Congratulations to you for being a mother! It’s an excellent experience for every woman, no doubt. But after your baby is born, you may face breast engorgement problems, and Engorged breasts disrupt breastfeeding mothers’ comfortable sleep.
Engorged breasts occur when your breasts produce too much milk, but sadly your baby can not suck more. Moreover, it may happen when you pull up breastfeeding or are disabled from the breast pump. Engorged breasts are irritating, feeling weighty, solid, impressible, and hot.
No worries about breastfeeding mothers. This article is all about the solution to breastfeeding problems with a detailed discussion on how to sleep comfortably with engorged breasts. Additionally, I will tell you about the engorgement symptoms. Stick with me to the end.
Breast Engorgement Symptoms & Possible Side Effects
‣ Swelling Of Breasts
You may experience engorgement of breasts after pregnancy. You can easily detect swelling of breasts, feeling heavy & hot breasts. Engorged breasts are more prominent than usual. It takes a considerable time to get back to its average size after breastfeeding or pumping milk with hand expression.
‣ Leveled Nipple
Many mothers have this symptom of having breast engorgement problems. The areola is a dark area; almost your nipple becomes solid. As a result, baby growth is disrupted because of latching on to the problem.
‣ More Notable Veins
You can notice veins beneath your breast’s skin because more blood flows to this region. Moreover, cramped skin extending above your breasts can help appear more prominent veins.
‣ Reddish Appearance On The Breast
It’s not wise to sit at home without contacting a lactation consultant doctor when you notice reddish areas on the breasts. Otherwise, it may cause severe engorgement problems.
‣ Slight Rise Of Temperature
Breast engorgement may cause a slight increase in temperature. But it’s not a worry, and no need to stop breastfeeding. Instead, you can contact a doctor if you face further engorgement problems.
‣ Blocked Ducts
Some of the common side effects of engorged breasts are blocked ducts, back pain, awakening, and leaking breasts. You should contact a lactation consultant as early as possible to eliminate mastitis if you find blocked duct or flu-like symptoms, including fever, exhaustion, etc.
Never feel shy to seek advice and ask medical questions if you find engorgement worse.
How To Sleep Comfortably With Engorged Breasts: Find Tips!
Your tiny baby is sleeping & it’s the perfect time for you to rest or relax. When your baby wakes up, you can not sleep properly, but even now, you are facing sleeping problems because of engorged breasts. Here is the solution!
‣ Prepare Yourself For Comfortable Sleep
Clean clothing is essential for a comfortable sleep. It would help if you kept your bed shed clean all the time, and it makes your mind fresh. Moreover, a watertight pillow is a great solution to fight excessive milk leakages at night.
Another thing that most mothers use is a towel beneath their bodies. You can pick one according to your choice, and there are some best waterproof choices. I prefer to use lavender essential oil while sleeping as a fragrance, and you can use your favorite one.
Keep warm fuzzy hoses, sandals, and robe nearby you. Last but not least, don’t forget to keep a scattered light in your room. So, you don’t need to move in the dark when your baby frequently cries.
‣ Use Nursing Bras
Using a nursing bra during sleep is another solution. But these should not be too close-fitting, and these bras will feel more comfortable.
Nursing tanks are another choice, and these are more relaxing. You will get these nursing tanks available in all sizes and features and cleanable breast pads. These pads are an excellent solution for heavy leakage.
‣ Breast Pump A Little Milk
Milk supply occurs based on demand. So, don’t be worried about pumping a little milk flow during the night to relieve engorgement for a while. You don’t need to pump or hand express too much milk, so how much milk should you pump? Only that much that makes you feel comfortable.
It also depends on your baby’s sleep, and it takes some time for you to put on with this situation. Your baby’s stomach is very little like marble, so you don’t need to be too tense about your baby’s stomach filling. While the relaxation is lovely, don’t be greedy to pump the equal of a baby’s feed out during the night.
If you pump at four or five hourly intervals, your body will think of more milk. As a result, more milk production will occur, and you may experience engorgement at any time, not only at night. I have a suggestion for breastfeeding mothers if you feel severe pain & discomfort due to engorgement, you can use heat to mild your breasts before pumping. Warm water or warm clothes would be best in this condition.
‣ Warm Shower Or Bathing
You can relieve your pain through a warm shower or a gentle massage. Use warm water on your breasts for 2 minutes to help milk flow. My central reservation is that I don’t want to be excited by the bath, and I’m confident I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again.
But we’re all unique. I know people who take hot showers at night and fall asleep immediately!
‣ Green Cabbage leaves
Cabbage leaves are very beneficial in relieving engorgement. It’s better to collect cabbage leaves in the refrigerator. Shape the cabbage leaf over your breast after feeding, avoiding the nipple. Allow wilting for 3 minutes. After that, properly clean your breasts.
Only use this remedy if you’re experiencing engorgement symptoms. Using this medication regularly may have an impact on your milk production.
‣ Using Cold Packs
Throughout the night, you can use ice or gel packs. It is a neat way of treating engorgement. Using ice or gel packs helps to alleviate the swelling. Utilize ice or crushed ice in plastic bags or frozen vegetable bags that you can use several times before refusing. To keep your skin protected, wrap them in a thin cloth.
Causes Of Breast Engorgement
When your breasts are full of milk, blood, and lymph fluids, your breasts are engorged. Here are some causes-
‣ Not Hand Expressing
When you stop breastfeeding your babies, you should hand express the milk supply. Otherwise, it may cause engorged breasts.
‣ Baby Not Latching Properly
Milk starts to increase notably three days after tracking pregnancy. If your baby is disabled to latch correctly, you may feel your breasts are large and engorged, and this condition makes it more challenging for your baby to latch well. Call a lactation consultant if you think your baby faces a problem with a good latch position.
‣ Quick Weaning
It takes your body some time to adjust to decreased milk production. To avoid breast engorgement, you may need to slow down the weaning process or pump milk more frequently.
‣ Excessive Milk Production
If you hand express milk too frequently, you risk producing too much milk for your baby. If the milk collects in the breasts, it can cause engorgement.
‣ Waiting For A Longtime From The Last Feeding
It can happen if you attend activities or entertain guests at your home and neglect to feed your baby when necessary.
‣ Breastfeeding A Weak Baby
Babies face more breastfeeding problems or weaknesses with ear infections and suffocating noses. It may cause the accumulation of more milk in your breasts and lead to engorgement.
‣ Between Feeding Period, Supply Formula Milk
If you supply your baby formula milk in between feedings, they may feed less milk, which is insufficient to flow out your breasts. Your breasts may require a longer time to adjust to produce less milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many mothers face engorgement problems, so they frequently ask some common questions about breastfeeding on the internet. So, I am ready to clear your confusion about breastfeeding.
How frequently should I breastfeed?
It would be best if you feed your newborn babies 8-12 times each day for the first month, and it helps to increase milk production by the first week. Later, you can feed 7-9 times each day when your baby is 1-2 months old. You should never keep your early days baby without providing more than 4 hours, even at night.
When do I experience engorged breasts after delivery?
Most mothers face this problem within the first week after birth. Hormone levels of your body change; thus, breast swelling occurs due to increase milk production. Your body leads to extra blood and fluids to aid in milk moving or output to your breasts.
What are the best sleeping positions for engorged breasts mothers?
Reclining is one of the best ways. You may feel soreness in the early days of breastfeeding, but you can alleviate this pain by sleeping with higher pillows and a slight recline. Moreover, side-lying and not laying directly on your breasts are other positions for breastfeeding mothers.
How long do blocked ducts take to turn into mastitis?
Mastitis occurs mainly within the first 2-3 weeks but can also notice at any time during lactation. It may occur suddenly in only one breast. Symptoms of plugged ducts and mastitis are almost the same, but in the case of mastitis, pain or swelling is more acute.
Contact A Lactation Consultant
At any point during the night, your baby could wake up to eat again. You’ll need additional milk at this point. So be careful not to disturb your milk supply, or you may pump to increase milk production.
You can seek advice from a lactation consultant if you are still worried about how to sleep comfortably with engorged breasts. The safety of your health is in your hands, and many lactation consultants are available to help you and your baby. With proper guidance, engorged breasts will not be a problem anymore. Enjoy each moment of breastfeeding your baby.
More to Read:
How Long Is Reheated Breast milk Good For? Reheating Guide and Alternative Uses
