Contents
Sore nipples and crevices
The nipples are painful, red, and sometimes raw. We check the position of the baby. We support our breast with the thumb above, the other fingers below, away from the areola. Baby should take the whole nipple and as many areolas as he can. While feeding, her nose and chin touch the breast. At the end, we put a finger at the corner of his mouth so that he lets go of the breast gently, if he does not let go by himself once he is satisfied.
We also protect his nipples. Avoid what can aggravate dehydration of the breast: breast pads, drying with a hair dryer. The nipple is kept away from friction using a cup. Silicone breast tips are used momentarily if it is really painful.
The nipples are rehydrated after each feeding. Once the baby is full, wipe off his saliva well and moisturize the areola by coating it with breast milk or using a natural emollient (Castor Equi from Boiron, Lansinoh, etc.).
Painful breasts: engorgement, lymphangitis and mastitis
Loaded with milk, your breasts are hard, hot and sore. Consequence: The baby may have difficulty breastfeeding. The engorgement becomes pathological – we also speak of lymphangitis or acute mastitis – if it is accompanied by fever, redness and discomfort in the flow of milk.
Physiological engorgement can be prevented by breastfeeding on demand. Favor the engorged side by varying the positions to drain the entire breast. Empty your overflow with a gentle areola massage.
In the event of declared lymphangitis, just before feeding, manually express your milk under a shower tiède. Increase the number of feeds, give both breasts each time, and between meals, avoid wearing cups. To reduce the edema, apply an ice pack for about XNUMX minutes. Stay bedridden if necessary and avoid too tight bras.
If you are not relieved within 48 hours, see your doctor. He will prescribe an anti-inflammatory cream, or even an antibiotic, compatible with continuing to breastfeed.
A strong ejection reflex
In some mothers, the ejection reflex (first squirt of milk) may be so strong that it prevents your baby from breastfeeding. We speak of a strong ejection reflex, or REF. Suddenly, when the milk arrives, the baby stops sucking, arches back, strangles and regurgitates. He may also have colic. To improve the situation: we express a little milk just before feeding, the first jets being the most powerful. We breastfeed lying down or putting our baby in a semi-sitting position (position called “biological nurturing”, or BN), to help gravity to reduce the force of the jet.
Last but not least, we only give one breast per feed, or even the same several times in a row, especially if baby has colic. In this way, the first lactose-rich milk (which promotes them) will be avoided.
The phenomenon of growth spurts
From one day to the next, baby cries out more often, even almost non-stop. Exhausted, we wonder if we still have enough milk. Do not panic ! It’s just a growth spurt, a period when her nutritional needs increase from time to time. These flare-ups occur around the age of 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months. If he wets well five or six diapers a day, we do not worry and on just let him suck as often as possible. To cope with the shock, we rest, we hydrate and we eat balanced.
Thrush or candidiasis
Some babies are prone to candidiasis or ‘thrush’, which causes the appearance of white spots in their mouth. This infection can make the nipples bright pink, crusty, burning, or itchy. Get treated with your baby simultaneously (even if one of you has no symptoms) with an antifungal medicine. There is no need to stop breastfeeding, and you will be relieved within a day or two.
An abscess in the breast
Breast abscess is an infection with a high fever that requires antibiotic treatment. Throughout this period, do not give the sick breast (s) to your child because your milk then contains germs that are dangerous for him. If both breasts are affected, express your milk to support lactation and throw it out. If one of the breasts is not affected, you can still breastfeed your baby (unless there is a medical contraindication) by giving it that breast. Once healed, breastfeeding is resumed normally.