Clogged milk duct is very common in breastfeeding babies. Moms who have de alt with such a delicate problem know how painful it is. How to deal with lactostasis, as well as what are its causes and first symptoms, we will tell further.
Breastfeeding
During the nine months of pregnancy, the body prepares for the natural feeding of the baby. Each of the breasts consists of 15-20 lobes. They produce milk. Through the ducts, it is delivered to the mouth of the child. Over time, the mother's body adapts to the desire and ability of the baby to suckle and produces as much milk as it needs only for him. That is, not a drop more or less. However, at first, difficulties arise with its quantity. Women feel their breasts bursting because a lot of milk has come. The baby does not have time to eat everything. However, this process improves over time. Many note that the tide occurs at the very moment when the baby needs to be fed.
SoBreastfeeding is a fairly complex process in nature. But, unfortunately, not everyone has it successfully.
Symptoms of lactostasis
Everything goes on as usual, the body adjusted to the baby's appetite, and, it would seem, everything was fine. But suddenly the woman feels pain on either side of her chest. Having touched it, he gropes for the ball and is very frightened. This is the blockage of the milk ducts. This is how, in most cases, women discover the so-called lactostasis. This process is easily explained: one of the milk ducts is clogged. Now milk cannot pass through it, it accumulates and forms a ball that hurts very much.
Due to inexperience, young mothers do not take any measures, which leads to a more advanced form of lactostasis. The following symptoms appear:
- Breast swelling.
- Redness of the skin. First in the place where the stagnation occurred, then around it.
- Temperature due to inflammation.
- Pain intensifies every hour in the place where the blockage of the milk duct has formed.
- A white dot (treatment is not so difficult if started in a timely manner) on the nipple indicates that the milk has stagnated.
These are the most common signs indicating lactostasis. Others may appear, depending on the individuality of each woman. The first time you find a lump in your chest or soreness, you need to take immediate action.
Blockage of the breast duct: causes
Experts recommendtrack lactostasis yourself. The simplest method is to feel each breast daily for lumps. But besides this, you need to know about the reasons that can lead to it:
- Incorrect grasping of the baby's mouth on the nipple. Because of this, it turns out that the baby does not suck milk from all the shares, but only from those that he could capture. It is necessary to attach the child correctly: his lips should tightly grasp the halo of the nipple.
- Feeding according to a fictitious regimen, and not at the request of the child. We cannot tell our body to produce a certain amount of milk by the hour. It is natural to supply the baby with milk on demand. Failure to comply with this rule can cause a lot of problems. Firstly, we will offer the baby to eat when he sleeps and does not think about food (after all, the time has come!). Or we will listen to the cry of a hungry child, but we will not let us eat ahead of time. Secondly, with such feeding, blockage of the milk duct occurs.
- Uncomfortable or incorrect feeding position selected.
- The chest was injured or accidentally bruised. The mother's sleep on her stomach can be attributed to the same point, when the ducts are pinched, but the woman does not feel, because she is fast asleep.
- Hypothermia. In winter, you need to dress warmly and take care of your chest.
- Wearing small or uncomfortable underwear. The bra can squeeze the ducts. This is especially true for girls with large breasts.
- Stressful conditions. They affect the hormonal system of a young mother, as a result of which milk productionbecomes chaotic: large tides are replaced by rare ones.
First Aid
It often happens that a blockage of the duct of the breast is detected by a woman only at night, when the child is already sleeping and there is free time. As practice shows, the first symptom is pain. After that, the girls grope for a ball that is impossible to touch.
First of all, you need to drain the stagnation of milk. If the baby is sleeping, you can try to do it with your hands. It is necessary to knead the ball through the pain in the direction from it to the nipple. However, the best assistant in this matter will be a child. Only he, with a physiologically correct grip, will be able to resolve the blockage. And most importantly, don't panic! As soon as the stagnation is eliminated, the pain will be removed as if by hand. However, if more severe symptoms occur, a doctor's consultation is necessary.
Clogged milk ducts: treatment
Those women who make dad dissolve the stagnation are not doing it right. Adults lose their ability to latch on properly over time. The baby's father can help you loosen your breasts and help the milk come out. But only a baby can suck milk. Experts recommend putting the baby to the chest with the chin in the direction of the stagnation itself. And the more often you do this, the faster you will solve this problem. Try to breastfeed at least once an hour. Perhaps the baby does not want to breastfeed because the milk does not flow well. But as soon ashungry, be sure to "cure" mom and eat.
For better milk flow, take a warm bath or shower. The ducts will expand, which will provide a more comfortable pumping. You can replace this with a warm compress: wet the diaper with water and apply it to your chest for a couple of minutes, and then knead it. Just do it carefully, without sudden movements.
Remember that you do not need to drink any pills with lactostasis. It will pass immediately after the necessary duct opens and the share is freed from milk.
What not to do
Now we know how blockage of the milk duct is treated, what to do from the first minutes of its detection. However, not everyone follows the advice. Here is a list of what not to do:
- Rubbing your chest with alcohol. This can cause even more severe inflammation.
- Strongly crush the mammary gland, which will certainly lead to injury.
- Wash your breasts before each feeding, causing dry and cracked nipples. By massaging them, you can infect them.
- Pump extra. As you know, how much milk the baby eats, so much of it will arrive. When we pump too much, we trick our body into producing even more milk in response, which can only aggravate the situation.
- Rubbing the skin. You need to gently massage the congestion itself, and not the entire breast.
Folk remedies
Blockage of the milk duct can be eliminated with the help of traditional medicine. According to reviewscabbage leaf helps a lot. It must be applied to the chest. It is known for reducing puffiness and inflammation. Before using, the leaf must be beaten off so that the juice comes out, and then put in a bra.
Honey also copes well with such a problem as blockage of the milk duct. A compress from it is applied for two to three hours to the inflamed area. The best effect is observed when used together with cabbage leaf.
Eucalyptus helps relieve redness and reduce pain. Its leaves are boiled for 10-15 minutes, then cooled and infused for a day. After that, they lubricate the inflamed area.
Potato compress deserves good reviews. Simply grate a raw potato and wrap in cheesecloth, then breastfeed.
Complications
Unfortunately, not taken timely measures to get rid of lactostasis can lead to serious problems. The most dangerous is the occurrence of mastitis. The pain in one part of the chest is accompanied by a high temperature, a feeling of fullness and unbearable pain. The congestion is very difficult to drain, because the chest is simply not touched.
Hypothermia can provoke complications. Try to protect your breasts and avoid feeding in the cold.
Mastitis is characterized by the release of pus along with milk. This is the most dangerous stage of its development. Do not, under any circumstances, give this breast to a child. Purulent mastitis can provoke poisoning of the baby. Urgently consult a doctor who can relieve you of this problem.in a conservative way. Otherwise, you will have to go under the surgeon's knife.
Clogging of the milk ducts can turn into not only mastitis, but even an abscess. With this complication of the operation, it is unlikely to be avoided.
Prevention
In order to avoid any problems with breastfeeding, try to follow the simple recommendations of experts:
- Regular baby feeding.
- Wearing comfortable clothes.
- Frequent application when lactostasis has begun.
- Drinking enough water.
- Proper nutrition.
- Taking action to prevent blockages as soon as they are detected.
- Seeing a doctor for complications of lactostasis.
These simple tips will help you avoid problems with milk ducts and allow you to enjoy feeding your baby.
Conclusion
Clogged milk duct is one of the most common ailments faced by new mothers.
However, with experience, women learn to avoid lactostasis by taking action in advance. Do not be afraid and leave GW at the first problems with him. As you know, any skill comes to us with experience. Therefore, once faced with a blockage, you will already know how to solve this problem in the future.
