What is lactostasis?

Lactostasis is stagnant milk during breastfeeding in the mammary glands.

Why does it appear? After the birth of the child there is a hormonal change, when the internal secretion hormones oxytocin and prolactin are responsible for the process of lactation — the production and secretion of milk. Inconsistency between the production of hormones, milk production and lactation leads to lactostasis.

Lactostasis can develop not only in the first days after childbirth, but also at a later date, when for some reason the feeding process is disrupted and the breasts are not emptied enough.

There are a number of additional reasons that disrupt the discharge of milk from the breast:

• Improper technique of attaching the baby to the breast
• Infrequent breastfeeding
• Painful, sensitive and cracked nipples
• Sluggish suckling of the baby
• Inability to breastfeed due to the mother’s or baby’s condition
• Technical errors contributing to ineffective baby suckling and milk stagnation.

Signs or symptoms of lactostasis

Lactostasis is manifested by the thickening and painfulness of the entire breast or several areas of it. The main signs of lactostasis in a nursing mother:

• Swelling and engorgement, thickening in the mammary gland, a feeling of tumescence
• Pain is strongest before feeding, usually becomes weaker during feeding, but does not go away completely
• Redness of the skin,
• Temperature in lactastasis rises to 37-38 degrees
• mammary gland dysfunction.

It is important to take measures in time to empty the breast and especially the areas of lactation.

What happens if this is not done? As a result of the increase in temperature, stagnant breast milk is flocculated, the protein denatures directly in the milk ducts, which leads to damage to the epithelium of the milk ducts and creates the ideal conditions for the development of an infectious process.

This is why lactastasis so often ends in mastitis. It is important not to allow mastitis to develop in a nursing woman. Therefore, in spite of the pain of decanting, you should act immediately.

Lactostasis treatment

The first aid for lactastasis is to bring the baby to the breast.

What exactly to do?

• Properly attach the baby to the breast, using different breastfeeding positions;
• Put your baby to the breast as often as possible (possibly at one hour intervals);
• put a warming compress on the areas of stiffness in the breasts of a nursing mother;
• If, despite frequent latching to the breast, there are areas of thickening and the temperature at latostasis remains at 38-39 degrees — urgently consult a mammologist or the nearest maternity hospital to obstetricians;
• In complicated cases, therapeutic and prophylactic decanting is necessary, which is done by a mammologist or an experienced midwife 1-3 times a day. If necessary, a midwife performs lactostasis decanting at home 24 hours a day.
• If necessary, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics, which should definitely be used to prevent or stop the development of mastitis. In this case, such antibiotics are prescribed that do not interfere with breastfeeding;
• Breast massage for stagnant milk or lactostasis is important to be done professionally and gently (Fig. 1);
• Breastfeeding should be continued.

Concentrating is a key way to prevent lactastasis and prevent the development of mastitis. It is important to unclench exactly the areas of compaction, so the manual method is the most effective. In the case of the whole breast engorgement in combination with a breast pump.

Prevention of lactostasis

To prevent the development of lactastasis, you should:

• In time to put the baby to the breast still in the maternity room;
• Ensure that mother and baby stay together and feed on demand;
• Teach mom and baby how to grasp the breast properly;
• Find comfortable positions for breastfeeding;
• Provide sleep and rest for the breastfeeding mother and eliminate stress and worry;
• At the slightest discomfort, pain, violations, contact a specialist: a mammologist or a midwife.

Sometimes there is lactastasis at the end of gv and weaning of the baby from the breast. The principles and approaches remain the same: it is important to empty the breast of milk in a timely manner, and decanting to a state of relief and the absence of areas of hardening, but not to complete emptying of the breast, which leads to increased lactation.

Most importantly: for all discomfort and painful conditions, contact your mammologist or obstetrician-gynecologist in time. This will prevent undesirable consequences in the form of complications with mastitis or abscess of the breast.