The first few days after having my baby was no fun at all. Asides dealing with the pain from surgery there was breastfeeding. I honestly didn't want to deal with it and was very happy anytime they made him formula but soon enough I stated running temperature and overnight a huge lump had appeared in my armpit. I cried as different things were running through my mind, I mean, how would I have cancer immediately I gave birth to my baby. My breasts were rock solid and I had no clue(an no one really told me about this) what was up till I went of Google.
So, What is Engorgement?
Engorgement means your breasts are painfully full of milk [WebMD]What are the signs?
- Very full breasts
- Headache
- Might have swollen lump in your armpit (They are called lymph nodes)
What helps?
- Pumping: Pump as much as you can to get relief, direct the pump towards the lump to draw out the milk. The down side to this is you might produce more milk and that means fuller breasts. What can help is to get on a schedule after your baby feeds and pump then.
- Breastfeeding: It might hurt but this helps you feel momentarily better.
- Warm cloth; putting warm cloth on my breasts helped me feel better
- Hand massage; I would massage the lump in circular motions all the time, while breastfeeding, pumping, taking a bath and it was gone after a week or so.
And if nothing is working please visit your doctor because you don't want it to become Mastitis and we don't want that. My mum had to deal with that when she had me and it wasn't pretty. I think new mums need to be more armed with information before delivery so they know what to expect and I know that we might not be able to cover it all but I really do hope this helps.
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