Breastfeeding is an integral part of ideal motherhood, allowing you to establish contact with your baby from an early age and form a healthy immune system.
However, this important process in the life of mother and child can be overshadowed by lactostasis - milk retention in the mammary gland.
What are the main causes of lactostasis? How to prevent problems with breastfeeding? Let's consider 10 prerequisites that lead to stagnation of milk in a nursing mother.
Scheduled feeding
The system of scheduled feeding is outdated, but today you can still find young mothers who maintain a gap of 4 hours between breastfeeding. However, doctors believe that it is harmful for both the baby and the mother.
According to experts, emptying the gland less frequently than every 2 hours leads to congestion in the chest in more than 40% of cases. Feeding on demand will help prevent lactostasis and make the diet more comfortable for the baby.
A flexible schedule for breastfeeding will allow you to empty the gland in a timely manner, preventing milk from stagnating and leading to its inflammation.
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Incorrect attachment
Despite the variety of feeding positions, young mothers often put their baby to the breast in one way that is most comfortable for them. To do this means emptying only one lobe of the breast, while the rest will remain full. Alternating feeding positions will allow you to “get” milk from the most inaccessible areas, thereby avoiding stagnation.
Experts recommend changing the position every 1-2 feedings, paying special attention to the “from the armpit” position: feeding while sitting, placing the baby in your arm and providing him with support from the side (pillow). This position is also approved from the point of view of benefits for the child - it ensures the outflow of milk from the axillary lobe of the breast, which is richest in fats and enzymes that activate the baby’s digestive processes.
Source: depositphotos.com
Pumping after feeding
Expressing “to the last drop” after the baby has left the breast is another prerequisite for the development of lactostasis. Relevant when feeding according to a regimen, in an on-demand feeding system, pumping is not only unnecessary, but also dangerous.
Additional stimulation of the gland during a flexible feeding schedule, when milk flow is already quite frequent, will lead to the production of extra portions that the baby can no longer cope with.
This can cause the first symptoms of lactostasis (pain, hardening of breast tissue), and later, if the balance of milk production and absorption is not restored, mastitis.
Source: depositphotos.com
Unreasonable physical activity
Sports, stress and even intense housework are common causes of lactostasis.
Monotonous movements with a load on the shoulder girdle (moving with a vacuum cleaner, hanging curtains), which provoke overstrain of the breast tissue and, consequently, blockage of its ducts, are especially dangerous.
Doctors recommend that young mothers refrain from any sports activities during breastfeeding, learn to delegate heavy housework to their husbands or other household members, and also avoid overwork.
Source: depositphotos.com
Wearing tight underwear
The first thing a young mother who is breastfeeding should take care of is choosing a special bra.
If the underwear is not intended for these purposes or does not correspond to the size of the breast, pinching certain areas of the mammary gland can lead to their incomplete and incorrect emptying, and therefore to stagnant processes.
To prevent illness, experts advise choosing an elastic, wire-free bra made from natural fabrics.
Source: depositphotos.com
Improper eating and drinking habits
What a nursing mother eats and drinks determines not only the benefits of milk for the baby, but also the health of her mammary glands.
If a woman eats foods high in refractory fats (animal fats, margarine), the milk becomes denser and easier to form clots that clog the thoracic ducts.
Nutritionists recommend that nursing mothers enrich their diet with unsaturated fatty acids (fish, vegetable oils), as well as dairy products, fruits and vegetables, excluding unnatural products from it.
The amount of milk secreted by the breast is affected not only by food, but also by drinks: excess fluid (more than 3 liters per day), as well as a hot drink for dinner, will serve as a stimulating factor for increased milk production at night, which, with less frequent feedings, will cause stagnation
Source: depositphotos.com
Sleeping on your stomach
Sleeping on the stomach is not harmless: according to the reviews of many young mothers, it is this position that causes congestion in the chest during immature lactation, when the gland is filled especially heavily.
During a night's rest, a woman does not control her body and can suffer strong mechanical compression of the thoracic ducts.
Breastfeeding mothers are advised to stop sleeping on their stomachs for at least 2-3 months after giving birth - then lactation will become established and the breasts will no longer be as full as before.
Source: depositphotos.com
Hypothermia
Experts believe that it is impossible to catch a cold in the chest, like any other separate part of the body (arm or leg): inflammation in the mammary gland occurs simultaneously with the body catching a cold, only in a more pronounced form.
Cases of lactostasis and associated discomfort during hypothermia are not uncommon, so nursing mothers with a reduced immune system are advised to take their health seriously: do not be in a draft, dress appropriately for the weather, and do not take a cold shower.
Source: depositphotos.com
Bruises and chest injuries
Accidental bruises (kicked by a child) and injuries of varying severity can lead to the formation of congestive processes in the chest. Unfortunately, no one is immune from accidents, but a nursing mother should pay no less attention to her safety than during pregnancy, refusing to visit overly crowded and traumatic places.
Source: depositphotos.com
Early termination of breastfeeding
Premature cessation of breastfeeding today is the norm rather than the exception to the rule. Many parents choose to replace breast milk with bottle-based formula.
The reasons vary, but the transition should not be abrupt, otherwise the mammary gland will not be prepared for a sharp decrease in the volume of milk consumed and will continue to produce it. If a refusal occurs, experts do not recommend using “grandmother’s” advice and bandaging the breasts: this can cause even greater inflammation of the gland.
It is better to stop lactation with medication or use traditional methods by consuming a decoction of sage leaves until lactation decreases in a more natural way.
Source: depositphotos.com
Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:
Source: https://www.neboleem.net/stati-o-zdorove/8888-10-osnovnyh-prichin-laktostaza.php
Lactostasis: symptoms, causes of development, features of therapy and prevention
If a nursing woman has active milk production, incomplete emptying of the breast or narrowing of the milk ducts occurs, causing lactostasis, the symptoms of which appear quite clearly and are often a cause for concern. Typically, lactostasis can be observed when a woman just begins to breastfeed, after colostrum, during the period of increasing milk fat content. Because of this, milk can stagnate in narrow ducts, causing lactostasis or mastitis.
Definition of the phenomenon
What is lactostasis? This is stagnation of milk in the breasts of a nursing mother. Hardened areas can form in one breast or both. Almost every nursing mother knows lactostasis in women, namely what it is. Often signs of the disease are hard balls in the chest, palpated with fingers, accompanied by pain.
An external sign is the clear outline of the veins on the chest. The female mammary gland is characterized by many lobes in which the excretory ducts are located. If a woman feels well during lactation, the ducts expand during feeding and milk flows freely to the baby. During the period of the disease, the ducts narrow, creating discomfort and pain.
This problem must be treated immediately at the first sign. If the full outflow of milk is not resumed, pathogenic substances can penetrate into the lobes, which will lead to a purulent abscess.
You can know that the ducts have cleared the milk plugs by feeling a burning and tingling sensation at the site of redness and protruding veins.
The milk expressed in this case may have an unusual structure: it may contain a high percentage of fat content, grains and small fibers.
The risk group for the formation of traffic jams includes women who have fatty milk and its active intake. Such nursing mothers should pay special attention to the process of feeding and pumping.
Factors of occurrence
The causes of lactostasis are as follows:
- large breasts, which cannot be completely emptied when feeding the baby;
- flat type nipples in a woman;
- poorly developed sucking reflex in the baby;
- a high percentage of milk secretion, which contradicts the baby’s needs;
- an anatomical feature that impedes the natural flow of milk, slowing down the emptying of the breast;
- improper attachment of the baby to the breast;
- cracked nipples;
- large time interval between feedings.
Sometimes the occurrence of lactostasis is not associated with the feeding procedure - it can occur due to injury, hypothermia, or wearing uncomfortable underwear. Often stress situations, inadequate sleep and daily routine can cause problems in the body.
Symptoms of lactostasis
In many nursing mothers, lactostasis does not manifest itself with any special symptoms. Each case is individual. The absence of any sensations is due to the latent form of the disease.
Temperature during congestion is not possible for everyone and not always, but if the thermometer has crossed the mark of 38C, immediate hospitalization is required.
Often this indicates an infectious form of the disease.
Symptoms and treatment of lactostasis must be inseparable: if signs are diagnosed, therapy is necessary immediately. During the period of illness, pain occurs in the area of the mammary glands, and a feeling of heaviness occurs. When palpating, you can feel hardened areas, and during feeding, milk comes out with difficulty.
In some situations with lactostasis, even if there is no milk in the breast, the woman continues to experience pain and discomfort. Besides:
- clear venous lines appear on the mammary gland;
- nodes and seals are palpated;
- feeling of heaviness in the chest;
- breast size increases;
- clogged areas turn red;
- there is pain after pumping;
- temperature rise to 38C;
- chills and weakness.
Lactostasis can lead to an increase in low-grade fever and a deterioration in the general health of a woman if therapeutic actions are not started in a timely manner.
In the worst case, the disease can develop into infectious mastitis due to an inflammatory process within the tissues. The painful condition can be cured with slightly warm compresses.
The procedures are carried out between feeding intervals.
Before expressing milk, you should wrap your breasts in a warm towel or take a shower. Too hot compresses are undesirable in cases of congestion, so that the infection does not spread to other organ tissues. It is necessary to apply warm compresses as often as possible until the disease subsides.
Treatment of all symptoms of lactostasis is as follows: to reduce the risk of developing the disease, you should feed your baby hourly, placing him correctly on the breast. In the first stages of painful sensations, this will be enough.
Also, if there is stagnation of milk in the breast, you can visit a procedure - ultrasound massage, but with the prescription of the attending physician. In other cases, a nursing woman may be prescribed the hormone oxytocin in ampoules. The drug is administered intramuscularly 30 minutes before feeding.
How to cure lactostasis?
If all signs of lactostasis are observed, it can be eliminated by freeing the gland from milk. If stagnation of milk has already occurred, you should express it to the maximum using massage actions. Actions should be slow, moving from the periphery to the center of the nipple.
In case of stagnant processes, breast pumps should be used, but in case of detection of hardened areas in the breast, it is better to express manually.
A breast pump should not be used if there are cracks in the nipples to prevent blood from getting into the milk.
It is better not to perform pumping procedures at night, since during this period of time the largest amount of prolactin is released, which will lead to an even greater supply of milk.
To reduce milk production, you need to drink as little liquid as possible and feed your baby more often. To eliminate breast swelling, you should take a warm bath. During periods of pain due to lactostasis, you can apply white cabbage leaves with camphor oil to your chest.
You can relieve discomfort and quickly free the milk ducts from plugs using compresses made from fresh honey. It is mixed with wheat flour until smooth. The mixture is applied to the chest and covered with a film for warming. All compresses created from improvised means are applied for no more than 15-20 minutes.
To eliminate the inflammatory process in the body, women are recommended to use chamomile decoction. Among medications, you can use gels and creams to resolve milk congestion in the breast - Traumeel and Malavit.
It should be remembered that when starting treatment on your own, you need to consult your doctor. If the therapy is correct, lactostasis will disappear in two days. If the therapeutic effect is negative, treatment in a clinical setting is necessary.
Prevention of lactostasis
Preventive measures to avoid lactostasis include frequent feeding of the baby, and breastfeeding should be done at different angles.
Feeding time is more than 4 hours. It is recommended to use cotton, loose underwear and moderate fluid intake.
A nursing mother needs proper rest so that all physiological processes function correctly.
It is necessary to perform breast massage actions during lactation. They are performed in the shower or after it using oils. Proper nutrition during the feeding period also plays an important role.
Eat healthy food, without cholesterol. By following simple recommendations, every woman can avoid the unpleasant sensations called lactostasis. Timely therapy will allow a woman to reduce the risk of mastitis and maintain lactation for as long as the child requires.
Source: https://myzhelezy.ru/ekzokrinnye/molochnye-zhelezy/laktostaz-simptomy.html
Lactostasis - symptoms, treatment, signs. Breast massage will help overcome the disease
In the modern world, despite the stunning development of food production, including food for newborns, few people doubt the primary importance of mother's milk.
You can get detailed information about the need to breastfeed babies in each maternity hospital. At the same time, messages are posted about possible problematic issues.
These include stagnation of milk in the maternal mammary glands, which in medical terminology is called lactostasis during breastfeeding.
One of the complications that arise during breastfeeding is lactostasis.
Symptoms of lactostasis
Breastfeeding is not only necessary, but also very convenient for both mother and baby. Naturally, every mother has the right to count on a sufficient duration of the lactation process.
Unfortunately, quite often mothers, especially young ones, begin to worry about the symptoms of lactostasis, namely: bloating, the formation of lumps and lumps in the breast, painful sensations when touched, unevenness or difficulty in the outflow of milk.
At the same time, varicose veins may appear in the area of congestion.
Certain measures, when primary signs of lactostasis appear, must be taken already on the first day. Otherwise, a significant deterioration in the young mother’s condition is likely.
Signs of fever, redness and swelling of the breast may appear. Elevated body temperature is also not uncommon with lactostasis.
The problems that have arisen cannot be eliminated without having an idea about this disease, at least as a first approximation.
Causes
What reasons prompt the occurrence and development of the disease? First of all, it should be noted that lactostasis is actually the accumulation of milk in the mammary glands of a nursing mother when its outflow is difficult. You need to understand that the female mammary gland consists of about 15-20 segments.
Milk comes out of these segments through a special duct. As soon as the outflow of milk from a certain segment stops, the duct in this area is immediately blocked by a clot. Then there are external consequences in the form of painful seals and redness.
However, these symptoms do not immediately cause a deterioration in the mother’s health.
Attention should be paid to certain features of the occurrence and development of lactostasis. First of all, these include infrequent and short-term feeding, the presence of long intervals, as well as a sharp refusal to breastfeed the baby. It is also possible to reduce the passage of the excretory duct, excessive production of milk by the gland in combination with spasms of the ducts.
To the provoking factors should be added the specificity of the anatomical structure of the gland: flat nipples, excessively narrow milk ducts with a fairly active gland, large or somewhat saggy breasts.
In the same series there are cases of difficult feeding: reduced sucking activity of the baby, cracks in the nipple, incorrect posture or incorrect attachment of the baby to the breast.
Accumulation of milk in the mammary glands of a nursing mother when its outflow is difficult leads to disease
In addition to the above, disturbances in the outflow of milk from the glands can be caused by hypothermia of the breast, severe physical strain, uncomfortable clothes and tight underwear, sleeping on the stomach and, of course, various psychological stresses in everyday life. You should always pay primary attention to these details so as not to miss the first signs of a painful condition.
Quite often, almost a few days after birth, lactation begins, accompanied by excess milk production by the mammary gland. At the same time, this amount of milk is unnecessary for the baby.
For this reason, the mammary glands are not completely emptied. And if this is also the first child, then to this are added convoluted and narrow milk ducts that require development.
The lack of experience in pumping also affects, and the doctor will tell you how to strain lactostasis.
Further, it is worth noting that milk stagnant in the gland affects the increase in pressure in the lobules and ducts, as a result of which the gland tissues are saturated with milk in places of its increased concentration, which, in turn, causes soreness, tightness and leads to pain. At the same time, reverse absorption of milk is observed, leading to the occurrence of fever. Pressure in the lobules causes inhibition of milk production. If you do not treat lactostasis during breastfeeding, you may lose milk altogether.
Moreover, advanced lactostasis can easily give way to inflammation of the mammary gland - mastitis. Despite the similarity of external symptoms, lactostasis and mastitis have differences. For example, with mastitis, after expressing the lobule, there is no noticeable relief. With mastitis, all symptoms are more pronounced.
And the tubercles in the chest are denser, and the redness is more noticeable, and the pain on palpation is more significant, as well as the increase in body temperature. You need to understand that mastitis is caused by injuries and cracks in the nipple, both hypothermia and overheating. Mastitis can also occur due to improper treatment of lactostasis.
As a conclusion, you need to remember that mastitis is recognized as an infectious disease, lactostasis is a disorder in the functioning of the mammary glands.
Diagnosis and treatment of lactostasis
The main symptom of the disease is pain in the densified area of the mammary gland.
Correct diagnosis is essential for providing timely assistance with lactostasis. Therefore, once again about the symptoms of the disease. Perhaps the main symptom of the disease is pain in the compacted area of the mammary gland. At the same time, there may be a certain feeling of heaviness in the chest, as if something is bursting from the inside.
If milk stagnation continues, a feeling of heat occurs, accompanied by local redness with a subsequent rise in temperature. However, painful sensations can occur without compactions. In addition, during the actual feeding process, the signs sometimes become less pronounced.
At the same time, pain may also occur during the feeding process, and the areas in which milk is concentrated may increase and shift.
Every sane mother immediately wonders how to treat lactostasis. The first step is to eliminate milk stagnation as soon as the above-mentioned primary symptoms are noticed. This, by the way, will simultaneously prevent the possibility of mastitis and abscesses. It’s a good idea to determine the cause of the deterioration in the movement of milk through the duct and get rid of it.
The main treatment for lactostasis is the most complete emptying of the mammary gland. There is no better way than ensuring long-term and frequent (but no more than once every two hours) breastfeeding.
It’s even better to first pump the sore breast, and then let the baby suck out the lumps. It is worth noting that the baby should be placed first on the sore breast, and only then on the healthy one.
Otherwise, a practically full child will not put in enough effort. And there is nothing to be afraid of: a child will not have any problems from lactostasis.
After finishing feeding, you need to express both breasts by hand or empty them using a breast pump. The use of the device will be more effective if the breast massage necessary for lactostasis is performed first. Acceleration of the processes of resorption of compacted areas of the breast can be ensured by warm compresses and massaging strokes from the base to the nipple.
It is necessary to remember that massage for lactostasis, feeding and pumping of the mammary gland are carried out regardless of the feeling of pain, then the signs of lactostasis will gradually disappear.
Sometimes, when a blocked duct opens during feeding, a burning and tingling sensation may occur in the chest.
This is not scary, but you should not massage too enthusiastically, so that the lobules and ducts are not mechanically damaged, and then new stagnant zones do not appear.
A very important point for the treatment of lactostasis is the feeding process itself, which must necessarily be carried out in a position comfortable for the baby. Contact should be made as comfortable as possible.
Many experts recommend using cold compresses between feedings to reduce pain levels. Right before feeding your baby or before pumping, the mammary gland should be warm. To do this, you can apply a towel soaked in warm water to your chest.
Under no circumstances should you use warming compresses or hot water. If there is the slightest infection, this will lead to purulent mastitis.
Wearing tight underwear during breastfeeding can lead to lactostasis
If congestion occurs in the mammary glands, you need to remember that after expressing milk, pain in the breast area may continue to bother you for a couple of days.
If the pain intensifies or elements of fever appear, then in order to avoid consequences, you should immediately consult a doctor. Then any compresses become contraindicated.
It is especially worth noting that in all cases, treatment of lactostasis cannot be combined with alcohol compresses, which are harmful and favor the development of the disease.
Sometimes it is possible to use homeopathic medicines. Good results have been recorded from the use of Traumeel ointment for lactostasis. With its help, you feel better, reduce pain and relieve swelling. In this case, strict adherence to the rules of personal hygiene is mandatory in order to block access to infectious bacteria.
Self-treatment of lactostasis using folk methods is not at all encouraged, especially for women who have given birth for the first time. Any inaccuracy during the treatment procedure can provoke unexpected complications, a decrease in the quality and even the disappearance of milk in the mammary glands. That is why it is extremely important to consult a doctor.
And even more so if there is an intention to use medicine or ointment for lactostasis. Only a doctor can accurately determine the cause of the phenomenon and prescribe the necessary treatment.
In particular, in some cases it turns out that for resorption it is necessary to use ultrasound for lactostasis, and the reduction of milk flows is well stimulated by oxytocin tablets, but only as prescribed by a doctor.
Everyone knows that preventing a disease is much more important than treating it. It is clear that lactostasis is no exception, especially since its prevention is extremely simple. In the first place in it is the strict regularity of feeding and complete emptying of the breast. In second place is avoiding any stressful situations.
Next comes the obligatory side sleeping. And, of course, mom should not wear tight underwear that squeezes her chest. Under no circumstances should you overcool or allow physical activity. During feeding, it is recommended to hold the baby in different positions, which allows you to actively release milk from different lobes of the breast.
Traditional methods of treating the disease
Cabbage leaf compress - a folk remedy for treating lactostasis
When treating lactostasis, you can also use folk remedies. This includes the application of cool low-fat cottage cheese, specially prepared honey cakes, and warm chamomile infusion. Practice shows that cabbage leaves are the most useful for lactostasis. It reduces fever and relieves pain.
A cabbage leaf of sufficient size, washed with running water, is lightly kneaded so that it releases the juice, and applied to the area of stagnation. The sheet should be changed every 3 hours.
It is also important to reduce fluid intake during lactostasis, and after cure, increase it again to 3 liters as prescribed during breastfeeding.
All of the above points to the fact that lactostasis, even if it occurs, can be quickly cured if certain rules are followed. And preventing this disease is not difficult at all.
Still, the main conclusion is that if you have any doubts about the symptoms of the disease, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Then breastfeeding, which is so necessary for the baby, will be a joy for both mother and child.
Video
Source: https://simptom.org/laktostaz-simptomy-lechenie-priznaki/
Lactostasis
Lactostasis is stagnation, retention of milk in the excretory ducts of the mammary gland of a nursing woman. Lactostasis may be associated with blockage or spasm of the excretory duct, hyperlactation, difficulties with feeding, abrupt cessation of breastfeeding, or wearing too tight underwear. It is accompanied by soreness of the gland, thickening and redness of some of its areas, pain during feeding and pumping. Failure to take measures leads to a deterioration in general health, the development of first uninfected and then infected mastitis, which requires surgical intervention.
Lactostasis is an accumulation of milk in the mammary gland of a nursing woman, which develops as a result of obstructed outflow. It is characterized by thickening of the gland, pain on palpation, expansion of the saphenous veins on the chest in the area of stasis. Sometimes body temperature can rise to low-grade levels. Tension and soreness of the gland can either be relieved after its emptying or persist.
The causes of lactostasis may be a decrease in the patency of the excretory duct, excessive production of milk by the gland, as well as a combination of hyperlactation with obstruction or spasm of the ducts.
The development of lactostasis is facilitated by the anatomical features of the gland: a flat nipple, narrow milk ducts with pronounced secretory activity of the gland, sagging breasts.
Lactostasis is also provoked by refusal of breastfeeding, difficulty feeding (presence of cracks in the nipples, improper attachment to the breast, weak sucking activity in the baby).
Impaired milk flow is caused by tight underwear, sleeping on the stomach, hypothermia of the chest, psychological stress, and heavy physical work.
In the first days after birth, when lactation is established, there is often an excess of milk. As a rule, on the third or fourth day (with repeated births it may be earlier) active lactation begins, and the baby sucks out quite a bit of milk in those days.
As a result, the mammary glands are not completely released.
During the first lactation, in addition, there is some difficulty in outflow - the milk ducts are narrow, tortuous and require development, pumping is difficult due to the lack of skill.
The milk remaining in the gland causes an increase in pressure in the ducts and lobules; the gland tissue in the area of stagnation infiltrates and swells, which causes compaction and pain.
The milk is partially reabsorbed and contributes to the development of fever. Increased pressure in the lobules helps reduce milk production and inhibits further lactation.
With prolonged total lactostasis, milk production stops.
The main manifestation of lactostasis is a painful thickening of the gland area. In addition, there may be a feeling of heaviness and fullness. With prolonged stasis, a feeling of heat and local hyperemia develops, an increase in body temperature to subfebrile and febrile levels.
Sometimes pain is not accompanied by hardening. As a rule, symptoms subside after feeding. Feeding itself may be accompanied by severe pain. The stagnation zone can shift and increase.
You should try to feed as often as possible (but not more than once every two hours). When you start feeding, you must immediately attach the baby to the “sick” breast.
The fact is that in order to suck milk out of the stagnant area, the child has to make maximum sucking efforts, and when he has already eaten, he may become lazy and refuse to suck. However, healthy breasts also require careful emptying.
Feeding should be done in a position that is convenient and comfortable for the baby, providing the baby with maximum contact with the nipple and facilitating sucking. If the baby does not suckle frequently and intensively enough, it is necessary to express excess milk.
Massaging the breast with stroking movements in the direction of the nipple helps increase the outflow.
Breast massage, pumping and feeding must be carried out, overcoming pain until the symptoms of lactostasis subside. Persistence of effort contributes to high-quality emptying of the glands and long-term, full lactation. Sometimes, when a spasmodic duct opens during feeding, some tingling and burning in the chest may be noted.
Expressed milk may contain inclusions (“milk grains”), thread-like fibers, and appear excessively fatty. This is the normal, healthy consistency of breast milk and provides adequate nutrition to the baby. Between feedings and pumping, pain can be relieved by applying local cold compresses.
Before pumping or feeding, the gland must be kept warm. If necessary, you can warm your chest with a towel soaked in warm water and take a warm shower. The use of hot water and warming compresses is dangerous due to possible infection, so sudden excessive warming is not recommended.
After warming up, the breast is massaged in a circular motion from its base to the nipple. When massaging, the lobule where lactostasis is localized is quite well defined to the touch, differing from the surrounding tissue by its increased density.
The seal must be massaged with special care. It is the thickened, painful area that needs pumping first. After pumping, you can put your baby to your breast and let him suck out the remaining milk.
Prolonged lactostasis (more than a day) and after decanting can remain sore for 1-2 days in the area of stagnation.
If even after the pain does not subside, but intensifies, fever and hyperemia occur, it can be assumed that mastitis has developed (inflammation of the mammary gland).
It is necessary to stop warming the gland (heat contributes to the progression of the infection) and immediately consult a doctor.
With lactostasis, any warming compresses are harmful, and alcohol compresses, in addition to the likelihood of stimulating the bacterial flora, interfere with the hormonal regulation of lactation, which only contributes to the development of lactostasis.
Excessively active massage can also lead to negative consequences: mechanical damage to the lobules and ducts, the appearance of new foci of stagnation and an increase in body temperature (with intense reabsorption of milk and infiltration of surrounding tissues in the damaged lobules).
Treatment of lactostasis with folk remedies without consulting a doctor is categorically not recommended, especially for mothers lactating for the first time. Improper implementation of therapeutic measures contributes to the development of complications of lactostasis and a decrease in the quality of milk, up to the complete cessation of lactation.
Expressing on your own is often quite painful and may not be effective. The midwife can help with pumping and developing the ducts. A good specialist can make pumping completely painless.
Hardware expression with a breast pump is not inferior in its effectiveness to manual expression, but in case of lactostasis, before using the breast pump, it is necessary to thoroughly massage the sore area.
One of the effective methods for resolving milk stagnation is ultrasonic massage of the mammary gland. Oxytocin helps contract the milk ducts. It is prescribed by injection and administered intramuscularly 20-30 minutes before feeding.
Lactostasis is dangerous due to the risk of developing mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland). The development of this complication is clinically manifested by increased pain, fever and heat in the affected area, red stripes may appear on the skin of the chest, and there is an admixture of pus or blood in the milk.
The development of mastitis is provoked by hypothermia (feeding in a draft), overheating (compresses, hot baths), and improper treatment of lactospasm. Long-term lactostasis can lead to the development of a breast abscess.
The main prevention of lactostasis is regular feeding and careful expression of remaining milk. It is recommended to avoid wearing tight, uncomfortable underwear, physical activity and stress, sleep on your side, and drink enough fluids, vegetables and fruits.
If lactostasis does develop, it is necessary to take all necessary measures to resolve it as soon as possible and under no circumstances stop lactation. Often in the breast, where lactostasis occurs, milk production decreases. As a rule, after the stagnation is cleared, the secretory activity of the gland returns to its previous level.
Source: https://www.KrasotaiMedicina.ru/diseases/zabolevanija_mammology/lactostasis
Lactostasis: signs, symptoms, treatment and prevention
Lactostasis is a pathological process that results in complete stagnation or retention of milk in the excretory ducts of the mammary gland of a nursing woman. If treatment is not started in a timely manner, an inflammatory process may begin, which will require surgical intervention. May cause the development of infected mastitis.
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Etiology
The etiology of this pathological process is well studied. The causes of lactostasis in a nursing mother are as follows:
- refusal to breastfeed a child;
- improper attachment of the baby to the breast;
- rare feeding;
- wearing underwear that is too tight;
- mechanical injuries of the mammary gland;
- poor milk flow due to anatomical features;
- almost constant sleep on the stomach during breastfeeding;
- hypothermia;
- frequent stressful situations, nervous tension, inadequate rest;
- compression of some areas of the mammary glands during feeding.
Clinicians note that the development of lactostasis is more likely in those women who have large breasts. This is due to the fact that the lower parts of the mammary gland sag and the correct outflow of milk is not observed.
It should be noted that in the first week after birth, an excess of milk is normal. The process of active lactation forms 3–4 days after birth. If the pregnancy is repeated, then the process of stabilizing lactation can occur much faster - on the second day after birth.
Symptoms
Symptoms of lactostasis are well expressed. The first and most sure sign of the development of this pathological process is a feeling of discomfort and pain in the chest, for no apparent reason. In addition, you can observe the following symptoms of lactostasis:
- feeling of heaviness, fullness;
- local temperature increase;
- with palpation, you can feel individual areas of compaction;
- painful thickening of the entire mammary gland, redness;
- milk is expressed in an uneven, meager stream.
Lactostasis
In more complex clinical cases, there may be a feeling of heat, an increase in body temperature to 39 degrees. It should be noted that if the above symptoms have been observed for a long time, a general increase in temperature may indicate the onset of an inflammatory process.
Clinicians note that at the initial stage of development of this pathological process, an increase in temperature is almost never observed.
If the clinical picture does not indicate the onset of an infectious process, pain can be eliminated and the pathological process can be localized by starting proper breastfeeding. However, you should still undergo an examination by a specialized medical specialist.
Diagnostics
If the symptoms of this pathological process do not disappear within several days, you should immediately consult a doctor. Otherwise, an inflammatory process may begin, which entails the development of infectious mastitis.
First of all, the doctor conducts an examination and finds out the patient’s medical history and lifestyle. The medical history and pregnancy picture are taken into account. In addition, an additional diagnostic program is carried out using instrumental and laboratory tests:
Based on all the test results obtained and the patient’s general history, the doctor can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment.
It should be noted that lactostasis in a nursing mother can also affect the health of the child, especially if treatment is carried out using antibiotics.
Treatment
There is practically no drug therapy for lactostasis. Drugs are prescribed only if an infectious process has begun. Treatment of lactostasis does not require hospitalization.
First of all, it is necessary to ensure the normal outflow of milk from the mother’s mammary glands. To expand the ducts, breast massage and warming help well with lactostasis. However, the use of alcohol compresses for lactostasis is strongly not recommended. This is due to the fact that such lotions only worsen the secretion of the hormone that is responsible for milk production.
After pumping, you should give the breast to your baby. The child will help get rid of milk stagnation in hard-to-reach places of the mammary gland. Please note that pumping milk cannot be started immediately after feeding the baby. The body will recognize this as the fact that the baby did not have enough milk, and the production process will begin even stronger.
In addition to the measures described above, a nursing mother should reduce her fluid intake. There should not be more than one liter per day.
If the painful sensation does not go away, you can use special ointments and no-shpa. No-spa will relieve pain, and a suitable ointment will remove the inflammatory process.
As for the ointment, it should be selected by the attending physician. Selecting any ointment at a pharmacy without a doctor’s recommendation is not recommended. This is due to the fact that the ointment may contain components harmful to the baby’s health.
Treatment of lactostasis should only be carried out on the recommendation of a doctor. Expressing milk is best done with the help of a medical professional or using a breast pump.
It should also be understood that when diagnosing lactostasis, treatment with folk remedies and home-made ointments is strictly not recommended. This can seriously affect the baby's health.
Possible complications
If treatment is not started in a timely manner, this process may become inflammatory. This, in turn, leads to the development of mastitis or breast abscess.
Prevention
To prevent lactostasis, the following recommendations should be followed:
- regular and proper feeding of the child;
- wearing comfortable underwear;
- exclusion of physical activity;
- proper rest and proper nutrition;
- drinking the optimal amount of liquid for this period;
- correct body position during sleep.
At the first signs of the development of the disease, you should seek advice from a competent medical specialist.
Source: https://SimptoMer.ru/bolezni/zhenskie-zabolevaniya/1535-laktostaz-simptomy
Lactostasis - symptoms, treatment, massage, prevention, causes, signs
A nursing woman may be taken by surprise by the unexpected appearance of lactostasis. It is characterized by unpleasant symptoms: pain and swelling of the chest, chills, fever.
Often young mothers are frightened by the current situation and are at a loss - should they stop feeding their baby with their milk? Should you consult a doctor? With timely and proper treatment at home, you can get rid of the disease in one or two days. You just need to know which methods are best to use.
General information
A properly established breastfeeding allows you to raise your baby strong, healthy and at the same time brings great joy to the mother. But if a young mother has problems during natural feeding, this can negatively affect the established feeding pattern.
One of these troubles can be lactostasis - stagnation of milk in the breast. This condition is one of the complications of breastfeeding. It can develop in a young mother, regardless of the type of pregnancy . The ICD-10 code for this condition is O92.7.0.
The duration of lactostasis varies, and this condition can recur periodically throughout the entire period of natural feeding. The disease causes very unpleasant sensations and pain in women.
Any forum for young mothers contains many messages in which women describe this condition as quite unpleasant and causing suffering.
If proper treatment is not provided in a timely manner, lactostasis may be complicated by mastitis , which, in turn, will lead to the cessation of breastfeeding. Therefore, it is very important that the woman is examined by a doctor in a timely manner and helped to cope with the problem. How to behave if lactostasis develops, and which specialist will help overcome the problem, will be discussed in this article.
Methods of breast pumping for lactostasis
Pumping for lactostasis is the main method of combating the disease. If you release the milk lobule, in which the milk ducts are blocked, then the unpleasant sensations will go away over time. The best person to cope with this task is the baby. However, if milk stagnation occurs, it will be difficult for him to do this.
In this case, experts advise expressing a small amount of milk before starting to feed the baby so that it flows out more easily. In this case, choose a position in which the baby’s lower jaw will be located above the problem area of the chest.
If the baby is active, it will help to completely drain it.
It is possible to eliminate milk stagnation in a nursing woman using the following pumping methods:
- Manually. It is better to strain lactostasis using your hands. This will allow you to gently remove blocked milk ducts.
- Breast pump (we recommend reading: which breast pump is better to choose?). With the help of a breast pump, at first it is impossible to achieve a great effect, because in this case, “jewelry” work is required to strain a separate lump. However, after expressing by hand, it will also bring a lot of benefits.
READ IN DETAIL: features of expressing breast milk by hand
How to properly express breasts with your hands?
It is important to perform pumping in a comfortable environment and in a comfortable position. Taking a warm shower helps your milk flow more easily.
You need to grab your chest so that 4 fingers are under it and your thumb is on top. This will allow you to more effectively strain areas where milk has stagnated. Then you need to clasp the areola with your thumb and forefinger.
During the disease, the milk ducts, which are susceptible to blockage, are located in the place where the tuberosity is observed. This area should be massaged. Use your fingers to press on the breast, making radial movements towards the nipple.
It is advisable to knead the formed compactions with your second hand. Do not squeeze or press too hard to avoid damaging your breasts. Change the position of your fingers periodically to express milk evenly from all areas.
If you pump correctly, the milk will come out in quick streams.
Due to the onset of inflammation during pumping, a woman may feel pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of injections, tablets or suppositories will help reduce pain.
At the end of the process, apply a cold compress. To relieve swelling, it is advisable to put a cold towel on the area for a few minutes.
If you are ill, frequent pumping is not recommended; 1-2 times a day is enough.
If after lactostasis a lump remains and pain is felt, do not worry - it will take some time for the damaged tissue to recover. There may be redness in the affected area for several days.
If you feel discomfort in your chest, try to put your baby to your breast more often. During this period, it is better to stop eating salt and limit the amount of liquid consumed per day to 1.5 liters.
Pathogenesis
The lactation function of a young mother is formed from the second to the tenth day after the birth of the child. The female mammary gland consists of 15-25 acini (lobules). Milk synthesis occurs in them. The acini and nipples are connected by ducts.
If for some time a certain acini is not freed from milk or the duct is pinched, a milk plug will eventually form, preventing the release of gland production.
As a result, stagnation occurs in one or more segments of the gland.
A similar violation is observed if milk production occurs too actively, ahead of the process of its elimination. In this case, primary lactostasis develops.
The storage capacity of the gland is regulated by the neurohumoral system. While the gland is filled with milk, the tone of the epithelial cells of the duct walls decreases.
As a result, milk can accumulate in large quantities without increasing blood pressure.
But if the formation of the storage and excretory functions occurs more slowly than the formation of the secretory function, milk accumulates, which provokes stagnation.
The gland tissue in those places where stagnation forms infiltrates and swells, causing it to become denser. Soreness appears. As the milk is partially reabsorbed, a fever develops.
Due to increased pressure in the lobules, milk production slows down, which threatens the lactation process. Therefore, with prolonged lactostasis, lactation may stop.
On specialized websites you can find photos of lactostasis.
Doctor Komarovsky about lactostasis
According to Dr. Komarovsky, the most effective medicine for milk stagnation is a child who is able to dissolve the milk plug. To do this, it is important to know how the baby should be positioned. His chin should be facing the area of his chest where the plug is located:
- if blockage of the milk ducts occurs in the armpit area, then the baby should be in an underarm position;
- if the lump is located in the lower part of the chest, then when feeding the baby you need to sit on your knees;
- if there is a lump in the middle of the chest, the child should eat lying on his side;
- if the congestion is in the upper part of the chest, the baby needs to be placed with his legs away from him, and the mother needs to bend over him.
For a quick recovery, you need to give the child the affected breast as much as you like - the more often, the better.
To improve the condition, a warm shower is suitable, as well as cold compresses made from cabbage leaves or low-fat cottage cheese, which should be applied to the problem area for 15-20 minutes.
It is advisable to pump when there is no fever; it is recommended to do this no more than 3 times a day.
Komarovsky under no circumstances advises weaning the baby from the breast during the period of illness; this can only complicate the situation. In addition, you should not use Vishnevsky ointment or alcohol, otherwise there is a risk of purulent inflammation.
Classification
Depending on the affected area, the following types of lactostasis are determined:
- Unilateral - the outflow of milk is disrupted from one mammary gland.
- Bilateral - the outflow of milk is disrupted from both glands.
According to the reasons that provoked this condition, lactostasis is divided into the following types:
- caused by features of the anatomical structure;
- caused by the influence of external factors;
- resulting from the inability to breastfeed.
Lactostasis is also divided into primary and secondary:
- primary – develops at the stage of formation of lactation;
- secondary - occurs against the background of an inflammatory process.
Preventive measures
To prevent lactostasis from occurring in a nursing woman, it is necessary to take preventive measures:
- when feeding, change positions to uniformly release the milk ducts;
- do not hold the breast while feeding, allowing the milk to flow freely;
- give your baby breastfeeding more often, even at night;
- do not damage the breasts: if there is no need, do not express, choose only comfortable clothes, do not allow the baby to be pinched or put pressure on it;
- Do not use pacifiers and bottles.
The best prevention of the disease is to take care of yourself, give love and care to your baby and do not forget about rest. Lactostasis should not be taken lightly. To understand how insidious it is, just look at a photo of the disease in its advanced form.
It is necessary to start treating it on time, and the best assistant is your baby.
You should definitely consult a doctor if the illness does not stop for 4 days and you cannot bring down the temperature for more than two days (we recommend reading: how can you lower a mother’s temperature while breastfeeding?).
Source: https://gb4miass74.ru/bolezni/laktostaz-simptomy.html
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