Stagnation of milk - this is one of the most common problems in breastfeeding mothers. How to cope with this lactostasis and whether it can be prevented?
In some women, this problem is far from being a single phenomenon, and others, if they are faced with this disease, it is only one-half of all the feeding time or they do not suffer at all. What it depends on, try to understand this article.
What is lactostasis?
Lactostasis - a stagnation of milk in any part of the breast where it is no movement. Because this process is produced milk tube, which is the cause of the newly formed overlapping exit milk. If, however, formed a stalemate, in a very quick period of breast occurs swelling and redness of the tissue and seal appears on, pain and fever.
Often, nursing moms lactostasis confused with mastitis, because the seal is a sign both of them. But in fact it is absolutely two different things and determine what in particular women, help advice of the attending physician. Cope with these illnesses in different ways. Lactostasis not treated with antibiotics, as opposed to mastitis, it is not a bacterial infection. However, it is important to know that the time has not cured lactostasis able to go to an uninfected mastitis.
Causes of lactostasis
- Wrong breastfeeding
- The small size of the milk moves
- The flat shape of the nipple or the presence of cracks on it, making it difficult to correct attachment to the breast crumbs
- Rare attachment of the newborn to the breast
- Pinching Mom breast during feeding or compression of one of the breast lobules (for example, because some mothers pinch the chest near the child's nose, so it was easier to breathe)
- Short feeding from one breast
- Using tight underwear
- Incorrect position during sleep (eg, posture on the stomach)
- lack of feeding at nightor long breaks between feedings during the day
- Chronic fatigue and exhaustion
- Pumping after each feeding to completely empty the chest, resulting in significantly more milk than the baby can eat.
When the manifestation of the first signs of lactostasis, you must immediately apply the measures, despite the fact that the first time the state of health of a woman can be good.
Often it happens that through a proper and frequent nursing baby to the breast as possible during the day to get rid of lactostasis.
In addition, there are a few indisputable rules of what not to do during the stagnation of milk:
Suspend breastfeeding. Stagnant milk is absolutely not harmful to the crumbs, but his attachment to his chest, and, as often as possible is the most effective method for getting rid of lactostasis.
Warm by any means breasts.Thus, the milk will start to arrive more quickly, increasing even greater tension and breast inflammation. This is especially true of alcohol compresses.
Consume a small amount of liquid. That misconception many nursing mothers, since insufficient fluid may cause deterioration of milk outflow and increased body temperature.
Rub the breasts warming means. Besides the fact that these funds not only do not help, but, on the contrary, - make it difficult to drain the milk, they still get into it, which can lead to child abandonment of breastfeeding.
I hope that "everything will pass by itself." If it is impossible to cope with the stagnation of milk for two or three days on their own, it should be seek professional help, especially if chest discomfort accompanied by increased body temperature.
Basic techniques, how to cope with lactostasis
Frequent nursing baby to the breast, especially one where there was a stagnation of milk. Moreover, you should pay attention to the fact that a stronger outflow of fluid occurs there, where the chin crumbs. Thus, the mother should breast-feeding lie down or sit in the "right" direction - so you can more quickly deal with the problem appeared.
For example, if there was a stagnation in the armpits, the crumbs should be fed in the "out of hand".
In the event of stagnation in the middle of the breastShould change the traditional position of breastfeeding "on the side" given by the chest - instead lower the chest to offer crumbs top
In the case of infrequently occurring stagnation in the upper chest,Feeding should be done lying down, "Diamonds".
Remove stagnation of milk at the bottom of the breastYou can crumb seated on his lap.
In most cases, frequent nursing crumbs to the breast is enough for the order to remove the signs of milk stasis. If this does not help, you should additionally express the chest 2-3 times a day, but no more and no after each feeding. Before the procedure of pumping is necessary to make a warm compress, but not hot. It's enough to make a towel soaked in warm water, or to carry out pumping under a warm shower, focusing on those parts where stagnation was formed. After decanting better again put the baby to the breast. If you manually decant does not work, you can use the high-quality breast pump to help \ cope with the remnants of milk or formed lumps.
Expect that redness or swelling take place immediately, not worth it. This will require 2-3 days. If during this time no improvement occurs, then you must consult your doctor immediately.
Also be sure to ask about what is the relationship between breastfeeding and the child's IQ level
Picture text: istockphoto.com
