4 days after giving birth, my chest hurts. The milk has arrived

The postpartum period is a very important one for a woman: the body of a happy mother is still weakened, but caring for the child and household chores often do not allow for proper rest and recovery. As a result, chronic diseases may worsen and unexpected health problems may arise. Pain in the mammary glands after childbirth is one of the common disorders that bother women. Why can breasts hurt in the early and late postpartum period? One thing is clear: such manifestations cannot be ignored.

In this article:

Women who have breast pain after childbirth often refuse a medical examination, fearing that the doctor will forbid them to feed the baby. But it is better to start treatment immediately to avoid complications. If possible, the doctor always selects a drug therapy that allows you to maintain breastfeeding. Only a specialist, using examination and examination data, can understand why breasts hurt after childbirth and how a woman can be helped to cope with this difficult problem.

Physiological causes of chest pain

Many women, especially first-time mothers, have little idea of the changes that occur in the mammary glands in the first weeks and months after childbirth. Milk begins to flow actively, the sensitivity of the nipples increases, and they begin to become rough. The mammary glands noticeably increase in size. When the milk arrives, the woman experiences characteristic bursting sensations. For first-time mothers, they can be quite painful.

If your breasts are swollen after childbirth, but there are no signs of redness or suppuration, there is no need to worry. After the baby drinks mother's milk, noticeable relief will appear. Every day the newborn will suck more and more, and within a few weeks after feeding the mammary glands will become soft and almost half-empty.

The feeling of fullness in the breast after milk comes in should not be confused with pathological pain. Many women after childbirth have sore nipples, which become very sensitive to touch and injury. Carefully examine the area around the nipple: are there any small cracks or wounds? Due to frequent feedings, especially in the first months after childbirth, the skin on the nipples becomes thinner and can be easily damaged. If there are no signs of injury, the pain is most likely physiological, associated with irritation of sensitive tissues. The longer you feed your baby, the faster the discomfort will disappear.

Pathological causes of chest pain

But pain in the mammary glands after childbirth can be pathological. Most often they are associated with infectious and inflammatory processes and lactostasis. Milk stagnation occurs in many women. In the first weeks, the baby only needs 20-40 ml of nutrition. But milk begins to actively arrive within a few days after birth. If a woman does not express its excess, it may develop lactostasis .

Milk stagnation is accompanied by the following characteristic symptoms:

severe bursting pain in the chest area;
increased body temperature;
hyperemia of the skin of the mammary glands;
formation of characteristic compactions.

If you notice the symptoms described above, call a doctor immediately. It is best to consult a gynecologist. The specialist may refer you additionally to a mammologist and prescribe an examination.

Many women make a common mistake: when they have bursting pain, they measure their body temperature in the armpit. In this area, it is increased in nursing mothers even in a healthy state. This happens due to the flow of milk. When breastfeeding, body temperature is measured in the elbow area.

For women with lactostasis, obstetricians and gynecologists recommend breast massage and actively express milk. This process is quite painful, but without it, the milk ducts are blocked and the risk of infection of the mammary glands sharply increases. Without treatment, lactostasis in most cases ends in mastitis, up to the formation of abscesses and the need for surgical intervention.

Mastitis has characteristic symptoms:

pronounced redness of the skin in the area of the painful lump of the mammary gland;
increased body temperature;
fever, which is accompanied by intoxication syndrome, pain throughout the body and head;
pus or blood may appear in the milk;
deterioration of the woman’s general well-being.

Mastitis develops due to the addition of a bacterial infection. A purulent infectious process can be complicated by a breast abscess, which will have to be opened surgically and ensure high-quality drainage of the pathological focus.

Breasts may hurt after childbirth due to the habit of sleeping on your stomach. This position contributes to poor circulation in the mammary glands and stagnation of milk. Tight bras have the same effect on the chest. A nursing woman's underwear should be made of elastic but natural fabrics that allow air to pass through. You can't wear tight bras.

Diagnostics

Pain in the nipples and breasts in women after childbirth is an indication for professional diagnosis. It is necessary to contact an obstetrician-gynecologist or mammologist. If you have symptoms of mastitis, you may need to consult a surgeon.
Examination for chest pain includes the following procedures:

Ultrasound of the mammary glands;
mammography;
bacteriological examination of milk from a diseased mammary gland;
Ultrasound-guided biopsy.

Based on the diagnostic results, the doctor makes an accurate diagnosis and is determined with further treatment. The sooner a woman seeks help, the lower the risk of developing dangerous infectious complications requiring surgical intervention.

Features of treatment

Treatment of chest pain can be conservative or surgical. If the pain syndrome is associated with an infectious-inflammatory lesion of the mammary gland or lactostasis, the woman is prescribed daily milk expression, as well as the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Detoxification measures are necessary for severe intoxication due to mastitis. With an active inflammatory process and taking antibiotics, feeding the child is contraindicated.

If conservative therapy does not help eliminate signs of infection, experts recommend suppressing lactation. Mastitis in any case is a contraindication for continuing breastfeeding. Some experts allow milk to be expressed, sterilized and given to the child, but this is only possible in the absence of antibacterial treatment. Antibiotics are not prescribed for mild forms of mastitis. But a purulent inflammatory process always requires antibacterial therapy.

Surgical treatment consists of opening the mastitis and draining the lesion with pus. The procedure is performed under high-quality anesthesia. After opening the abscess, the surgeon empties its contents and excises the dead tissue. After this, the cavity is washed with antiseptic agents, tamponed or drainage is installed.

Breast care in the postpartum period

Proper breast care in the postpartum period significantly reduces the risk of pain and signs of mastitis. Since the precursor to the inflammatory process is lactostasis, a woman should do everything possible to prevent milk stagnation. The mammary glands empty regularly and evenly. The remaining milk after feeding must be expressed. If the baby is full of milk from one breast, the next feeding begins with the other breast, which remains intact.

Do not teach your baby to constantly suck on the breast to calm himself down. This leads to maceration of the nipples and the appearance of cracks. The baby should grasp the nipple completely, including the areola. If cracks are found, begin treatment immediately. It consists of using vitamin E, sea buckthorn oil and regenerating agents.

Before each feeding, be sure to wash your breasts with baby soap, and then wipe the skin with blotting movements. If the room is warm, leave your breasts without a bra for a few minutes. Air baths combined with moderate exposure to ultraviolet radiation prevent the appearance of cracks and accelerate the regeneration of damaged skin.

Infection in the mammary glands can develop not only against the background of lactostasis, but also due to the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms through the bloodstream from other internal organs. Prevention of mastitis also involves timely identification and treatment of infectious foci and detected diseases.

Take the condition of your mammary glands seriously. If you feel chest pain, it is better to consult a specialist and undergo ultrasound diagnostics. This will allow you to identify possible deviations at an early stage and begin treatment on time.

Throughout pregnancy, women's mammary glands undergo constant changes in preparation for lactation. And after the birth of the baby, in the first few days, these changes are even more noticeable. And the fact that after childbirth your chest hurts is quite normal. The milk is coming and these sensations are new for you. This process may not cause severe pain, but it should not be ignored. After all, the nature of the pain can be different: burning, tingling, aching pain, constant or periodic. And in order to understand how serious everything is, you need to determine what caused them.

There are a number of reasons why chest pain occurs after childbirth. Basically, these unpleasant sensations are caused by lactation.

In the first few weeks, she fills up with milk. Let's look at the most common reasons:

Lactostasis, in other words, milk stagnates. This is usually caused by a bra that is not the right size, the baby does not drink all the milk, hypothermia, narrow milk ducts, hyperlactation, stress and overwork.
Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary glands. It is caused by lactostasis, streptococci, staphylococci, poor hygiene, abrupt cessation of breastfeeding (milk comes in strongly and pumping does not help).
Stretching of the breast skin is associated with a strong increase in the volume of the mammary glands.
Injury to the nipples due to improper attachment of the baby during feeding.

First you need to evaluate how you feed your baby. Most of the reasons why breasts hurt after childbirth are due to lactation. And the faster you do this, the faster you can eliminate all these unpleasant sensations.

Main symptoms

For some women, pain can begin both from the first days of the birth of a child and a year later. You can't understand why your breasts hurt after childbirth? Listen to your body, analyze at what moments this happens. The main symptoms will tell you what is going on.

Let's consider each case separately:

With lactostasis, characteristic signs are: temperature after childbirth up to 38 ° C, thickening and heaviness of the mammary glands, redness of the nipples and tingling.
Mastitis is characterized by a rise in temperature above 38 ° C, a purplish tint of the skin, severe hardening of the mammary glands, very painful breasts and an increase in volume, the skin becomes hot, feeding becomes unbearable, and purulent discharge can be observed in the milk.
When sprained, there are no above listed symptoms, but the painful sensations are constant and aching.
If the nipples are cracked or injured, pain is present when feeding, touching rough materials or soap. If you look closely, you will notice cracks.

During lactation, body temperature is measured in the groin.

If you notice the above symptoms, then immediately visit any of these specialists for consultation: a gynecologist, therapist, mammologist or surgeon.

And women will experience the same problems after artificial childbirth. In such cases, the doctor prescribes anti-lactation pills and recommends tightly tightening the mammary glands.

Diagnostic methods and treatment

Diagnosis is carried out by interviewing and studying clinical data. Then they inspect the problem area, identifying compactions and/or cracks. They are sent for a blood test, which will help determine whether there are inflammatory processes. They do ultrasound diagnostics and take milk cultures for microorganisms. Correct diagnosis is the success of the entire treatment.

Treatment is prescribed in combination with several methods. These are medications, folk and conservative methods. This is the only way to ensure a good prognosis. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Medication

1. For lactostasis the following is used:

iodine mesh;
ointments Vishnevsky, Malavit, Traumeel;
It’s good to make magnesium compresses;
relieve pain with oxytocin;
Physiotherapy is also prescribed;
if there is a suspicion that mastitis may develop, then the antibiotic Erythromycin is prescribed, which can be used for breastfeeding.

2. For mastitis, a course of antibacterial treatment is prescribed, antipyretics are prescribed and a novocaine blockade is given.

3. Skin stretching is treated with anti-inflammatory drugs; painkillers and ointments for stretch marks may be prescribed.

4. Cracks in the nipples should be lubricated with wound-healing ointments, gels with aloe or Kalanchoe. For deep injuries, ultrasound treatment is prescribed.

When ultrasound is used to dissolve lumps, milk production may decrease or even stop altogether.

Traditional methods

Even in the maternity hospital, you may have heard from older midwives that to prevent cracks, you need to lubricate your nipples with a drop of your own milk. So this method is good not only for preventing cracks, but also for already injured nipples. To relieve the inflammatory process, you need to apply cabbage leaves at night, cottage cheese and honey cakes and make compresses with starch, previously diluted with water.

Conservative

This method, in combination with those mentioned above, will give the most favorable prognosis. So:

You need to pump as often as possible, try to put your baby on the problematic breast more often.
Try to wear a comfortable bra so that it does not pinch or press anywhere. It is best to buy specifically for nursing and choose strictly by size.
Try to do water massage as often as possible. Direct jets of hot water onto problem areas, this will help the seals dissolve.
Try to let your baby suck the milk completely, or ask your husband to help.
Never use hot or alcohol-based compresses.
Apply dry heat immediately before feeding. A down scarf or any wool product is suitable for this.

Only if you consult a specialist in a timely manner and undergo a course of treatment, a favorable prognosis is possible. Otherwise, there may be various complications.

For example, lactostasis develops into mastitis if it is not treated for two days or longer. In turn, mastitis develops into purulent and then it is impossible to do without surgical intervention. But after the pus is removed, feeding can be resumed. If cracked nipples are left untreated for a long time, microorganisms enter the milk ducts and this causes bacterial contamination of the milk or even mastitis.

Everyone knows well that the most effective treatment is the one that did not exist.

Prevention

What to do to prevent chest pain after childbirth? Prevention is the best method of preventing disease.

Proper care of the mammary glands from the first days of a child’s birth will already prevent any of the above diseases.

Make sure your baby latches onto the nipple correctly.
Express every time after feeding and check for any lumps remaining.
After feeding, be sure to wash the mammary glands with soap.
Try to drink less liquid.
Wear only the most comfortable bra made from natural materials.
Do a massage by rubbing with a terry towel.
When sleeping, try not to sleep on your stomach.

Important! Beware of drafts, hypothermia, bruises and injury to the mammary glands.

But if you have chest pain, then this is a completely different disease. And consult a doctor immediately, as this may indicate angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, oncology of the respiratory organs and problems of the digestive organs. There are many reasons for chest pain. It can be caused by infectious diseases, allergic reactions, spinal injuries and back problems due to increased workload.

If you experience any of the above mentioned symptoms, do not hesitate and contact your doctor immediately. This may protect you from more serious illness.

Health to you and your kids!

Experts say that lactation itself does not in any way affect the shape of the breast. If a woman is healthy and takes proper care of her breasts, then the shape will remain the same.

The beauty of the breasts is mainly affected by weight changes during pregnancy. The natural elasticity of the skin is enough to “withstand” the enlargement of the mammary glands during breastfeeding. However, if a woman sharply gains excess weight during and after pregnancy, the breast skin experiences even greater stretching. As a result, the skin cannot cope with such stress, and stretch marks occur. And when a woman loses weight again, the stretched skin and ligaments of the breast may no longer take their previous shape, and the breasts will “sag”, and the stretch marks will remain. In women with small mammary glands, after breastfeeding ends, they may feel that their breasts have become smaller - this is also due to a change in the shape of the mammary gland. So the only way to maintain beautiful breasts is to carefully monitor your diet and try to keep your body weight normal.

Breast care during breastfeeding

The restructuring and preparation of the mammary glands for lactation begins from the first days of pregnancy as a result of the complex interaction of hormones of the ovaries, placenta, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, and adrenal glands. Contrary to popular belief, the breast does not require any special preparation for the feeding process. Neither wearing a bra, nor pouring and hardening the breasts, nor rubbing the nipples during pregnancy affects the success and efficiency of breastfeeding. On the contrary, such procedures can cause additional troubles for the expectant mother.

For example, wearing a bra is not always justified if a woman has small breasts or very sensitive skin. The bra solves cosmetic and aesthetic problems, does not allow the breasts to sag, supports them, protects large breasts from stretch marks, but does not in any way affect the formation of milk. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the breasts during lactation.

After childbirth, the amount of milk produced is determined by the concentration of the hormone prolactin, the secretion of which increases under the influence of the baby's sucking movements. The level of lactation depends on the frequency of the baby's attachment to the breast and on the baby's needs.

There are two phases in the process of milk secretion. In the first, associated with irritation of the receptors of the mammary gland, the sphincters of the nipple-ariolar apparatus are relaxed (circular muscles that “lock” the excretory ducts) and the milk ducts are activated. The so-called “early milk” of low fat content comes out. In the second phase, the hormone oxytocin is released from the pituitary gland (an endocrine gland located in the brain), which causes contraction of the glands, which ensures the removal of fatty “late milk” from the mammary gland. It is important to completely empty one gland at one feeding and only after that the baby can be applied to the other breast .

If you shower daily, you should not wash your nipples before or after feeding. Soaps and disinfectants can dry them out, which predisposes them to cracking. There is also no need to lubricate the nipples with a solution of brilliant green (“green stuff”).

Structure of the mammary gland

The mammary gland is formed from 15-25 lobes, separated by connective septa and adipose tissue. Each lobule has ducts and terminal vesicles that produce milk. The hormone progesterone stimulates the development of glandular elements of mammary gland tissue from the first days of pregnancy: under its influence, the terminal vesicles increase in volume and become larger. At this time, the woman feels engorgement and slight soreness in her breasts. 2-3 days after birth, the pituitary hormone prolactin, which is responsible for milk production, comes into play.

To avoid problems...

In the first days after birth (until the milk comes in), the mother should not drink a lot of liquid. You need to limit yourself to 600-800 ml (including soups, milk drinks, etc.), otherwise a large amount of milk may form, and this, in turn, will lead to lactostasis - stagnation of milk.

Many women who have given birth, unfortunately, are familiar with the condition when the breasts swell and become painful, and lumps appear in the mammary glands. Even a rise in temperature is possible. This is lactostasis. As already mentioned, the mammary glands resemble orange slices, connected by narrow ducts through which milk flows into the nipple. If milk is produced too intensively or the ducts do not pass it well, the milk seems to “overwhelm” the lobules and stagnate in them.

Lactostasis itself is not a disease. But stagnant milk is a favorable environment for the development of microbes, therefore, if an infection gets into the overcrowded lobules, inflammation may begin - mastitis. And this is already a dangerous disease that requires urgent medical attention. To avoid it, make sure that there is no stagnation anywhere. If you notice painful engorgement in some part of the mammary gland that does not disappear after feeding, you need to massage the breasts in a circular motion from the periphery to the center, express the remaining milk until a feeling of comfort appears.

Another very common complication that occurs in young mothers is cracked nipples. It is through them that the infection that causes mastitis most often enters the body. If cracks have already appeared, it is necessary to regularly (after each feeding) treat them with special preparations (they are sold in pharmacies - PURELAN, BEPANTEN) and change the underwear more often.

The reason for the appearance of cracked nipples is primarily the incorrect attachment of the child to the breast, when the baby grasps only the nipple, but not the areola pigmentation. In addition, frequent breast washing, as well as the use of alcohol-containing solutions to treat the nipple and areola, contribute to the formation of cracks, since such procedures lead to “drying out” of the areola and nipple. Incorrect latching on the breast by the baby causes unpleasant and sometimes painful sensations in the mother, so even minor discomfort during feeding requires very active attention, indicating the inadequacy of the chosen method and feeding technique. If you neglect this signal of trouble, then soon redness of the skin may appear on the nipple at the site of pain, and then a crack. Therefore, it is important not to miss the time when there is still an opportunity to prevent its occurrence by changing the baby’s feeding technique and once again checking that the baby is latching onto the breast correctly. Already at this time you need to use the above drugs.

Another common cause of nipple injury is improper weaning of the baby at the end of feeding. It is unacceptable to remove the nipple when there is squeezing force or the baby is sucking, as this may cause injury to the skin of the nipple. It is necessary for the child to release the nipple himself, opening his mouth. To properly wean from the breast, you need to insert your finger into the corner of the child’s mouth, between the two gums, unclenching them so that the nipple itself comes out of his mouth.

After feeding the baby, to prevent the formation of cracks, squeeze a little milk from the nipple, lubricate it evenly over the nipple and areola and let it dry for 3 to 5 minutes. Milk contains enough active substances that can promote the healing of cracks. Additionally, for preventive purposes, you can regularly use creams consisting of 100% lanolin, which does not require rinsing off before feeding. Avoid creams and ointments that need to be washed off. Antiseptics, aloe juice, and beeswax oil that were previously widely used to lubricate the skin are not recommended, as the baby may not like their smell.

If the crack does not heal within 2-7 days, then you should stop putting the baby on the sore breast for at least 1-3 days. At the same time, the child may be well-fed, receiving only one breast, and in some cases he will need supplementary feeding from a spoon with milk expressed from the diseased gland (it is recommended to supplement the baby with a spoon, and not from a bottle, because after the nipple the baby may refuse the breast). After a few days, you can return to breastfeeding, but at first, using the sore breast as a supplement to feeding from the healthy one. If cracks appear on both mammary glands, depending on the severity of the cracks, you can either continue feeding, or put the baby to the breast for a short time, and then spoon-feed expressed milk, or feed only expressed milk. If there are cracks, you can use silicone breast pads to reduce pain, but this will make it more difficult for the baby to suck. You shouldn't use pads all the time. In addition, if you produce a lot of milk and it leaks from your breasts between feedings, it is better to use porous reusable pads or special ventilated milk collectors (reservoirs that fit into a bra), they will collect excess milk and allow the nipple to dry out. If the nipple remains constantly wet, the risk of irritation, infection and cracking increases.

So, the health and beauty of your breasts is in your hands. You can maintain your bust shape after lactation! Proper breast care during pregnancy and lactation, gradual (not abrupt) cessation of feeding, proper diet and moderate exercise - all this will help keep breasts healthy and attractive. Statistically, data collected by scientists suggests that women who breastfed their children are much less likely to experience mammological problems than those who did not breastfeed. A woman who has breastfed is at lower risk of anemia (anemia), ovarian (appendage) and mammary gland cancer, and other diseases. This is due to the natural restoration of hormonal levels after childbirth and a number of other factors.

Is topless tanning harmful?

Doctors generally do not recommend sunbathing with an open chest - strong sun rays are harmful to the delicate skin of the chest. During pregnancy and lactation, you should be especially careful with the sun: firstly, it is not very beneficial, and secondly, tanning can cause the appearance of age spots.

A child is happiness, but reality makes its own adjustments to joyful experiences. Living according to the needs of a tiny creature is difficult. Especially when unpleasant pain wedges itself into the heap of worries.
In the first days after childbirth, the breasts may swell and hurt - this is due to the appearance of milk. If the breasts are hard and painful, this is usually due to the fact that the mammary gland has produced too much milk and stagnation has occurred. Such breast problems can occur both immediately after childbirth and during the first months of breastfeeding. The best medicine in this case will be the child himself, who will suck the breast better than any breast pump. The more often you put your baby to your breast, the less painful swelling will occur.

Over time, the flow of milk begins to coincide with the baby's need to attach to the breast. But it also happens that the baby tries to suck the milk, but nothing works, he becomes restless and starts crying. In this case, you need to lightly massage your breasts and express the milk yourself - with your hands or using a breast pump. However, modern breastfeeding experts believe that the cause of various problems with the mammary glands is improper attachment of the baby to the breast.
Let us remind you that the correct grip of the nipple is when the nipple touches the palate (Fig. 11). In this case, the breast should “look with the nipple not into the baby’s mouth, but into the palate, which will allow the baby to grasp a much larger part of the breast from below than from above. The baby's mouth should be wide open, and the tongue should lie on the lower gum and protrude freely from the mouth. The areola of the nipple is almost completely in the baby's mouth, while the baby's chin touches his chest. A special case is a short frenulum, which can cause painful latch on the nipple due to the strong squeezing of the baby’s gums. In this case, it makes sense to consult with your pediatrician about the optimal approach to putting your baby to the breast.
Warming compresses, cabbage and burdock leaves do not need to be applied to the mammary glands. A warm compress will only increase the flow of milk, but cabbage and burdock will have no effect.
If lactostasis occurs (the so-called stagnation of milk in the breast), you need to apply an ice pack for 20-30 minutes, repeat the procedure several times with an interval of 30-40 minutes. Women and especially their mothers believe that in this way they can “cook” their breasts, but this is not so. The cold will narrow the lumen of the blood vessels supplying the lobules of the mammary gland, which will lead to a decrease in milk production. In addition, congestive mammary glands create favorable conditions for the development of microbes, which can cause inflammation of the mammary gland - mastitis. Cold is always used to limit the inflammatory process in any organ. So don't be afraid to use ice within reason.

If you still have to resort to some method of emptying the mammary gland, then preference should be given to a high-quality breast pump, which is designed in such a way that it imitates the capture of the areola and nipple, as a child does. If you don’t have a breast pump and you are expressing your breasts, you need to do this with absolutely clean hands in a clean bowl, pressing your fingers not on the areola or nipple, but on the area near the areola, since this is where milk accumulates in peculiar reservoirs - lacunae - and from here along the ducts enters the nipple. Some women are so zealous that they rub abrasions on the skin of the mammary glands, which is very undesirable, since an abrasion on the skin is a path for infection to penetrate deep into the mammary gland.

Pregnancy and childbirth

Is it normal for breasts to hurt after childbirth, rules of care

Women's breasts are one of the most favorite parts of the body for men, and therefore many women after childbirth are interested in giving their breasts their former appetizing appearance.

However, feeding a newborn baby is a very important and integral part of motherhood, because with breast milk the child receives all the nutrients and vitamins that are beneficial for him.

The breast begins to prepare for feeding the baby during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the condition of the breasts begins to gradually change, the nipples darken and may become larger, the breasts swell due to the fact that they are growing and may ache.

You can prepare the mammary glands for feeding using the hardening method. Pour cool water over your breasts and wipe them with a terry towel to strengthen the mammary glands.

It is important to remember that you should not save, and if your breasts are noticeably growing, buy new bras, because your health depends on the comfort of your breasts. To prevent sagging breasts after childbirth, you can wear a maternity bra; it supports and lifts them well.

When milk appears after childbirth, it would be good to purchase a bra for feeding your baby, the cups of which can be unfastened; this is very convenient and practical. Milk often starts to leak if there is a lot of milk, so buy two bras so you can change them constantly. Cleanliness and sterility of the breast after childbirth is very important.

After childbirth, it is recommended to wash the breasts with warm boiled water, as well as a chamomile solution before each feeding of the baby. While washing your breasts, pay attention to each breast in turn and massage it with gentle movements to prevent milk stagnation and hardening. After washing, dry it with a soft terry towel.

Why do breasts hurt after childbirth?

In addition to milk, after childbirth, blood and fluid are intensively supplied to the breasts to prepare the mammary glands for feeding. A common occurrence due to this is bloating, breast swelling and soreness. Usually, when breasts hurt after childbirth, it is associated with an increased flow of milk and its stagnation.

No one can help you better than a child at this time. He himself will be able to resolve the stagnation of milk and make feeding easier for you. If your baby is unable to latch on due to breast swelling, express some milk by hand or with a breast pump, and then reattach your baby.

Sometimes a child cannot overcome stagnation of milk, in which case you need to lightly massage the breast, and then use a breast pump or express the milk manually.

How to help with breast swelling and milk stagnation after childbirth:

Feed your baby as often as possible, at least ten times a day. You need to wake up your baby for feeding every two to three hours during the day and every four hours at night.
Perform a light breast massage; cold compresses reduce swelling.
A good folk remedy is to apply a cabbage leaf to the chest. Before applying them, it is advisable to soften them a little with something.
Eat only balanced meals and do not drink a lot of fluids if you experience breast swelling and milk stagnation after childbirth.

If the pain does not subside, check whether you have chosen the right bra and whether it is pressing on you. If, despite advice, breast swelling does not subside, and it also hurts, consult a doctor, maybe he will prescribe you some procedures to soften the breasts after childbirth.

The first few days after birth, milk does not appear; it begins to be produced on days 2–3. Don’t worry, this is how nature intended it, and in these few days the baby and his mother adapt to the new state, rest, and gain strength.

Then milk production begins and everything becomes fine, but it also happens that there is no milk and there is no milk, what to do in this case.

Many mothers panic when they see that after childbirth they have no milk, because this is the most valuable nutrition for a newborn, but a complete lack of milk occurs only in 2 - 3% of women in labor.

The complete absence of milk is associated with diseases of the woman, due to which hormonal stimulation of lactation does not occur, for example, diabetes mellitus, infantilism, diffuse toxic goiter.

Do not despair too much if you have no or little milk after childbirth, perhaps this is due to improper feeding or complications during pregnancy, stress or poor nutrition of the mother.

Also, the reasons that there is no milk after childbirth may be:

Use of medications that can cause suppression of lactation.
Maternal endocrine diseases.
Poor and unbalanced diet of the mother.
You don't spend much time outside in the fresh air.
The baby sucks on a pacifier or bottle.
Breaks in feeding the baby for more than four hours.

Useful tips on how to normalize milk production:

Express the remaining milk after each feeding, then the body will have an incentive to produce more and more.
Place your baby on different breasts one at a time and at his first request.
Drink at least two liters of fluid per day.
Never replace milk with water, even at night.
Eat right, because a lack of vitamins and minerals in your body is one of the main reasons for poor milk production after childbirth.
To increase milk production, it is good to drink green tea with milk or various herbal decoctions, such as lemon balm, rose hips, mint or fennel.

Learn how to put your baby to your breast correctly, and experienced midwives can tell you how to do it.

During breastfeeding, it is important to learn how to position your baby correctly; you should not feel uncomfortable or in pain, and the baby should completely grasp the nipple with his lips.

What to do to prevent sagging breasts after breastfeeding

Beautiful, raised breasts are the dignity of every woman, and after a period of breastfeeding, it is important to restore them to their former shape and firmness. The main thing is not to be lazy, and to be determined, following all the recommendations of specialists in a comprehensive manner.

The complex for restoring elasticity and a fresh appearance of the breast includes:

The right bra prevents sagging breasts and keeps them in shape. Also, choose your workout bra so that it is not too loose.
Gymnastics for the chest restores its elasticity well, and swimming and dancing also have a beneficial effect.
Take care of your breast skin with nourishing creams every day after shower, containing vitamins E, A, C and D. You can also make breast masks with ginseng, seaweed, white clay or honey.
Always end your shower by pouring cool water over your chest to increase blood circulation.
A good exercise for the chest muscles is to squeeze your clasped palms together in front of you.
Eat more protein, such as dairy products, nuts, and chicken. Limit your intake of fatty foods, spicy foods, alcohol and coffee.

When taking measures against sagging breasts, remember that everything is good as a whole, so throw away laziness and start taking care of yourself.

Perhaps not a single pregnancy proceeds without stretch marks, and this upsets women a lot, because, in fact, it is almost impossible to remove them.

When the skin is stretched, the layers lying closer to the surface become thinner, which leads to tears, and over time they are replaced by connective tissue.

It is easier to deal with stretch marks when they are still burgundy, because when they lighten, it will be a little late and more difficult to remove.

What helps fight stretch marks on the chest:

Gymnastics for the pectoral muscles and swimming.
Wearing the right bra made from natural fabric.
Anti-stretch mark creams often only help to lighten them, but there are also those that remove them, but they are far from cheap.