Our FAQs
present information from La
Leche League International on
topics of interest to parents of
breastfed children. Not all of
the information may be pertinent
to your family's lifestyle. This
information is general in nature
and not intended to be advice,
medical or otherwise. If you
have a serious breastfeeding
problem or concern, you are
strongly encouraged to talk
directly to a
La Leche League Leader.
Please consult health care
professionals on any medical
issue, as La Leche League
Leaders are not medical
practitioners.
It hurts when my milk "lets
down." What could be causing
this and how can I remedy this
situation? What if my pain is
deep in my breast?
A painful let-down reflex can
occasionally happen while your
body adjusts to feeding your
baby. You may find that using
relaxation techniques that were
helpful during labor might help
you cope with this early
discomfort.
Make sure you are using good
positioning techniques and are
not straining or leaning over
your baby as you are
breastfeeding your baby. Your
back, arms, feet and elbows
should be well-supported, and
your shoulders and neck muscles
relaxed.
Some deep breast twinges
during let down can occur as the
milk ducts constrict to force
the milk towards the nipple. As
your body becomes more used to
breastfeeding, these disappear.
There can be several other
causes of painful let-downs that
you may want to consider:
1. Lots of milk. Some women
find that they make a great deal
of milk and/or their
milk-ejection reflex (let-down)
is very strong. If this is the
case, you will notice your baby
choking or sputtering on the
volume and intensity of the milk
as it is let-down. Some mothers
have found that breastfeeding on
one breast only per feeding is
helpful. When your milk lets
down, you may find that your
baby is more comfortable if you
gently break suction, allow the
milk to spray into a towel, and
then re-latch him when the flow
slows down. In time, your supply
and let-down will become more
manageable for the baby to
handle and your discomfort
should lessen.
2. Yeast. Another cause of
painful let-down is yeast (a
candida yeast infection) that
has entered the milk ducts of
the breasts. For more
information about yeast, read
FAQ on Thrush . This site
does not mention yeast of the
milk ducts, but it does offer a
lot of other helpful information
about yeast. Contact your local
La Leche League Leader, IBCLC
board certified lactation
consultant or your health care
provider if you suspect you have
yeast.
3. Engorgement. Engorgement
can cause breast discomfort. For
more information about
engorgement, read
FAQ on Sore Nipples
4. Muscle strain or injury
during birth. Straining or
injuring chest muscles which
support the breasts may also
cause what seems to be deep
breast pain.
4. Breast infection or
plugged ducts. In the early
weeks it is also possible that
you may have plugged ducts or
acquired a breast infection from
your hospital stay. If you have
a fever, red streaks on your
breasts or if you feel like you
have the flu, contact your
health care provider to rule out
a case of mastitis. For a breast
infection or plugged ducts,
nurse a lot, rest a lot and
drink a lot of fluids will help.
Several other causes of deep
breast pain (not necessarily
during let-down) are:
- 1. improper breast pump
usage
- 2. an ill-fitting bra
- 3. injury or surgery to
the breast tissue
- 4. premenstrual pain
- 5. fibrocystic breast
pain.
Also, some mothers with very
large breasts have experienced
deep breast pain.
One other cause of deep
breast pain or painful let-down
is that the baby might be
clamping down instead of
suckling. You will not hear the
baby doing much swallowing if
this is the case. A baby who is
not breastfeeding properly
should be assessed by someone
knowledgeable in breastfeeding
to help him learn to breastfeed.
Article source:
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/pain.html
