What should I do if the mother has milk accumulation?

Postpartum milk accumulation is a relatively common phenomenon, especially for mothers who have a lot of milk during breastfeeding. If the baby cannot suck all the milk, it is easy for the milk to accumulate, leading to milk accumulation in the breasts. The initial symptoms of milk accumulation in postpartum women are swollen and painful breasts. One or more lumps can be felt in the breasts, and the surface of the breasts may be slightly reddish. In addition, some mothers may experience fever and other discomfort when milk accumulates.

1. Causes and hazards of postpartum milk accumulation

1. Reasons

The phenomenon of too much milk is related to the eating habits of postpartum mothers. As people's living standards continue to improve, they pay special attention to nutritional supplements after childbirth, so some mothers will have too much milk due to excessive nutritional supplements. Milk accumulation also often occurs in primiparas with excessive milk and improper breastfeeding methods.

2. Hazards

If the mother cannot discharge milk in time, it may lead to acute mastitis. What to do if there is too much milk? Too much milk brings a lot of inconvenience to postpartum mothers, especially when milk is secreted again. The whole breast feels like hard stone, and you can feel pain when you touch it with your hand.

2. What should I do if the mother has milk accumulation?

1. Squeeze it out

Too much milk often causes milk accumulation. If the baby cannot finish drinking it, you can squeeze out the excess milk. Some mothers will squeeze out excess milk and freeze it in the refrigerator, so that they can continue to feed their babies after weaning, but we don’t actually recommend doing this. Because once breast milk is frozen, some of its nutrients are lost, it is best for babies to drink fresh breast milk. Therefore, the expressed milk can be discarded or given to other babies of the mother who does not have enough milk.

2. Hot compress nipples

When breasts are swollen, mothers can apply hot and wet compresses to their breasts for 3 to 5 minutes before breastfeeding, and then gently massage, pat and shake the breasts to help unclog the mammary glands. You can then express the milk by hand or with a breast pump, which will soften the areola so that the baby can suck on the nipple and most of the areola smoothly. Every time you breastfeed, you should empty the milk to keep the mammary glands unobstructed. After the milk is emptied, you can avoid milk congestion and relieve breast pain. After breastfeeding, wear a support bra to improve local blood circulation.

3. Eat a balanced diet

During the period of milk accumulation, mothers can stop or reduce the intake of lactation-promoting recipes such as fish soup and tofu soup. There are many foods that can reduce milk production, but mothers with too much milk are not recommended to eat them during breastfeeding, such as malt water. These foods are more effective in reducing milk production, but eating them will affect milk secretion, thus avoiding the phenomenon of insufficient milk production.

4. Pay attention to cleaning

Some mothers have milk overflowing due to too much milk, and their clothes are always wet. At this time, it should be noted that a humid environment can easily breed bacteria. You can use some breast pads at this time, and pay attention to replacing them in time and frequently to keep the nipples clean and dry. After using breast pads, wipe your nipples with clean gauze before feeding, and also clean your nipples after feeding.