Lactostasis in a nursing mother: symptoms and treatment. Lactostasis is. ..

The joy from the appearance of the baby to the light is associated with increased responsibility. Attention requires not only the baby. A woman needs to monitor her health. Incorrect feeding, incomplete expression of milk can provoke rather painful phenomena associated with chest pain and severe discomfort. Doctors diagnose lactostasis in such mothers. This is an unpleasant ailment, which, if ignored, can be complicated by mastitis.

Description of the disease

What is lactostasis? This disease is familiar to many women not by hearsay. The ailment is provoked by stagnation of milk.

As a result of certain causes, the milk ducts are clogged. Milk flows slowly or does not appear at all. It accumulates in milky lobules. This is lactostasis. Symptoms of pathology are quite unpleasant. Milky lobes are stretched. The tissues surrounding them swell, inflammation occurs. A woman experiences pain in this area.

Let's consider, than the milk stagnation is provoked.

Anatomical causes of

There are many sources of this disease. But most often as a result of an individual anatomical structure of the mammary glands lactostasis occurs. This is the most common cause of the disease, although not the only one.

Physicians lead the following anatomical factors that play a leading role in the onset of pathology:

1. Increased secretion. The woman's body produces more milk than the crumb requires. The volume stabilizes around the second month of lactation. That is why the ailment is often found at the beginning of feeding.
2. Individual structure of ducts. Some women are naturally narrow. The infant simply does not have the strength to "draw out" milk from these ducts.
3. Breast shape. Individual structure can create difficulties in the complete devastation of the ducts.
4. Flat or retracted nipples. It is difficult for a child to grab such a mammary gland correctly. As a result, the baby does not eat, but the ducts are not completely emptied.

Behavioral factors

Lactostasis in a nursing mother may occur as a result of the following reasons:

1. Incorrect application of crumbs to the breast. As a result, nipples and cracks form on the nipples, which complicates the process of feeding and thus contributes to the formation of pathology.
2. Large intervals between feedings. Modern doctors came to the conclusion that the child should be applied to the breast at his first request. Compliance with this rule protects a woman from the formation of milk stagnation.
3. Close underwear. Incorrectly selected bra clamps the milky way. Such a factor leads to the formation of lactostasis.
4. Breast Injury. Strokes from falls, bruises provoke the stagnation of milk from a nursing woman.
5. Strong supercooling. As a result, the narrowing of the ducts is observed, the pathology mentioned above arises.

Symptoms of the disease

It is extremely important to detect lactostasis in a timely manner. Symptoms in nursing mothers at the initial stage are quite typical. It is necessary only to listen to your body and pay attention to developing pathology. It is easiest to cure ailment at this stage. It is more difficult to fight if a woman "starts" lactostasis.

Symptoms to look out for are as follows:

1. In the area of ​​the breast, pain and discomfort occur.
2. The breast becomes swollen, dense. These clinical manifestations are observed precisely in the area in which milk stagnation is localized.
3. Red spots appear on the chest.

At this stage the woman does not feel any special changes in her health. But it is very important to start fighting with pathology at this stage. The most effective methods of treatment are massage and pumping.

If the pathology failed to stop at this stage, then the ailment begins to progress.

In this case, a woman faces such clinical manifestations as:

• swelling and redness of the breast;
• iron is painful, the touch is hot;
• general weakness in nursing mothers;
• temperature increase;
• occurrence of chills;
• may have nausea;
• attempts to express the chest by hand cause severe pain;
• the kid refuses to feed, as the firm breast is not capable to grasp.

Treatment of

disease Unfortunately, any lactating mother may experience lactostasis. Symptoms and treatment of pathology should be known to every woman. This will allow timely detection of the disease and take measures to eliminate it.

The most effective treatment for lactostasis in nursing mothers is as follows:

1. The first help for a woman will be her baby. If there are suspicions of milk stagnation, be sure to put the crumbs to the chest. The baby is better than any device, will clean the ducts. It is recommended to apply the baby as often as possible until lactostasis completely passes.
2. Expressing. Such an exercise is recommended if the baby refuses to take the breast. Before decanting, it is advisable to take a warm shower. In this case, the process will be much easier. To clean the ducts, it is recommended to alternate with a gentle massage. However, one should not massively massage or compress the breast, as this will lead to trauma to the gland and increase swelling.
3. In case of chills, it is allowed to take an antipyretic preparation based on paracetamol.
4. After emptying the breast, you can apply the cream "Traumeel C" or an ointment called "Arnica" to the painful area.
5. If the basis of lactostasis is stress, then the medicine "No-shpa" will bring relief. This drug is recommended to use three times a day for one tablet. He will not cause harm to the baby, while it will perfectly eliminate the spasms in the milk ducts.

It is highly undesirable to use alcohol compresses, as well as ichthyol ointment, Vishnevsky. The warming effect can lead to the appearance of mastitis.

If lactostasis does not recede during feeding for 2-3 days, then doctors prescribe antibiotic treatment to a woman. For such purposes, as a rule, the following drugs are used: "Amoxicillin", "Augmentin".But remember that these medicines can only be prescribed by a doctor.

Massage Technique

Very useful for stagnant milk massage. However, you must correctly perform this procedure. Otherwise, you can aggravate the pathology.

When lactostasis during massage, the following rules should be observed:

1. The main purpose of the procedure is to relax the seal. Therefore, force pressing should be excluded.
2. You need to start massaging at the base of the chest and move to the nipple. So you help the milk to get out of the ducts.
3. It is recommended to perform a spiral movement clockwise.
4. If light massage causes painful discomfort, then perform the procedure in the shower. But remember that the water should be warm, but in no case hot.

The rules for expressing with the disease

This procedure will provide relief in a pathology such as lactostasis.

This exercise should be performed as follows:

1. Circle the chest with your hand. The thumb is on top. The rest of them hold the chest from below.
2. The thumb and forefinger grasp the areola. You should feel a tuberous surface.
3. Now begin the massage of this unevenness. The movement should be directed to the nipple.
4. If you have properly mastered the technique, the milk will begin to leave the breast with good trickles.

This is the technique that will provide you with a minimum of pain during deconstruction. If the pathology is not started, then the woman generally will not feel any discomfort.

Folk remedies

It is very common to treat lactostasis in nursing with the help of old recipes that our grandmothers used.

The most effective tools are:

1. Cabbage leaf. You will need ordinary white cabbage. Take off one large sheet of paper. Rinse it thoroughly underwater. Make a few notches on it and remember it a little. The leaf should start up the juice. Then place the product on a painful spot. After 3 hours, replace with a new one. If you tolerate honey well, it is advisable to grease the breast with a cabbage leaf before applying it. This will ensure more effective treatment.
2. Camomile. This remedy perfectly eliminates inflammation. Therefore, it is recommended to use tea based on chamomile. This tool is able to protect you from such consequences as infectious purulent mastitis.
3. Onions. Peel the onion and bake it in the oven. In a warm state, attach this remedy to your chest. After feeding, always replace the bulb with a new one.

Prevention of

To protect against the development of lactostasis, doctors advise you to listen to the following recommendations:

1. Be sure to attach the baby to the chest as soon as he asks. Gradually, your body will adjust to the needs of crumbs and will produce as much milk as it needs.
2. Feed your baby in different positions throughout the day. Learn to do this in a reclining position and sitting.
3. The intervals between feedings should not exceed 4 hours.
4. Choose special underwear. This will greatly facilitate the process of feeding and protect against the development of the disease.
5. Keep an eye on the drinking regimen. The more you drink fluids, the more intense the milk comes.
6. The process of lactation is significantly affected by stress and exercise. They can provoke both an increase in the production of milk, and its disappearance.

If lactostasis has occurred and your actions against it are unsuccessful, do not delay the pathology, be sure to contact specialists.