The breast of a nursing mother is very sore. Why the chest hurts in a nursing mother: physiological and pathological causes. What to do if the chest hurts after feeding. Fungal diseases of the nipple

04.05.2019

During the period of breastfeeding a newborn, a mother may experience serious problems that will force her to abandon natural feeding and switch to artificial nutrition. The most common reason for rejection is chest pain.

Therefore, even with a slight chest pain during feeding, you should immediately consult a doctor. But, unfortunately, many women do not pay attention to the appearance of painful sensations at all, because I think if the chest hurts in a nursing mother, this is normal and will pass later. In fact, sudden pain can be quite an alarming symptom.

Pain appears in a nursing mother when the normal process of lactation is disturbed. It is practically impossible to determine the nature of such a violation, since there are many causes that cause such a violation. In no case should you try to independently determine the cause of chest pain. This should only be done by a mammologist who specializes in problems related to breastfeeding.

It should always be remembered that the appearance of chest pain during the period of feeding a child can be the cause of future complications. When diagnosing the causes of chest pain, one should, first of all, take into account the period in which the pain appeared.

If the pain appeared in the first days of feeding the baby, then, most likely, hormonal failure is to blame, which led to the production of too much breast milk. The newborn is not able to suck out all the milk formed in the mother's breast. Due to the milk remaining in the breast, the latter begins to hurt and increase in size, rough and hard to the touch. Sometimes this process can be accompanied by an increase in temperature in the mother. If the cause of this pain is not stopped in time, then the mother can get such a complication as mastitis while breastfeeding.

The doctors agree that most often the pain appears in a nursing mother for no particular reason. But during palpation of the breast, doctors often note a number of seals in the mammary glands, when pressed on which a woman may experience pain of varying strength. This is a symptom of lactostasis, the cause of which can be quite commonplace - an incorrectly selected bra. However, if the course of treatment is not completed in time, then a complication may arise - purulent mastitis.

Breast pain in a nursing mother can occur if there are cracks in the nipples, which, by the way, are the “entrance” to the mammary glands for pathogens. These microorganisms can also cause mastitis.

The chest of a nursing mother often hurts during the period of weaning the baby from the breast, that is, when lactation is forcibly interrupted. Pain indicates that the mother's body is not yet fully ready to stop feeding the baby, and milk continues to be produced in the mammary glands. Since the baby no longer sucks milk, milk stagnation forms in the mammary glands, which causes pain.

To avoid this phenomenon, you should follow the simple rules of weaning your baby from breastfeeding. The optimal time for weaning a child from breastfeeding is the age of eight to nine months. Around this time, lactation will pass all its stages, and the process of involution begins, when the amount of milk produced in the breast begins to decline. This is a natural reason for weaning a baby from breastfeeding.

In the process of weaning the baby from breastfeeding, alternative nutrition should be introduced - powdered milk formula, cow's milk and the like. At the same time, night feeding of the baby should be abandoned.

It should be remembered that the appearance of chest pain while feeding a child is a serious cause for concern. A nursing mother should, without delay, visit a doctor to identify the reason why this pain arose.

In other matters, there are methods that help reduce breast pain in a nursing mother. For example, to put the baby to the breast more often in order to empty it as much as possible from the accumulated breast milk, you should wear a special bra designed for nursing mothers, be sure to follow the rules of hygiene. All this will help, if not to avoid chest pain, then significantly reduce it until you visit a doctor.

There are a number of reasons why a breastfeeding mother may experience breast pain. It happens that already after feeding the child, the breastfeeding mother has a sore mammary gland and fever. Usually the cause can be resolved fairly quickly if you get the right help.

Here's how to deal with some of the most common causes of breast pain while breastfeeding.

Breast engorgement

Breast engorgement is a condition where, for some reason, the breasts become excessively full. They may feel heavy, tense, and painful. This was once considered a normal part of initiating breastfeeding, but this is now being deviated from. In the first days of feeding, the load can be caused by the fact that milk enters the breast, and the newborn does not consume as much as he needs.

Newborns need to be fed little and often. It may take several days for the supply of milk to meet the baby's needs. If the baby is poorly attached to the breast, it may be difficult for him to take milk when the breast is engorged. The nipple may become slightly distended and flattened, and possibly painful.

Newborns need to be fed little and often

If for this reason the mammary gland hurts during breastfeeding, you should seek help from specialists to help the baby attach to the breast more effectively. The baby usually knows when he needs food, for how long and at what breast. Early signs (signals) that a baby is ready to feed may include:

rapid eye movements
inserting fingers into the mouth;
turning to the side with open mouth, as if looking for breasts;
anxiety.

Crying is the last sign that a baby needs to be fed. Feeding him before he cries often results in much calmer feeding.

To ease the discomfort, in addition to breastfeeding, you can try manually expressing a small amount of breast milk.

These tips may also help:

Wear a well-fitting breastfeeding bra that doesn't restrict your breasts.
Apply chilled kale leaves to your breasts after feeding or pumping to reduce pain and swelling.
Take paracetamol or ibuprofen at the recommended dose to relieve pain. They are safe for breastfeeding.

Too much breast milk

Sometimes women produce too much breast milk and their babies struggle to handle it.

It is best to have a midwife, doctor, or lactation specialist monitor the feed to find out why this is happening. They may also suggest ways to reduce milk production.

Blocked breast milk channels

The mammary glands in the breast are divided into segments, as in an orange. Narrow tubes called ducts carry milk from each segment to the nipple.

If one of the segments does not fuse properly during delivery (perhaps because the child is not properly attached), this may result in a blocked channel. You can feel a small lump in the chest and therefore the mammary gland hurts when breastfeeding.

The mammary glands in the breast are divided into segments, as in an orange.

It is worth wearing such clothes or bras so that milk flows freely from each part of the breast.

Other things that may help include:

frequent feeding of the affected breast;
warm shower to stimulate flow;
Gently massaging the seal towards the nipple while the baby is eating.

It is important to deal with the blocked channel as quickly as possible, because if left, it can lead to mastitis.

Thrush

Pain in the breasts and nipples while breastfeeding can sometimes occur due to (candidiasis infection). Babies can also develop thrush in the mouth.

Infections sometimes happen when nipples become cracked or damaged. This means that the candida fungus that causes thrush can get into the nipple or breast.

Infection can also occur after a mother or child has taken a course of antibiotics. They can reduce the number of beneficial bacteria in the body and allow Candida to thrive.

Infants may develop thrush in the mouth

Symptoms of thrush in women during breastfeeding:

after feeding, the mammary gland hurts;
the pain is quite severe and lasts up to an hour after each feeding.

If a mother or child has thrush, they will need to be treated at the same time so that the infection does not pass between them. It can also spread to other family members.

Mastitis

is a disease that causes breast tissue to become painful and inflamed. It is most common in breastfeeding mothers, usually within the first 3 months.

If mastitis is caused by breastfeeding, doctors may call it lactational or postpartum mastitis.

Mastitis usually occurs in only one breast and symptoms develop quickly. Signs of mastitis may include:

a red, swollen area on the chest that may feel hot and sore to the touch
a nursing mother has a sore mammary gland without compaction;
tight areas in the chest;
burning pain in the chest, which may be continuous or may occur only when breastfeeding;
the nipple may be white or contain streaks of blood.

Mastitis is a disease that causes breast tissue to become painful and inflamed.

A doctor should be contacted as soon as possible if a woman may have mastitis. It can lead to a painful collection of pus (breast abscess) that may need to be removed surgically.

When breastfeeding, mastitis is often caused by a buildup of milk in the breast. This is called milk stasis. Breast congestion can occur for several reasons, including:

the baby is not properly attached to the breast during feeding;
the child has sucking problems;
infrequent or insufficient feedings.

In some cases, this milk stasis can also become infected with bacteria. This disease is called infectious mastitis.

The mammary gland hurts in a nursing mother - there are no seals

No treatment may be required if the symptoms are mild and there are no lumps in the chest. Many women take comfort in knowing that cyclic breast pain is not a symptom of cancer or a serious breast disease. The problem may go away on its own within 3-6 months.

If the pain is more severe, or may flare up worse than usual, treatment options include the following:

Support your chest. Wear a well-supported bra when you feel pain. It is best to avoid bras with a lift. Wear a sports bra when you exercise. A soft bra at night can help you sleep more comfortably.
Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory pain relievers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Take regularly on days when the breasts are sore.
Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as topical diclofenac or ibuprofen.
The birth control pill or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can make chest pain worse. Other medications can also make cyclic chest pain worse, such as some antidepressants and some blood pressure medications.
Medicines to block hormones. Medications such as danazol, tamoxifen, and goserelin injections can relieve pain in most cases. These medications work by decreasing levels or blocking the action of female hormones such as estrogen.

Breastfeeding a baby can be painful for the mother. This happens with cracked nipples, flushes of milk and its stagnation in the milk ducts. The sooner the cause is identified, the easier it will be to eliminate it.

Mother's milk is the best food for a baby. When breastfeeding, mother and child come together under the influence of joint emotional satisfaction. But sometimes this feeling of closeness is overshadowed by pain in the mammary glands. By immediately identifying and eliminating the cause of anxiety, long-term treatment and interruption of feeding can be avoided.

Normal and pathological

After childbirth, women's breasts are especially sensitive. Flows of milk are accompanied by a feeling of fullness in the mammary glands. Some heaviness, and sometimes tingling or tingling in them, are natural signals that it is time to feed the baby. Initially uncomfortable, they reduce their intensity after a few days. But in the first week, the tide happens even when feeding, disturbing the young mother.

At this time, a slight reddening of the nipples is acceptable. Their sensitive skin rubs with the gums of the child, responds with a slight burning sensation. It should disappear after a few feedings. If this does not happen, then in no case should the increasing pain be tolerated. It means the appearance of cracks that become the gateway for infection. A nursing mother needs to learn how to properly apply the baby, make sure that he completely captures both the nipple and the areola.

The described soreness in the mammary glands during feeding can be called natural and it is “treated” by regular feeding. After the restoration of the menstrual cycle, the filling of the breast before menstruation returns. But there are other reasons why a breastfeeding woman has breast pain:

cracks in the nipples;
lactostasis;
mastitis;
thrush and other infections;
abrupt interruption of feeding.

In maternity classes and after childbirth, nurses teach some relaxation techniques to help manage hot flashes. They show how to hold the baby while feeding, wean him from the breast without damaging the skin of the nipple. At the same time, alarming symptoms during feeding are highlighted.

Improper attachment

The mammary gland, which the baby sucks, should be supported from below by the mother's hand. The child's chin necessarily touches the breast, and the nipple, together with the areola, is in the mouth. In another case, the mother experiences, and the damaged skin hurts after.

If proper attachment does not save, then the nursing mother should pay attention to the length of the frenulum in the child. A short bridle stretches over time. But for general health, it may be safer to incise it. This operation is performed by a pediatric therapist or dentist.

To avoid inflammation of microcracks and abrasions on the nipples, the mother must take care of her own hygiene. For this:

after feeding, the remaining milk is expressed and the breast is washed;
nipples are immediately lubricated with sea buckthorn oil or other healing preparations;
dry the skin in the open air;
avoid tight or uncomfortable bras;
use breast pads and change them in time.

These simple procedures will help heal existing skin damage. If there are no diseases, the mammary glands are alternated at each feeding, after which they are cleaned and air baths are carried out.

Thrush in mother and child

Sharp in a nursing mother, burning and itching is one of the important symptoms of thrush. The activity of the fungus of the genus Candida can occur during feeding at any time. Arising in the mouth of a baby, colonies of harmful microorganisms spread to the mother's breast.

A whitish coating on the reddened mucous membranes of the oral cavity, the general anxiety of the baby are the first alarming signs of a fungal infection. Although it rarely affects the milk ducts, a visit to the doctor should not be postponed. The therapist prescribes treatment for two at once.

lactostasis

For three months, the mother's body gets used to the needs of the newborn. During this period, breastfeeding is important regularity and frequency. At first, there may be less or more milk than the baby needs. Later, the production of the hormones prolactin and oxytocin, which are responsible for the amount of nutrient fluid, normalizes. It is the latter that prevents the stagnation of milk in the mammary gland.

Oxytocin relaxes the milk ducts. Baby crying, caring and even thinking about the baby increase its production. And excess anxiety interrupts the stable replenishment of the hormone. This is one of the causes of lactostasis, but others can be distinguished:

incomplete release of the breast from milk;
hypothermia, bruising or trauma to the breast;
cracked nipples;
dehydration;
pinching of the milk ducts with improper feeding or underwear;
refusal to feed while continuing lactation.

Feeding becomes painful, but after it, relief is felt. The mammary gland, in which stagnation has occurred, swells, seals are felt in it, the local temperature rises, and milk is splashed unevenly or does not come out at all. This condition requires an immediate response, as it can be complicated by mastitis.

Mastitis and its difference from lactostasis

If milk retention in the milk ducts is not eliminated in 1-2 days, then congestive mastitis develops, quickly turning into an infectious form. Mastitis is an inflammatory process provoked by the coagulation of milk in the milk ducts and alveoli. It also occurs without previous stagnation if the mammary gland becomes infected through cracks in the nipples.

The early symptoms of mastitis are very similar to the signs of lactostasis, but are more pronounced. Complete differentiation is carried out using laboratory tests. But usually enough characteristic differences.

Palpation. With lactostasis, probing the seals does not increase the pain, and the accumulated milk has clear boundaries. With mastitis, the resulting infiltrate blurs the contours of the focus of inflammation, the chest hurts, swells and turns red.
Isolation of milk. Simple congestion is relieved by feeding from the diseased gland. Very painful pumping with inflammation does not bring relief - this is one of the important differences. Possible purulent discharge.
General state. Mastitis is characterized by a constantly elevated body temperature (37-38 ° C) or its sharp jump to high values.

Treatment of congestive mastitis is the same as for lactostasis. But if the disease has moved to the next stage, then they take a break in breastfeeding and carry out antibiotic therapy. To maintain lactation, continue to express milk.

Relief of pain during breastfeeding

In breastfeeding, the first months and the end of lactation are considered the most difficult. At this time, unpleasant complications are frequent. No special treatment is required to combat milk stasis, and pain is reduced in various ways.

More often give the baby the affected breast and decant the remnants. Breaks in feeding should be no more than 3 hours.
Before feeding, the breast is warmed with warm, but not hot water, or a warm heating pad is applied for 10 minutes. High temperatures are dangerous.
Continue preparation with a light massage. Movements should be smooth, you can not press hard on tight places, so as not to pinch other ducts.
Since the baby may not have enough strength to pull out the thickened milk, a small amount of milk is expressed with a breast pump before applying.
Possible swelling is eliminated by applying cool cabbage leaves, arnica ointment or Troxevasin.
If signs of inflammation appear or improvement does not occur after 2-3 days, you should consult a doctor and follow his recommendations.

The entire period of lactation, a nursing mother should take care of her health and follow the rules of hygiene. To prevent the main causes of chest pain, comfortable underwear, sleeping on your side or back, regular feeding and pumping out leftovers can.

After childbirth, a close emotional bond is established between the mother and the newborn, which is directly reinforced by breastfeeding.

What can cause even more tenderness than the sight of a eating little one? It is these moments that mothers subsequently remember with special warmth.

This period of time should not be overshadowed by any painful sensations in the mother’s chest, either during feeding or after it. And yet, if pain occurs, what can this indicate? What should be done in such a situation?

Start of lactation: adaptation of the mammary gland

At the first application of the baby to the breast, the mother may experience pain. Both the mother and the baby have yet to adapt and establish a normal process of breastfeeding.

The skin of the peripapillary region of the mother is very thin and sensitive. Some time must pass for the skin of the breast to be able to adapt to the constant trauma (sucking) and to the action of the baby's saliva. It will gradually become coarser, and the shape of the nipple will adjust to the baby's mouth.

On the other hand, although the baby has a sucking reflex, he still does not have the experience of sucking. Intense movements of the tongue and fairly hard gums gradually "grind" the nipple.

Painful sensations at the beginning of feeding appear, but gradually pass. If the mother feels pain in the process of feeding constantly or the intensity of the pain increases, then this is a reason to turn to a specialist for help.

As a rule, this stage of lactation takes place in the maternity hospital. There is someone there to tell the mother how to behave and show the correct feeding technique.

Mom must learn how to properly attach the baby to the breast and know the criteria for proper nipple latching. Therefore, this period is the most responsible in breastfeeding.

Proper attachment will allow you to establish lactation without injury to the nipple and without pain. And, therefore, the baby will receive enough milk and will not capture excess air.

It has been proven that positive emotions during feeding contribute to the flow of breast milk. As a result, satisfaction from the process of feeding significantly prolongs the lactation time in women.

Thus, in the first days of breastfeeding, pain during feeding may still be present.

It is also absolutely normal if shallow cracks appear on the nipple during this period. It looks just like redness without bloody crusts and does not need treatment.

A whitish coating appears on the skin of the nipple, which gradually turns into thin crusts. In the process of sucking, they get wet, gradually peel off and are easily removed.

At the initial stage of lactation, a nursing mother may experience pain for several seconds at the beginning of feeding. This is due to a reaction to the “rush” of milk or to an addiction reaction of the skin of the nipple. Throughout the feeding, mom should not experience pain.

Causes of pain during feeding:

1. Improper attachment.

This is perhaps the only reason why a mother may experience pain when feeding a baby. All other reasons described below are most often the result of improper capture by the baby of the nipple.

Due to improper attachment, a woman may develop nipple cracks. Against the background of this wound surface, thrush of the skin of the nipple develops.

As a result of improper capture, the woman's breasts are defective and unevenly emptied. This can lead to lactostasis or mastitis.

With painful sensations, the mother should check whether the baby takes the breast correctly.

The correct technique for applying crumbs to the chest

Mommy should be in a comfortable position. A more physiological posture for the mother is sitting. The baby's head should be in the elbow bend. The mother's arm is raised at a 45 degree angle. The baby's body is supported by the mother's forearm.

The baby should be turned on its side so that the head, shoulder and hip joint are in line. That is, the baby's tummy should be turned to the mother's stomach. Thus, mother's warmth and excess air in the baby's intestines will help to cope.

It is correct not to bring the breast to the child's mouth, but to “put” the baby on the chest. The baby should capture not only the nipple itself, but also most of the halo (dark peripapillary area).

In order to quickly and simultaneously put the nipple into the child's mouth, you need to flatten part of the chest near the halo with two fingers of your free hand. In this case, the thumb lies on top, and the index finger on the bottom.

The thumb squeezes the breast more intensively so that the nipple itself “looks” up (toward the baby’s nose). Further movements should be aimed at inserting the nipple into the mouth at the moment of its maximum opening.

It is very important that the baby opens his mouth wide. To do this, you can hold the nipple on the baby's lower lip, and he reflexively opens his mouth.

With this technique of application, the top of the nipple will rest against the place where the hard (bone) palate passes into the soft (muscular) palate of the baby. You can easily find this area in the sky with the tip of your tongue.

The lips of the crumbs should be inflated (turned outward), the cheeks should not be sunken. While sucking, you should not hear clattering, smacking noises.

A short frenulum of the baby's tongue or pathology of the palate may interfere with the correct capture of the breast. Among such pathologies, there may also be a very high palate (Gothic), non-fusion of the hard palate. In the case of a short frenulum, you can contact the dentist, and the specialist will cut it.

2. Flushes of breast milk during feeding.

In the first weeks of lactation, a woman clearly feels "milk surges". This is manifested by a pronounced tingling or bursting in the chest at the beginning of sucking. Gradually, the "hot flashes" will be felt by mommy less and less.

By about 3-4 months of breastfeeding, lactation becomes, as they say, "mature". From this period, the "tides" of breast milk are no longer felt by the mother, and its leakage before feeding no longer occurs.

3. Cracked nipples.

As already noted, injury to the peripapillary region usually occurs due to improper grip of the nipple by the baby during feeding.

But there are other reasons too:

inept expression. Squeezing only the nipple or very intense movements during pumping;
improper breast care. Frequent washing of the breast using strong alkaline hygiene products leads to dryness of the skin of the nipple. The skin becomes sensitive and vulnerable;
improper termination of sucking. Incorrect, abrupt removal of the nipple from the baby's mouth leads to nipple injuries. It is necessary to wait until the baby is full and releases the nipple. You can also gently stick a clean finger into the corner of the baby's mouth, and he will let go of the breast.

4. Fungal diseases of the nipple.

Fungal infection of the nipple often occurs against the background of damage and cracks in the peripapillary region. Cracks serve as a conductor of infection. The causative agent of infection are fungi of the genus Candida. In the people, this phenomenon is called thrush.

It looks like a whitish coating on the skin of the nipple, under which a hyperemic shiny surface protrudes. Pronounced itching, burning of the skin. Exactly the same plaque appears on the baby's oral mucosa. This makes the baby uncomfortable. He may refuse to breastfeed because of this.

This situation requires immediate and comprehensive treatment of both the mother and the child. If it is not possible to see a doctor right now, then you can treat the skin of the nipple and the oral mucosa of the crumbs with a soda solution several times a day.

Self-medication is dangerous, seek medical help.

Lactostasis is called the stagnation of breast milk in the lactiferous sinuses of the mammary gland. Mom should not wait for bursting pains in the chest, but apply the baby a little earlier.

The most rational feeding on demand. This is an excellent prevention of lactostasis.

What to do if the baby is sleeping and the chest is full? If you wake him up until it comes out so that he opens his mouth well, then mom needs to express a little front milk. It will become much easier.

The causes of lactostasis can be:

incomplete or infrequent emptying of the breast,
mommy tight underwear,
squeezing the breast during feeding (fingers squeeze the ducts - milk does not come out of this area),
sleeping position that interferes with the outflow of milk (on the stomach),
nipple infections.

When milk stagnates, the breast becomes thicker. In the zone of compaction, it becomes painful, hot. The temperature can rise, and, to very high numbers.

Feeding a baby with lactostasis is a must. Moreover, to offer the first is a sore breast. The faster the area of \u200b\u200bdensification resolves, the faster the pain will pass. A neglected situation with lactostasis can develop into mastitis.

6. Mastitis.

This is inflammation of the mammary gland due to infection through cracks or damage to the skin of the nipple or due to lactostasis.

With mastitis, the chest thickens, becomes sharply painful. The breast skin over the lump may change. The woman has a high fever.

Improper or delayed treatment of mastitis can lead to blood poisoning (sepsis).

With purulent mastitis, breastfeeding should be stopped until complete recovery. Breast pumping is essential and regular.

In complex forms of inflammation of the mammary gland, antibiotic therapy is indicated.

Advanced mastitis may require surgical treatment.

Vasospasm is a spasm of the vasculature of the breast. Sharp spasm causes burning pain in the nipple area. He turns pale sharply due to exsanguination of this area of the chest.

This situation is rare, but it does happen. The unequivocal reasons for this condition have not yet been described. Most often, vasospasm occurs when the temperature changes, when the child releases the nipple.

Moms with such a pathology should consult a doctor for an additional examination, since vasospasm may indicate an autoimmune disease.

Breast massage and the rejection of strong tonic drinks (tea, coffee) will help relieve the manifestations of vasospasm.

Prevention

Feed your baby on demand. Frequent attachment of the baby will avoid stagnation of breast milk and facilitate the production of milk.
If pumping is necessary, use proper pumping technique. A warm shower before pumping will make it easier for the milk to flow out of the ducts. Massage your breasts while pumping
Follow the rules for proper application (see above). Do not pinch the breast while supporting it during feeding.
Choose special underwear for breastfeeding. It is made of soft stretchy materials that will support the chest without squeezing it.
Sleeping on your back or on your side will allow you not to transfer the chest and avoid stagnation of breast milk.
Do not get carried away with frequent washing of the chest with soap. A daily shower and change of linen will be enough to maintain hygiene.
To prevent cracked nipples, spread the last drop of breast milk over the nipple and let it dry. Milk has a healing effect. Thus, when dried, a protective crust is formed, which prevents the penetration of the infection and promotes the healing of all “rubbing”.
For nipple cracks, use wound healing ointments or gels. Apply between feedings. Before feeding, it is better to wash them off, although some of these products are allowed not to be washed off before applying. With proper care for the skin of the chest, cracks can be cured in 1-2 days.
Finish feeding properly. Do not force the nipple out of the baby's mouth when the baby is not going to let it go. You should not do this, even if it seems to you that he has already eaten.
Do not use disposable bra pads as they are a breeding ground for infection. Wearing earplugs all the time prevents air exchange. When using inserts, the skin of the nipple is constantly moist. And leaking milk is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. And where it is warm, dark and humid, all microorganisms like to grow.

With any pain, mom needs to find out their cause. After all, natural feeding should bring joy to both the baby and the mother.

Pain must not be tolerated. The process of feeding without positive emotions for the mother threatens with a gradual reduction in breast milk. In this case, long-term lactation cannot be counted on.

Make every effort to avoid such a situation and save a precious food product for your little one.

A nursing woman has many important tasks and responsibilities in the family, and health problems knock her out of a clear rhythm of life. One of these difficulties can be chest pain during feeding. What are the causes of this disease? How to improve your health and enjoy motherhood again? Today we will tell you why women have breast pain when feeding, and how to deal with it.

Aching breasts in a nursing mother are not uncommon. Unfortunately, many women, plunging into the abyss of motherhood, forget about their own health, and the child also suffers from this. Pain after childbirth is always a wake-up call. Therefore, it is worth immediately starting to understand the reasons why the chest hurts during feeding in order to immediately take the necessary measures. Here are some diseases that cause discomfort:

lactostasis;
vasospasm;
candidiasis;
nipple problems;
poor attachment;
hormones, etc.

These are the main reasons that may bother you, but we will consider each of them in more detail.

Laktostasis and mastitis

The term "lactostasis" refers to the overflow of the mammary glands with milk during lactation. It is connected with the wrong actions of the mother, namely: wearing tight clothes, breaking the diet and expressing milk too often. Usually, pain is manifested not only during breastfeeding. In this case, to get rid of breast pain in a nursing mother, it is enough to express milk. But not too much, so as not to cause the active formation of a new one. It is necessary to learn how to wear suitable clothes and correctly form a feeding schedule.

If mastitis is the cause of nipple pain while breastfeeding, your health is in danger. Mastitis is an infectious inflammation that causes severe chest pain in a nursing mother and develops extremely rapidly. Symptoms of this disease resemble lactostasis, but are more pronounced:

It is very important to stop this infectious process in time, so you should immediately contact a specialist.

Improper attachment

If the mother is inexperienced, then, most likely, she will face the fact that no one will teach her how to properly attach the child. Unfortunately, most girls begin breastfeeding by pinching their nipples, causing the milk to flow tight and becoming painful to breastfeed. To solve this problem, it is important to produce breastfeeding correctly: in the lying position from under the arm, giving the baby a whole mammary gland.

Hormones

If the breasts hurt during feeding, perhaps the whole thing is in the hormonal restructuring of the body, namely, in the production of oxytocin. It stimulates the glands to secrete milk, and in the first days after childbirth, secretion increases, which automatically causes pain in the nipples during breastfeeding. The release of this hormone in some mothers can be activated even at the thought of breastfeeding, for which we can say “thank you” to our ancestors - animals.

“If your chest hurts with breastfeeding in the first days, but none of the listed reasons suits you, then just wait a while until the problem resolves itself.”

Candidiasis

Sometimes the reason why nipples hurt while breastfeeding can be thrush. This is a very serious problem, and during lactation it is completely unnecessary. Signs that you have candidiasis may include:

cracks in the nipple;
swelling and scaly nipples;
shooting pain in the nipples during feeding, radiating to the back or shoulder;
irritation and dryness.

Thrush is a disease caused by fungi of the genus Candida (hence the name - candidiasis), which a nursing mother will definitely pass on to her baby. To eliminate this problem, it is not necessary to deprive the child of breastfeeding, but it is required to use special ointments and solutions to wipe the baby's mouth. A long-lasting thrush invariably leads to another disease - mastitis, but it will be more dangerous. And if, in addition to pain during breastfeeding, the mother began to feel a rise in temperature, she should immediately consult a doctor.

Vasospasm

Sharp, burning and throbbing chest pains during breastfeeding indicate a narrowing of the vessels of the mammary gland - vasospasm. It is accompanied by blanching of the skin, the nipples harden during feeding, and the mother experiences acute pain at any touch. Usually, vasospasm manifests itself at the very beginning of feeding, when lactation is just beginning to work in the mother's body.

It is impossible to say exactly why the chest of a nursing mother hurts with a spasm, but here are some possible reasons:

the baby is incorrectly attached to the mother;
duct spasm develops;
nipples are often pressed and compressed;
the temperature of the mother's body changes sharply;
chest tissues dry out after many washings with aggressive soap.

What should I do if my breasts hurt during feeding due to vasospasm? You need to learn how to properly attach the baby to the chest, competently carry out the toilet of the areola, and monitor your general condition.

Cracks and other nipple problems

Another reason why the chest hurts during breastfeeding can be problems directly with the nipples. Small and deep wounds prevent the mother from feeding the baby normally, and if the nipples hurt, then cracks have probably formed. Well, they can appear for various reasons:

You are not feeding your newborn baby properly. In this case, you get mechanical injuries when the baby sucks milk.
If you have an infection, your nipples may be susceptible to candidiasis or a staph infection. Then the chest hurts during feeding and between feedings.
If you don’t take good care of yourself, you can dry out the skin of the areola by wiping off the protective lubricant that the mammary glands produce from the surface. So that the breast does not get sick, it cannot be washed after each feeding. Unfortunately, in this case, microorganisms may begin to develop in the breast of a nursing mother if the integument is broken.
When you abruptly end your Guards. In this case, the baby sucks the nipple and does not want to come off it, and due to mechanical action, pain occurs during breastfeeding. So that such a problem does not interfere, you need to put your finger between the nipple and the baby's mouth and carefully wean the baby, giving him a dummy immediately into his mouth.
Sore nipples during feeding and after unsuccessful use of the breast pump. If you carelessly express milk, you can mechanically damage the areola. During the lactation period, the mother sometimes has an excessive amount of milk, but she begins to pump too often, which leads to tissue damage.

nipple shape

Sometimes the chest of a nursing mother hurts if she has an unnatural shape of the nipples. Inverted, flat and extremely large nipples are considered unsuccessful, because this is the reason for the poor passage of milk through the glands. What to do if the breasts hurt during feeding precisely because of the irregular shape, experts practically do not know. It is important to prepare the nipples before giving birth so that there are no problems in the future.

Why can the chest hurt without breastfeeding?

We figured out why the breasts hurt during feeding, but the mammary glands can be disturbing regardless of the application. Here are a few possible factors that cause breast pain in a breastfeeding mother:

If the mother of an infant wears an uncomfortable bra. In the breast during feeding, the mammary glands should be normally stimulated, and they should not be squeezed by cups and seams on the sides. If you can’t buy specialized underwear, then buy the most free one.
Feeding the baby will be painful during the menstrual period. Unfortunately, it is impossible to get rid of this reason, and so that the glands do not hurt, you can use painkillers and special ointments.
If you have been diagnosed with fibrocystic mastopathy, then it is she who can be the reason why the chest hurts during lactation. And although the chances of the manifestation of lactostasis increase, it is not worth refusing to feed in this case.

Conclusion

It is important for newborn children to receive timely and balanced nutrition, and therefore the mother must not only recover quickly after childbirth, but also try not to get sick during the lactation period. After all, the baby does not understand whether it is painful for the mother to breastfeed or not, the main thing is not to remain hungry. Do not run your health, because now your little one needs only you.