Every day in the clinic, we encounter mothers with blocked breasts. Some are in so much pain that they are said to be more painful than giving birth, while others are just a small, slightly painful lump. No matter what kind, they are so anxious and anxious that they can’t wait to get help to rub it open. In fact, mothers do not need to be so afraid, blocked milk is not equal to mastitis, much less breast abscess. You should not blindly look for someone to knead you, not only will you suffer from pain, but your breast tissue will be injured or even necrotic after this torment, which will aggravate the possibility of mastitis. What causes blocked milk: 1. Too much milk Many mothers always feel that their breasts are like a big stone, never soft. The baby has to suck again for a while after eating, afraid of blocking the milk. In fact, the principle of milk production is breast emptying, the cleaner the breast space is, the more milk is produced, and so produces a vicious circle. The correct approach is: when your breasts feel like they are rising, use ice or frozen cabbage leaves to apply cold compresses to relieve pain and reduce local blood circulation. And when the pain is serious, appropriate to squeeze out some milk, to reduce the internal pressure of the breast can be, do not need to empty the milk. It is not necessary to empty the milk. Because when the breast is very much up, a kind of FIL will be produced in our breast milk, which is used to inhibit the breast from continuing lactation. 2., improper use of breast pump The optimal way to move milk out is for the baby to suck, followed by the mother’s own hand to drain the milk, and finally the breast pump. The mother must learn to drain the milk by herself when she is discharged from the hospital. If you haven’t learned, you can search for the “Mamet’s milking method” video on Doula. If you don’t learn it, you can search for the “Mamac’s Milking Method” video on Doula. Unqualified breast pumps will often suck milk into the areola and stagnate, so you can only use a breast pump if the areola is soft. 3, fatigue, postpartum depression Many new mothers do not receive scientific knowledge of childcare before giving birth and listen to the experience of the elderly at home. Many factors such as inactivity during pregnancy, not going out during the month, not bathing on hot days, and unsuccessful deliveries lead to a decrease in physical fitness, and when it comes time to sit for the month, the body can’t stand the hard work of repeated breastfeeding day and night. Some new mothers are unable to understand the real needs of their children, which makes them “difficult to bring up” and causes fatigue and depression. Many mothers find that a bad mood affects the health of their breasts and can clog their milk. The right thing to do is to exercise every day, even for mothers during the month, and when the weather is good, go for a walk, take your baby out in the sun and get some vitamin D. Mothers are very emotionally fragile, and their families should give them support, encouragement, praise and patience, so that they can gradually adapt to their new life after giving birth. (If you have been feeling terrible about breastfeeding this process, please promptly turn to IBCLC (International Lactation Consultant) for one-on-one help, she will tell you what is done right and what can be properly adjusted to make yourself relaxed and happy, including how to better understand your baby thing) 4, wrong breast care When hard lumps appear in the breast, if hot compresses, vigorous Pressing and rubbing, wooden comb sparing, rolling pin rolling these are actually very wrong methods, hot compresses may aggravate the inflammation, while others will cause tissue damage, which may induce mastitis! When there is repeated blockage of milk in one part of the breast, you also need to consider if the injury was caused by improper care at one time. The correct way to care for your breasts is to apply cold compresses appropriately, insist on breastfeeding, pay attention to rest and keep a happy mood. Adjust your baby’s breastfeeding posture so that your lower lip is facing the blocked area, don’t be in a hurry, and often repeat a few times to get through. 5. Long-term improper dietary structure The national tradition of drinking pig’s feet soup, chicken soup, etc. to get milk, long-term such a diet will cause a high proportion of saturated fat in the milk, increasing the frequency and risk of milk blockage. (It is not that saturated fat is not good, but the human body does not need that much saturated fat, and too much of it is prone to problems). The right thing to do is to adjust the structure of your diet, stop the intake of meat and soup, and eat a varied diet. You can eat more nuts, olive oil, fish and other foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids. If the blockage of milk is caused by this reason, you can try oral lecithin and yogurt with more probiotics. The dose of oral lecithin is 1200mg*4 times/day, and you can stop taking it after the blockage is lifted. The last thing to say is that mothers who encounter problems they can’t deal with on their own should not turn to their own doctors, they should seek professional medical help in time.