For a new mother, breastfeeding can be challenging and frustrating, especially in the early stages, some women face different challenges while some are lucky to have a smooth breastfeeding stage. Some babies latch on and feed well while some babies need time to also learn. It is important to know some of these challenges and their solutions, to have a very smooth breastfeeding journey. The following are some of the problems women face and their solutions.
Breast engorgement/breast fullness
Breast fullness is caused by the buildup of blood and breast milk in the breast while engorgement is caused by too much milk in the breast. It also occurs when there is increased blood flow in the breast, it lasts for a few days or weeks. This causes the mammary gland to be painful, hard, swollen, tender and lumpy. It is mostly caused by:
- Frequent weaning
- Skipping a pumping session
- Difficulty in sucking and latching
Solution: breast engorgement can be reduced by breastfeeding often, gentle massage of the bosom, making use of warm and cold compress to ease the pain, removing a little of the milk before the baby latch on, and making sure to position yourself properly.