A stone in the chest is the problem of many nursing women today. Otherwise, this problem is called lactostasis or stagnation of breast milk, which thickens over time if the child does not exhaust it in full. In this way, a kind of βcorkβ is formed, creating the effect of that very stone.
Stagnation of milk during breastfeeding
Often, when a child does not eat mother's milk completely, a condensation forms in the mammary glands from its residues, the so-called stone in the chest. It creates a feeling of discomfort. A woman experiences very painful sensations. Having realized that such a problem has appeared, it can be eliminated in the early stages by constant decantation. Otherwise, you will have to turn to specialists for help.
Often, mothers try to grind the stone in the chest using a breast pump and massage movements. This is a big mistake. The device not only does not help in the fight against this problem, but can also aggravate it. So, it is better to work with your hands and try to offer your baby a breast with a seal as often as possible. This will help to quickly soften the stone in the chest and get rid of unpleasant symptoms.
Signs of Lactostasis
Understanding that you have an education in your chest that is definitely not the norm is simple enough. In addition, many women can foresee the development of this problem if they:
- Narrow ducts through which breast milk passes. In this case, the child always eats up and he does not have to make great efforts to stretch the milk.
- Previously experienced injuries of the mammary glands can also cause the breast to become a stone. What to do in such cases? This will be discussed later.
- Regular sleep in the abdomen.
- Excessive milk density. Because of this, it passes heavily along the ducts, due to which a seal forms, that is, the chest becomes like a stone.
- Violations in the schedule of feeding the baby. With a sharp increase in time in the periods of feeding the baby, there is a risk of lactostasis.
- Complete refusal of the baby from breastfeeding. This is one of the most popular reasons why women are faced with the formation of lumps in the mammary glands.
- Coarse or inverted nipples. With these indicators, babies often refuse to breast, which also leads to the development of lactostasis.
Alas, many mothers and just women who faced the problem of a stone in their chest could not prevent and cope with it on their own. So, most of them turn to doctors for help even when more serious symptoms appear: fever, general malaise, for example.
Over time, if qualified help is not provided, the chest begins to become inflamed, redden and can develop into mastitis. He is known to be treated only surgically.
What to do?
Experts recommend first of all, as soon as a seal in the mammary gland is found, get rid of it. To do this, you should most often offer a "stone" chest to a child.
When he pulls milk, it is necessary to massage smoothly in the place where the seal is found. After that, you can use the folk method: attach a handkerchief soaked in cool, but not ice water to the chest. This will improve blood circulation, while reducing the flow of milk.
Why is there a stone in my chest? And what to do with it? First of all, you need to be very careful. So, with the inflammatory process in the mammary gland, you can not do alcohol and hot compresses. This can make the situation worse.
Also, one of the most effective methods in the fight against seals in the mammary glands is cabbage leaves. They are able to relieve inflammation and accelerate the process of resorption of education.
In order to properly make a compress of cabbage, you need to break off one sheet from the head and thoroughly mash it. For these purposes, you can use a kitchen hammer. Then wrap the cabbage leaf with gauze or a handkerchief and attach to the sore spot. Such a compress is advisable to do at night. In the morning, remove and rinse the chest with warm water.
You can also have a warm bath or shower. This will help expand the ducts and reduce discomfort. During breastfeeding, the baby should be laid so that he massages the chin with his chin.
Stone Breast Prevention
Often the problem of a stone in the chest appears in women after childbirth. However, there are times when it develops and after two, three, six months from the start of breastfeeding. Experienced professionals recommend the following preventative measures:
- Do not drink a lot of fluids, as many mothers and grandmothers advise. It helps to increase the volume of milk. Accordingly - it worsens your health. It is also necessary to exclude salty foods. Salt is known to cause swelling. This leads to narrowing of the ducts.
- Avoid drafts, wind and freezing temperatures. All these factors negatively affect the state of the mammary glands during breastfeeding.
- Choose the right bra. It is best if it is a special underwear that is designed for nursing mothers.
Conclusion
During the period when you are faced with this problem, first of all keep calm. A positive attitude is the key to the successful treatment of all ailments. Also call for help from your loved ones who will help look after the baby, allow you to express milk on time and not lead an excessively active lifestyle. This, as you know, causes much greater weakness and malaise.