Overcoming Swollen Breasts After Childbirth

Medical Video: How to Relieve Engorged Breasts | CloudMom

Before giving birth, the mother's body is ready for the presence of the baby. The mother's breasts start to expand in preparation for breastfeeding the baby. Maybe for some of you, this causes feelings of discomfort because the breasts feel bigger and heavier. But, for the sake of the baby, this isn't a problem right? You just need to accept all the changes that occur to you, and remember that soon you will become a mother.

How does the mother's breasts change during pregnancy?

The mother's breasts begin to enlarge at 6-8 weeks of gestation, but this may differ between individuals. Breast enlarges because fat tissue and blood flow increase to the breast, this happens to help the growth of ASI channels and mammary glands. This enlarged breasts make veins visible on the skin surface of the mother's breast. In addition, the nipples and dark areas of your breasts also enlarge.

Because the size of the breast is getting bigger, some of you may feel pain in the breast. Adding a bra size to one to two numbers above may be needed to provide comfort.

At an older gestational age, some mothers may experience a leak in their breasts, namely the release of colostrum (first ASI) from the mother's breast. This is a normal thing. It's best to put a cloth on your breast to overcome this.

What is the mother's breast after giving birth?

The breasts will still enlarge after you give birth. Enlarged breast size is a sign that your breasts produce a lot of milk needed by the baby. After giving birth, the hormones estrogen and progesterone decrease and the hormone prolactin, which is the hormone that produces milk, begins to be released and over time the production increases. In addition, blood flow also increases to the breast to help the breast produce milk.

After the placenta is released and out of the body, the body begins to release the hormone prolactin. This prolactin hormone will then signal the breast to produce milk. The production of breast milk is also stimulated by baby suction, therefore you are strongly advised to immediately breastfeed the baby after the baby is born.

If you breastfeed your baby immediately after giving birth, your breast size will begin to return to normal within two to three days. When you first breastfeed, your baby will get colostrum which is good for forming the baby's immune system.

If your milk has not come out after giving birth so you do not breastfeed for several days, your breasts will swell because the milk continues to be produced but cannot come out, feels heavy and painful. It's best to keep breastfeeding, try feeding your baby 8-12 times a day even though the milk comes out only slightly. This still helps to minimize breast size, at least the milk produced by the mother's breasts comes out and the milk is replaced with the new one. If breastfeeding hasn't helped restore your breast size, you can compress your breasts with warm water to trigger the milk to flow out.

If you plan not to breastfeed your baby, your breasts will also swell because the milk produced is not released so that it accumulates in the breast. You may also feel uncomfortable with the size of your breasts that are large, heavy, and painful. That's why you should feed your baby. You are advised to breastfeed your baby until the age of 6 months because breast milk is the baby's best food.

How to deal with swollen breasts?

Normally, your breasts will begin to shrink a few days after you breastfeed your baby. However, if your breasts remain swollen despite breastfeeding, you can do the following:

Feed the baby as often as possible, at least 8-12 times a day. This is very important to do to relieve swelling in your breasts. Give baby breast milk whenever he asks for it, even in the middle of the night.
Make sure the baby empties your breasts while breastfeeding before moving to another breast. And, don't limit the time the baby suckles.
Also make sure the baby suckles in a comfortable position so that he suckles well and the milk comes out smoothly.
Gently massage your breasts while breastfeeding to help breast milk come out.
Take your milk using your hands by massaging the breast or you can use a breast pump to help relieve the breasts. Take out just a little, because if you remove it too much, the breast will produce more milk again and may make swelling worse.
Compress your breasts with warm water before you breastfeed, and compress your breasts with cold water after feeding.
Compress your breasts with cold cabbage leaves, this might help reduce swelling in your breasts.
Wear a bra that makes you comfortable, not too tight. We recommend that you use a bra specifically for breastfeeding.
To reduce pain, you can take the drug acetaminophen after you finish breastfeeding. You should consult your doctor before taking the drug.

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