How to Relieve Breast Engorgement?

 

During the course of your breastfeeding journey, be ready to face various challenging situations. You’ll have tender and sensitive breasts; you’ll face a decrease in milk supply (which can be boosted by breastfeeding drinks), you may also have an overflow of milk and you can suffer from mastitis as well. Another such common problem faced by many mothers several times while nursing their babies is breast engorgement. It is basically a swelling on the breasts which in turn makes breasts, nipples and the areola very tender and painful to touch let alone feeding, the breasts also become large, lumpy and very tight. Breast engorgement is very common and mostly occurs during the first few weeks or months of breastfeeding but it can happen anytime if you’re negligent of the nursing times.

What are the Causes of Breast Engorgement?

Breast engorgement is a fairly common problem faced by many mothers in the initial stages or at any point during the pregnancy. Having said that, the experience of the first engorgement is quite intense after the milk comes in for the first time. The main reason for engorgement in breasts is due to increased blood, milk and other fluids in the breasts. The increased blood flow boosts the milk production and starts making ample milk that causes the discomfort and heaviness in the breasts. But there are several other factors that can also cause swelling in breasts and can happen anytime during the breastfeeding course.

The most common cause of breast engorgement is missing feeding sessions. Whenever a mother misses her feeding session with her baby, the breast milk will start to build up in her breast and if it's not removed frequently the beasts will start feeling heavy, swelled, firm and very hard to lift. Same is the case with missed pumping sessions, if a mother pumps her milk but misses her sessions then her breasts will meet the same fate. Breast engorgement also happens when a mother starts to wean off her baby and starts giving her solids. As the milk is not removed completely from the breast it causes swelling. Milk from the breast can’t be removed efficiently if the baby has a poor latch, if he/she is too ill or weak to suck.

What are the Symptoms of Breast Engorgement?

The symptoms of breast engorgement differ from person to person. It can be pretty wild for some and it can also be manageable for some, depending on the intensity of the situation. But most mothers who have engorged breasts feel their breasts har very hard and firm, they are sensitive to touch, they become very heavy, full, lumpy and swollen. The swelling of the breasts can be in one breast or both of them. If the breasts is too swollen, you might even find it hard to raise your arms.

The veins around the breasts become very prominent and noticeable. Mothers can also suffer from low-key fatigue and fever. But in case of fever, please consult a doctor so that proper medication is given for infection. If breast engorgement is not treated in time, it can also lead to mastitis which is an infection that causes inflammation in the breast if the milk isn’t removed from the breasts.

How to Treat Breast Engorgement?

Breast engorgement is painful, stressful and makes nursing very hard so it's absolutely vital to relieve the breasts from the swelling. The silver lining is that this condition lasts for a short period of time and relief can be found within a day or two. We at Milk Mama want to make your nursing journey easy and less stressful by offering you a wide range of products and tips from breastfeeding drinks, treats, brownies and cookies to supplements, blog posts and various other methods.

Coming back to the ways you can relieve your breasts from engorgement, the first and most effective is to nurse your baby as much as you can. Ideally after every 2-3 hours for at least 15-20 minutes or as long as the baby wants to. If your baby isn’t willing to feed but you still feel that your breasts are not fully emptied, pump the milk in order to remove all the milk from the breasts and release them from any pressure.

You can also use warm and cold compress to ease out the pressure from the breasts. The cold compress or ice pack relieves the swelling and pain from the breasts and the warm compress makes the breasts softer and tender that makes the let down of milk easier. The mother can also massage her breasts while nursing to release the milk more efficiently. Alternating positions during the feeding session can help drain the milk from different areas of the breasts making it feel lighter and less painful. A supporting and lifting nursing bra can also play a pivotal in supporting your breasts thus lifting the added pressure on your shoulder muscles.

How to Prevent Engorgement from Happening?

Prevention of breast engorgement for the first few times is inevitable as the body is still figuring out the best rate of supply. However, in the later months, mothers can surely prevent themselves from this painful situation by following certain prevention methods. The best and the most effective way to steer clear of this situation is by feeding your little one regularly. Don’t miss any feeding sessions and drain your milk completely from the breasts so that the breasts remain light. If you have been taking breastfeeding drinks from Milky Mama to increase your milk supply then, pump your milk before nursing the baby, as the pressure of the milk can choke the baby and he might just give up on it resulting in undrained breasts leading to engorgement.

If you don’t want to breastfeed then wait out for a couple of days, the body will understand that it doesn’t need to produce more milk.

Takeaway Points

To be mindful about breast engorgement, when to expect it, how to prevent it and how to relieve it can assist you well in dealing with this common breastfeeding problem. Breast engorgement is temporary so don’t give up on it as breast milk is the best source of nutrition for your child and nothing should hamper it.