Breast lactostasis and its treatment

Every nursing mother knows that there is such an unpleasant phenomenon as breast lactostasis. You need to beware of it and, if possible, avoid it. But is lactostasis so terrible and what is it like?

Lactostasis - stagnation of milk in the breast of a nursing woman.

This is literally the case: with lactostasis, the movement of milk along the ducts is disrupted and the so-called "milk plug" is formed.

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Causes and symptoms of lactostasis

Perhaps, lactostasis has not bypassed any nursing mother, however, someone is faced with milk stagnation every month, and someone once in the entire experience of breastfeeding. The most popular causes of lactostasis can be identified:

A rare change in body position. For example, a mother can feed her baby for a long time in one position or constantly sleep on one side. At the same time, some lobes of the mammary gland may be compressed and not emptied in time;
Squeezing the ducts with underwear. Many mothers, especially at the stage of the formation of lactation, when milk flows out of the breast during hot flashes, constantly wear a bra, including not taking it off at night. In linen, some milk ducts can be pinched, which makes it difficult for milk to move in them;
Stress and accumulated fatigue can also affect the condition of the ducts of the mammary glands. The ducts spasm and the outflow of milk in this place is disturbed;
The cause of lactostasis can be an increase in milk viscosity. This happens after eating certain foods (for example, nuts), or from not drinking enough fluids (especially in the heat);
You can provoke stagnation of milk by constant expression. Some mothers looking to breastfeed find themselves bewildered by the recommendations of grandmothers, and sometimes pediatricians, to express their breasts to the end after each latch. Since milk is produced in response to sucking, or, in other words, in response to emptying of the breast, pumping additional volume by the body is regarded as a signal of additional milk demand. As a result, by the next feeding there is already much more milk: the volume sucked by the baby is replenished, and the volume of expressed milk on top. The child cannot cope with this huge amount, the chest is overflowing. Mom, in an attempt to remedy the situation, expresses again and falls into a vicious circle with constantly overflowing breasts and milk stagnation;
Sometimes milk stagnation occurs as a reaction to a change in the weather. This is difficult to explain, but hepatitis B counselors have noted a surge in lactostasis treatment during such periods.

Video: reasons. symptoms, remedial measures, prevention of lactostasis

The symptoms are not difficult to recognize:

Localized swelling of the mammary gland, within which a seal can be felt;
Soreness of the place of blockage of the ducts;
Redness of the chest in the place where the stagnation occurred;
Temperature rise. If the temperature on the thermometer approaches 39, this is a dangerous sign, which may mean the onset of purulent-inflammatory processes in the chest. At this temperature, you definitely need to see a doctor.

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Treatment

With the treatment of lactostasis, (if this process has not yet reached a critical point), any mother will cope on her own at home. All actions for this problem are designed to restore the movement of milk in the clogged duct - that is, it is simply necessary to drain the stagnation.

Pumping

The best helper in breast opening is the baby himself. The child should be applied to the sore breast as often as possible, including at night (the advantages of night feedings). Most often, this is where the whole treatment ends. However, if breastfeeding is very painful for the mother, first relieve her condition by manually expressing some milk:

With the help of heat, you need to improve the flow of milk. You can apply a warm compress (for example, a towel dipped in hot water), take a bath or stand in the shower for 10 minutes, directing water to the chest area;
Massage the chest in the place of stagnation with very careful movements. You can use massage oil or cream;
We express a little milk only until the condition is relieved and the pain is relieved;
Finally, we remove tissue swelling with a cold compress applied to the chest for 5-10 minutes.

After hand pumping, be sure to attach the baby to the breast so that he sucks it to the end. This sequence of actions can be done 2-3 times a day.

Video: how to express breasts with lactostasis

Compresses

You can relieve pain with lactostasis with the help of compresses or ointments. The most effective are compresses from very affordable products:

Cold cabbage leaf compress. The sheet needs to be beaten off a little so that the juice goes, and applied to the place of compaction in the chest;
Honey compress. Honey is mixed with flour to the consistency of a tight dough, a cake is formed from this mass and applied to the breast;
Compress from cold low-fat cottage cheese.

Any of these compresses for lactostasis is applied to the chest for 15-20 minutes.

Video: how to treat lactostasis with folk methods at home

Ointments

Of the medicines, Traumeel S cream, Arnika ointment, and Malavit solution help well. It is better for a nursing mother to always have any of these products in the medicine cabinet.

Remember!

If massage, pumping and compresses help to solve the problem, then some actions can only aggravate it. Mom no need to just warm up the breast, not before pumping, or smear with warming ointments, alcohol. Camphor-based ointments are strictly prohibited - even with external use, this component can strongly inhibit lactation.

Whether to feed with lactostasis

The answer is unequivocal - yes. For any barely noticeable signs of milk stagnation, the mother should more often attach the baby to the “sick” breast. No amount of pumping, even after a massage, can cope with breast emptying as well as a baby.

In order for the baby to effectively dissolve stagnation, it can be applied to the breast in different positions, based on the part of the breast that formed Milk cork... There is such a rule: in which part of the breast the chin of the sucking baby rests, from that part it sucks milk best. Based on this rule, you can choose a feeding position in which the baby will actively suck "Problematic" share.

Prevention of lactostasis

The best prevention of lactostasis is properly adjusted breastfeeding. The rules are very simple:

Change your feeding position periodically (link to various poses above in the text).
Don't wear tight, “past life” bras. For aesthetic reasons, many mothers continue to wear the same underwear after giving birth as they wore before. However, the size of the breast of a nursing mother usually increases, in addition, ordinary underwear has hard seams, bones. It is better to wear special bras when feeding. As a rule, they have a soft cup, no bones, they gently support the chest without restricting it.
Do not deny yourself the rest. Household chores can be postponed for later, because overwork is an important factor in many health problems.
Adhere to the nutritional rules recommended by a nursing mother and drink enough fluids.

The onset of lactostasis is a common “work” situation in a nursing mother. You should not be afraid of this, because timely actions help solve the problem quickly enough. What you really need to focus on is your own feelings. With any hint of compaction and pain, it is worthwhile to be puzzled by restorative measures, then there is practically no chance of serious problems.

When to see a doctor

Basically, all mothers successfully cope with the elimination of lactostasis on their own, but you need to be on the alert, and in some cases, be sure to consult a doctor:

If the high temperature does not drop for more than 2 days.
If in a few days the lump in the chest does not get smaller.

A nursing mother can consult a gynecologist or mammologist. The doctor will examine your breasts and do an ultrasound. Typically, these symptoms are characteristic of incipient mastitis. At the same time, a young mother is prescribed physiotherapy, antibiotics can be prescribed. We read in detail: Which doctor should I consult with lactostasis?

Be sure to read the article on mastitis - mastitis

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