Engorgement of the Breast – Information on Engorged Breasts

Engorgement of the breast is a swelling caused by expanding veins and the pressure of new milk. It is the painful overfilling of the breasts with milk. The main symptoms are heavy pain in breasts, sweating and feeling thirsty.

Engorgement occurs when the breasts are not properly emptied frequently resulting in accumulation of milk in tubes which makes the breasts swollen, lumpy, hard, hot and painful. The breast in this condition is painful and hot to touch. Breasts appear shiny and like the peel of an orange with prominent veins on them which feel lumpy and hard. As the condition of engorgement becomes worse, the mother may suffer from fever. As a result of engorgement breastfeeding can become very painful. There is swelling on the breasts caused by the accumulation of milk, and the milk production may be reduced. If the treatment is not started on time, this can lead to failure of breastfeeding.

It is suggested that the nursing mother should express some breast milk before feeding the baby, so that the breasts become soft and feeding is not painful. In case the breasts are still painful one tablet of aspirin is advised. If the pain during suckling is unbearable then it is advised that for some time the breasts be expressed and the baby should be given expressed breast milk. A breast pump may be used to express the breast milk for relief from engorgement.

Treatment for Engorgement of Breasts

1. Continue breastfeeding the baby from the affected breast first so that the milk instead of accumulating and worsening the problem, drains, thus relieving the blockage.
2. After feeding the baby express the affected breast so that it empties out.
3. Breastfeed the baby quite often so that breasts remain empty.
4. Use hot and cold compresses before feeding the baby; this will relieve the pain and tension in breasts.
5. Natural feeding should be practiced which differs from demand feeding. In demand feeding, the baby is fed whenever it demands the feed and also when the mother wants to feed because of fullness or tenseness in the breasts. The baby should be given a night feed as well as an early morning feed – both are equally important.
6. Another way of draining your milk may be to splash some water on your breast, so that the milk comes down due to the stimulus.
7. Massage the affected breast towards the nipple so that the drainage of the milk improves.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

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