If your breasts feel heavy, sore and hot, it is because they have been congested. This is because you have too much milk in them.
Breast congestion during pregnancy
In general, breast congestion usually appears during the first few days of birth, when the milk begins to fall and some babies do not light up very quickly to the chest.
Over the days that intake of milk by the newborn is normal and is done regularly, congestion usually goes away by itself. But it is worth a few tips to ease this discomfort so common in new mothers.
Tips to avoid breast congestion
To avoid that the breast become congested, we can carry out simple maneuvers..
- Breastfeed your baby about 10 times a day, so that the milk will not accumulate.
- If for any reason the baby has had a bottle, remove the milk from the breast as if your baby had been breastfed.
- If your baby is a few months and want to wean, do not do it at once, but gradually. As the child stops sucking, milk secretion will decrease.
Tips for relieving breast congestion
If the breasts are already congested, there are some ways to ease the discomfort:
- Place wet towels over breasts with hot water for about 5 minutes or bathe with warm water before feeding. This will help the milk to flow faster.
- Massage your breast frequently, especially before and after breastfeeding or expressing milk.
- After nursing can put cold compresses to relieve pain and swelling of the breasts.
- The baby should be taken from both breasts. If not, you should remove the breast milk that has not been used for breastfeeding.
- Try to avoid using bottles if you suffer from congestion.
- If at the end of breastfeeding feels that still has plenty of milk, it is convenient to remove it.
- Use a good fitting bra but do not tighten.
- Do not take medicines to solve congestion without first talking to the your doctor, as it may be counterproductive to the health of the baby.
If breast congestion accompanied by fever, chills, and severe pain, contact your doctor immediately, as it may be against infection.