In the previous post we are dedicated to explaining what the rise in milk after delivery is, when it occurs and if it usually hurts or not. Now we will focus on how to avoid problems that may arise when milk rises and how can you solve them if they occur.
As I said, the first hours and days of life of the baby are essential for establish good breastfeeding. Overcoming problems that may arise before the rise of milk will help you both have a happy start.
Breast engorgement, the most frequent problem
The rise in milk means an increase in the volume of milk produced. If the baby does not take out the milk as it forms, it accumulates in the mammary alveoli causing the breasts to become congested, hard, hot and cause pain. It is what is known as breast engorgement.
When it becomes hard as stones, the milk comes out with difficulty and the baby can not cling to the chest, a situation that ends up despairing both the child and the mother.
It is a vicious circle. The chest is congested, the baby cannot do well, the breast does not empty and the chest continues to congest causing pain and discomfort.
It is one of the most frequent problems in the first days of the baby's life, which can make you doubt if you are doing well. First of all, calm and patience that has a solution.
Solutions to breast engorgement:
You have to keep in mind how to act before a breast engorgement. The most advisable is a very simple maneuver called a softening inverse pressure (yes, a very strange name), which consists of pressing on the breast areola in the area around the nipple, getting the swelling slightly back. This frees the area of the areola and the nipple, which, being less hard and more flexible, the baby can suck more easily.
Another good solution is a hot shower (Well, with the temperature you usually take a shower) and massage the chest to soften it. If it is very congested, you can extract some milk manually or with a breast pump to soften it and it will be easier for the baby to make a good grip and suck to obtain milk.
Do not empty it too much if you use an extractor because the suction itself could cause the effect that more milk is generated than the baby needs and is congested even more.
To lower the inflammation you can ask your doctor to prescribe a anti-inflammatory. Most are compatible with breastfeeding and may help reduce chest congestion.
As we explained in the post about how to act before a breast engorgement, there are those who recommend applying cold in the breast to deflate it, but always avoiding the areola and the nipple. A good trick is to place two bags of frozen peas that best fit the shape of the chest.
However, the remedy could be worse than the disease. Being a vasoconstrictor, the cold could close the ducts and cause the milk to not flow or cause a lack of blood supply to the nipple.
What you can use with total security is at cold cabbage leaves, a grandmother's trick, whose tannins help calm and reduce inflammation. How? You take two cabbage leaves, crush the nerves of the leaf with a roller, make a hole in the center (the size of the areola and the nipple, you should not touch them) and put each one on a chest holding it with the bra.
Before the engorgement, the best is Let the baby suck as much as possible. Is better than empty a whole chest instead of taking both of them halfway. Otherwise, you already discharge the other with an extractor and keep the milk for future shots.
Then, golden rules: a proper posture, a good grip, take on demand, try to be as calm and relaxed as possible and maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
The process of the rise of milk lasts two or three days. Then the emptying and filling of the breast will take its own rhythm according to the needs of your baby. He is the boss and who will self-regulate food production.
