Lactostasis during breastfeeding: symptoms and prevention

 

Feeding your baby with mother's milk is not only about meeting his or her nutritional needs, but also a magical moment of emotional contact between the closest people. However, sometimes the process can be accompanied by some problems. One of the troubles that breastfeeding mothers can face is lactostasis, which is a blockage of the milk duct and a lump in the breast during breastfeeding.

Ksenia Solovey, head of the National Movement to Support Breastfeeding ‘Milk Rivers of Ukraine’, a UNICEF partner in the programme to support breastfeeding in crisis situations, talks about the first signs of lactostasis, its treatment and prevention.

What is lactostasis and how can it be distinguished from mastitis?

 

Lactostasis is the stagnation of milk in the breast, which is perhaps the most common complication of breastfeeding. The condition occurs when a lot of milk secretion is produced, but its outflow is insufficient due to blockage or narrowness of the ducts. It most often develops in first-time mothers in the period from a few days to 6 weeks after childbirth.

Lactostasis itself is not harmful to the health of a nursing mother. However, if the problem is not resolved, there is a risk of developing mastitis, an acute inflammation of the mammary gland. Therefore, you should be attentive to the slightest changes in sensations, remain vigilant and follow medical recommendations on lactation, especially in the first two weeks after childbirth.

The main causes of lactostasis

The main prerequisites for lactostasis are:

• ineffective sucking of the mother's breast by the child;
• long breaks in feeding;
• limiting the duration of sucking;
• overwork, etc.

For example, mothers whose babies receive pacifiers to calm them down are more likely to experience lactostasis because the baby learns to latch on to the breast incorrectly, sucks milk poorly, and stagnation can occur. This leads to a logical conclusion: the best prevention of lactostasis during breastfeeding is to put the baby to the breast correctly and avoid rattles and nipples in the care.

Symptoms that may indicate the onset of lactostasis

Every woman who breastfeeds her baby should know the key signs of lactostasis:

• a painful lump can be felt in a certain part of the breast, which can be the size of a bean or even a quail egg;
• a slight redness may appear over the lump;
• the temperature may rise during lactostasis;
• small white spots may appear on the nipple.

It happens that the outlet of the duct ‘overgrows’ due to improper application, and a white film forms, which does not allow milk to flow freely, and it stagnates. To get rid of it, warm the nipple, rub it with a stiff towel to break the integrity of the film, and start feeding..

 

What to do: how to latch on to the baby and pump the breast correctly in case of lactostasis?

Breast congestion is, unfortunately, not uncommon. Lactostasis is extremely common at the end of breastfeeding, as the number of breastfeeds gradually decreases and the intervals between them increase. However, you can protect yourself by following simple recommendations.

If you notice signs of lactostasis, be sure to continue breastfeeding your baby. In this case, you may need to latch on more often than usual, at least every 1.5-2 hours. Start feeding with the breast that is sore, and give the baby the healthy breast at the end. Try breast massage when milk stagnates.

Check the attachment. It looks like this:

1. The baby's mouth is wide open during feeding, the chin rests on the breast.
2. Most of the areola should go in from below, and the lower lip should be turned out.
3. Swallowing is heard during sucking.
4. After feeding, the nipple comes out of the baby's mouth in a straight cylinder (a bevelled nipple (like a new lipstick) indicates improper application).

 

General advice for mothers: get plenty of rest and do not limit sucking. You need to focus on yourself and your health. Stay in bed with your baby and feed until you feel better.

If for some reason you do not feed your baby directly from the breast but use expressed milk, it is important to do so regularly and effectively by hand or with a breast pump.

How to treat lactostasis and when to see a doctor?

Treating lactostasis with folk methods without consulting a doctor is strongly discouraged - it can be harmful to your health. How to quickly cure lactostasis or alleviate your condition in safe ways?

• Use cold. In most cases, lactostasis is accompanied by swelling of the breast tissue, and this can aggravate the situation. Therefore, 3 times a day, apply cold to the lump for 10-15 minutes. It can even be a sheet of white cabbage from the fridge, pre-soften it with a rolling pin or beat it.
• Maintain a water balance. It is very important to continue to drink enough without reducing the amount of fluid. If a breastfeeding woman stops drinking during lactostasis, her milk becomes more viscous and it is more difficult to cope with lactostasis.

Breast stasis during feeding is uncomfortable, but not dangerous. The same cannot be said about mastitis. This is a serious disease that requires competent diagnosis and qualified treatment. If lactostasis remains untreated for a long time, it can result in an abscess (suppuration) of the mammary gland.

So, if you have a situation of lactostasis and you feel that you cannot cope on your own, it is best to seek help from specialists who will determine exactly what stage of the disease you are at and provide recommendations for solving the problem.

How long does lactostasis last?

Remember that measures to solve the problem of milk stagnation on your own will not bring relief instantly. The process usually takes at least 2-3 days. And if lactostasis has not resolved during this time, do not delay your visit to the mammologist. 

Signs of improvement:

• If the temperature has returned to normal within a day, this indicates that you are doing the right thing.
• Breast pain will disappear.
• The lump will gradually decrease.

Signs of deterioration:

• The fever lasts for several days.
• There are cracks on the nipple.
• There is no fever, but the lump does not change within a week.

In this case, you should seek medical attention. Inform the doctor that you plan to continue breastfeeding and you will be prescribed medicines compatible with breastfeeding.

As part of the Help for Children programme, the Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Centre in cooperation with UNICEF provides information support to mothers affected by the conflict in Donbass. You can ask an online question to a breastfeeding consultant here.