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Engorgement is when the breasts are full, hard, and tender. This causes the breasts to become swollen and it is often uncomfortable to painful. It is normal when beginning to breastfeed.
There are a few reasons breast engorgement occurs:
- Mature milk coming in beginning on 3rd or 5th day postpartum & lasts up to a week, if treated well
- Missed feedings (day or night)
- Missed pumping sessions
- Oversupply
Quite a few sources suggest that using cabbage leaves helps relieve breast engorgement pain.
If you experience breast engorgement and need relief give this a try. (FYI: Cabbage leaves are also used to dry milk when in the weaning process – so only use until you feel relief.)
Other remedies to try:
- Warm compress while or before feeding/pumping – helps with milk flow
- Epsom salt soak – dangle breasts over the soak (handful of Epsom salt dissolved in warm water ~1L)
- Gentle breast massage and hand expression
- Offer the breast more – lay baby next to you to breastfeed
- Cool compress after a feed – helps with swelling
Sources to Reference:
- The effectiveness of cabbage leaf application (treatment) on pain and hardness in breast engorgement and its effect on the duration of breastfeeding – NIH by PubMed
- Engorgement – Canadian Breastfeeding Foundation
- Engorgement – Kelly Mom
- Engorgement – Karing for Postpartum
Honorable Mention:
Consider trying The Thompson Method! Dr. Robyn’s course is a well of information and her gentle breastfeeding method may work better for you than the brusk/forceful method taught by hospitals, for instance.
If you can’t purchase the course at the moment, go through her YouTube content. It’s also helpful.
Bendiciones <3
