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

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

Characteristics 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

There are many sources of this disease. But most often as a result of the 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 development of pathology:

1. Increased secretion. The woman's organism 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 the ducts. Some women are naturally narrow. The infant simply does not have the strength to "draw out" milk from these ducts.
3. The shape of the chest. The individual structure can create difficulties in the complete drainage 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 result from the following reasons:

1. Incorrect application of crumbs to the chest. 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 time 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. Tight underwear. Incorrectly selected bra clamps the milky ways. Such a factor leads to the formation of lactostasis.
4. Breast Injury. Strokes from falls, bruises provoke stagnation of milk from a nursing woman.
5. Severe hypothermia. As a result, the narrowing of the ducts is observed, the pathology mentioned above arises.

Symptomatic 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 that need to be addressed are:

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. On the chest appear red spots.

At this stage, the woman does not feel any special changes in her state of 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 could not be stopped at this stage, then the ailment begins to progress.

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

• Swelling and redness of the chest;
• Iron is painful, feels hot;
• General weakness in a nursing mother;
• temperature increase;
• The onset of chills;
• Nausea may be present;
• Attempts to express the chest by hand cause severe pain;
• The baby refuses to feed, as the firm breast is not capable to grasp.

Treatment of the 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 breasts. Before decanting it is desirable 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 light massage. However, one should not massively massage or compress the breast, as this will lead to trauma to the gland and increase swelling.
3. When a chill occurs, 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 "Arnika" 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 within 2-3 days lactostasis does not recede in nursing, then doctors prescribe a woman treatment with antibiotics. 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 techniques

Very useful for stagnant milk massage. However, it is necessary to perform this procedure correctly. Otherwise, you can aggravate the pathology.

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

1. The main purpose of the procedure is to relax the compaction. Therefore, force pressing should be excluded.
2. 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 water should be warm, but in no case hot.

The rules for expressing a disease

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

This activity should be performed as follows:

1. Embrace 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 rough surface.
3. Now begin to massage this irregularity. 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.

It is this technique that will ensure you a minimum of pain during the decantation. 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, which our grandmothers also used.

The most effective means are:

1. Cabbage leaf. You will need ordinary white cabbage. Take off one large sheet of paper. Rinse it thoroughly underwater. Make a few cuts on it and remember it a little. The leaf should let down the juice. Then place the remedy in a painful place. After 3 hours, replace with a new one. If you tolerate honey well, it is recommended to apply a brush to the cabbage leaf before applying it. This will provide more effective treatment.
2. Chamomile. 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. Bow. Peel the onion and bake it in the oven. In a warm form, attach this product to your chest. After feeding, always replace the bulb with a new one.

Prevention of disease

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 breast as soon as it requires. Gradually, your body will adjust to the needs of crumbs and will produce as much milk as it needs.
2. Feed the child 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. Watch for 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.