5 Tips to Help Engorgement

When a new mother’s milk is coming in it can often lead to engorgement causing the breasts to become full and hard. They can feel tender to the touch and extremely heavy.

For those who are breastfeeding for the first time, engorgement can be a very foreign feeling. For most moms, this only lasts a few days, but it can be very uncomfortable. The good news is, there are ways to help! Here are our five top tips for treating uncomfortable, heavy breasts.

1. Use heat

Use a heating pad on the breasts to help with the firmness. The heat can help cause some of the milk to flow out. You can also try taking a hot shower and letting the water massage your breasts.

2. Use cold

You can also try putting a cold pack on the breasts for ten minutes before feeding to help with the swelling.

3. Work on the latch

The right latch means means your baby will be better equipped to empty your breast. This not only helps keep baby full, but helps to remove milk which leads to less engorgement.

4. Feed frequently

You have a new baby, so you’re already doing this, but if you are experiencing intense engorgement, try feeding every 1.5-2 hours. This will help your breasts from becoming overly full.

5. Take ibuprofen

When all else fails, engorgement can be very painful so take some pain killers! Because ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory it can help reduce the engorgement.

*To pump or not to pump? 

As a last thought, some moms will want to pump in order to relieve the pressure. This can be a good tool — pumping for a few minutes — but it can also teach your body that your baby needs more milk than he/she actually does. The more you pump, the more milk your body will create.

Try not pumping if possible, but if it becomes too unbearable, a quick 2-3 minute pump can help relieve the pressure.

At Insurance Covered Breast Pumps, we know that the pumping life is mom life. And we want you to be successful!

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