Lactostasis - a stagnation of milk in the breast or delay milk production during breastfeeding. Usually, the problem faced by women who have them are too narrow ducts of the breast, as well as those who produces too much milk.
Violation is usually characterized by breast tenderness, as well as the fact that the milk is allocated unevenly and sometimes does not stand out at all. Most chest pains persist even after pumping milk.
Lactostasis main reasons are: wrong position of the baby during feeding; rejection of feeding for some time; irregular feeding; wearing tight bra; chest trauma; habit of sleeping or stomach; physical and / or psychological strain; hypothermia.
In most cases, lactostasis observed in perfectly healthy women who gave birth to healthy children. Left untreated it can lead to an increase in body temperature, as well as the development of several other disorders, such as mastitis.
Advice
To cope with lactostasis, you must regularly and feed the baby to empty the breast completely (if needed to express milk on their own). During feeding massage the breast lightly, so that the milk came out quickly. Try to feed your baby in different positions - uncomfortable posture may contribute to milk stasis. After feeding, apply a cold compress to the breast - it will ease unpleasant symptoms. When lactostasis in any case can not be rearranged to feed the baby from the breast patient - it will only aggravate the problem.
If you follow these rules, the unpleasant symptoms usually disappear within a few days. If these measures do not help, you need to try to express milk at least one to three times a day. You do not need to do it right after feeding - your body can take it as a signal that the child does not have enough milk, and begin to produce milk in large quantities. When treating lactostasis very important to limit the consumption of liquids (including tea, juices, soups, and so on) to 800-1000 ml per day. Typically, this limitation is only necessary for one or two days.
If lactostasis passes within a few days, consult a doctor. Violation may develop mastitis, in which you need special treatment. If at the same time you notice signs lactostasis seal in the chest
The seal in the chest - a reason to turn to mammologu
, Consult your doctor immediately as this may be an indicator of a more serious condition.
Reasons lactostasis
Lactostasis may develop:
- by enhanced production of milk;
- from inadequate emptying of the breast (not to breastfeed
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, Irregular feeding, improper breastfeeding or compression, whereby the iron is completely emptied);
- in narrow ducts of the breast;
- trauma, bruises supercooling chest;
- with stress and fatigue.
How does lactostasis
When lactostasis appear soreness in the breast, breasts are dense, shiny and painful breasts poured and palpation can be found seals in some of its parts. If a chest decant, you can see that some parts of the breast milk does not flow, and after pumping the pain persists.
Complications lactostasis
Lactostasis may be complicated by blockage of the ducts of the breast, mastitis (inflammation of the breast), and abscess.
Obstruction of the ducts of the breast occurs when the breasts are not emptied enough. If this state is prolonged, it may begin mammary gland inflammation
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.
Mastitis
The stagnation in the mammary gland may cause mastitis. Mastitis - a purulent inflammation of the breast tissue localization process in the subcutaneous tissue between the slices of the breast or in the tissue of the breast. This infection gets into the mammary gland via the teat any damage (cracks, abrasion). Furthermore, it can get there through the blood or lymph in the presence of an inflammatory focus elsewhere.
Most often appear in the background of mastitis lactostasis. This is due to the fact that postpartum women's defenses are weakened sharply. When lactostasis by bacteria occurs curdling milk with subsequent development of lactic fermentation. Its products loosen and destroy the ductal epithelium, contributing to the spread of infection. Compression of the blood vessels leads to an insufficient supply of oxygen to tissues, Tacna become vulnerable and accessible to bacteria.
Symptoms of mastitis: fever, the appearance on the skin of the chest red spots.
Abscess of the breast
Mastitis can turn into an abscess
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- Abscess, delimited from the healthy tissue capsule, which in most cases can be felt. At the same time there is high fever, chills, her condition worsens. In the future, in the center of the seal is determined by the softening of the skin is melted and pus can come out spontaneously.
What to do when lactostasis
Try to express milk before feeding both hands, gently massaging the nipple, gently, but with the force until you feel better. In order to strengthen the outflow of milk, decanting before you can apply a warm compress on the chest, and hold until cool. Then you need to massage the breasts, carefully working through the seals and then start to express milk, with special attention to the places where it hurts - that there is a stagnation of milk. Sometimes it is easier to do, standing under the shower.
If the breast and the nipple is so tight that you can not express milk, you can try this method: warm water to fill half a large cup, bend over and put it together with the nipple areola, not touching the water. This forms a vacuum, which as cooling water will suck the milk from the breast. This procedure can be used only as an emergency measure before consulting a doctor.
Express milk, you need to immediately attach to the baby's chest, he will suck any remaining milk in the breast. It should also be aware that if there lactostasis, you need to limit your fluid intake, it should not exceed 1 liter per day.
After two or three days the swelling of such procedures take place, the function of the breast is restored. But on the second day if improvement does not occur, you should seek medical advice.
Mastitis and abscesses are treated only as a surgeon.
Proper care of the breast during breastfeeding
In order to avoid lactostasis, nursing mothers should not wear tight bras (bras and synthetic fabrics), as they may compress the milk ducts. Also not recommended to wear bras made from synthetic fabrics.
Before serving to wash the breast with warm water and gently blot with a clean towel. After feeding should be rinsed from the nipple milk residues (no soap) and dry them. It is useful to keep open the chest for some time - to make air baths.
