Dealing with Engorgement

New mothers often suffer with painfully swollen breasts, known as engorgement. The tenderness and increased size can make breastfeeding difficult and painful for mothers and infants. Knowing basic tips to ease engorgement can be helpful for new mothers who are frustrated by their breasts.

Engorgement is the term used when a new mother's breasts swell in the days after birth. The swelling is caused by sudden milk production and increased blood flow to the breasts. This swelling can cause pain and tenderness and can hinder breastfeeding for some mothers. Reducing the swelling can help to ease tenderness and make breastfeeding easier. Here are four basic ways a new mother can ease her engorgement.

Heat. Warmth can help lessen the pain of engorgement and help milk flow if the breasts are too swollen. Applying warmth to engorged breasts can be as simple as using a warm, wet wash cloth across the breasts or standing in a warm shower. Mothers can also buy special rice packs that can be heated or frozen and applied to their breasts. These packs, such as the Earth Mama Angel Baby Booby Tubes, fit comfortably around engorged breasts and spread heat evenly. Using heat just before breastfeeding will ease pain and encourage a release of milk to make breastfeeding easier when engorged.

Cool. Using ice packs or frozen rice packs on engorged breasts is also very helpful. The cold can reduce excess swelling and relieve some of the pain associated with engorgement. Use a thin cloth across the breast then apply an ice pack over the cloth between feedings to keep swelling down.

Express milk. During engorgement the excess milk being created contributes to the swelling and pain. Expressing some milk reduces the fullness in the breasts and can make breastfeeding easier as well as relieving some of the pain. Breast milk is created on a supply and demand scale, so a mother should be careful to only express enough milk to relieve the overfull feeling. Expressing too much milk can cause your breasts to begin making more milk than necessary.

Nurse as your baby needs to. Engorgement eases as the correct demand messages are sent and the milk supply levels out. Nursing as often and for as long as the baby wants to will both relieve the overfull feeling and encourage the mother's milk supply to adjust quickly. Nursing frequently will also reduce pressure on the milk ducts, lowering the risks of clogged ducts and mastitis.

Engorgement is a short period in a typical breastfeeding span. The pain and swelling of engorgement generally ease within two weeks and breastfeeding will become easier. Using these four simple tips can help relieve engorgement and make the early days of breastfeeding easier.