Breastfeeding a healthy infant is often accompanied by challenges. These challenges can be difficult to deal with, especially when combined with the normal anxieties of parenting a newborn.
Women can have different problems when they breastfeed. Sometimes, women choose to stop breastfeeding when they have these problems. But most problems can be managed so that women can keep breastfeeding.
Engorgement is the term used when the breasts are too full of milk. When the breasts are engorged, a baby can have trouble making a tight seal with his or her mouth around the nipple and the dark skin around the nipple. Breasts that are engorged can be swollen, hard, warm, and painful.
There are some ways in which a mother can overcome breast engorgement during breastfeeding. Use your hand or a breast pump to let some milk out between feedings but don’t let too much milk out or pump for more than two to five minutes. Pumping for too long or releasing too much milk can make engorgement worse. Using an ice pack or taking a pain-relieving medicine can help to reduce the pain. Take a warm shower or gently massage the breasts to start your milk flow. Use your hands to reduce swelling around the nipple by putting the three middle fingers of each hand on the left and right sides of the nipple and pressing the fingers into the breast and back toward the chest and holding for about one minute.
Some nipple pain or soreness is normal during the first minute of each breastfeeding session. Nipple pain that lasts the whole breastfeeding session is usually not normal. It can be caused by nipple cracks, blisters, or bruises. Nipple pain can happen for different reasons, such as when a baby does not have a good grip of the breast. It can also happen if a baby has a condition called "tongue-tie” (condition that restricts the free movement of the baby’s tongue).
To treat sore or painful nipples, one can; make sure their baby grips on the breast the right way, use an ointment prescribed by a doctor on the nipples, use an over-the-counter treatment, such as a lanolin ointment or a "hydrogel” dressing, on the nipples, or wearing breast pads between feedings to protect one’s nipples.
A blocked milk duct can cause a red and painful breast lump. Ducts are areas in the breast where the flow of milk takes place and are usually blocked by plugs of skin cells and milk. If one experiences this, trying to breastfeed often will help. Make sure that the baby empties the breasts during feedings. Start with the breast that has the blocked milk duct. To help the milk flow better, one can also take a warm shower or gently massage the breast.
A breast infection is called "mastitis.” Mastitis can cause a fever and a hard, red, and swollen area of the breast. Women can also have muscle aches or chills. Women do not need to stop breastfeeding if they have mastitis.
To treat ones mastitis, one can; take a pain-relieving medicine, massage their breasts during feedings, use a breast pump to empty their breasts after feedings or for severe cases one can take an antibiotic medicine, but only if prescribed.
Infants normally begin to have visible teeth at six to ten months of age. Infants who bite during breastfeeding can cause pain and injury to the nipple. However, it is not possible to bite and nurse at the same time.
To teach your infant not to bite, immediately remove the infant from the breast as soon as a bite begins. Place the infant on a safe surface, such as a blanket on the floor. You can then offer a teething toy.
Dr. Ian Shyaka Resident in Surgery, Rwanda Military Hospital, iangashugi@gmail.com