- 1. Apply heat to the breast
- 2. Stimulate the lymph nodes
- 3. Massage the areola
- 4. Massage around the areola
- 5. Remove excess milk from the breast
Excess breast milk can accumulate in the breasts, especially when the baby is unable to breastfeed everything and the woman also does not remove the remaining milk, resulting in a situation of engorgement, popularly known as stony breasts.
Typically, signs that you are developing stony milk include pain while breastfeeding, swollen breasts and redness in the skin of your breasts. Check all the symptoms of breast engorgement.
To relieve pain, and prevent the development of complications such as mastitis, one of the ways to remove excess milk is to massage the breasts a few minutes before the baby suckles. In addition, this massage can also be done to remove excess milk and facilitate its exit at the time of feeding. To do it correctly you must:
1. Apply heat to the breast
The heat helps to dilate the breast ducts, relieving pain and facilitating the circulation of milk, so it must be applied before the massage to allow the massage to be less painful and increase the chances of the stony milk leaving the breast.
A good option is to apply a bag of warm water directly on the breast, but you can also apply heat during the bath, passing the shower with hot water on the breast. The heat must be maintained for at least 5 minutes and without burning the skin.
2. Stimulate the lymph nodes
The armpit lymph nodes play a very important role in removing fluids from the mammary region, so if they are properly stimulated they can help to reduce the feeling of a swollen and painful chest.
To stimulate these ganglia, a light massage in the armpit region should be done, using circular movements, 5 to 10 times in a row. In some cases, it is possible to feel small nodules in this region, but they are not a cause for concern as they only indicate that the ganglia are inflamed with excess fluids. In such cases, the massage should be lighter so as not to cause pain.
3. Massage the areola
After stimulating the lymph nodes, a massage of the breasts should be started to release the milk accumulated in the ducts and mammary glands. To do this, you should start by massaging the area near the areola, using small and light circular movements. These movements can become stronger if they are not disturbing and spreading across the breast.
4. Massage around the areola
After massaging the areola and having increased the movements for the rest of the breast, it is important to continue the massage to try to empty all the ducts. To do this, massage the region around the areola, supporting the breast in one hand and, with the other, massaging from top to bottom, applying light pressure.
This massage can be repeated 4 to 5 times, or until the breast feels less swollen and painful.
5. Remove excess milk from the breast
After doing the massage, try to remove the excess milk. A good way is to apply pressure with your thumb and index finger around the areola until a few drops of milk start to come out. This movement can be repeated until the breast looks more pliable and less swollen. After feeling that the excess milk has left and the breast is more malleable, the baby should be breastfed.
Repeat this massage every day whenever the breasts are very full, because when they are like this, the baby will have a harder time biting the breast properly and, therefore, may not be able to breastfeed and start crying because he is hungry and unable to take mother's milk.
