Breastfeeding Engorgement

The Very Basic Things A Mother Needs To Know About Breastfeeding Engorgement.

Breastfeeding is one of the important things a mother can and should do, not only for her child, but also for herself. As the new mother’s body is built to produce milk as soon as she gave birth, not doing so would really cause some problems.

One of the most common puerperal problems related to this is breastfeeding engorgement. This condition, characterized by the mother’s breasts growing bigger, is caused by the milk-making hormones. When a female’s breast milk starts to mature, it tends to crowd the veins, causing some swelling. Although, it is a relatively normal part of the breast milk production process, it still endangers the new mother from attracting some infections that can cause big problems in the long run.

You may be asking, though, if this is a natural process in breastfeeding, won’t choosing to not nurse is a good solution to avoid it? The answer here is mostly no. As the lactation will still happen to a female, even if she doesn’t want to breastfeed, the milk will still come in and possibly clog the mammary glands, causing engorgement.
Also, if a new mom already started nursing her child, chances are higher that she will soon experience this problem. Since, by nursing your baby, your body will learn the info on the patterns of your child’s feeding – how much and when he feeds – your body will surely produce the right amount of breast milk to be able to answer your kid’s nutritional needs. If you start nursing less, or even stop altogether, you won’t be able to express enough amount of milk, making your breasts crowded with the milk intended for your little angel, causing engorgement and the discomfort the condition comes with.

This is why to prevent such problems to occur; you should nurse your child often. This wouldn’t be much of an issue, though, because young infants need to be breastfed up to twelve times a day.
But since there are also those cases when trying to prevent it just won’t do anymore, you should remember, that nursing alone won’t stop the condition any longer. Other measures should also be done to avoid breastfeeding engorgement from getting worse once it has already started to happen.

One of the things you need to keep in mind when trying to deal with this condition is that when your breasts are already engorged, nursing can be quite more of a task. You child may find it harder to latch on, so you would have to give him a hand. Massaging your breast so the milk will come out easier will always help and soon enough, latching on will be easier for the baby.

But if you want more options, trusted resources say that getting a pump will also get the job done. By pumping your breast milk out, feeding time will not need to be exclusive breastfeeding anymore. With the help of a pump, you can now use a bottle to feed your baby, giving you some rest and allowing your body to drain all the milk out.  

Remember, breastfeeding is practiced around the world because it is beneficial to newborns, but also because it can keep new mothers in top shape. So, if you want to do everything you can to be there for you baby, take this step to keep your child healthy and help you avoid breastfeeding engorgement.

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