The birth of a baby changes the life of every mother. Concerns arise not only with the child, but also changes in your body require attention. During lactation, you need to monitor your condition, so every nursing woman needs to know how to express breast milk with her hands. After all, missing important points can leave negative consequences.

Proper hand expression of breast milk

Doctors say that you should not express yourself every day. There are cases when such a procedure is necessary. First, let's look at the circumstances under which a woman should do this:

1. The first time after childbirth. During this period, the organization of breastfeeding has not yet been established. The baby is able to suck out a small volume of milk, but a lot of it comes, so you need to get rid of overcrowding.
2. Breastfeeding is prohibited for the child. Because breastfeeding is hard work for infants, this method of feeding is not allowed for premature babies or children with severe illnesses.
3. Mom's illness. If you need medication that is prohibited during lactation, you also have to express yourself.
4. Lactostasis. Many young mothers face this problem. You should carefully study the information on how to properly strain breast milk with your hands in order to get rid of this trouble.
5. Separation of a child from his mother. So that someone can feed the child in the absence of the mother, she needs to prepare everything in advance.

Technique for expressing breast milk by hand

Before expressing breast milk by hand, let's consider preparing for this procedure:

1. Dishes. Prepare a container in which you can conveniently express milk. It must be sterilized if you plan to feed it to your child. Since you will be expressing breast milk with your hands, it is more convenient to use a cup with a wide neck.
2. Clean hands. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap.
3. Relaxation of the chest. It will be easier to express milk if the breasts are slightly warmed up first. A warm shower or compress is ideal. Soak the diaper in warm water and place it on your chest for 5-10 minutes. Before the procedure, you can drink warm water or tea.
4. Contact with the baby. The ideal option is if you feed on one breast and pump the other. When the baby sucks, active stimulation occurs, which makes this process much easier. However, if this does not work out for some reason, you can simply be next to him or imagine yourself hugging your baby. This will help you relax.

Rules for expressing breast milk by hand:

When doing this for the first time, many women notice that only drops come out. You shouldn’t worry about this, much less quit what you started. Continuing to move forward, after a few minutes the streams will begin to flow. Actually, this will be an indicator that everything is going right. If it doesn't work, give it a light massage and try again. Any sharp pain indicates wrong action.

How often should you express breast milk?

Experts say that a woman can understand how often she needs to express her breasts based on her feelings. If after feeding it is soft and does not cause discomfort, then there is no need to express. Some people notice that after feeding on one breast, the other remains hard. In this case, it should be expressed until soft. Expressing breast milk with your hands after feeding until empty will be a signal to the body that production is low and much more will arrive next time.

Expressing breast milk by hand

The first time after the birth of the baby, it is important to listen to your body and sensations. At this time, babies eat only on demand and often little, so make sure that the breasts are not hard with lumps. Pumping plays an important role during breastfeeding. If you ignore this point, you can get many negative consequences in the future.

How to strain breast milk after childbirth by hand?

On the 2-3rd day after birth, the flow of milk in most women in labor is very large and many women even have a rise in body temperature. It is important for every woman in labor to know how to properly express breast milk by hand for the first time. Due to inexperience, young mothers make many mistakes. For example, instead of wrapping their fingers around the areola, they press only on the nipple, which leads to cracks.

How to express breast milk by hand when there is stagnation?

Every woman who has given birth should monitor all changes in her body, since ignoring it can cause a lot of trouble in the future. One of the common problems of women in labor is that it would be better to put the baby to the breast more often, but if the baby cannot eat everything, then overcrowding should be eliminated. The technique of expressing breast milk by hand during lactostasis does not differ significantly from conventional pumping:

1. Lightly massage and stroke the areas where there are lumps.
2. While expressing, stroke them with light movements with your other hand, directing them towards the nipples.
3. As soon as you feel relief, the process should be completed.

How to express breast milk by hand into a bottle?

Some mothers are forced to leave their child. In such cases, bottle feeding with expressed milk comes to the rescue. For many women, this causes concern and a lot of questions about this. Let's try to figure it all out.

This unique product can be stored for about 6-8 hours at a temperature of 19-20 degrees. In the refrigerator - no more than 7 days. For freezing, it would be better to purchase special disposable bags. So it can be used for 3-4 months.

You need to heat the milk as follows:

1. If it is frozen, you should defrost it first in the refrigerator. Then leave it at room temperature for about an hour.
2. After this, fill a wide mug or other suitable container with hot water, but not boiling water.
3. Place a bottle of milk there, stirring it occasionally.
4. Pull out the bottle of milk when it is heated to approximately 38 degrees.

In this article:

Breast milk has been and remains the optimal nutrition option for a baby. Natural feeding helps a woman recover faster after childbirth, normalizes hormonal levels and increases the baby’s immunity, providing him with vitamins and microelements. But often during lactation, stagnation of milk occurs, leading to serious health problems, so every young mother needs to know how to express breasts during lactostasis.

The main danger of such a complication is that it can develop into a severe form - mastitis. Therefore, at the first signs of stagnation of milk in the breast, it is necessary to take measures to express it.

How to determine that it is lactostasis?

Decantation of lactostasis is carried out at home; its complication, mastitis, requires medical attention. Milk stagnation can occur due to cracks in the nipples, which cause blockage of the ducts, as well as as a result of a long break in feeding.

Often women notice symptoms of lactostasis in the morning; in this case, it is caused by an uncomfortable position during sleep, lying on one side with compression of the chest. Impaired milk flow can be caused by wearing tight underwear, injuries, or improper pumping technique. This problem is often encountered by mothers who introduce complementary foods and stop breastfeeding.

With lactostasis, the entire breast or a separate part of it swells, becomes hard and swollen. During feeding, pumping and simply active movements, pain occurs. On palpation, compactions are detected and individual glandular lobules are palpated.

Sometimes milk from the nipple is released unevenly: from some ducts it barely drips, from others it flows in a trickle under pressure. With prolonged stagnation, body temperature rises and the skin of the chest turns red.

Behavior at the first signs of stagnation

If the first signs of lactostasis appear - soreness and swelling of the mammary glands, you need to gently warm them up. The easiest way is to take a warm shower or bath. You can make a warm compress from honey or cabbage leaves, or drink hot tea. Heat expands the glandular ducts and promotes the outflow of milk.

Straining lactostasis at home should begin with a light massage. No rough intensive kneading should be carried out. Part of the procedure can be “entrusted” to the baby: sucking the breast most effectively restores the functioning of the ducts. To better help your baby cope with the problem of milk stagnation, you should slightly reduce the next portion of complementary foods.

When lactostasis begins acutely, with severe pain, swelling, fever, and deterioration in general well-being, you need to consult a doctor. He will conduct a diagnosis and determine whether mastitis has developed.

Physiotherapeutic procedures can be performed in a medical facility: UHF, ultrasound. Expressing during lactostasis after such procedures is much easier to perform.

How to express milk correctly during lactostasis

There are several rules for expressing milk during lactostasis. The procedure should begin after high-quality warming of the chest and should be carried out as follows:

1. Place the palm and four fingers under the mammary gland, the thumb and index finger as close as possible to the areola of the nipple.
2. Using your thumb and forefinger, gently press on the breast, moving from top to bottom from the periphery to the edge of the nipple.
3. During the pumping process, change the position of your fingers, trying to use the entire breast.
4. Make sure that the movements remain slow and rhythmic; if there is pain or swelling, add light massaging.
5. If the breasts are swollen and hardened unevenly, then pumping should be done more actively in the part where stagnation is detected.

At the end of the procedure, you can apply it to the baby’s chest. If pumping does not bring relief or after a few hours lactostasis appears again and does not go away for more than 2 days, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination.

How to prevent stagnation of breast milk

Since it is quite difficult to resolve lactostasis and the procedure itself is unpleasant, it is worth trying to prevent its development. To prevent milk stagnation, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

• Correctly attaching your baby to the breast. The baby should latch onto the nipple well and firmly. In this case, the sucking process is more efficient, all the accumulated milk is eaten, each lobule is emptied and stagnation is avoided. Mild forms of lactostasis can be completely eliminated in this way.
• Changing position during feeding. The glandular lobules, which end up under the baby's chin and nose during feeding, are emptied better. Therefore, if you always feed him in the same position, milk stagnation will occur in other areas. At different times of the day and night, the baby can be fed lying down, sitting, from the armpit, or held in your arms. This way all the lobules will be emptied periodically.
• Avoiding interruptions in feeding. To prevent lactostasis, feeding a child should be done on demand, and not according to a schedule. If within 3 hours he does not begin to ask for the breast, you need to apply it yourself. Even a slight advance of milk will prevent the development of congestion.
• Avoiding hypothermia. Temperature changes directly affect the lumen of the glandular ducts. Therefore, if you allow the breasts to become hypothermic, they will narrow and the flow of milk will be disrupted. During the period of breastfeeding, you should avoid swimming in open water, immediately change into dry clothes after swimming, and use scarves and warm clothes in the cold season.
• Warming procedures. Before the next feeding of the baby, it is recommended to warm up the chest area: take a shower, put on a warm sweater, drink a warm drink. This will expand the ducts and the outflow of milk will become more active, even from those lobules that are little stimulated during sucking. High-quality emptying of the breast is a guarantee that the mother will not have to go through the unpleasant procedure of pumping during lactostasis.
• Using a breast pump. When it is not possible to put your baby to the breast often, you need to. To make the procedure more effective, you also need to warm the chest before it begins.
• Comfortable sleeping position. The position on the stomach and any other position in which the chest is compressed can lead to the development of lactostasis. Therefore, you need to choose a comfortable and safe position and try to get used to it. If it is difficult to control the position of your body while sleeping, you can try to fall asleep by placing a pillow under your side - a barrier that will prevent you from turning onto your stomach.
• Reduce fluid intake. If it is noticed that the baby cannot cope with the volume of milk produced by the mother, the woman needs to reduce the amount of liquid she drinks.
• Choose comfortable underwear and clothes. They should not squeeze or injure the chest. It is better to use a special bra designed for nursing mothers.

Lactostasis is stagnation of milk in the breasts of a nursing woman. Occurs due to irregular feeding, hypothermia, and compression of the glands. This condition requires pumping - restoring the outflow of milk from the lobules through mechanical action on the breast. Most often, lactostasis can be resolved independently at home.

Useful video on how to express during lactostasis

It is quite simple to notice that stagnant processes have begun to develop in the mammary glands. During lactation, milk is continuously produced, which accumulates in the milk lobes and ducts. Once the ducts are blocked or the breast becomes full, extreme discomfort occurs.

Lactostasis is manifested by the following symptoms:

• chest pain, feeling of tension, fullness;
• the appearance of compaction at the site of stagnation;
• unpleasant sensations intensify when palpating engorgement areas;
• Pain may occur when moving the arm on the problematic side;
• Body temperature may rise.

Such symptoms will cause a lot of inconvenience to a woman. In addition, they will not disappear on their own, but will only get worse. This is why it is so important to know how to strain milk stagnation.

Causes

The mechanism of development of lactostasis is as follows. A milk clot forms in a certain area of ​​the breast, which causes blockage of the milk ducts. The milk cannot come out and the problem lobe begins to harden. An inflammatory process develops at the site of fluid accumulation, and internal pressure increases pain.

Important: since it is not always possible to express milk during stagnation, a woman runs the risk of complications.

The main causes of lactostasis are:

• wearing an uncomfortable bra that puts pressure on the chest;
• long breaks between feedings;
• separation from the child;
• blockage of the ducts due to the formation of cracks in the nipples;
• poor milk absorption by the child;
• improper nipple latching;
• sleeping in an uncomfortable or identical position at night;
• introduction of complementary foods, which reduces the amount of milk consumed by the baby while maintaining the volume of milk produced by the glands.

Consequences

It is extremely important to know how to properly strain milk stagnation, since inept actions can cause even greater harm to a woman’s body. In addition, it is necessary to completely empty the breasts of fluid, and this is only possible if certain actions are performed.

If you do not fight lactostasis, a nursing mother will feel constant discomfort and severe pain in the chest. Gradually, the compaction will become more and more coarse, and the pain will become constant. This is one of the signs of a disease such as mastitis.

With mastitis, stagnant milk “spoils.” In the zone of stagnation, the inflammatory process begins, as evidenced by redness of the skin of the chest, tissue hyperemia and a general increase in body temperature to 39-40 degrees. If appropriate measures are not taken in time, suppuration develops. You can get rid of mastitis by expressing milk or by surgery when pus has already begun to accumulate in the glands.

Important: breastfeeding will have to stop at this stage.

Methods to get rid of the problem

A young mother should be taught how to properly express stagnant milk in the maternity hospital. These skills will definitely be useful to her in the future, even if at first the child has an excellent appetite.

In general, there are several options for getting out of the situation. You can get rid of lactostasis in the following ways:

• Express by hand, preferably by pre-warming the breast with warm water;
• use special mechanical or automatic breast pumps;
• ask your husband to suck out excess milk (not all men agree to this);
• feed the baby correctly.

In order for the child to independently resolve the stagnant lump, it is necessary to apply it to the breast in such a way that his lower jaw is on the side of the lump. The positive effect is due to the fact that the lower jaw is stronger and absorbs mother’s milk better. Help him by stroking and lightly patting his chest, kneading it with your knuckles.

But how to express milk by hand during stagnation should be discussed in more detail.

Rules for manual expression

Let's look at a technique for expressing breast milk with your hands during stagnation. This method is considered the most effective for solving the problem. You can perform the procedure in the shower (the best option), over a diaper or container where you plan to express milk. The last method is relevant for those mothers who make supplies to feed the baby in their absence.

Instructions for manually eliminating stagnation are as follows:

1. Pre-warm the mammary gland in a warm shower.

1. Knead your breasts by gently massaging them from the base to the nipple. Pay special attention to the seal where liquid accumulates. This procedure can be very unpleasant and painful.
2. Grasp the areola of the nipple and apply gentle pressure to get a flow of milk. Keep looking for new streams until you have expressed the maximum amount of milk.

The fact that the procedure was successful is indicated by the relief of the condition, the disappearance of the painful lump, as well as the release of only isolated drops of milk.

Note: knowing how to properly express during lactostasis will help not only quickly eliminate the problem, but also prevent its recurrence.

Prevention

Regular expression of milk during lactostasis is necessary to prevent the development of mastitis. Also, provided that certain measures are taken, it is possible to prevent the formation of stagnation in the ducts.

It is extremely important to monitor breast fullness and regularly express excess milk. This is especially true when introducing complementary foods for a baby, when the volume of mother’s milk consumption decreases. “Squeezing out” the excess should be done every time after feeding.

Also, measures to prevent lactostasis are:

• wearing comfortable underwear;
• absence of long intervals between feedings;
• regular breast pumping;
• changing the baby's position at each feeding;
• performing arm swings and other gymnastic exercises that help improve microcirculation and fluid outflow in the mammary glands;
• use of special creams;
• applying mashed cabbage leaf;
• compresses with camphor oil;
• change of position during sleep;
• daily breast massage;
• warm shower;
• rubbing.

If it was not possible to avoid lactostasis, and the lumps stubbornly do not want to dissolve, do not delay in visiting the doctor. The sooner you seek help, the lower the risk of developing purulent mastitis. This way you will maintain your health and extend the period of breastfeeding for your baby.

The word “lactostasis”, which is translated as “milk stagnation”, fully explains the essence of the phenomenon. Congestion occurs when there is no milk movement in some part of the breast. A milk plug is formed, blocking the exit of newly formed milk; in place of this plug, swelling of the breast tissue occurs, which makes itself felt first by compaction, and then by soreness, redness and finally a rise in temperature.

Causes of lactostasis may be different:
- GW according to the regime;
- for example, a nursing mother can feed her baby in the same position or sleep on one side all the time - and this leads to the fact that in some areas of the chest (usually under the armpits) the movement of milk stops;
- may put pressure on underwear that is not suitable for feeding;
- cleaning with repeated hand movements can do its job (especially household chores such as hanging curtains or working with a vacuum cleaner);
- general fatigue and lack of sleep;
- use of pacifiers, thanks to which the baby begins to latch on to her mother’s breast worse and prefers not to work too hard to empty it;
- mother can overeat fatty foods, such as nuts - and this affects the viscosity of the milk and can contribute to stagnation...;
- quite often, for reasons that are not entirely clear, the breasts react to changes in weather - when the pressure changes sharply, the temperature outside jumps, then any active breastfeeding consultant will confirm that cases of lactostasis sharply increase. And in the summer, stagnation occurs especially often in hot weather, when women forget to drink enough and the body lacks moisture;
- e Another reason, unfortunately quite common: -pumping after every feeding to the last drop that they insist on « experienced » grandmothers. Mothers of today's mothers remember very well how they themselves were frightened of mastitis if they did not constantly pump, and they - naturally, wishing only the best for their daughters! - convey to them the “verified” time information.

The recommendation to express both breasts after each feeding dates back to the same times when mothers were strictly told to feed the baby once every 3 hours, no more often, and even with a night break, and at the same time give the baby only one breast each time. In fact, it turned out that with this rhythm of feeding, each breast was emptied once every six hours! And if you did not express milk additionally, then milk stagnation and mastitis became a very real threat.

If the mother feeds the child on demand, then there is no need for such measures! At first, it sometimes happens that after feeding there are still lumps or heaviness in the breasts, then the mother can massage and express the remaining milk a little, only until the breasts feel relief (!). If your breasts are soft and comfortable after feeding, then you don’t need to do this! After all, milk is produced in response to stimulation of the breast, and if the baby sucks, and then the mother pumps additionally, then the body “understands” this as the need to increase milk production. Mom finds herself in a “vicious circle”: the more she expresses, the more milk comes in again, and it is quite difficult to bring the situation back to normal - when milk is produced exactly as much as the baby needs - without any lactostasis...

How to help yourself
If stagnation (lactostasis) does occur, it is necessary to ensure the most effective drainage of milk from the part of the breast where stagnation has formed. This is achieved by attaching to the breast in such a way that the child’s lower jaw falls into stagnation. Exactly where works lower jaw baby, coming strongest milk flow. For example, when congestion occurs in the upper part of the chest (if you imagine the chest in the form of a clock, then around 12 o’clock), you can lie on your side on the side of the problem chest and attach the baby with a jack - so that his legs are directed towards the mother’s head. If necessary, you can place a pillow under the baby’s head or entire body. In other cases, use the basic poses, adjusting them so that the lower jaw (or, if that doesn’t work, at least the upper jaw) is as close as possible to the place of stagnation. Placing more or fewer pillows of different sizes under your baby, or holding him more vertically or horizontally, can change the position of the gums relative to the chest. The first thing to do if you feel like there is congestion in your chest is change the baby's position when feeding.

The baby sucks milk best from the part of the breast where his chin points when feeding!

This is what we need to focus on and cope with stagnation:

1. If you feel tightness and heaviness in your chest in the armpit area, then place your baby more often in the under-arms position:

2.C stagnation at the middle of the chest Feeding lying on your side will help you cope, but not traditionally - with the lower breast - but with the upper one:

3. With overflow in the lower chest The baby will quickly figure it out if you sit him for feeding astride his mother’s lap, facing him:

4.But for the child to resolve the relatively rare lumps that occur at the very top of the chest, you will have to give the breast in a non-standard position, which is used precisely for this case: placing the baby with his legs away from you on the bed or changing table, bend over him in an inverted position in relation to the usual position:

Helps restore normal milk flow in the breast more frequent feedings, especially from the affected breast (it is better to feed in small portions, but often, every 30 minutes - 1-2 hours). It is best to sleep with your baby so that you can feed more often - at least every 1-2 hours, even at night. Sometimes this is enough.

But, if stagnation has formed due to weaning and there is no way to let the baby pump the breast, and the breast pump does not take the breast, pumping with two fingers will help:
Express your breasts with your fingers + store and use milk correctly

With lactostasis, if there is no temperature or it lasts no more than a day, breastfeeding is carried out as follows:
- First attach warm compress, you can, for example, wet a towel in hot water and apply it to the place of stagnation for 5-10 minutes, or take a hot bath or shower - this will help better milk flow;
- Then carefully and very carefully massage the area of ​​stagnation. Pre-lubricate the skin, for example, with baby oil, so as not to damage the breasts by rubbing;
- If necessary, express a little milk to make it easier for the baby to latch onto the breast;
- Place the baby on the breast, focusing on the blocked lobe (see photo above);
- Apply for 5-10 minutes cold compress, for example, a towel soaked in cold water to remove the resulting tissue swelling.
The sequence of actions should be exactly like this!

But it happens that everything is still required additional pumping breast, for example, if it is not possible to breastfeed the child. The sequence of actions when expressing is similar.

If during stagnation the milk continues to flow in... so that the milk flows in less, we reduce drinking to a minimum: spread 1 glass of water over the course of a day. If you are very thirsty, wash your face, moisten your lips and rinse your mouth. After a day, depending on the condition, you can drink as usual.

It would be ideal if you give the baby the breast immediately after pumping (before applying a cold compress) - babies usually suck out the remaining stagnation very well. Sometimes it is necessary to repeat pumping, but in any case this is done no more than 3 times a day. If you are not very good at expressing by hand, you can use a breast pump; devices that operate on a two-phase pumping system are especially effective for this.

You can do it between feedings compresses, relieving pain and helping to resolve stagnation. The simplest thing is regular cold compresses.

The following options also help:
- a compress of cool fresh cabbage leaves, slightly beaten along the veins so that the juice flows (it is cabbage juice that has a healing effect, just make sure that it does not get on the area of ​​the areola and nipple - this is not good for the baby’s digestion). You can apply a thin layer of honey to the cabbage leaf;
- a compress of grated raw potatoes;
- honey cake - honey and flour, preferably rye, mixed to the consistency of a stiff dough and applied to the painful area;
- a compress of cool low-fat cottage cheese.
The application time for each compress is about 20 minutes.

At severe lingering pain You can drink No-shpa once, 1 t., but don’t get carried away with it!

Also, according to reviews from mothers, the following help a lot:
- homeopathic ointment " Arnica »;
- Traumele C cream;
They are sold in pharmacies and are simply lubricated with the affected area between feedings.
- Malavit infusion.
A cotton pad is moistened with an infusion diluted in half with water and applied to the affected area for half an hour before or between feedings.

Finally, try to rest. Lack of sleep itself sometimes provokes stagnation. Housework can wait!

What not to do(! ):
- Stop feeding the baby. Ordinary lactostasis cannot harm the baby in any way, and no other method empties the breast as effectively as the child does;
- Warm your breasts between feedings if you are not going to express milk immediately;
- Smear the chest with alcohol (vodka), Vishnevsky ointment and camphor. All these means make milk flow even more difficult. In practice, alcohol and Vishnevsky ointment often lead to the problem area being encapsulated and an abscess forming - a cavity filled with pus, which requires surgical intervention. And camphor is able to completely stop milk production in the proportions to which it was applied;
- Stretch your chest with an elastic bandage.While stagnation makes itself felt, just a lump in the chest, there is no need to worry at all, just follow the above scheme.

When the temperature rises follow the recommendations especially carefully; if you have the opportunity to call a natural feeding consultant, do so. Can be accepted children's paracetamol-based antipyretic: Paracetamol(or Panadol , Efferalgan), V children's dosage - approximately 1 ml.

If the temperature lasts a long time, longer than 2 days (and in the first month of the baby’s life - more than a day) - be sure to consult a doctor: a gynecologist or mammologist.

The same thing - if no temperature, But lump in the chest for several days does not decrease or does not go away for more than a week. Typically, in such cases, physiotherapy is prescribed.

If things go to mastitis, they can prescribe antibiotics, and you can almost always choose ones that are compatible with breastfeeding.

So everything is not as scary as it seems, the main thing is not to start the process !

Be healthy!

_______________________
P.S.: I once had severe lactostasis. In the evening, in a matter of minutes, the lump grew the size of an egg. I tried to save myself with a breast pump, but after an hour of my efforts, it was only able to squeeze out a few drops. After some bad luck, I decided to turn to the internet. I found this article... And as a child I decanted myself in just 5 minutes! There was no hint of a bump left at all. Afterwards, to relieve the pain, I put a cabbage leaf in my bra... and by the morning there was no pain, no bruise, no discomfort... Since then, I have only been able to escape as a child...

A child is our best breast pump, I know from my own experience!

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How to strain lactostasis (milk stagnation) with your hands. Massage for lactostasis. Symptoms and treatment of lactostasis in a nursing mother at home (compresses, massage and other useful tips).

Many friends and acquaintances frightened me with the terrible words “lactostasis” and “mastitis”. Everyone says you need to constantly strain, but no one explains how to do it correctly...

I hope my story will help future young mothers.

After the c-section, the baby was given to me only a day later, I began to actively put him to my breast when he cried. The first day it seemed to me that he spent more time near my breast than outside it. I drank a lot of fluids. My efforts were not in vain, the milk came very quickly and in large quantities. The newborn baby was not ready to drink that amount of milk. The doctors at the hospital looked at my breasts every day and told me to pump my breasts constantly. I immediately took it with me to the maternity hospital on the advice of my friends (electric). After each feeding, I tried to express the remaining milk with it, but still not a single breast pump can express it completely, I realized this later. Cracks appeared on another nipple in the maternity hospital, although from the first days I applied cream to them, apparently this is simply inevitable, and accordingly the other breast became my “favorite”. She gave it more often while this one was healing and, accordingly, more milk began to be produced in it.

A week after discharge, at night it turned out that the child slept a little longer and the “favorite” breast turned to stone. As soon as he woke up, I immediately put him to my chest, but after it became soft, I felt a large lump.

In the morning the temperature rose to 39, I tried to bring it down with baby Nurofen, I pumped it with a breast pump, but the temperature remained stable. I tried to express my breasts with my hands, pressing on the areola, but the lump did not dissolve. On the second day, the decision was made to call an ambulance, which I now regret. It was a day off, the duty team arrived, gave me an injection for fever and told me I needed to go to the surgeon. I was shocked... The surgeon at the hospital looked, pressed very hard on my breasts, milk splashed out and said, go home and strain, you have lactostasis and not mastitis. After that, I completely stopped understanding how to express my breasts correctly, some say you need to press, knead through the pain, endure, others say you should never press...

After the hospital, my husband and I went to see a nurse who pumps at home. She did this without any pain, using baby cream, in a circular motion towards the nipple, alternating one breast and then the other. The temperature subsided, the lump became smaller, but still remained. I came to her three more times, gave this breast to the child, the condition improved noticeably, but still not completely.

I went to another doctor I know, she told me, don’t listen to anyone who says that you need to knead or press hard on your breasts, stand in the bathroom under a warm shower, direct the stream to the bump and, pressing the areola a little inwards, express! After a few days, the lump completely disappeared.

What is this lactostasis and why does it appear?

Congestion occurs when milk flow is disrupted in some part of the breast. A milk plug is formed, which blocks the exit of newly formed milk; in place of this plug, swelling of the breast tissue occurs, which makes itself felt first by compaction, and then by soreness, redness and a rise in temperature.

Causes of lactostasis:

• feeding in the same position, with the same breast;
• pumping after each feeding (when there is no stagnation, pump only if you feel excessive fullness to a state of lightness, i.e. not completely);
• insufficient water consumption, especially in summer;
• hypothermia;
• unsuitable underwear that compresses the breasts;
• lack of sleep and general fatigue;
• even weather changes can be a cause.

If lumps appeared, the chest and fever began to hurt.

Here's my recipe:

1. Do a massage. We support the breast with our left hand, squeeze baby cream or oil onto the right hand and with sliding circular movements (light, without pressing!) massage the breast towards the nipple, as if expelling milk. The whole trick is in the cream! From such a massage the streams flow from me. We alternately massage the right and left breasts. It is better to strain the patient completely, healthy until a feeling of lightness is felt.

2. Get into a warm shower (not hot!), direct the water to the area with the bump and, pressing the areola slightly inward, express the milk. We express the sore breast until it becomes completely soft, like a “rag”.

3. Folklore: cabbage leaves help to dissolve cones very well. First you need to beat it a little and freeze it so that the juice is soft and easily released. We apply it after we have completely pumped the sore breast. Leave until it becomes dry, i.e. will give away all the juice. A friend recently saved herself with a honey cake and applied it at night for several days in a row.

4. If possible, you should contact experienced consultant on breastfeeding, which will help you pump your breasts and not waste time.

5. Under no circumstances do not heatcompaction!!! AND don't wrinkle!!! You can make it even worse and lactostasis will turn into mastitis!

6. Required breastfeed a sick baby, no one can say it better than him. You can try changing the feeding position so that the baby’s chin points to the location of the bump, i.e. if the congestion is closer to the armpit, feed in the “under-arm” position.

Now my lactation is established, the baby sleeps either 3 or 5 hours at night, the breasts become full and hard, but no lumps form, he drinks everything completely and I don’t pump at all. I control the volume of milk with the liquid I drink.

As for lactostasis, almost every nursing mother goes through this; this can only be avoided by manually expressing the breasts to a state of lightness in the first weeks! and prevent overflow, i.e. If you feel that your breasts have already begun to harden and it’s not too soon to feed, you can express a little. But you also need to understand that the amount of milk is produced on demand, the greater the demand, the greater the supply. If you get used to pumping constantly, then you will have to do it always.