Breast engorgement typically occurs sometime between the second and the fifth day after you have your baby. When your breasts begin to produce more and more milk, your breasts will become larger, firmer, and more tender. Engorgement is a normal part of the postpartum process. Having said all of that, breast engorgement can cause a variety of problems. It may keep your baby from being able to latch on correctly, for example. If you can’t release the pressure of breast engorgement, your breasts can begin to make less milk, and can even stop producing milk altogether. Because of this, it is important to understand what exactly it is that causes breast engorgement, as well as to understand what you can do to help the process along.

Breast engorgement is caused, at the most basic level, by the changing levels of certain hormones that occurs in your body after your baby is born. Those changing hormone levels cause your breasts to begin producing a large amount of milk. This is not to say that your breasts were not producing milk before; indeed, a woman’s body produces a certain amount of colostrum (the first milk your baby will have) right before birth. However, after birth these hormone changes kick your milk production into a much higher pace. When this happens, it takes a few days for your body to get used to making the larger amount of milk, and to releasing that milk.

Typically, engorgement will last for just a few days. It is possible, however, for engorgement to occur from time to time while you are nursing. There are some things you can do, however, to prevent breast engorgement, or at least to minimize the severity or duration of breast engorgement. You can use a warm breast compress, for example, to reduce the swelling and tenderness of your breasts. Another thing that you can do to avoid or relieve breast engorgement is to pump or express your breasts in the event that your baby isn’t nursing long enough to soften both of them. Avoid supplementing yoru breast milk with formula or water, as well. Eventually, you should find that you can get a handle on your breast engorgement.

Related Posts: