Treating Breast Pain After Birth
- March 13, 2014
- by Melissa Lawrence
Hi friends. A new mom has written in saying that she just had her baby and her breasts hurt after breastfeeding. This is so common and it happened to me with all five of my babies.
What is happening? In my experience, when your milk starts to come in, it can come in too much and too fast. I remember feeling like Niagara Falls, but with milk – ugh! Although you might be rounding out your bra, which for some of us is always a nice thing, it can be so uncomfortable! In my experience, the trick lies in distinguishing between routine breast pain, and early signs of blocked ducts and mastitis. I discuss all of that in today’s blog.
Pain in Breast After Breastfeeding
Breast engorgement is very common in the early days after having a baby. My doctor advised me to have the baby on my breasts consistently nursing for 15-20 minutes on each side every 2-3 hours. In the normal course of things, this early breast pain should go away within around 10 days to 2-3 weeks. Now, I always had some nipple pain from sore nipples because the babies suck was so strong. This is normal. But, if you feel pain in your inner breast, be very careful – especially a sore spot – because this could be mastitis. It’s very common and you have to treat a blocked duct or mastitis right away by frequent nursing and pumping, and in some cases antibiotics. If you feel nausea or flu-like (both recognized mastitis symptoms), go to your doctor right away!
For more tips, watch today’s video. Hang in there and don’t give up!
xo Melissa
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