Why does a breast sore while feeding a baby? Reasons and what to do?

From the moment of birth, a close relationship is established between the mother and the baby. She becomes even stronger when mom breastfeeds the baby. However, it happens that in these wonderful moments the young mother feels discomfort and even pain. Why does a breast sore while feeding a baby? There may be several reasons for this.

Pain during feeding is caused by the natural adaptation of the mammary glands to the lactation process. But there may be more serious violations that require appropriate action.

Causes of Chest Pain During Feeding

Natural causes

During pregnancy, a woman's breasts prepare to saturate a newborn. The mammary glands swell, the nipples become darker, colostrum can stand out. With the birth of a child, the restructuring of the body is even more intensive. Now the main role is played by prolactin - the "hormone of motherhood" and oxytocin - the "hormone of love." Under the influence of these hormones, milk is produced and secreted, replacing colostrum. During this period, many mothers note unpleasant, and even painful sensations in the chest. They are associated with the following factors:

• Fast flow of milk. Many mothers describe it as “bursting” or “tingling” in the chest. Some may even feel pain;
• An addiction to the delicate skin of the nipples. It manifests itself in painful sensations during the capture of the nipple by the baby and the formation of small cracks on it;
• Hot flashes of milk. The formation of lactation occurs within 3 months from the birth of the crumbs, so the "tides" and "leakage" of milk can persist throughout this time. During a rush of milk, pain is felt in the chest, in the area of ​​the nipples and in the lower abdomen. Over time, the young mother develops a reflex when the milk comes at the time of the next feeding. If it is impossible to attach the crumbs to the breast, you need to slightly express the milk if the breast is “bursting”. A better time to attach the child.

If a mother often and on demand puts a newborn to her breast, following the correct grip of the nipple, these discomforts pass. If chest pain persists and becomes stronger, the cause may be more significant.

See related articles:

• How to apply to the chest;
• What feeding regimen to choose (on demand or hours).

But if discomfort appeared later, then it is necessary to find out why the chest hurts while feeding the baby.

Incorrect nipple grip during feeding

According to the experience of specialists in breastfeeding, this is the main cause of lactation disorders.When the baby grips the nipple incorrectly, the mother experiences acute pain at the beginning of feeding. You can not continue to feed the baby, as this affects him negatively: he does not eat up, and also swallows a lot of excess air - this can lead to excessive gas formation.

It is necessary to ensure that the baby takes the breast correctly. To do this, mom can take the following actions:

• Wait until the child opens his mouth wide. He will do it reflexively if you run a nipple on his lower lip;
• Pull the baby's head towards you. The mouth of the newborn should seem to be “put on” on the nipple, you will only see a small part of the areola. The nipple in this case will be at the root level of the tongue, which will make it impossible to injure it;
• If the nipple does not work, you need to tighten the skin of the areola, with the thumb at the top of it, and the index finger at the bottom. Having put the nipple in the child’s mouth, let go of the chest - it will straighten itself, ensuring a correct grip.

You can achieve the correct grip in any feeding position. Nevertheless, the optimal pose for this is when applying the baby from under the arm. Learning how to do it right, the baby will not cause mom pain during feeding.

It happens that a child cannot take a breast correctly for purely physiological reasons:

• Short bridle. This problem can be solved by contacting a pediatric dentist. He will bring the bridle in order by surgery in a few minutes;
• Pathology of the upper palate. Such a violation is rare, it is also necessary to consult a dentist about it.

 

Nipple skin injury

Due to the inexperience of a young mother and baby, cracks can occur on the nipples. They cause severe pain during feeding. This can happen for the following reasons:

• Incorrect grip when the baby sucks only part of the nipple, without areola. This can lead to mechanical injuries, resulting in cracks;
• Excessive breast care. Too frequent washing of the breast erases the protective lubricant, leads to overdrying and thinning of the skin of the nipples;
• Incorrect pumping technique. Sometimes a woman needs to express milk: to improve lactation, when she leaves the baby for a while, is sick or finishes breastfeeding. In this case, it is not necessary to compress the chest too much and or to perform manipulations only in the area of ​​the nipple, press on it. For pumping, it is better to use a breast pump, but its too intense use can also cause nipple cracks;
• Sudden interruption of feeding. Cracks occur when, in order to complete or interrupt feeding, the mother abruptly pulls the nipple from the baby's mouth. The child will relax his mouth and release the nipple when saturated. If it is necessary to abruptly interrupt the process, carefully insert the clean little finger into the mouth and remove the breast.

We also read about cracks in the nipples and how to treat them

Thrush

Cracks and abrasions on the nipples easily become a place of spread of fungal and staphylococcal infections. In this case, a whitish coating forms on the nipples, as well as the gums, cheeks and tongue of the child. The kid begins to cry, refuse food.

It is painful for mother to feed and express milk, and her breasts also hurt between feedings, especially if the infection penetrates deeper and affects the milk ducts. This can happen against the background of changes in hormonal levels, reduced immunity and non-compliance with hygiene rules (rare or too frequent washing of the breast).

A woman needs to see a doctor: he will select the appropriate drugs that will successfully cope with the infection and allow you to continue breastfeeding. Also, the doctor will recommend means to combat the manifestation of thrush in a child.

Lactostasis

Lactostasis is called stagnation of milk in the ducts of the mammary glands. This can be caused by several factors:

• Inadequate and irregular emptying of the chest due to improper attachment, bottle feeding, nipple cracks;
• Breast adherence during feeding: fingers can pinch some ducts, as a result of which they are not completely emptied;
• Close underwear, sleep on the stomach;
• Hyperlactation - excessive milk production;
• Stress, lack of sleep, overwork;
• Bruises, injuries, hypothermia of the chest.

With lactostasis, the chest becomes hard, palpation feels tight, the skin may turn red. The temperature of the breast rises, while the body temperature remains normal. It is painful for the mother to breast-feed her baby; pains persist after feeding.

Stagnation of milk is also not a contraindication to breastfeeding. On the contrary, regular and frequent application of the baby to the chest can cope with it within 2-3 days. However, soreness can persist after complete emptying of the mammary glands. Long-lasting lactostasis can cause uninfected mastitis.

Read in detail about lactostasis and the treatment of lactostasis

Mastitis

Inflammation of the breast is called mastitis. It can develop due to stagnation of milk (lactostasis), as well as cracks in the nipples, into which the infection penetrates. Mastitis is manifested by severe chest pains, tightness, redness, fever, and chills. The risk of mastitis increases due to weakening of the body after a difficult birth.

Inflammation leads to the formation of an abscess in the mammary gland, pus may be mixed with breast milk. In such cases, breastfeeding will have to be stopped before treatment. In advanced cases, mastitis can lead to breast deformities, sepsis and death.

Treatment of mastitis in the initial stages involves applying cold to the chest between feedings (for example, chilled cabbage leaves are useful) and complete emptying of the mammary gland (frequent application of the baby, if necessary, decantation). With complex forms of mastitis, antibiotics are used, in advanced cases - surgical intervention.

Read in detail about mastitis and the treatment of mastitis

Vasospasm

Vasospasm (Raynaud's syndrome) - a sharp contraction of the blood vessels of the chest. He was first described by a pediatrician from Canada, Jack Newman. He suggested that burning pain after feeding is associated with spasm of blood vessels. It occurs due to a sharp temperature drop, when the baby releases the nipple from the mouth. The nipple changes its color: from beige to white. Due to vasospasm, blood is blocked, this causes pain after feeding, which can also appear between them.

If a nursing woman suffers from vasospasm, she should consult a doctor and check for autoimmune diseases, since vasospasm may develop against their background. In addition, you should keep your chest warm, cover it immediately after feeding. Do not drink strong tea and coffee - they can cause spasms of blood vessels. To relieve the condition, chest massage is recommended.

Prevention

To prevent chest pain, each nursing mother needs to know about preventive measures, and also respond in a timely manner to the appearance of unpleasant sensations. The complex of preventive measures includes the following tactics:

1. Put your baby on your chest as often as possible. This will ensure sufficient milk production and help cope with its excess without causing stagnation.

2. Make sure the baby grabs the chest correctlyemptying all ducts of the mammary gland.

3. If decantation is necessary, follow these techniques:

• Before expressing, take a warm shower or apply a warm, dry towel.
• Take a warm drink in 10 minutes.
• Massage the breast, stroking it from the base to the nipple with gentle stroking movements. You can use a soft diaper to avoid injuring the skin.
• Remember your baby, imagine how he sucks a breast.

4. Observe hygiene, but without fanaticism. A normal daily shower is sufficient to cleanse the breasts. To moisturize the skin of the nipples and prevent cracks, a drop of milk can be squeezed out and left to dry.Breast milk has a healing effect.

5. Choose a bra that supports but doesn't squeeze your chest. Optimal would be special underwear for nursing mothers.

6. If cracks and inflammations appear on the nipples, use wound healing gels between feedingsfor example, Bepanten.

7. In case of milk stagnation, use warm compresses before feeding. To relieve pain and improve the outflow of milk, bend down and slightly shake your chest.

8. Choose a sleeping position on your side or on your back.

9. Protect your chest from bruises, bumps, hypothermia.

10. If it is painful to breastfeed and the pain becomes stronger, it is better to stop breastfeeding, replacing it with mixtures or expressed milk for 1-2 days, until the symptoms are relieved.

Breastfeeding should bring pleasure and joy to mother and baby. If something in this process goes wrong, mom begins to experience discomfort and pain. It is important to find out in time why the chest hurts when feeding, and eliminate the causes. In case of acute or prolonged pain, consult a doctor.

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for 1-2 years after birth. This will provide strong immunity, psychological comfort and close connection of the baby with the mother.
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