapse (stick together), and the vessels in the gland narrow, the production of prolactin is suppressed.
Do not take hot baths or showers in the first weeks after stopping guard.
Wear a comfortable bra around the clock that fits your breasts tightly, but at the same time does not cause discomfort.
Avoid positions that increase pressure on milk-filled breasts while sleeping. If a woman is used to sleeping on her side, you can place a cushion under her side so that her chest is slightly raised above the bed. Sleeping on your stomach is strictly contraindicated.
Massage the breasts without touching the nipple part - rubbing in this area will provoke an increased secretion of milk.
If the breast is very painful and red, and small lumps appear in the gland itself, you need to immediately make an appointment with a doctor.

If breastfeeding is stopped according to the rules and gradually, the risks of developing mastitis and lactostasis will be minimized. A slight pain at the end of lactation is a completely natural process: in order to relieve unpleasant symptoms, you need to continue pumping, but only until you feel relief. If, when the gland is emptied, the lumps do not disappear and an increase in body temperature is observed, you should consult a doctor.

So the baby was born. It may seem that all worries and worries are over. But then mom understands that the most important thing is just beginning - new worries have arrived. You need to restore your strength, and at the same time focus all your attention on the baby. Devoting all her energy and time to caring for the baby, the mother sometimes forgets about herself, and meanwhile, during the period when milk comes in, serious problems can arise, such as how to express if the breasts hurt, and if they have become like stones.

Pumping as a relief

In this condition, my mother suffers greatly. Breasts may increase up to two sizes. The milk ducts have not yet developed, and the baby cannot suck out that much milk.

But pumping in the first days can provoke hyperlactation, and then there will be even more problems. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out this procedure only until relief occurs, that is, not completely.

On the one hand, pumping alleviates the condition, but on the other hand, if it causes an even greater volume of milk production, it will lead to lactostasis. Therefore, you need to express, but not much.

If your breasts hurt after expressing milk, this means that there are still some problems in the milk ducts. The best way to clean them is to put your baby to sleep as often as possible.

How to avoid problems?

To prevent lactostasis from visiting you, you need to know about it long before giving birth, and not make mistakes in the future.

To prevent the milk ducts from becoming clogged, change the baby's position each time when feeding, and do not forget to ensure that the breast is latched correctly. You can’t hold your breast while feeding; don’t be afraid, the baby won’t choke, but you will block the milk ducts.

The duration of feeding cannot be reduced; let the baby stay at the breast as long as he needs. If your nipples are sensitive and your breasts hurt when pumping, then increase the number of latches so that your baby can help you with this problem. At the same time, the frequency of attachments depends entirely on you; you do not need to wait until the baby gets hungry. The problem area in the chest during feeding should be on the side of the baby's lower lip.

Long periods of time between feedings also lead to stagnation of milk. If you are separated from your baby, it is better to pump a little.

If you have lactostasis, you need to be very careful with breast massage. It should be as light as possible. Rough massage will only contribute to blockage of the ducts. And pumping should not be frequent.

If after pumping your breasts hurt and you have a fever, then you don’t need to give up frequent breastfeeding. Temperature has no effect on the content of nutrients in milk, including its quality.

Of course, if chest pain occurs, especially if the temperature rises, you need to consult a doctor. Only he can find out the cause of this condition and find the necessary treatment, including the intensity of pumping.

If you have been pumping constantly, then you cannot abruptly stop these procedures. Everything should happen gradually.

When milk comes in and your breasts hurt, should you pump or not? You need to express, following the recommendations about a small amount. But first of all, you need to find out why the pain appears, because in addition to lactostasis, mastitis can be the cause of pain and temperature. And this is an infectious disease. There may be pus in the milk, but you should not feed your baby this kind of milk.

To prevent postpartum troubles from awaiting you, carefully monitor your well-being and do not miss the moment of the beginning of complications.