Breast swelling and pain during breastfeeding are often experienced by breastfeeding mothers. It feels very uncomfortable, right, Mom? But you don’t need to panic and take excessive action. Breast swelling is normal during breastfeeding. 1 Even so, mothers must know how to deal with breast swelling and pain during breastfeeding so that it does not develop into a more serious problem. There are 4 easy ways to deal with it, you know. Check it out, Mom.
Causes of Swollen and Painful Breasts While Breastfeeding
Swollen breasts can be frustrating for mothers. When the desire to breastfeed is so strong, and the baby is starting to be good at breastfeeding directly, breast swelling occurs, or what is called engorgement. This condition can hinder the success of breastfeeding, even some mothers give up giving breast milk directly to their babies. 1,2
Breast engorgement is a painful and very uncomfortable condition for nursing mothers. Usually this breast swelling is experienced in the early period after the mother gives birth. 2
Breast swelling that is not treated immediately can also develop into a more serious disease, namely inflammation or breast infection. 2
Why can breasts become swollen while breastfeeding? Here are some of the causes:
1. Breast milk production is not proportional to breast emptying.
After giving birth, usually after the third day, the mother’s breast milk is already very abundant, while the newborn’s breast milk needs are not too much. This is what causes the mother’s breasts to swell, hard and sore for several days.1
This inadequate emptying of the breast can lead to problems ranging from clogged milk ducts to breast infections, all of which ultimately result in an insufficient supply of milk to the baby. 2
2. Improper breastfeeding techniques
Correct breastfeeding technique is important to ensure successful breastfeeding. Incorrect technique can cause breast engorgement. 2
The correct breastfeeding technique is determined by the attachment of the baby’s mouth to the mother’s breast. The baby’s attachment must be correct during breastfeeding so that it can suck effectively. To do this, the baby needs to be positioned correctly, and the mother must continue to practice the correct breastfeeding technique continuously.
Difference Between Swollen Breasts and Mastitis
There is a difference between breast engorgement and mastitis or inflammation of the breast. Breast engorgement is caused by excessive milk production, while emptying is slow. While mastitis is inflammation of the breast due to blockage of the milk duct. 2 Both cause discomfort and pain in the mother’s breast.
Breast swelling during breastfeeding can affect the area around the nipple and areola only or the entire breast. Mothers can experience it in one or both breasts. 2
In the case of mastitis, a blocked duct is called milk stasis. If the milk is not released, inflammation of the breast tissue or mastitis will occur, whether accompanied by infection or not. Mastitis can also be followed by the following symptoms: 3
- Fever with a temperature of more than 38.5 o C
- Shivering
- Pain or aching throughout the body
- The breasts become red, tense, hot, swollen, and very painful.
- Increased sodium levels in breast milk can cause babies to refuse to breastfeed because the breast milk tastes salty.
- Red lines appear towards the armpits.
As a result of these two conditions, in addition to the mother becoming uncomfortable and in pain, it will also make it more difficult for the baby to breastfeed. Like an unbroken circle, the baby who breastfeeds will make the breasts even more swollen! 3 When this happens, mothers usually worry that their babies are not getting enough breast milk. Do the right way to deal with breast mastitis.
How to Deal with Swollen and Sore Breasts While Breastfeeding
There are 5 easy ways to deal with swollen and sore breasts while breastfeeding that you can do yourself at home.
1. Remove breast milk from the breast
Mothers can express some of their breast milk before breastfeeding, either manually or with a pump, to soften the breasts, making it easier to put it in the baby’s mouth.
If you want to eat fish while breastfeeding, choose fish that are smaller and not predatory fish, OK, Mom. This type of fish has relatively very low levels of mercury. And avoid certain types of high-mercury fish such as mackerel, tuna and mackerel.
3. Raw food
Other food taboos for breastfeeding mothers are raw foods, such as sashimi, shellfish, or unpasteurized milk. Raw foods can be a source of infection that is not only dangerous for the motherbut also for the baby.
If the cause of the swelling is a blockage or stasis of milk in a deeper location in the breast tissue, then the most important step is to express milk as often as possible, starting from the affected breast. 5
2. Breast compress
Compressing and taking a warm bath immediately before breastfeeding can facilitate the release of breast milk. After breastfeeding, compress the breast with cold water to reduce pain and swelling. 1.5
3. Breast massage
Gently massaging the breasts, from the painful area towards the nipple can reduce swelling and pain in the breasts. 1.4 Massage has also been proven effective in treating swelling due to mastitis. In recent years, lymphatic massage in the treatment of mastitis has been increasingly performed. This breast massage aims to smooth the flow of fluid in the lymph nodes under the armpits. The method is, the mother must massage the surface of the breast starting from the areola until it reaches under the armpit. 5
4. Improve breastfeeding patterns and techniques
Breastfeeding as often as possible can relieve breast swelling because the milk dam in the breast can be released. Pain due to breast swelling can also be relieved by breastfeeding the baby in more than one position, meaning alternating breastfeeding positions. 1
After doing the 4 ways to overcome swollen and sore breasts while breastfeeding above, don’t forget to get plenty of rest, Mom. Get enough sleep, always fulfill your nutritional needs by eating nutritious food, and don’t forget to fulfill your fluid needs. All of that can help overcome and speed up the recovery of swollen breasts. If the condition does not improve, don’t hesitate to ask for help from an expert, such as a doctor, midwife, or breastfeeding counselor, Mom.
- Badriul Hegar. (last update 2013). Breastfeeding Values. Retrieved from https://www.idai.or.id. [Accessed on November 23, 2021]
- Lindeka Mangesi. (last update 2010). Treatments for breast engorgement during lactation . Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed November 24, 2021
- Ema Alasiry (last update 2013). Mastitis: Prevention and Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.idai.or.id. [Accessed on November 23, 2021]
- IDAI. (last update 2013). Swollen Breasts. Retrieved from https://www.idai.or.id. [Accessed November 23, 2021]
- Miri Pevzner and Arik Dahan. (last updated 2020). Mastitis While Breastfeeding: Prevention, the Importance of Proper Treatment, and Potential Complications. Retrieved https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. [Accessed 23 November 2021]
- Ema Alasiry (last update 2013). Mastitis: Prevention and Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.idai.or.id. [Accessed on November 23, 2021]