Lumps in the breast during lactation are common. It may feel dense and round to the touch and roll freely under the skin of the mammary gland. In some cases, the skin over the formation turns red, local heat appears, and the general condition of the nursing mother often suffers. If there is any problem in the breasts during lactation, a woman should consult an obstetrician-gynecologist, mammologist or surgeon.

Induration during lactation: why does it happen?

Lumps in the mammary gland are not uncommon. According to statistics, up to half of all breastfeeding women experience it. The causes of this condition are varied, but most are related to physiological lactation factors. Most often it is a violation of the technique of breastfeeding the baby.

Video in which Dr. Komarovsky talks about the rules of breastfeeding

Blockage of the milk ducts, or the passage is closed

The mammary gland consists of so-called lobules, each of which has a milk duct. One end of it expands and comes out onto the surface of the nipple (there are from 15 to 20 such holes on it). The other ends in the acinus, the section in which milk production occurs. Blockage of the milk duct occurs if, for some reason, the free passage of milk to the nipple is disrupted.

Causes of blockage:

• stagnation of milk in some segments of the gland in the absence or improper feeding;
• increased milk production due to irregular pumping;
• maxillo-oral characteristics of the child, as a result of which he grasps the nipple incorrectly;
• too narrow ducts after chest injury;
• thick milk as a result of low fluid intake or the woman’s diet (abundance of fat);
• large breast size, sagging with constriction of the lobules;
• long intervals between feedings.

The mammary gland consists of lobules penetrated by milk ducts

What to do if there is a blockage

First of all, if there is a blockage, you need to continue feeding. At the first request, put the baby to the breast, making sure that he empties it completely. If this does not happen, then express until relief occurs. Symptoms, as a rule, are not expressed during blockage. The general condition is not disturbed. The main thing for a woman at this moment is to prevent stagnation from turning into lactostasis or mastitis.

Pumping according to the rules:

• express milk in the direction from the base of the gland to the nipple;
• Having felt the cork, you need to carefully knead it;
• The lumps should not be pressed all the way, as this can squeeze other ducts and worsen the situation.

Lactostasis: the main thing is to take action in time

If the milk lump is not removed from the duct, lactostasis may begin - persistent stagnation of milk. A compaction in the form of a dense, painful lump is felt in the breast tissue. The mammary gland becomes rough, the skin over the plug turns red, and a venous pattern appears. The woman experiences fatigue, lethargy, and sometimes there is an increase in body temperature up to 38 degrees. Important: there may be several congestions in different segments of the mammary gland.

What to do with lactostasis

First of all, with lactostasis you need to continue feeding. Express the remaining milk. It is useful to gently massage the sore breast under a warm (not hot!) shower. After feeding and pumping, you can apply a cold compress to the gland to reduce the heat. It is recommended to smear the area of ​​compaction with homeopathic Traumeel gel. This remedy has an anti-edematous effect. It will also relieve pain and inflammation. The most important thing with lactostasis is to prevent it from developing into mastitis. To do this, you need to pump out the breasts and monitor the symptoms: if the temperature and poor health persist for more than three days or the woman’s condition worsens, there is a reason to visit the doctor in person.

Video showing how to express properly

Mastitis: when you can’t wait any longer

Mastitis is an infectious disease in which a milk lump under the influence of bacteria (most often Staphylococcus aureus) turns into an infiltrate. The skin over it turns red, and the entire diseased gland may become the same color. She is tense and swollen. The abscess gradually increases in size. Then symptoms of fluctuation (fluctuation) may appear. This suggests that the infiltrate is filled to capacity with pus. Sometimes a phlegmonous form of mastitis occurs. In this case, the abscess is not separated by a capsule from the healthy lobes of the breast, but is, as it were, spread under the skin. This mastitis is accompanied by inflammation of the lymph nodes. The most dangerous type is gangrenous. With it, tissue necrosis is noted due to circulatory disorders. The woman's condition is assessed as extremely serious. The swollen mammary gland is covered with dark red, brown spots. Inflammation from the chest spreads to neighboring parts of the body, and a blood test shows signs of bacterial infection - an increase in ESR and high leukocytosis. If left untreated, death can occur.

Chronicles of the disease

The disease usually occurs very quickly. A woman can go to bed healthy and wake up in the morning with fever and pain. From lactostasis to the full picture of acute inflammation of the mammary gland, no more than two days often pass. The pain, as a rule, is aching in nature; a feeling of heat spreads across the chest, causing discomfort to the woman. There is a sharp deterioration in general health, and symptoms of intoxication appear.

Symptoms:

• headache;
• body aches;
• temperature above 38.5 degrees;
• chills;
• the gland turns red and enlarges;
• insomnia;
• decreased appetite.

Treatment of mastitis should be started immediately, and it is better to immediately contact a surgeon to prescribe therapy.

Tactics for overcoming mastitis

For mastitis, antibiotics are usually prescribed. Breastfeeding is temporarily stopped. To maintain lactation, you need to try to express yourself regularly and carefully. At the very beginning of the disease, you can try folk recipes as compresses, for example, applying a mashed aloe leaf scalded with boiling water to the seal. Pharmacy products for opening an abscess include ichthyol, Vishnevsky ointment or magnesia. You should not use vodka, alcohol, or camphor for compresses. It has been proven that they lower the level of the hormone oxytocin and thereby slow down milk production.

Ichthyol is affordable and effective

This ointment will relieve itching, pain, inflammation, and kill germs locally. When the infiltrate is opened, it will have a wound-healing effect. You need to apply the product under a napkin.

The price of ichthyol ointment is no more than 100 rubles, and its effectiveness in treating ulcers is great

Treatment according to Vishnevsky

They say that only the smell of liniment kills germs! Vishnevsky ointment helps overcome congestion in the breast tissue, relieves swelling and pain. Due to its composition, it easily penetrates under the skin, into soft tissues, and provokes the opening of infiltrates. You should apply it to the abscess and secure the bandage with polyethylene on top for 4–5 hours, periodically changing the composition.

My technique is developed in such a form that it can be transferred at any given moment to any remote corner of our vast country. With it you can save the life of a patient both in the brilliant operating room of a cultural center and on a simple wooden table lit by a kerosene lamp

Alexander Vishnevsky

http://www.rulit.me/books/eksperiment-v-hirurgii-read-350888–105.html

This beautiful word is magnesia

Magnesia helps soften the milk clot that causes mastitis. You can buy an ampoule with liquid for about 30 rubles at your nearest pharmacy.

Algorithm for applying a compress:

1. Heat the ampoule under warm water;
2. Moisten the gauze folded in several layers;
3. Apply to the infiltrate;
4. Secure with a bandage;
5. Dress in a warm sweater to enhance the warming effect.

Abscess: when surgery is difficult to avoid

The causes of breast abscess due to prolonged mastitis in 90% of cases are cracks in the nipples that appear during feeding. If the nipple is not treated or done incorrectly, it becomes damaged. Through them, bacteria penetrate into the breast tissue.

Rules for processing nipples:

• do not wash nipples with soap in the first two weeks after birth to avoid dryness;
• avoid bleeding wounds;
• do not rub the areolas when drying with a towel, but blot them;
• If irritation, peeling, or cracks occur, lubricate the nipples with sea buckthorn oil or lanolin cream.

Bepanten cream helps to cope with cracks in the mammary gland and is safe for children

Surgical treatment is carried out only for mature abscesses, if the fatty tissue has begun to melt. During the intervention, it is opened, the cavity is cleaned and washed with antiseptics, then a drain is inserted until the wound is completely healed. After surgery, antibiotics, immunostimulants, and analgesics are used. Dressings are performed daily. The woman is usually allowed to go home on the fourth day. Full recovery is observed after a month. During the rehabilitation period, physiotherapeutic treatment and chest massage are prescribed. If lactation is maintained, you can continue to feed the baby.

Consolidation after lactation

Often, breast lumps persist in women who completed lactation even about a year ago. In this case, a consultation with a mammologist is indicated to identify the so-called galactocele - a fatty cyst of the mammary gland. This cavity is filled with milk, pure or modified (cheese-like, oily or saponified). The disease has no symptoms other than a palpable formation. The reason for it most often cannot be determined. Predisposing factors include breast inflammation, lactostasis, hormonal imbalances, trauma, and genetic abnormalities of the milk ducts. The diagnosis is clarified using ultrasound, mammography, and puncture. Treatment for small galactoceles is medicinal, for large ones - surgical. Large cysts should be removed without fail, as they can cause mastitis, abscesses, and very rarely, cancer.

Any breast hardening during lactation causes discomfort to the woman and her child, so it is important to prevent the development of this pathology. To do this, follow the feeding regimen and technique, take care of the breasts, and prevent hypothermia and injuries to the mammary gland.

Very often during breastfeeding, a woman suffers from the formation of painful lumps in the mammary glands. It is especially difficult in the first days. Coping with this condition is not entirely easy, but it is quite possible. As a rule, it is enough to change the feeding regimen, do it more often, and the lumps in the mammary gland will disappear. You also need to express milk correctly so as not to aggravate the situation or introduce an infection into the breast through cracks in the nipples. You can use some well-known techniques.

Content:

Causes of lumps in the breast

Lumps in the breasts of a nursing mother are not such a rare phenomenon. Almost every woman faces this. In the first time after the birth of a child, when the body is still weakened, the mother does not get enough sleep and there is no time to properly rest, feeding sometimes turns into torture. The main thing is not to start the process if lumps occur, endure the pain a little, and listen to the advice of breastfeeding specialists. Then it will be possible to avoid complications and maintain the opportunity to feed the baby with mother’s milk, which is very important for his health and development.

Lumps can occur in one breast or both at the same time. The mechanism of their formation is quite simple. In certain areas of the gland, the ducts expand, that is, the speed of its passage to the nipple decreases. If there is a lot of milk and it is thick, then stagnation occurs, a plug is formed from the fat contained in the milk, and painful sensations appear due to stretching of the duct wall. This condition is called lactostasis.

The reasons for the formation of seals are usually the following:

1. The occurrence of a spasm of the milk duct in any area. In this case, expansion and stretching of the wall occurs in front of the narrowing point. The woman’s anxious state and the nervous stress she has experienced are most often to blame for this. Everyone knows that a nursing mother should not be nervous. This affects lactation and the condition of the child. The cause of spasm of the ducts can also be hypothermia.
2. Incorrect expression of milk. Previously, women were recommended to completely empty their breasts and express their breasts immediately after feeding. It was believed that this is what will save from the formation of lumps. But the more milk a woman expresses, the more milk comes in, as lactation intensifies reflexively. The body perceives complete emptying as a signal to increase breast milk production. Accordingly, the ducts cannot cope with such pressure, they expand unevenly, and areas of stagnation form.
3. Increased fat content of breast milk. Sometimes its thickening is facilitated by a woman’s consumption of insufficient amounts of fluid, especially in the hot season. High-fat milk thickens faster, forming plugs in the milk ducts.
4. Incorrect attachment of the baby to the breast. Due to inexperience, the woman always holds it near the mammary glands during feeding in the same position. In this case, the ducts empty unevenly.
5. Feeding the baby with long breaks. It was believed that he needed to be fed according to a schedule, no more than every 3 hours, and at night it was generally recommended to give him a bottle of water or weak tea instead of the breast. At the same time, his digestive system works better, and he eats with more appetite. But many mothers know what torture it is to withstand the demanding crying of a hungry baby, who does not know that it is useful for him to endure another 1-2 hours. In response to crying, the mother’s milk again reflexively begins to flow, as a result of which lumps form in the breast.
6. Chest bruise. The slightest injury leads to swelling of the ducts and the appearance of lumps.

Video: How to properly express milk from the breast

How does lactostasis manifest?

Symptoms of the appearance of lactostasis are the formation of lumps in certain areas of the mammary gland, aching pain that intensifies with pressure on the chest. Inflammatory processes may occur, and the woman’s body temperature rises.

If you do not take action immediately or act incorrectly, complications may develop. Milk will suppurate in the place where it accumulates. A condition will arise in which it is impossible to feed the child with a sore breast, since the entry of pus into the body is fatal for him.

Differences between lactostasis and various breast diseases

Detection of lumps in the mammary glands even during lactation does not always mean the appearance of lactostasis. There are diseases of the mammary glands, which are characterized by the appearance of dense areas.

Mastitis

Inflammation of the mammary gland. It occurs due to the penetration of a bacterial infection into her tissue through cracks in the nipples. Damage to the delicate tissue of the nipples occurs due to the friction created by the baby's lips when drawing out milk, and the drying of their surface after feeding. The situation is aggravated by the fact that lubricating the nipples with medicinal agents leads to a change in the taste of milk, the baby’s refusal to breastfeed, or even poisoning.

The condition of the nipples returns to normal when the skin becomes a little rougher. The appearance of mastitis is dangerous, as pus may form in areas of inflammation (abscess). In this case, not only extremely painful lumps appear in the chest, but also redness of the mammary glands, an increase in temperature, a sensation of heat in the chest, and purulent discharge from the nipple.

Warning: Do not massage sore breasts or apply warm compresses. This will cause the pus to spread to a larger area and cause blood poisoning.

This condition requires surgery to remove the pus and wash the ducts with antiseptic agents. You cannot do without antibiotics, since the process can spread to the second breast. Lactation in the affected breast stops, and the child is transferred to artificial feeding.

Mastopathy

This is a common disease in which pathological growth of individual breast tissues occurs. As a rule, changes occur due to hormonal imbalances in the body. Pregnancy is accompanied by just such changes, so the occurrence of mastopathy is quite possible. The cones can be approximately 1-3 cm in size.

A nagging pain radiates to the shoulder and spreads to the armpit area. Single dense areas may form or several nodes may appear scattered throughout the gland. If they formed earlier, then feeding often promotes their resorption. Refusal of breastfeeding, on the contrary, provokes their growth.

Cyst

The cause of voids filled with milk in the tissues of the gland can also be hormonal imbalance. The formation of cysts during the feeding period is not in itself dangerous if they do not begin to increase, but the risk of lactostasis and then mastitis increases. Therefore, the condition requires close attention and urgent measures should be taken if lumps occur in the chest.

To prevent cysts from enlarging, remedies are prescribed for their resorption based on natural substances and plants (homeopathic and herbal remedies). If necessary, after the end of breastfeeding, hormonal therapy or surgical removal of tumors is carried out.

Benign tumors

Malignant tumors

Changes occur in the skin of the breast; the lumps are motionless due to the fact that they are firmly connected to the skin. The treatment method is selected individually, taking into account the size of the tumor and stage of development. If radiation or chemotherapy is required, breastfeeding is stopped.

Techniques for eliminating lumps in the breast during feeding

If lumps are detected in the breast, a woman should consult a doctor about their nature. If this is lactostasis, then the following measures may be recommended:

1. Frequently putting the baby to the breast (as required).
2. Maximum reduction of night break.
3. Feeding first with the affected breast and then with the healthy one. Moreover, you should not completely empty one breast, leaving milk in the second until the next feeding, otherwise it may also suffer.
4. Attaching the baby alternately in different directions relative to the breast. In order for the baby to be able to “dissolve” the lump, he must be positioned so that the chin is directed towards the painful area.

Expressing should be done with light movements, preferably while bathing in a warm bath or shower, so that the mammary glands are as relaxed as possible. If there is too much milk, the baby does not have time to draw it out, you need to use a breast pump. It is useful to massage by stroking the breast in the direction from the base to the nipple.

If there is a blockage of the duct at the exit to the nipple, then the resulting white lump can be pierced with a sterile needle, after which it is necessary to express the thickened milk. You should not wear a bra that is too tight.

Video: What to do if a lump has formed in your breast

Mastitis is lump in the breast while breastfeeding . It usually occurs during breastfeeding due to stagnation of milk or infection through cracks in the nipples, abrasions and scratches on the skin of a nursing mother. The main symptoms of mastitis include: bursting pain in the chest, swelling, redness and thickening in any area, as well as an increase in body temperature. You will need - pure chalk powder; - carrot juice; - lemon balm tea; - Rye flour; - fresh milk; - ghee; - tea with peppermint leaves; - tea with sage leaves; - tea with alder leaves; - pumpkin pulp; - granulated sugar; - baked onion; - honey; - linseed oil; - fresh cabbage leaves; - fresh coltsfoot leaves; - fresh burdock leaves; - grated carrots; - bean flour; - soapy water. Non-purulent forms of mastitis are treated conservatively, without surgical intervention. The main drugs in the treatment of mastitis are antibiotics. They are prescribed orally, intravenously or intramuscularly. The choice of drug is based on determining the sensitivity of bacteria. The most common in medicine are Cefazolin, Oxacillin, Amoxiclav, Gentamicin, Cefradil and others. To eliminate chest pain, local anesthetics, for example, novocaine blockades, are used. It is recommended to express milk from both glands every three hours. Otherwise, its stagnation will promote the proliferation of microbes. Purulent mastitis is treated surgically. The operation is performed under general anesthesia. After it, antibiotics are mandatory. Breastfeeding is allowed only after stopping medication and a negative result of a bacterial test of milk to detect bacteria in it. Simultaneously with the methods of scientific medicine, it is advisable to carry out home treatment with folk remedies. It can be carried out with the help of medicinal plants and only after consultation with a specialist. Treatment of the disease with folk recipes alone is prohibited. Most herbs do not have the ability to independently suppress an infection that has entered the mammary glands. If your milk stagnates, take 1 tsp 4 times a day. pure chalk powder. Wash it down with lemon balm tea or carrot juice. Mix rye flour, fresh milk and melted butter until a soft dough is obtained. Leave the product overnight and apply it to the sore area of ​​the chest in the morning. Repeat several times. It is useful to apply grated carrots and a mixture of bean flour and soapy water to the hardened area. A good alternative to them is fresh cabbage leaves, mother-and- For purulent mastitis, use gruel from a baked onion. Mix it with honey or flaxseed oil in a 2:1 ratio. Apply the mixture 2-3 times a day for 3-4 hours until complete recovery. Boil the pumpkin pulp in a small amount of milk until a thick mass forms. Before using the compress, sprinkle it with granulated sugar. This way the pumpkin will better retract pus. Recovery from mastitis occurs much faster and is less painful if you reduce or completely suppress the production of breast milk from the glands. To reduce lactation, drink tea with peppermint, sage or alder leaves.

Lump in the breast during feeding

The lump in the breast has varying sensitivity, sometimes very painful, and slight redness. This is associated with breastfeeding and causes anxiety and worry in any woman.

Typically, lumpiness in the breast during feeding is due to a blocked duct that allows milk to pass through. A blood clot appears in this problem area, and when palpated, a lump appears, which is most often painful and red.

If a lump is detected in the breast while breastfeeding, treatment measures must be taken immediately. This phenomenon in itself is not dangerous, but obstruction of the milk ducts can lead to the emergence and development of complications that will have to be treated with medications. Which is very undesirable when breastfeeding. Don't take this problem carelessly!
How to restore milk flow

1. Give your baby the painful breast first and try to get your baby to suck as much milk from it as possible. Even if there is milk left in the breast, be sure to express it, emptying the breast as much as possible. It is easier to express your breasts in the shower under warm running water. If you are comfortable, use a breast pump. Special poses help.

2. Choose underwear and clothing that is not too tight around the chest area. Pressure in the area of ​​the lump in the chest will only make the situation worse.

3. To change the area of ​​the breast that experiences the most pressure each time, use different breastfeeding positions.

4. A child can help you! Choose feeding positions so that the baby's chin touches the affected area. Massaging the baby's movements while sucking will help cleanse the milk duct.

5. Rinse the remaining milk from the nipple with warm water after feeding so that the nipple does not become clogged with a film of dried milk.

6. If you encounter the problem of breast lumps during breastfeeding, do not stop breastfeeding your baby. This can significantly worsen your condition.

Breast milk stagnation and how to deal with it

Hard lumps in the chest first hurt, turn red, and then the temperature rises. The reasons for the appearance of such seals can be different, for example, feeding the baby in the same position all the time or sleeping on one side. Then the movement of milk through the milk ducts of the glands becomes difficult. Sometimes mothers, due to inexperience, wear too tight underwear, which results in stagnation of milk in the breast. The appearance of a pacifier in a baby’s life, due to which he stops sucking the required amount of milk, changes in the composition of milk, for example, its excessive fat content due to the consumption of nuts, and even a change in weather can cause stagnation of milk. They say that in the heat there are more such cases, mothers forget to drink enough, and the body lacks moisture.

For me, this trouble usually happened in the first months of breastfeeding, when the baby is still small, but there is already a lot of milk, he does not suck everything out, and the remaining milk forms lumps. Especially in the inner part of the left breast, since the baby sucked all the time from one position, some parts of the chest simply did not reach the turn.

What helps with stagnation of milk in the breast?

Expressing helped - for me the easiest and most correct way to stop milk stagnation in the breast. No matter how painful it is, the lumps must be rubbed until they become at least a little softer and expressed. It is clear that the procedure is unpleasant, but you should not feel sorry for yourself, it is better to endure the pain than to treat mastitis later. To avoid damaging the skin when rubbing, I used baby cream or sunflower oil.

Doctors recommend several more ways to stop milk stagnation in the breast. First, change the position of the child so that his chin looks at a different part of the chest each time. You need to feed often - once every 1-2 hours, even at night. And for the best result, before expressing, you need to apply a warm compress to the sore part of the breast. Conversely, after pumping, cool the affected parts of the breast a little so that the swelling goes away. Cold compresses can also be done between feedings; mothers also apply a cabbage leaf, honey cake or cold cottage cheese to the breast.

My milk stagnation was usually limited to lumps, there was no temperature. But if it appears and lasts for more than a day, of course, you need to see a doctor. You cannot do without a specialist even if the seals do not go away for more than a week.

How to treat breast lumps while breastfeeding. Many women experience lumps in the breasts when breastfeeding.

Many women who practice breastfeeding are faced with the phenomenon of lumps in the mammary glands. Their appearance causes significant discomfort to the nursing mother: severe pain occurs during feeding. This problem cannot be ignored, because... Ignoring the presence of lumps in the breast can lead to the development of dangerous diseases such as mastitis. You can cope with lactostasis at the initial stage yourself at home.

Symptoms of lactostasis

Breast lumps are small bumps that can be easily felt with your fingers. A hard lump in the breast of a nursing mother is the first sign of milk stagnation (lactostasis). The presence of the following symptoms also indicates its development:

• Inflammation and swelling of the breast. Due to swelling, it becomes larger in size, and the skin in the area of ​​the tumor becomes light scarlet in color.
• Pain when feeling the lumps. By pressing on the place where the breasts have hardened, the woman experiences acute painful sensations. The breasts also hurt a lot during the breastfeeding process, and relief comes after stopping feeding.
• Increased body temperature. It can rise to 37.5 degrees. In mild form, lactostasis can occur without fever.
• Deterioration of milk flow. During pumping, it is released very slowly, drop by drop. It is difficult for the baby to breastfeed.

The presence of the above symptoms during breastfeeding requires prompt action. Ignoring the signs of lactostasis will lead to a significant decrease in lactation and the emergence of serious problems with a woman’s health.

Causes of milk stagnation

It is important not only to cure the disease, but also to identify the causes of its development in order to avoid relapses. Milk stagnation can be caused by both internal and external factors. The most common causes of lactostasis:

If seals are detected, prompt measures must be taken to eliminate them. Untimely treatment will lead to a sharp deterioration in the woman’s condition and the formation of mastitis.

How to remove breast lumps

If, if lumps occur in the chest of a nursing mother, the body temperature is above 37.5 degrees, then it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor - this the condition is very dangerous not only for a woman’s health, but also for her life. Often, elevated temperature is a sign of mastitis (purulent inflammation of the breast), which requires urgent medical intervention.

If there is no elevated temperature, you can eliminate the lumps yourself. It is necessary to put the baby to the sore breast as often as possible. The only contraindication to breastfeeding is the presence of purulent discharge.

It is important to breastfeed the baby even in his sleep if the mother’s breasts are full. Such measures will help break up lumps faster and normalize lactation. At the same time, do not forget about the second breast in order to prevent the formation of seals in it too. Recommendations for feeding during milk stagnation:

It is necessary to perform a set of these actions before each feeding. This will allow after 2-3 days to significantly improve the health of a nursing woman and improve lactation.

It is important to monitor the amount of liquid consumed. Its daily amount should be no less and no more than 3 liters. This volume includes not only water, but also juices, tea, and first courses. Restricting fluids to reduce lactation will cause dehydration. To achieve faster results, you should also use traditional medicine methods.

Treatment with folk remedies

To remove lumps in the mammary glands, it is recommended to resort to the following folk remedies:

• Honey. A flat cake is prepared from it: you need to mix honey and flour until a tight dough forms. Having given it the shape of a thin cake, you need to apply it to the inflamed skin, secure it with cling film or a piece of polyethylene, and wrap your chest with a warm scarf or scarf. Leave the product on for at least 15 minutes. It is recommended to carry out this procedure 4-5 times a day. This method of removing seals is contraindicated for nursing mothers who are allergic to honey.
• Cabbage. Cabbage leaves are applied to the chest. The leaf must be soft; if there are rough veins on it, they must be cut off with a knife. After the sheet is washed and slightly dried, it is cut in several places. This is necessary so that the juice begins to stand out. Then the cabbage leaf is applied to the inflamed breast, secured with a bandage and a bra is put on. After 2.5-3 hours, you need to apply a compress of fresh cabbage.
• Pharmaceutical camomile. It is used in the form of a decoction. To prepare the product, add 1 teaspoon to a glass of water and put on fire. After the liquid boils, it should be simmered over low heat for 30 minutes and then strained. A piece of gauze or soft cloth is moistened in the finished decoction and applied to the sore chest. The chamomile compress must be left on for at least half an hour. You need to apply the product 3-4 times a day.
• Cottage cheese. It is used for compress. A small amount of chilled dairy product should be applied to a piece of gauze and applied to the sore breast. The cottage cheese must be covered with polyethylene. The compress must be left on for 10 minutes. The procedure must be carried out at least 3 times a day.

Important: you should not warm your breasts with compresses using alcohol and warming ointments. This effect on delicate skin can lead to complications.

If there is no positive result after therapy with folk remedies, you must stop self-medication and seek medical help. Based on the examination and test results, the specialist will select the appropriate treatment. Today, pharmacies sell many different ointments and gels for the breast, which have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that can quickly cure lactostasis. But such products can only be used with the permission of a doctor.

Self-administration of medications for lactostasis is dangerous to health.

Preventive measures

To minimize the risk of lactostasis in the future, a woman must strictly follow the rules of breastfeeding. For successful lactation and prevention of various health problems it is necessary:

• Breastfeed your baby on demand. You should avoid feeding by the hour. If the mother needs to be away for an indefinite period of time, it is recommended to express a small amount of milk so that the person looking after the baby can feed him if necessary. Therefore, milk should never be completely expressed.
• Correctly attaching your baby to the breast. It is necessary that when feeding the baby the entire areola is captured, and not just the nipple. It is important to alternate between both breasts when feeding. This measure will avoid milk stagnation.
• Avoid bottle feeding. It is possible to supplement a child's feeding if the mother's milk supply is low only if the pediatrician insists on it. Then you should use a spoon or a small cup, since after taking the formula from a bottle, the baby may stop breastfeeding.

This article is for mothers who are faced with breast fullness in the days when colostrum is replaced by milk (usually 3-4 days after birth, but maybe a little earlier or later). Also, the described techniques can be useful for breast swelling in the first or second day (even at the stage of colostrum).

So. The milk has arrived. The breasts filled up and became not just heavy, but very full and painful. Even the temperature sometimes rises for a day. Sometimes it's really scary. And if it’s also difficult for a child to grab it, what to do and what not to do? What do you need to know first?

Go.
Point by point details:

1. Read carefully: this temporarily. After 1-2 days, the breasts will enter the “working” mode, deal with the new working conditions, and the feeling of heaviness and fullness will go away. You Not The breasts will remain like this throughout the entire feeding period. It is important for you and your baby to work well during these one and a half to two days, helping your breasts - and everything will work out.
2. What to do Now? The most important rule: don't let your breasts rest. She must work, give milk. Then the sensations will return to normal sooner.

An example of the wrong tactics is when your breasts begin to fill up, take a break from feeding until the morning - and what if it resolves somehow on its own. Right now.

An example of a correct one is to start feeding the baby more often, waking him up if he sleeps for too long. Pay attention to correct application (articles about that, and)
3. Pro wake up. Milk begins to come in, new sensations appear - we switch to the “ feeding on mother's demand" You have every right to wake up your baby and ask him to help you if your breasts are already “calling.” This is also temporary.
4. Keep a path for milk free.
a. There are different options for the arrival of milk: if everything is in order, the breast may become hot, heavy, even with some kind of compaction, but at the same time the areola remains elastic, the baby can latch on well (captures both the nipple and the areola), the milk flows freely. After feeding, such breasts become noticeably softer and lighter. In this case, you don’t need to do anything special, just apply-apply-apply (see point 2). Everything will return to normal very soon (see point 1)

b. But in some cases, and all sorts of stories are told about them, it turns out that swelling of the breast and areola is added to the fullness of the breast.

• The breasts feel “stony”, very painful, the areola is inelastic and overcrowded.
• Pressing on the areola is also painful (sometimes very painful! and this pain even interferes with feeding the baby).
• The nipple becomes flattened.
• The milk does not flow out - swelling interferes, blocking its path.
• It may be difficult for a child to latch onto such a breast; he slips from the dense areola (like a ball) onto the nipple or cannot latch on at all.
• Feeding often does not provide relief due to the fact that milk does not come out.
• Expressing milk isn't very good either.

This situation is called engorgement. Here the breasts and baby need additional help, which we will talk about. The main thing is to remember that this is not the end of the world and everything will work out.

Inside, breasts with and without engorgement differ in the level of swelling (diagram, just for clarity):

Algorithm of actions to prevent engorgement:
Frequent applications baby (or pumping, if for some reason he cannot suckle on his own) from the first days - even at the colostrum stage. IN ! In (if possible) and (this is mandatory) poses.
Drinking regime– normal, according to thirst. Research has shown that limiting drinking does not help prevent engorgement. We won't get anything but dehydration for mom.
What to do with the breasts if engorgement has already occurred?
Open the way for milk.
An indispensable and very effective technique is. Minimum 1 minute, if engorgement is more severe - 2 or 3 minutes.

What happens in this case: the fingers gently and painlessly squeeze the excess swelling deeper. For a while, the areola again becomes soft and elastic, the nipple becomes more pronounced, but most importantly, the path for milk - the ducts - is cleared. The baby can latch on - and can receive milk.

Once again - a detailed article -. Let's study it carefully! This is the key to painlessly “resolving” the situation with stone/very painful breasts from fullness. The way they knead sometimes in maternity hospitals is barbaric, because forceful kneading of a swollen, congested gland is not only very painful, but also pointless - in this case, the path for milk is blocked! The areola is swollen, the ducts are pinched... "Stone" breasts can be brought into working condition much more effectively in such a soft, painless way.

For greater effect, we soften with pressure like this:
We lie down on our backs. Place a pillow under your shoulder blades so that your chest is even higher.
We throw the arm on the side of the chest that we plan to work with to the side.
Several times with the edge of the palm we gently stroke the breast from the nipple towards the subclavian lymph nodes - i.e. to the collarbone, and to the axillary - to the armpit. Movement is as if we are dispersing water. The goal is to preliminarily “disperse” the swelling. It is he who gives the pain and stoneness, and not the actual milk. (thanks to Jean Cotterman, Maya Bohlman, Tatyana Kondrashova for ideas).
After this - actually softening with pressure - we place our fingers around the areola and hold the “daisy”. Minimum one minute, longer if necessary. You will feel the areola becoming softer, your fingers seem to sink deeper.

Wait... Wait... Remember - at least a minute (by the clock!), longer if necessary... Your goal is an elastic areola like a lip or earlobe. Milk may begin to flow out - but we hold it and wait further.
For an additional effect, after softening the pressure, you can additionally pick up the area around the areola with your hands.