Outpatient often encounter some novice mothers during breast-feeding breast pain, breast local skin redness and even touch the mass, feel very nervous. Mammary glands red swelling pain is actually a typical symptom of lactation mastitis, sometimes accompanied by fever and fatigue and other symptoms similar to colds.
It is not easy to insist on breast-feeding. Encountering mastitis makes mothers who are in a hurry and absent after delivery more anxious. So what is mastitis?
First of all, the incidence of breast-feeding mastitis in breast-feeding women is not low, About one-third of primipara will develop mastitis in the first month of lactation. At the same time, women with mastitis are more likely to suffer from it again, and may even develop breast abscess due to repeated attacks of mastitis, which will eventually lead to misery due to having to be treated surgically.
Causes of mastitis
This is actually a process of internal and external troubles.
1. Internal causes
(1) Immunity decline caused by fatigue
As far as internal causes are concerned, the hard labor process and the disruption of the life rules for a period of time after the child is born make it impossible for mothers to have a good rest, and the depression caused by the decline of hormone levels in the body makes mothers exhausted physically and mentally during this period of time.
The decline in the body’s overall immunity gives the disease a chance to take advantage of.
(2) Insufficient number of breastfeeding
Many tired mothers want to sleep all night at night, thus reducing the number of night milk. The milk in the breast is not discharged regularly and effectively and accumulates excessively, providing a very good hotbed for bacterial reproduction.
(3) Lack of lactation time
Some mothers only take 5-10 minutes to nurse each time, and insufficient feeding time will lead to the baby not being able to fully suck out the breast, resulting in breast swelling. If it cannot be relieved in time, it is often easy to develop mastitis.
2. Foreign invasion
(1) The baby’s [nursing] skills are not good,
Let’s look at foreign invasion again. Although it is natural for the baby to eat milk, how to eat it is indeed a [technical work] that needs to be learned, and requires the cooperation of both the baby and the mother. If the baby takes over the shallow part, it will cause nipple damage, making bacteria retrograde into the breast and causing infection.
In addition, factors such as weak suction capacity and disharmony of sick babies or premature infants will lead to ineffective milk discharge, which is easy to cause breast swelling and thus develop mastitis.
(2) Compression of breasts
In addition, it is worth mentioning that too tight bras and car safety belts will cause extra pressure on breasts and affect milk emptying.
To sum up, the mother’s own physical state and retrograde infection of foreign bacteria, as well as the milk caused by various factors cannot be effectively emptied, eventually causing mastitis.
How to prevent mastitis?
The fundamental principle is to promote milk excretion and adequate rest.
Step 1 Promote milk excretion
(1) Breastfeeding as soon as possible
If possible, start feeding the baby within two hours after birth.
(2) Frequent feeding
The frequency of lactation should be carried out according to the baby’s will to eat milk. As long as the baby has the intention to eat milk, such as crying and sucking fingers, it needs to be fed.
Generally speaking, the baby’s stomach is still very small in the first few weeks of life, and only a small amount of food can be eaten at a time. Frequent feeding is needed to meet the energy demand. If the mother’s milk is swollen at this stage, even if the baby is sleeping, she can wake up and nurse.
(3) Correct nursing posture
In the first few days after the baby is born, the baby will be taught the correct breast-holding posture, which should include catching the nipple and most areola.
At the same time, we should adjust the nursing posture more and don’t stick to the basic movements taught in textbooks. As mammals, we should believe in our nature more and how to feed comfortably. We can try cradle-style, lying-down-style, rugby-style and other nursing methods.
Choose a nursing posture that makes both the baby and the mother feel comfortable. Relaxation and comfort help empty milk.
STEP 2 Adequate Rest
If conditions permit, mothers can concentrate on breast-feeding and leave other people to take care of chores such as changing diapers and bathing their children.
Try to adjust your sleep rhythm to be consistent with your child. He sleeps and you also sleep. He will nurse when he wakes up. When nursing, you can play your favorite music and watch your favorite TV, which will help relieve your mother’s nervousness and accelerate her recovery.
Mothers should be reminded not to sleep on their stomach. This may cause breasts to be squeezed, thus causing breast swelling.
How to do mammary gland inflammation?
If mastitis occurs, we can adopt alternate cold and hot compress.
Cold compress: Wrap the ice cubes with towels and put them on the breast to cool the breast and relieve swelling and pain.
Hot compress: with 60 ℃ hot towel on the breast, help to promote blood circulation, also conducive to milk secretion. Time is not recommended too long, 15 ~ 20 minutes, otherwise may cause cryogenic scalds. Taking a hot bath is also helpful to mammary gland duct expansion, let milk discharge unobstructed.
In addition, it is also very effective to massage the breast gently in circles along the direction of the catheter.
However, if there is already a very obvious red inflammatory mass in the local area, do not apply hot compress or squeeze, otherwise it is easy to cause the spread of inflammation.
If the illness cannot be relieved by the above methods, you should seek medical treatment in time. Doctors may consider using antibiotics, but mothers need not worry. Not all drugs are taboo during lactation. According to the guidelines for lactation, some commonly used antibiotics are safe and effective.
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