Breastfeeding Engorgement. Free Essay

Breastfeeding engorgement increases the size of a breast due to high blood flow and a lot of milk supply in the breast after delivery. The condition causes pains, hardness, and swelling of the breast, mostly in lactating mothers. Therefore, this paper focuses on more information about breastfeeding engorgement, causes, and treatment.

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About Breastfeeding Engorgement

The engorgement mostly occurs in the first week after birth and relaxes after some time when the production of milk conforms to the needs of the baby. Lactating mothers always experience a lot of pain at the nipples of the breast due to the high flow of blood and other fluids to the breasts (Berens,2015). It is a condition that most women are familiar with and can follow home remedies to induce the pain of engorgement before seeking assistance from a lactation expert.

Causes of Engorgement

There are various causes of breast engorgement that most lactating mothers experience a few days after giving birth during breastfeeding. According to Berens, (2015), failure by a mother to breastfeed the baby more often, too much supply of milk, a baby refusing to breastfeed, and introduction of the baby into the consumption of some foods at an early stage among others are the main causes of the breast to engorge. Some mothers tend to wait longer before pumping, which causes inflammation of breast milk (Mangesi & Zakarija 2016). Breastfeeding an ill infant who is experiencing ear problems or any other disease, the refusal of a baby to breastfeed, including oversleeping, sums up some of the causes of breast engorgement.

Treatment

When experiencing the pains associated with engorgement conditions, a mother should look for alternative ways of treatment. Mangesi & Zakarija (2016) state that frequent breastfeeding during the day and breast pumping helps in the softening of the breast, making it easier for the baby to feed. Lactating mothers are encouraged to wake up a baby who is oversleeping waking up the baby to breastfeed, and changing the positions of breastfeeding helps in the removal of milk smoothly (Mangesi & Zakarija,2016). Finally, seeking medical attention from lactation experts to assist in breastfeeding habits. Avoid giving the baby water during the breastfeeding session to give the baby enough room to consume breast milk by draining both breasts.

Conclusion

The engorgement mostly takes place in the first week after birth and relaxes after some time when the production of milk conforms to the needs of the baby. Lactating mothers experience a lot of pain at the nipples of the breast because of the high flow of blood and other fluids to the breasts. Failure by a mother to breastfeed the baby more often, too much milk supply, a baby refusing to breastfeed, and introducing the baby into the consumption of some foods at an early stage, among others, are the main causes of breast to engorgement.

References

Berens, P. D. (2015). Breast pain: engorgement, nipple pain, and mastitis. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, 58(4), 902-914. https://journals.lww.com/clinicalobgyn/Abstract/2015/12000/Breast_Pain__Engorgement,_Nipple_Pain,_and.20.aspx

Mangesi, L., & ZakarijaGrkovic, I. (2016). Treatments for breast engorgement during lactation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (6).
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006946.pub3/abstract