Among all mammals, the female has the role of feeding new born babies. This applies to human beings as well. The female breasts are designed to produce milk for the infants as they pass through their first few months of life. Milk produced in the breasts is nourishing and contains many vital vitamins and minerals for the growing baby. After delivering the baby, the mother's body stimulates the production of milk from the breasts. This results in a condition known as breast engorgement that affects many women almost immediately after delivery. Breast engorgement occurs when the quantity of milk produced in the breasts starts rising. This is usually because the quantity of milk produced is more than the quantity that is being consumed. Engorgement is a typical feature in women who have their first child. Subsequent deliveries tend to cause less and less engorgement.
Breast engorgement can be particularly uncomfortable for women. The breasts tend to be stretched and tender to touch. This problem is exacerbated when the child starts suckling on the breasts. The action of suckling causes considerable discomfort to a woman who is suffering from breast engorgement. The level of engorgement is associated with the amount of pain that is felt. Some women experience partial engorgement while others experience severe breast engorgement. In the most severe cases, women may not be able to bear the pain of their child being fed at the breast. This results in them choosing alternative methods of feeding the child. This tends to worsen the problem of engorgement as the milk production continues but little or no milk is being expelled from the breast. Therefore most women seek help to find measures to get relief from breast engorgement.
There are some breast engorgement remedies which can help provide relief from breast engorgement. Women who are mothers for the first time should follow some guides related to breast feeding so that they do not experience unbearable discomfort. The first tip to provide relief from breast engorgement is to try and feed the baby regularly. This allows some amount of milk to be released continuously and keeps the discomfort low or at a bearable level. During this period the breast can be massaged so that the quantity of milk being released is higher than it would be without the massage. The baby may be made to alternate between breasts so that each breast gets some relief. In extreme cases, manual removal of breast milk may be necessary to reduce the pressure, and therefore cause relief from breast engorgement.
answered by G M