Breastfeeding left breast hurts. Breast pain during feeding: what to do for a nursing mother, how to relieve unpleasant symptoms in the mammary gland during lactation

The first attachment to the breast of a newborn is accompanied by certain, often painful sensations, and the breast needs some time to adapt to feeding the child.

- Usually, the pain occurs when the baby grabs the nipples in his mouth and starts measured sucking. In the process of feeding, the delicate skin of the nipple begins to coarsen a little and becomes less sensitive, the pain decreases or even dulls. It takes about seven days to get used to breastfeeding.. At the very beginning, this process can be accompanied by the formation of minor microcracks and the appearance of specific white crusts.

- If the nipples hurt from the first moment of feeding, and the pain lasts all his time, then this means that the child has grasped the breast with force and incorrectly, which can cause abrasions and cracks.

- Soreness in synthesis with hardening of the mammary gland indicates the time of feeding or becomes a symptom of diseases such as lactostasis and mastitis.

- Burning sensation in the nipples and areola at the time of feeding, cracks and pain in the chest between feedings, may be a sign of thrush.

The pain is functional

From the first day of conception, the female body initiates preparations for the upcoming motherhood. The mammary glands increase in volume and become very sensitive. In some women, stretch marks appear on the skin of the breast during pregnancy.

All these changes sometimes bring inconvenience to a woman, and if the bra is chosen incorrectly, they can cause quite a lot of pain. Physiological pain associated with swelling of the mammary gland, often in its manifestations, resembles the sensation before the onset of menstruation. They are rarely long and strong.

During lactation, the breasts can also hurt. Most often, this is a call to the fact that it is time to feed the baby. The feeling of heaviness and fullness immediately disappears after applying the child to the breast. Nature has provided for everything, if the child oversleep feeding, then the mother's breast will immediately remind you that it is time to feed the baby. She will feel bursting soreness in her chest and will not allow the child to be very hungry.

In some women, especially those who have given birth to their first child, the flow of milk gives rise to a tingling or burning sensation in the female mammary glands. Milk inflow can occur before feeding, if a woman drinks, for example, hot tea or milk.

What kind of pain should I pay attention to?

• It cannot be considered true that during the first month of feeding in all women, without exception, the nipples are prone to cracks. Pain, especially acute, complicating the process of feeding a child, cannot be the norm.
• It is necessary to understand the cause of pain and eliminate it. Most often, painful manifestations occur with incorrect attachment, when the baby weakly opens his mouth and squeezes the nipple with his gums.
• It is best to give the baby the breast in the grip, when the mother squeezes the nipple and its areola with the index and middle fingers. The most important thing is not to pinch the nipples, so as not to lead to stagnation of milk. Normally, the baby should capture both the nipple itself and the surrounding area with the mouth.
• If the grip seems to be correct, but the pain still does not stop, you need to make sure that the hyoid frenulum and the upper palate of the baby are formed correctly. Doctors can easily determine if the baby has such a problem. A short bridle prevents the baby from sucking normally and is often recommended to be cut. It is possible that the frenulum will lengthen over time, but if severe pain interferes with feeding, cutting it will be a quick solution to the problem.
• Intense arching pain, accompanied by fever, most often confirms the assumption of stagnation of milk in the chest - lactostasis. This disease should be treated immediately to prevent the formation of mastitis.
• Regular feedings of the child, a good release of the mammary gland and some auxiliary measures will lead to a fairly quick recovery. But even in a plastic breast, slight pain on palpation may be felt for another 2-3 days.
• If the cracks in the nipples do not heal for a long time, it turns red, his areola looks dry and irritated, the soreness remains even after feeding or sometimes even intensifies, then we can assume thrush of the skin of the chest. It occurs due to the fact that the fungus living on the skin is activated, and can affect not only the skin of a woman’s breasts, but also the mucous membranes of the baby’s mouth (about thrush in newborns).
• In conditions of stagnation in the milk ducts, mastitis can develop. Most often, this pathology appears after insufficient emptying of the breast from the accumulated milk. At the same time, the chest aches during feeding, it can turn red and become inflamed. Prevention of the disease can be a thorough straining of milk.

What to do for chest pain while breastfeeding?

1. The most important thing is to stop frequently washing your nipples with soap. During washing with soap, the grease produced by the glands, which has bactericidal properties, is washed out. Rinse with plain water before and after feeding.
2. After washing, you need to cover the nipple with a few drops of mother's milk. You can apply ointments that prevent their dryness on the advice of a pediatrician.
3. If the chest hurts after feeding, then this may be the result of incorrect weaning of the baby from the breast.
4. You need to choose the right not tight bra, specially designed for a nursing woman.
5. With thrush, the doctor determines a therapy that helps to quickly cope with the disease and save breastfeeding. If the diagnosis is confirmed by a doctor, thrush is treated simultaneously in both the mother and the child.
6. Mom is prescribed ointments, and the baby is given a special solution to wipe his mouth. Only in advanced cases, the situation may require the use of antifungal drugs by mouth, and the mother can continue to feed if the doctor chooses a treatment that is consistent with breastfeeding.
7. To prevent problems, you need to start preparing the breast for feeding the baby two weeks before the birth, namely, massage. To do this, the nipples must be extremely carefully pulled out with your fingers. Such a massage should be done twice a day daily for 2-3 minutes.
8. When feeding with unbearable pain, it is possible to use special feeding pads that are sold in pharmacies, they are glass or plastic.
9. In any case, if the breast is not completely freed from milk, it must be expressed and fed to the baby from a spoon.

If the chest hurts during feeding, it cannot be ignored, even if we are talking about harmless physiological pains, which, nevertheless, haunt a woman. You need to come to an appointment with a specialist who will find a solution to the issue for any specific case.

During the period of breastfeeding a newborn, a mother may experience serious problems that will force her to abandon natural feeding and switch to artificial nutrition. The most common reason for rejection is chest pain.

Therefore, even with a slight chest pain during feeding, you should immediately consult a doctor. But, unfortunately, many women do not pay attention to the appearance of painful sensations at all, because I think if the chest hurts in a nursing mother, this is normal and will pass later. In fact, sudden pain can be quite an alarming symptom.

Pain appears in a nursing mother when the normal process of lactation is disturbed. It is practically impossible to determine the nature of such a violation, since there are many causes that cause such a violation. In no case should you try to independently determine the cause of chest pain. This should only be done by a mammologist who specializes in problems related to breastfeeding.

It should always be remembered that the appearance of chest pain during the period of feeding a child can be the cause of future complications. When diagnosing the causes of chest pain, one should, first of all, take into account the period in which the pain appeared.

If the pain appeared in the first days of feeding the baby, then, most likely, hormonal failure is to blame, which led to the production of too much breast milk. The newborn is not able to suck out all the milk formed in the mother's breast. Due to the milk remaining in the breast, the latter begins to hurt and increase in size, rough and hard to the touch. Sometimes this process can be accompanied by an increase in temperature in the mother. If the cause of this pain is not stopped in time, then the mother can get such a complication as mastitis while breastfeeding.

The doctors agree that most often the pain appears in a nursing mother for no particular reason. But during palpation of the breast, doctors often note a number of seals in the mammary glands, when pressed on which a woman may experience pain of varying strength. This is a symptom of lactostasis, the cause of which can be quite commonplace - an incorrectly selected bra. However, if the course of treatment is not completed in time, then a complication may arise - purulent mastitis.

Breast pain in a nursing mother can occur if there are cracks in the nipples, which, by the way, are the “entrance” to the mammary glands for pathogens. These microorganisms can also cause mastitis.

The chest of a nursing mother often hurts during the period of weaning the baby from the breast, that is, when lactation is forcibly interrupted. Pain indicates that the mother's body is not yet fully ready to stop feeding the baby, and milk continues to be produced in the mammary glands. Since the baby no longer sucks milk, milk stagnation forms in the mammary glands, which causes pain.

To avoid this phenomenon, you should follow the simple rules of weaning your baby from breastfeeding. The optimal time for weaning a child from breastfeeding is the age of eight to nine months. Around this time, lactation will pass all its stages, and the process of involution begins, when the amount of milk produced in the breast begins to decline. This is a natural reason for weaning a baby from breastfeeding.

In the process of weaning the baby from breastfeeding, alternative nutrition should be introduced - powdered milk formula, cow's milk and the like. At the same time, night feeding of the baby should be abandoned.

It should be remembered that the appearance of chest pain while feeding a child is a serious cause for concern. A nursing mother should, without delay, visit a doctor to identify the reason why this pain arose.

In other matters, there are methods that help reduce breast pain in a nursing mother. For example, to put the baby to the breast more often in order to empty it as much as possible from the accumulated breast milk, you should wear a special bra designed for nursing mothers, be sure to follow the rules of hygiene. All this will help, if not to avoid chest pain, then significantly reduce it until you visit a doctor.

Breast pain in a nursing mother is not uncommon. Causes and manifestations can be different, as well as the intensity of pain. In no case should it be tolerated without knowing the reasons why it appeared, since pain during lactation can indicate a serious illness. We need to find out what happened and take appropriate measures. The consequences of ignoring pain can be very serious.

Possible causes of pain:

• wrong grip;
• hot flashes;
• lactostasis;
• mastitis;
• cracks in the nipples;
• thrush;
• vasospasm.

Physiological pain

During lactation, especially during its establishment after childbirth, the breast may hurt if, for some reason, the mother has not fed the newborn for a long time. This is treated by simply putting the baby to the breast. Nature thus reminds the mother that it is time to feed the baby.

The rush of milk in the first time after childbirth can also give painful sensations in the form of burning or tingling.

These phenomena are most pronounced after the birth of the first child. The tingling intensifies if you drink something hot before feeding: tea, compote or broth. Hot flashes can be several times for feeding or pumping. But over time, the breast becomes less sensitive. All that's left is a slight tingle. Some people even enjoy it.

So in most cases, the answer to the question “Why does the chest hurt after childbirth?” simple - she tunes in to feed the newborn.

Cracked nipples

If the nipples hurt during breastfeeding, then most often this is due to cracks in them. Unfortunately, this problem with lactation is familiar to many. And for some, cracks form already in the hospital.

When the baby begins to suckle, he uses his tongue and gums to act on the delicate skin of the nipple and areola, which is not yet used to it. Gradually, the skin will become rougher, as if a callus will form on it, allowing you to feed completely painlessly, naturally, provided that it is properly applied. This takes from 2 days to 2 weeks.

At first, the nipple may crack a little, turn white, and whitish crusts may form on it. In order not to aggravate the situation, you need to properly care for your breasts from the first hours after childbirth. It is unacceptable to wash it with soap before each feeding. It dries out the skin very much. It is enough to take a regular hygienic shower 1-2 times a day. You can not smear the nipples with brilliant green, since any alcohol solutions also dry the skin.

How to proceed:

1. After feeding, walk with an open chest for a while.
2. Wear delicate underwear without hard seams, especially in the nipple area.
3. Change pads regularly to prevent infections.
4. It is correct to apply the baby to the breast, make sure that the baby captures almost the entire areola and does not slide onto the nipple during feeding.

If the baby has correctly captured the breast, then there will be no severe pain during feeding, even in the very first days after childbirth. If the baby slides onto the nipple and grabs it with the gums, then the appearance of cracks and severe pain during feeding are inevitable. If the reason for the incorrect grip is the short frenulum of the baby, then it needs to be cut, if possible, then already in the hospital.

It is necessary to take the child from the breast correctly. It is better not to do this at all, the baby should release the breast on its own. But if suddenly for some reason it was necessary to urgently stop feeding, then it is unacceptable to drag the nipple out of the baby's mouth. This leads to the fact that he instinctively compresses the gums and injures the nipple. It is necessary to carefully insert the little finger into the corner of the mouth, gently open the gums and only then pull out the nipple.

If cracks have already formed, then after feeding the nipple should be treated with a wound healing agent, such as sea buckthorn oil or lanolin-based cream.

Thrush

Signs:

• cracks, despite treatment, do not heal;
• nipples look swollen, scaly;
• a woman has chest pain after feeding;
• sharp shooting pain radiates deep into the chest, back or arm;
• the areola becomes irritated and dry.

In the case of thrush, a fungus that lives permanently on the skin multiplies and infects the breast of a woman and the mouth of a child.

Treatment usually does not require stopping breastfeeding. Mothers prescribe ointments, and solutions for wiping the oral cavity to the baby. But in difficult cases, serious antifungal therapy is required. If left untreated, thrush can lead to mastitis. The temperature that has risen against the background of thrush requires immediate medical attention.

The cause of thrush can be antibiotics, vaginal yeast infection during pregnancy, cracked nipples that do not heal for a long time, chronic diseases, constant washing of nipples with soap and water.

lactotase

Another common cause of breast pain in a nursing mother is lactostasis. It occurs if milk does not come out of some breast lobule. It is manifested by seals that are easily palpated. Sometimes the temperature rises, which is an alarming symptom.

If you deal with lactostasis in time, then you can deal with it literally in a day. And it won't leave any consequences. But a slight soreness when pressed on an already soft breast can persist for 2-3 days. But the temperature should not be kept.

Causes of lactostasis:

1. Most often it occurs when the intervals between feedings are too long. No wonder lactostasis in translation means stagnation of milk.
2. If you limit the sucking time, for example, to give the baby a breast strictly for 15 minutes, then he may not have time to properly suck milk from the breast. The result is lactostasis.
3. Sometimes it can occur due to the fact that the mother feeds in the same position. Then some lobules of the mammary gland are constantly emptied worse than others.
4. If the mother sleeps constantly on the same side, then on this side, usually under the arm, milk also stagnates. And this happens very often if co-sleeping is practiced, because a woman during breastfeeding usually sleeps facing the baby all night.
5. Feeding the breast to the child in the “scissors” position, i.e. between the middle and index fingers is dangerous stagnation in the upper lobes of the chest.
6. Too tight underwear also causes problems with lactation.
7. Few people know, but monotonous work on a thought, consisting of repetitive movements, for example, working with a vacuum cleaner or hanging clothes, can cause lactostasis.
8. The risk factor is both general fatigue of the nursing mother and chronic lack of sleep.
9. The use of a pacifier leads to the fact that the child begins to suck worse at the breast, does not empty it completely. And this is a direct road to milk stagnation.
10. Overeating fat causes the milk to become more viscous, which increases the risk of stagnation.
11. When the temperature outside begins to change dramatically, the number of women with lactostasis increases. In such weather, special attention should be paid to the prevention of stagnation.

If a nursing woman has found seals in her breasts, then they should be immediately addressed. Breast massage before feeding helps a lot. The baby needs to be applied in different positions to empty all the lobules of the mammary gland. Milk is best sucked from the lobes that the baby's chin is looking at. Particular attention should be paid to the posture from under the arm, as it allows you to prevent or cure lactostasis in the lobules, where it occurs most often. If the child cannot suck out all the milk, then it must be expressed during the treatment of lactostasis.

You can use compresses to relieve swelling and dilate the ducts. They are made from cabbage leaves, honey cakes, rustic cottage cheese. If the temperature rises above 39 degrees or lasts more than 2 days, then you need to see a doctor.

The following method of dealing with lactostasis helps well:

1. Standing under a warm shower, it is necessary to express milk from the chest so that only lactostasis remains.
2. After that, attach the baby to the chest in a position when the lower lip looks towards the seal.
3. After feeding, make a cool compress on the chest.

From this procedure, the breast quickly becomes soft. It can be carried out up to 3 times a day, but no more. Expressing too often can cause too much milk to be produced.

Mastitis

Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast tissue. Accompanied by fever, redness on the chest, soreness when touched.

Lactostasis passes into uninfected mastitis if you do not pay attention to it. If there is a source of infection: non-healing cracks in the nipples, caries, pyelonephritis, then infected mastitis may develop.

Treat mastitis as well as lactostasis. But if you have an infection, you may need to take antibiotics.

Vasospasm

If a woman has chest pain after feeding and during it, the pain is throbbing, and the nipple turns white after feeding, then she may have vasospasm. It does not occur very often. It is caused by a nerve being too close to the nipple. Most often it is a consequence of some primary problem, for example, thrush. And it is necessary to eliminate, of course, the cause, not the effect. Dry heat helps to relieve pain, and for some, on the contrary, cold.

Mothers should definitely find out why the breast hurts when feeding, and solve this problem. The fact is that constant discomfort can lead to the fact that a woman cannot stand it and stop breastfeeding a baby. And in some cases, pain in hepatitis B, especially accompanied by fever, indicates diseases that pose a serious health hazard. Breastfeeding should be enjoyable for both the baby and the mother.

The logical continuation of the postpartum period is the onset of lactation, in which serious changes occur in the woman's body. In nulliparous women, the mammary glands are not adapted to the production and accumulation of breast milk, so the initial stage of lactation may be accompanied by pain and a feeling of heaviness.

Under certain circumstances, during breastfeeding, a woman may notice intense pain in one or both mammary glands. In addition to the pain syndrome, an increase in body temperature and the presence of a seal in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe mammary gland may be disturbing.

Causes

Among the variety of pathological conditions that can occur during lactation, there are 2 main causes of pain in combination with an increase in body temperature.

lactostasis

Increased production of breast milk contributes to overstretching of the breast tissue. In situations where a woman has an excessive production of breast milk or its discharge is disturbed, stagnation (lactostasis) develops. Stagnation causes the appearance of pain and a feeling of fullness in the area of ​​​​the mammary glands.

With the development of stagnation of breast milk, there is no increase in temperature, however, delaying treatment can lead to the development of a more serious pathology, such as mastitis.

The initial stage of mastitis is no different from the symptoms of lactostasis, but it should be borne in mind that this disease endangers not only lactation, but also the health of a nursing woman. The main manifestations of mastitis are local tenderness in the mammary gland, the presence of compaction and fever.

In places where the inflammatory process develops, foci of reddening of the skin are formed. The initial cause of mastitis is lactostasis, against which a bacterial infection has joined. Breast milk from a diseased breast must be expressed regularly. It is unsuitable for feeding a child.

Symptoms

The main manifestations of stagnation of breast milk in the mammary glands include:

• the presence of a seal in a certain part of the mammary gland;
• the appearance of edema, pain when feeding a child and when pressing on the chest;
• redness of the skin over the area of ​​\u200b\u200bdensification;
• when pumping, the number of milk streams is significantly reduced;
• an increase in body temperature when measured in the armpit on the side of the development of lactostasis.

Treatment

If during breastfeeding a woman is faced with the problem of mastitis, then the treatment of this disease should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor. Drug therapy includes taking antibacterial drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antipyretic, absorbable agents for external use in the form of compresses and ointments. At the same time, a nursing woman is recommended to regularly empty the diseased mammary gland through pumping.

If the process is one-sided, then feeding the baby should be continued with a healthy breast. If mastitis is bilateral, then doctors usually recommend temporarily switching to artificial feeding.

For the treatment and prevention of lactostasis, every nursing woman is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

1. Pay attention to the condition of the mammary glands. If foci of swelling and compaction are found, self-massage techniques must be used. The purpose of the massage is to improve blood circulation in the mammary glands, expand the milk ducts, and facilitate the discharge of breast milk.
2. During breastfeeding, the baby empties only one mammary gland. In order to prevent congestion, a nursing woman is recommended to express milk from the second breast.
3. Choose your underwear carefully. When choosing bras, attention should be paid to bra-free underwear, which, when worn, can compress the mammary glands. The best option is to wear sports tops or special bras with elastic bands.
4. Protect mammary glands from hypothermia. While indoors or outdoors, it is recommended to ensure that drafts do not fall on the chest.
5. Don't overdo it with pumping. It is recommended to express breast milk only if necessary, when a woman begins to feel discomfort and a feeling of fullness.
6. Drink no more than 1.5 liters of fluid daily.
7. It is best to sleep on your side, avoiding the position on your stomach. Before applying the baby to the breast and after feeding, it is recommended to take a warm or contrast shower, avoiding hot water.

If a nursing woman has developed lactostasis or mastitis, then it is highly recommended not to warm up and vigorously massage the mammary glands. Exposure to high temperatures and excessive pressure on the chest provokes damage to the milk ducts, and also creates a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic microorganisms.

Breastfeeding provides the child with good health, a full psychological

physical development, a harmonious psychological connection with the mother, and a woman experiences tenderness and joy when feeding her long-awaited baby. However, breast pain while breastfeeding often overshadows her positive attitude.

This phenomenon is due to natural causes or serious pathology. It is important to know why the pain appears and what symptoms should be the reason for an emergency visit to the doctor.

During pregnancy and especially after childbirth, there is an increased synthesis of prolactin. It is needed for the production of breast milk. At the same time, the mammary glands increase in size, the ducts overflow with breast milk.

These changes are the cause of physiological pain in the chest during breastfeeding. They are due to adaptation to the lactation process, but prolonged pain cannot be ignored. Only a doctor can distinguish physiological changes from pathology.

You need to see a doctor if:

• there are pains of an intense nature for a long time;
• the general condition of the woman worsened;
• there was a mass formation in the chest;
• a rash, peeling, irritation on the skin of the chest or bleeding cracks on the nipples appeared.

With these symptoms, you need to be examined by a mammologist to determine the cause of the pain and take adequate measures.

Wrong grip

Early attachment to the breast is important, that is, a newborn baby should be fed within an hour after birth. If the baby cries, worries, he needs to be fed. You can not take away his chest, having eaten, he himself will let it go. These simple rules will ensure sufficient milk production, satiety of the baby, and the desired duration of lactation.

In order not to be disturbed by pain during breastfeeding, a young mother should teach her baby to take the breast correctly. To do this, a woman, preparing for feeding, runs her nipple along the baby's lower lip, reflexively, he opens his mouth wide. The mother pulls the baby's head to the breast so that it captures not only the nipple, but also the area around the nipple. In this case, the nipple is at the level of the root of the tongue, so it is not injured by the gums.

Otherwise, you need to stop feeding and reattach the baby to the breast, helping him to properly capture the breast. Complications of improper grip - cracks, abrasions of the nipples, insufficient milk intake to saturate, increased gas formation in the infant.

tides

Hot flashes are a physiological phenomenon that does not require treatment. This name is associated with the sensations of a woman: the breast is poured from the inside, the nipple hardens and swells. The temperature may rise slightly.

Often, a nursing woman notes with painful sensations of a bursting character in the chest area. They testify to the intensive secretion of milk by the glandular tissue, its accumulation in the ducts and are a signal for feeding the baby. Especially often lactation is accompanied by unpleasant sensations, tingling, burning in nulliparous women at the very beginning of the feeding procedure.

Milk flushes can be provoked by hot drinks, large meals, pumping, or feeding the baby for more than 15-20 minutes. To avoid overfilling the breast with milk, you need to apply the baby more often.

lactostasis

This phenomenon is associated with the stagnation of produced milk, a violation of its release from the milk ducts. With this pathology, there is a blockage of the milk ducts with thickened milk.

The causes of lactostasis can be:

• incorrect position of the child or mother when feeding;
• mechanical damage and compression of a woman's breasts (injuries, tight underwear);
• violations and improper grip of the nipple;
• long breaks between attachments to the chest;
• short feeding time;
• holding the breast while suckling;
• hypothermia of the mammary glands;
• hyperlactation;
• inadequate fluid intake.

A well-defined painful hardened area appears in the mammary gland. The skin in this place becomes hot to the touch, tense, hyperemic. The temperature may rise.

What to do? Regular light massage of the breasts should be carried out during and before feeding. Take a comfortable position for feeding, each time change the position of the baby. It is important to practice frequent attachment to the sore breast to completely empty the milk ducts. Apply compresses from a cloth moistened with cool water to the area of ​​\u200b\u200bdensification.

If, following these simple rules, the symptoms do not go away within two days, you should seek medical help. After the permission of the doctor, absorbable ointments can be gently rubbed into the skin over the seal or other therapeutic measures can be taken. Possible complication if left untreated: non-infectious mastitis.

Mastitis

Pain during breastfeeding can be caused by an inflammatory process. It is a consequence of lactostasis or infection penetration in non-healing, chest injuries, exacerbations of chronic infections. Severe pain during breastfeeding always indicates a pathology.

The disease is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Poor general condition (high temperature, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite).
• The pain is intense, often pulsating.
• Swelling, redness, breast tightness.
• Local increase in temperature (hot skin of the chest).

If such manifestations occur, the mother needs to take all measures to combat lactostasis. Frequent breastfeeding or expressing milk with a breast pump is especially important.

It is necessary to monitor the nature of the discharge from the nipple. If a discharge resembling pus appears instead of milk, feeding should be stopped and a specialist should be consulted immediately. The appearance of pus indicates the formation of an abscess, which can threaten the life of the mother.

In the early stages of mastitis, the same treatment tactics are used as with lactostasis. In advanced cases, antibiotics are prescribed, with complications, surgery is performed.

Cracks in the nipples

Slight redness, swelling and pain in the nipples during breastfeeding immediately after childbirth are acceptable. Gradually, these unpleasant phenomena disappear. Causes: improper capture and expression of milk, thinning, microtrauma of the skin of the breast and nipples with frequent washing.

To reduce pain in the first days after childbirth, you can express about 20 ml of milk before feeding. The nipple will then become softer. You can not abruptly remove the nipple from the child's mouth, this is fraught with injury. When the baby is full, he will release his breast.

Cracked nipples are a pathology dangerous for its complications. If they are found, you should consult a doctor.

Prevention:

• after feeding, it is advisable not to immediately put on a bra;
• exclude the use of coarse underwear;
• teach the baby to suck properly (with the capture of the peripapillary region);
• treat the slightest abrasions in the nipple area immediately after feeding with sea buckthorn oil.

Possible complications of nipple cracks are mastitis, the development of septic processes (penetration of Staphylococcus aureus, fungal infection).

Thrush

Pain in the mammary gland during breastfeeding can be a symptom of candidiasis (thrush). The following signs are characteristic: nipple cracks do not heal for a long time, the skin around it is dry, reddened, painful, sometimes covered with a whitish coating.

The disease is associated with a fungal infection of the milk ducts. Causes of a fungal infection: decreased immunity, hormonal disruptions, violation of hygiene standards.

This phenomenon is dangerous for the child, he can become infected from a sick mother, so a nursing woman should urgently consult a doctor. He will prescribe antifungal ointments to treat the affected skin areas.

For prophylactic purposes, an infant is prescribed an antiseptic mouthwash after contact with the breast. This is especially necessary when white plaque appears on the mucous membranes of the baby's oral cavity. At the same time, the general condition suffers - the child is worried, refuses to breastfeed. The disease cannot be started, otherwise the appointment of fungicidal preparations for oral administration will be required.

Vasospasm

A strong spasm of the vessels of the mammary glands is observed in women suffering from Raynaud's syndrome and other autoimmune diseases. Clinical signs: burning pain after feeding, white color and cooling of the nipple after the end of feeding.

Sometimes the disease may first appear after childbirth against the background of a decrease in immune defenses. A woman needs to see a doctor for advice. With his approval, you can perform a light massage of the breasts.

It is necessary to exclude cooling of the breast and sudden changes in temperature (after feeding, wrap the breast with a warm cloth, avoiding overheating). Do not drink strong tea, coffee, alcohol.

Breast adaptation

This important process takes about three months from the moment the baby is born.

A woman during this period may be disturbed by:

• constant leakage of milk, not associated with feeding;
• Spontaneous leakage of milk from the nipple of the other breast while feeding the baby;
• increased discomfort in the chest and nipples with an interval between feedings of more than 4 hours;
• drawing pains in the lower abdomen with rare attachment to the chest.

After three months of feeding, the young mother notices that many of the unpleasant moments associated with feeding have disappeared. Pain in the nipples does not bother, enough milk is produced, feeding the baby does not cause discomfort.