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What is Normal?It is normal for your breasts to become larger and feel heavy, warmer and uncomfortable when your milk increases in quantity (“comes in”) 2-5 days after birth. This rarely lasts more than 24 hours. With normal fullness, the breast and areola (the darker area around the nipple) remain soft and elastic, milk flow is normal and latch-on is not affected. How to prevent or minimize engorgement
Signs & Symptoms of EngorgementWhen? Engorgement typically begins on the 3rd to 5th day after birth, and subsides within 12-48 hours if properly treated (7-10 days without proper treatment).
Now infants can getall their vitamin Dfrom their mothers’ milk;no drops needed withour sponsor's TheraNatal Lactation Complete by THERALOGIX. Use PRC code “KELLY” for a special discount! How does the breast feel? The breast will typically feel hard, with tightly stretched skin that may appear shiny, and you may experience warmth, tenderness, and/or throbbing. Engorgement may extend up into the armpit. How does the areola feel? The areola will typically feel hard (like the tip of your nose or your forehead) rather than soft (like your earlobe), with tight skin that may appear shiny. The nipple may increase in diameter and become flat and taut, making latch-on challenging. You may also have a low-grade fever. Moms’ experiences of engorgement differ. Engorgement:
Tips for treating engorgementBefore nursing
While nursing
Between feedings
AVOID:
Other treatments for engorgementCabbageApplying cabbage leaf compresses to the breast can be helpful for moderate to severe engorgement. There is little research on this treatment thus far, but there is some evidence that cabbage may work more quickly than ice packs or other treatments, and moms tend to prefer cabbage to ice packs. What are cabbage compresses used for?
To use cabbage leaves:
For further information on how to use cabbage leaves:“Juice Jar” breast pumpThis simple pump can be useful to help with engorgement, and to draw the nipple out when baby is having a difficult time latching on.
Fenugreek seed poulticeThis is a traditional treatment for engorgement or mastitis. Steep several ounces of fenugreek seeds in a cup or so of water. Let seeds cool, then mash them. Place on a clean cloth, warm, and use as a poultice or plaster on engorged or mastitic breasts to help with let-down and sore spots. For more information, see Fenugreek. Additional Resources@Reverse Pressure Softening… aids latching when mom is engorged @ other websitesPrevention and Treatment of Engorgement by Becky Flora, BS, IBCLC Animation of baby nursing when mom is engorged showing how engorgement can lead to nipple trauma, from the Breastfeeding Management Series software by Sallie Page-Goertz, MN, CPNP, IBCLC and Sarah McCamman, MS, RD, LD References:Veldhuizen-Staas C. Overabundant milk supply: an alternative way to intervene by full drainage and block feeding. Int Breastfeed J. 2007; 2: 11. doi: 10.1186/1746-4358-2-11 Cotterman KJ. Too Swollen to Latch On? Try Reverse Pressure Softening First. Leaven, April-May 2003;39(2):38-40. Hill PD, Humenick SS. The occurrence of breast engorgement. J Hum Lact. 1994 Jun;10(2):79-86. Humenick SS, Hill PD, Anderson MA. Breast engorgement: patterns and selected outcomes. J Hum Lact. 1994 Jun;10(2):87-93. Lawrence R and Lawrence R. Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession, 6th ed. St. Louis: Mosby, 2005, p. 278-281. Moon JL, Humenick SS. Breast engorgement: contributing variables and variables amenable to nursing intervention. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 1989 Jul-Aug;18(4):309-15. Mohrbacher N. Breastfeeding Answers Made Simple. Amarillo, Texas: Hale Publishing, 2010, p. 679-683. Riordan J and Auerbach K. Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, 3rd ed. Boston and London: Jones and Bartlett, 2004, p. 205-207, 228. Roberts KL, Reiter M, Schuster D. A comparison of chilled and room temperature cabbage leaves in treating breast engorgement. J Hum Lact. 1995 Sep;11(3):191-4. Roberts KL. A comparison of chilled cabbage leaves and chilled gelpaks in reducing breast engorgement. J Hum Lact. 1995 Mar;11(1):17-20. Smith A, Heads J. Breast Pathology. In: Walker M, ed. Core Curriculum for Lactation Consultant Practice. Boston: Jones and Bartlett, 2002, p. 175-180. Snowden HM, Renfrew MJ, Woolridge MW. Treatments for breast engorgement during lactation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001;(2):CD000046. Walker M. Breastfeeding and Engorgement. Breastfeeding Abstracts, November 2000;20(2):11-12. Wilson-Clay B, Hoover K. The Breastfeeding Atlas, Third Edition. Austin, Texas: LactNews Press, 2005, p. 109-111. |