Relieving Engorgement Pain
During the first few days after you have given birth many women experience engorgement, when their breasts are overfilled with milk. There are a few things you can do to help relieve the pain and discomfort of engorgement.
1) Cabbage Leaves – many women who have tried this timeless remedy have found relief. At this time there is no known medical reason why it works, but it does. Using a medium sizes cabbage peal and clean the leaves and refrigerate them inside a Ziploc plastic bag. When you are ready to use them select enough leaves to completely cover your breasts including the area under your armpits. Gently crush the leaves to break the veins then apply the cool leaves to your breasts. In about two hours you should begin to experience increased relief. Re-apply the leaves every two hours or whenever they become wilted.
2) Warm showers – taking a warm shower and gently massaging your breast ad expressing your milk is another drug free way to reduce the engorgement discomfort. The warm water soothes the breasts and the expression will help lessen the pressure. Do not let too much milk flow as your body is seeking to find balance between milk production and your baby’s consumption and your body will respond by increasing milk production, complicating your discomfort.
3) Pain medicine – Ibuprofen based pain relief can be the best, but check with your doctor first.
4) Supportive Bra
5) Frozen Vegetables – a twist on the cabbage, use bags of frozen vegetables wrapped in a soft cloth, like a wash cloth. Only apply them for fifteen or twenty minute periods. be sure to make the vegetable bags as inedible as the thawing and re-freezing of the vegetables makes them unable to be eaten.
6) Refrigerated sock with rice – they conform to your body and provide relief by helping interrupt the pain messages to the brain. To cool toss in the freezer for about an hour. Wrap the sock in another piece of cloth to protect the skin.
Any combination of pain relief you find will help you get through this temporary period. Soon your body will produce only what your baby needs for nourishment and the engorgement will dissipate .
