Breast engorgement

Post pregnancy it is normal for your breast to become heavy larger and sensitive as the milk producing hormones will start generating milk in large amounts to satisfy your baby’s hunger. This heaviness of the breast will ease out in the following weeks as the more your baby will breast feed the softer the breast will get.

But even after breast feeding if you still feel the heaviness and hardness as well as painful breast then for sure you are suffering from breast engorgement. The puffiness of your breast will be too much extending all the way to your armpits, your baby will find it difficult to feed due to the hardness of the areola and your nipples will be very painful and highly sensitive. You are most likely to develop high fever. Breast engorgement leads to impenetrability for the baby to feed properly as well as lead to grievous health concern for you.

To prevent breast engorgement make sure you are feeding your baby as many times as possible that is at least after every 2 hours. In day you should feed your baby at least 12 times and that too exclusively your milk. While nursing your baby make sure you first nurse on one breast properly and then switch to the other breast. For proper feeding the baby will take close to 15 to 20 minutes on one breast after that only switch the baby to the other breast. In case your baby does not feed on the other breast make sure the next feed you begin with the other breast.

For the first month keep your baby on breast milk only, try and avoid starting with formula milk at least for the first month unless there is a medical reason to start top feed. In case your baby is not feeding properly on your breast then pump out the milk using a breast pump and save it in a bottle and feed it to the baby through a bottle. If the baby has missed a feed if they are sleeping don’t let the milk remain inside your breast make sure you hand press it or use a breast pump and pump out the milk and store it in the refrigerator to feed it to the baby later.

To treat engorged breast massage your breast every time you are feeding your baby this will increase the milk flow and relive your breast of tightness hardness and pain. Before feeding a quick warm shower will increase the supply of the milk you can also use a cloth drenched in warm water as a compression. Nurse your baby as recurrently as possible keep a distance of 2 hours between each feed in case your breast are feeling too full or heavy then express milk through and pump and store it.

In case you feel pain or heaviness of the breast you can use ice packs or cold compression to ease the pain. You can also use frozen bags of meat green peas even corn. Buy high-quality supportive and superior quality nursing bras. Avoid under-wire bras till you are breast feeding as they can cause breast engorgement. Engorgement is a common problem that many women face there is nothing to get paranoid about it gets healed as fast as it appears don’t over think it. For pain you can take a Tylenol, if you have excess pain then just consult the doctor. Breast engorgement get healed within a day or 2 so relax just make sure you are feeding properly or pumping your milk every two hours for engorgement to heal faster.