Synonyms in a broader sense
breast pain, small breasts, nipple problems, mastitis, allergies in the family
Small nipples and inverted nipples
In principle, every child can adjust to the mother’s nipple – even if sometimes a little patience is necessary. The baby also sucks in the surrounding areola, so that the nipple alone is not decisive. If the nipple is inverted (inverted nipples), the nipple can be inverted with small tricks, such as using vacuum hand pumps before putting on the baby. It is also possible to wear curved plastic shells as nipple formers in preparation for breastfeeding during pregnancy. In principle, every woman should try out what is comfortable for her and meets her individual needs.
Small breasts
The glandular tissue that produces breast milk (see breast milk) is usually equally pronounced in every breast – the differences in size are only due to the respective fat content of the breast. The amount of milk is therefore independent of the breast size, so that even women with small breasts can have plenty of milk. A few days after giving birth, there is a change in milk production – the so-called milk injection.
During this process, the breasts often swell up, become hot or hurt due to the increased production of milk. There are a few tricks that can help relieve the strain: You should put the baby on as often as possible to relieve the pressure. Before breastfeeding, warm compresses often help to support the subsequent milk flow.
Further information on this topic can be found here: Milk congestion – what can you do? Cooling compresses, on the other hand, do good after breastfeeding. Quark and cabbage often work wonders here.
Used several times a day after breastfeeding, they reduce swelling, ease pain and reduce possible inflammation. Cotton cloths to which the curd cheese is applied and which should then be left on the breast for about 25 minutes are suitable for this. For the cabbage envelopes, organically grown cabbage leaves should first be flattened with a rolling pin or similar and then, wrapped in a cloth, also be left on the breast for about 25 minutes.
It should be noted that the nipple and the surrounding yard should be left out. If the pain is due to overproduction of milk, the baby should only drink at one breast per meal, the other breast is then emptied manually. This reduces the milk production.
No hand pump should be used for emptying – it would stimulate milk production even more. The amount of milk can also be reduced by drinking a few cups of peppermint or sage tea. If the breasts are very hard, sensitive to pain, reddened and hot, a milk congestion may be the cause.
This is usually accompanied by general symptoms such as fatigue and fever. To remedy the problem, you should rest a lot and breastfeed at least every 2 hours. Before breastfeeding, the affected breast can be warmed and then put on first.
The child’s lower jaw should point in the direction of the congestion. Cooling compresses after breastfeeding have a pain-relieving effect. If the symptoms of congestion remain for more than two days and the fever continues to rise, it is usually due to bacterial inflammation of the breast.
In this case, strict bed rest should be observed, but not weaned! The treatment is similar to the treatment of milk congestion (frequent breastfeeding! ), but the application of heat should not be exaggerated, as the inflammation can otherwise worsen.
Make sure that the breasts are emptied well – if necessary, additional help may be necessary. If there is no improvement after one or two days, antibiotic therapy or alternative healing methods must be used. In the worst case an abscess can develop from an inflammation of the breast.
In this case pus has accumulated and has been encapsulated. Therapeutically, the abscess is opened surgically and a drainage is left in place for a few days. As long as the abscess is far enough away from the nipple, breastfeeding is not a problem.
The other breast can be passed on in any case. After about five weeks the wound should have healed. Since the nipples are exposed to constant stress during the breastfeeding period, complications can easily arise.
Sore nipples can have numerous causes, such as incorrect breastfeeding posture or position, pelvic floor exercises during breastfeeding (cramping), improper pumping, application of unsuitable care products, damp environment due to wet nursing pads as well as incorrect sucking by the baby.It is very important to make sure that you are properly dressed (see Breastfeeding). It is often helpful to release the milk-donor reflex before putting on the breasts, so that the otherwise particularly painful sucking in is made easier. In addition, care should be taken to ensure that the baby does not slip down during the breastfeeding process, as otherwise the nipples will be pulled along.
Frequent and short breastfeeding with a constant change of breastfeeding positions is recommended. Milk and saliva residues can be left on the nipples with a clear conscience – they have a wound healing effect (just like pure lanolin ointment or wool fat). Care should be taken to ensure that nursing pads are made of wool and/or silk, as these have a wound-healing effect in contrast to pure cellulose and prevent a moist environment.
Wearing caps made of tin alloy (cappellinos) has also proven to be effective, as the nipples are in constant contact with the healing breast milk. If breastfeeding is still too painful, milk can be drained manually or by pump and a suitable painkiller (analgesic during breastfeeding) can also be used. The use of breastfeeding caps should be avoided as they can worsen the inflammation and, due to the lack of skin contact, can negatively influence both milk production and milk flow.
If the child gets teeth, care should be taken not to chew on the nipples. If the hunger is satisfied, it should be removed from the breast quickly. If you notice that your child cannot push his tongue beyond the lower jaw, it is probably because the frenulum of tongue is too short.
As a result, the child cannot suck properly and thus injures the nipples. This problem can be remedied with a small operation. If you have pain, although you feel that the breastfeeding process is basically correct, a fungal infection (thrush) may be the cause of the discomfort.
The skin is usually reddened, shiny, itchy or burning. A smear should be taken for a definitive diagnosis. If a fungal infection is actually present, treatment with a local antimycotic (fungal cream) (including the child’s mouth!)
should be administered. In addition, special hygiene is required: After each contact with the breasts, the hands must be washed and a dry environment in the breast area must be ensured! Things that have been in contact with the child’s mouth should be boiled thoroughly once a day.
The cause can be an antibiotic therapy or a diaper fungus infection. If a blister is visible on the nipple, there is usually a plug in the milk duct behind it. Breastfeeding is then often very painful.
A warm, damp cloth should be placed on the breast shortly before breastfeeding to loosen it. If the blister does not disappear by itself after a short time, it should be opened with a sterile object. Then the breast should be emptied manually and this milk should be discarded.
