Each of us, young mothers, imagine the process of breastfeeding in approximately the same way: a plump, well-fed baby, wrapping his mouth around the nipple, sweetly falling asleep at the breast. But not everyone manages to establish breastfeeding so easily. I was faced with a situation where I was separated from my 7-day-old son for 4 days, and my milk supply almost disappeared due to anxiety.

In the maternity hospital, my son was completely full of my milk; they brought him additional food only on the second day, when he was not full of colostrum and was crying hysterically. Then everything happened as I wrote above: the son quickly got enough of the milk and slept well in his crib. And then the child was transferred to the second stage of nursing at the State Research Center, and I was discharged home. One. There were no places in the department, I had to suffer at home alone until Monday, until a place became available at the day hospital.

By this point I had nothing left to express. If on the first day I pumped every 2-3 hours and got about 15-20 ml out, then on the fourth I no longer felt hot flashes and my breasts hung like a rag. That day I pumped only twice, 5 ml each... 🙄

Hypogalactia is insufficient milk secretion from the mammary gland.

To enhance lactation, nicotinic acid, vitamin E are used, and herbal medicine is prescribed.

A good effect is recorded after ultraviolet irradiation, ultrasound therapy, massage, acupuncture, and compresses on the mammary glands.

Upon admission to the hospital, I was examined by a gynecologist and, after my complaints about poor lactation, he prescribed me physical procedure ultrasound therapy for mammary glands :

Contraindications:

Ultrasound affects our breasts in the following way:

In the struggle for every drop of milk, it was as easy as shelling pears for me to agree to the UT procedure. Another thing is that I have contraindications that the gynecologist did not point out to me (namely, my left breast is not simple, but with fibrocystic mastopathy). Okay, let's hope that the ultrasound done won't cause me any trouble in the future.

The procedure itself took place on a Soviet-era device. It looks like this:

UST is prescribed with increasing time interval: we start with 2 minutes (for each breast) - 2 procedures, then increase to 3 minutes - 2 procedures, and also 2 procedures for 4 and 5 minutes. In total, the course consisted of 8 procedures.

To perform UT, you need to do the following:

= 1 = The chest is generously lubricated with ultrasound gel (everyone is familiar with this gel; it is used to lubricate the sensor during any ultrasound).

= 2 = We take the device and begin to stroke our mammary glands in a circular motion, avoiding the areola area.

In this case, the entire right breast can be massaged in this way, but on the left breast you should avoid the place where the heart is located. As you can see, the device is quite massive and it is difficult to hold it even for 4 minutes. Therefore, of course, I would accept the help of a medical worker with pleasure.

That's it. The entire procedure will take you from 7 to 15 minutes, taking into account the fact that after the procedure you will need to wipe your breasts with napkins and get dressed.

And now the main question: Did the UST procedure give me the opportunity to improve my lactation?

Let's see. When I started the UT procedure, I was able to express a maximum of 5 ml of milk from my breast. On the third day of the procedure, there was a little more milk - maybe up to 10 ml. Basically, that's all. From the fifth day of the procedures, I connected other methods of establishing lactation (teas, mixtures, tablets). Thus, exactly It is not possible to cope with hypogalactia with the help of ultrasound therapy alone. Personally, the best thing that helped me establish lactation was frequent latching of the baby, the so-called “on demand”, but not for the baby, but for me.

To be fair, I note that of the 10 girls who attended this procedure, about half began to have strong milk flows. I was just unlucky, I fell into the 50% for whom UST does not help.

Based on my experience, I'll give you a few working councils which may be useful for hypogalactia:

• drink more water! This is quite banal, but in fact, often it is the lack of water that reduces the amount of milk and prevents it from increasing.
• do moderate loads on the pectoral muscles. Yes, you heard right. The same push-ups or squeezing your palms will help improve blood circulation in the necessary tissues, which will also have a positive effect on lactation.
• pump until the last drop! This should not be done for those who do not have problems with lactation. But if there are problems, then pumping is necessary. The child may not finish eating only 1-2 grams and this is what needs to be finished expressing later.
• sleep about 8 hours a night! If you have an infant, this point seems impossible at first glance. Put some things aside during the day and get more rest. When lactation improves, you can reconsider your daily routine, but in the meantime, do everything in your power to ensure that your baby receives the best that nature has come up with - breast milk.

Physiotherapeutic treatment was once treated only as an additional, rather preventive, auxiliary measure that did not deserve special attention.

Fortunately, doctors quickly noticed and re-evaluated their attitude towards physical therapy techniques for breastfeeding problems.

Today, physiotherapy for lactostasis is used as widely as possible.

And most women are immensely grateful to precisely these treatment methods, which were able to quickly and effectively correct their breastfeeding of newborns.

And all because modern medicine has begun to treat physiotherapeutic treatment as the most effective, time-tested procedures that allow adequate treatment for lactostasis.

Various physiotherapeutic techniques allow you to quickly and most importantly effectively get rid of painful lumps in the chest. And in addition, physiotherapeutic treatment helps prevent the development of more complex infectious processes of the mammary gland (mastitis, for example).

The main advantage of full-fledged physiotherapeutic treatment for lactostasis can be considered the absolute absence of even minimal pain during the procedure, and in addition, the complete and unconditional safety of such treatment for both the mother and her child.

In addition to full-fledged physiotherapeutic treatment for lactostasis, correct breastfeeding is of great importance. It is important that a nursing mother understands how to properly attach a baby to the breast, what the feeding regimen should be, and what positions to use. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves, and we'll figure it out in order.

Main types of physiotherapeutic treatment of lactostasis

As we have already noted, physiotherapeutic treatment methods are the most effective and safe ways to relieve women of painful congestive processes that occur in the mammary gland.

All physiotherapeutic techniques are absolutely safe, quite effective and can give the desired effect as quickly as possible.

Most often, with lactostasis, women experiencing difficulties with the outflow of breast milk are recommended to undergo:

• Several sessions of ultrasound therapy.
• UHF therapy sessions.
• Electrophoresis sessions with certain medications, herbal infusions, etc.

It is these techniques that make it possible to eliminate dangerous stagnation phenomena as quickly as possible, avoiding the degeneration of the process into inflammatory forms. When using such physiotherapeutic techniques, along with congestion, painful nipple cracks can disappear faster and other microtraumas of the breast can be eliminated.

The mechanism of action of such procedures, first of all, lies in a noticeable improvement in the processes of outflow of breast milk, in improving blood circulation, in increasing lymphatic outflow, etc.

First of all, such reactions of the body to procedures occur due to a moderate increase in temperature in the treated areas, due to a moderate massage effect.

In addition, all three mentioned procedures have an important anti-inflammatory effect for this disease, which is excellent as an excellent prevention of the development of mastitis.

Note that in some cases, physiotherapy for congestion in the breast of a nursing mother can use methods of stimulating the adrenal cortex. We are talking about reconciling low-intensity high-frequency magnetic therapy for this disease.

Lymphatic drainage techniques, such as alcohol compresses and medicinal electrophoresis with the addition of oxytocin, can also be more than effective for milk stagnation.

But the most important thing that needs to be said about the choice of physiotherapeutic treatment for women suffering from lactostasis is the fact that such treatment should only be prescribed by a doctor who can first make sure that the soreness of the mammary gland is associated precisely with milk stagnation, and not with other, more dangerous , diseases.

How to adjust feeding during stagnation

It is believed that you need to put your baby to the breast as often as possible. It is very important to understand exactly how to attach an infant so that he is able to correctly grasp the mother’s breast and, as a result, empty it as much as possible.

E. Malysheva: Lately I have been receiving a lot of letters from my regular viewers about breast problems: MASTITIS, LACTOSTASIS, FIBROADENOME. To completely get rid of these problems, I advise you to familiarize yourself with my new technique based on natural ingredients...

• Rule one is the mother’s convenience while feeding the baby. At the same time, it is important to try to ensure maximum comfort not only for the baby, but also for yourself. Feeding for both should be similar to rest!
• Rule two is choosing the ideal pose. Literally in the very first days of meeting your baby, try to try several different options for comfortable positioning of the baby when feeding him. In this case, you need to choose not one, but two or even three convenient positions, which it is advisable to alternate later.

It is important to remember that there are situations when changing the baby’s position during feeding is not only desirable, but very important and even necessary.

We are talking about nipple injuries, when the baby needs to be positioned so that he does not injure the affected area, etc. So, we would like to dwell in more detail on choosing the right positions when feeding.

Which feeding positions are most preferable?

Of course, each mother must choose a comfortable and correct position for feeding her baby strictly individually. The choice of positions depends on the baby’s activity, the shape of the mother’s breasts, and the individual preferences of both.

However, we want to describe several of the most successful positions to make it easier for mothers to make their choice.

• Cradle position. In this position, the mother sits comfortably, the baby's head is located on the mother's elbow, the baby lies with his tummy facing the mother. The position provides maximum comfort for the newborn since he lies almost like in a cradle, but only in his mother’s arms.
• Hand feeding position. When the baby lies on the pillow directly under the mother’s arm (like a bundle under the armpit), facing the chest. The position is comfortable with a complete absence of pressure on the mother’s abdomen and a comfortable grip on the breast for the baby.
• Position – both on their sides. This is a position when the baby and his mother lie on their sides, facing each other. The position is most convenient for milk stagnation, since it allows you to avoid even minimal pressure on the affected breast and, in addition, the second breast will also be in the most favorable physiologically correct position.

Of course, we have not given all the possible positions for proper feeding, but nevertheless, these are precisely the positioning options that allow you to most effectively combat the manifestations of lactostasis, resorting to the help of your baby.

Do you still think that it is completely impossible to heal your body?

How can you identify them?

• nervousness, sleep and appetite disturbances;
• allergies (watery eyes, rashes, runny nose);
• frequent headaches, constipation or diarrhea;
• frequent colds, sore throat, nasal congestion;
• pain in joints and muscles;
• chronic fatigue (you get tired quickly, no matter what you do);
• dark circles, bags under the eyes.

It must be understood that physiotherapy, in general, and ultrasound therapy, in particular, for such a diagnosis as lactostasis, is used as widely as possible today.

And all because physiotherapy is considered an effective direction, representing the traditional treatment of this condition.

Ultrasound for lactostasis, as a therapeutic method, allows you to quickly get rid of developing lumps in the breast, preventing the development of a more complex infectious process.

Another significant advantage of such physiotherapeutic treatment as ultrasound can be the complete absence of any pain or discomfort, and, of course, complete safety for a nursing woman.

Today, quite often, women facing congestion in the chest due to lactostasis are recommended to undergo several sessions of ultrasound therapy. At the same time, ultrasound easily and quickly allows you to eliminate congestion during lactostasis, and at the same time fight cracks and microtraumas in the nipple area.

Why can lactostasis be treated with ultrasound?

Let us recall that lactostasis is an unpleasant and painful condition of the mammary gland in a nursing woman, when either excessive production of breast milk or a difficult outflow of the latter from the breast suddenly occurs.

As a result, with lactostasis in the mammary gland, breast milk stagnates, which ultimately leads to primary tissue swelling and possibly subsequent inflammation. Most often, lactostasis occurs in several situations:

• When an inexperienced young (often first-time) mother does not have an ideal regimen and technique for proper breastfeeding.
• When a woman takes long breaks between feedings or the baby does not completely empty the mother’s breast.
• When, for medical reasons, the baby cannot latch onto the mother’s breast and, accordingly, suck breast milk from her.
• When a nursing woman injures her mammary gland while wearing excessively tight underwear.

When there is no proper treatment for the problem, if stagnation of milk in the breast due to lactostasis is not corrected in a timely manner, a woman may begin to develop a more dangerous disease called mastitis.

That is why doctors insist that therapy aimed at eliminating congestion during lactostasis should be carried out immediately, at the first symptoms of the problem.

Ultrasound, or rather its main mechanism of action for lactostasis, consists, first of all, in significantly liquefying milk, improving its outflow, and increasing blood and lymphatic flow.

This usually happens due to an almost imperceptible (local) increase in temperature, as well as a micro massage therapeutic effect.
It is important to understand that ultrasound (or UST), among other things, has an excellent anti-inflammatory effect, which is undoubtedly more than appropriate in such a condition as lactostasis, for the prevention of the development of mastitis and other breast diseases.

Operating principle of ultrasound

Standard ultrasound therapy, ultrasound or UT is nothing more than the use of special mechanical vibrations, the so-called ultra-high frequency (about 800 or maximum 3000 kHz), for strictly therapeutic or prophylactic purposes. The basis of ultrasound therapy was the specific nature of the standard interaction of ultrasonic waves with numerous biological human tissues, noticed by scientists.

Ultrasound treatment in usual physiotherapeutic practice can use vibrations with a frequency of no more than 3000 kHz, in which the dosing of the effect is carried out according to duration, intensity and even according to the mode of wave generation (continuous, pulsed).

It is believed that the basis of the physiological and, most importantly, therapeutic effects of UST can be the mechanical, thermal, as well as physicochemical effects caused by ultrasound. An equally important role, in this case, is played by the so-called neuro-reflex mechanism, through which ultrasound (or ultrasound therapy) affects the human body. When ultrasound (or ultrasound therapy) affects human tissue, doctors distinguish several phases of the body’s response to such an effect:

• The phase of the so-called direct effect, when a microscopic alteration of all cellular structures is observed, when thisotropic and also thixotropic effects occur. This is the phase when mechanical, chemical, and moderate thermal reactions are noticeable.
• The phase of predominance of the so-called stress-inducing system. When, within four hours after the procedure, biological amines, cortisol, prostaglandins, etc. are released into the woman’s blood. When the phagocytic (protective) function of leukocytes significantly increases, and as a result, a powerful bactericidal effect of UST is observed.
• Phase with predominance of stress-limiting systems. When within twelve hours after UST there is a clear predominance of a powerful antioxidant system, which is manifested by a decrease in the level of cortisol in the blood and an increase in prostaglandin. In practice, this leads to increased cell metabolism in tissues.
• Next is a phase of significant strengthening of compensatory processes. When tissue respiration and carbohydrate metabolism increase, when lymph circulation and blood circulation increase.

How is milk stagnation treated with ultrasound?

Since ultrasound is considered an active physical factor that has a multifaceted effect on the body, it is more than appropriate to use it when treating such a condition as lactostasis.

For lactostasis, such treatment is prescribed because this physiotherapeutic technique is an adequate (correct) physical and chemical stimulus, which can trigger various mechanisms that help bring the internal environment of the body to its normal conditions. This triggers all the body’s natural defenses, which ultimately helps to quickly resolve problems with milk stagnation.

Lactostasis is treated using this technique also because the effect of ultrasound accelerates tissue regeneration processes, promotes the resorption of infiltrates, the disappearance of traumatic edema, various exudates, etc.

Standard effects of ultrasound therapy for the diagnosis of lactostasis are carried out, without fail, through a special contact medium, which excludes the presence of air directly between the working surface of the vibrator and the skin surface of the treatment.

How treatment is carried out using ultrasound can be clearly seen in the video. At the same time, it is important to say that the reviews of the patients themselves, suffering from stagnation of breast milk after the procedure, are always only the most positive. PAPILLOMAS, WARTS AND HERPES, as well as FLU and ARVI.

How can you identify them?

• nervousness, sleep and appetite disturbances;
• allergies (watery eyes, rashes, runny nose);
• frequent headaches, constipation or diarrhea;
• frequent colds, sore throat, nasal congestion;
• pain in joints and muscles;
• chronic fatigue (you get tired quickly, no matter what you do);
• dark circles, bags under the eyes.

Ultrasound for lactostasis is an effective physiotherapeutic method for eliminating milk stagnation when breastfeeding a child.

It helps nursing mothers get rid of breast problems without waiting for the situation to worsen.

Sometimes one or two sessions of such therapy are enough for a woman to feel relief.

Lactostasis is an abnormal phenomenon when a woman experiences pain and discomfort in the mammary gland during lactation, i.e.

This condition is caused by the accumulation and stagnation of excess milk, which occurs as a result of its excessive production or impaired outflow.

The anomaly is fraught with the development of edema and inflammatory reactions, which can lead to such a serious pathology as mastitis.

The etiological mechanism of the appearance of lactostasis is associated with the following factors:

1. Anatomical defects in the structure of the mammary gland - sagging, insufficiently elastic breasts; flattened nipples; excessively narrow milk ducts. The shape of the breast often becomes a difficult factor for expressing milk.
2. Incomplete emptying of the mammary gland as a result of improper attachment of the baby. This is most typical for young, inexperienced mothers.
3. Irregular feeding of the child, long intervals between feedings, skipping scheduled feedings.
4. Position of a woman on her stomach during night sleep.
5. Mechanical damage to the nipples, cracks in them.
6. Tight and uncomfortable bra.
7. Satiety of the child with additional artificial feeding, which causes refusal of breastfeeding.
8. Dehydration of the female body.
9. Mechanical injuries (bruises and other impacts) in the chest area.
10. Nervous overload and stress.
11. Physical overload, lack of sleep, physical exhaustion.

Lactostasis is manifested by pain and discomfort. If problems arise, the child refuses to feed, or the woman’s temperature rises above 37 ºC, you should consult a doctor.

Lactostasis requires timely and effective treatment, because after 3-4 days there is a high probability of its transformation into mastitis.

By influencing biological tissues, ultrasound has mechanical, thermal and physico-chemical effects on them.

When an ultrasonic frequency wave passes, a local increase in temperature and micromassage occurs.

This effect thins the milk and increases blood and lymphatic flow.

The physicochemical effect promotes the appearance of bactericidal and antioxidant abilities, which is very important to prevent infection. The result is real anti-inflammatory properties.

No less important is the reflex mechanism of exposure to ultrasonic radiation. The response of the female body to it is divided into several stages:

1. Direct impact. During the procedure, cellular alteration occurs at the microscopic level with the appearance of a thixotropic effect. At this stage, moderate mechanical, chemical and thermal reactions are observed. Local heating of breast tissue causes immediate reactions.
2. Stress-inducing stage. It develops within 3.5-4.5 hours after completion of the procedure. At this stage, amines, cortisol, prostaglandins and other hormones and enzymes are released into the blood. As a result of this effect, leukocyte protection is enhanced, which ensures the bactericidal ability of ultrasound.
3. Stress-limiting stage. Within 11-13 hours after the cessation of ultrasound, the cortisol content in the blood decreases and the level of prostaglandin increases, which causes the active functioning of the antioxidant system. This effect is expressed in the enhancement of metabolic cellular processes.
4. Compensatory stage. Further reaction of the female body leads to improved carbohydrate metabolism, oxygen saturation of tissues, and increased blood and lymphatic circulation.

Features of the ultrasound procedure

Ultrasound therapy (ULT) is carried out in specialized medical rooms using special equipment.

The ultrasound source allows you to provide radiation with a frequency in the range of 850-3000 kHz.

Using higher frequencies may cause negative effects.

Modern devices allow you to precisely regulate the duration, intensity and mode of radiation. Wave generation can be carried out in continuous or pulsed mode.

The immediate procedure is carried out by a specialist by treating the entire surface of the mammary gland with the exception of the nipples. The electrode moves slowly and smoothly in a circular motion around the nipples. A special environment is created between the skin surface and the vibrator, eliminating the air gap. To do this, a special composition is applied to the skin, similar to the lubricant used during ultrasound.

The course of ultrasound therapy is prescribed by the doctor, taking into account the real condition of the woman and the individual characteristics of the body. In total, from 3 to 8 procedures can be prescribed daily. The duration of one procedure is 12-16 minutes. Immediately after the ultrasound is completed, milk is manually expressed. During this period, it is quite liquefied, which facilitates the process. Minor pain may be felt, but it cannot be compared with the pain syndrome that occurs without ultrasound.

It is impossible to feed a baby with milk expressed immediately after ultrasound exposure.

The UT session is absolutely painless. The woman feels a slight warmth and signs of a vibration massage of the breast. Already after 1-2 procedures, significant relief is detected, the disappearance of frightening lumps and bumps. However, to avoid relapse, you must complete the entire prescribed course. However, manual expression of milk is mandatory only after the first session.

Diagnosis of lactostasis

Ultrasound diagnostics is performed to determine the extent of damage to the mammary gland, determine the ultrasound treatment regimen and the effectiveness of treatment.

The scanogram allows you to identify the localization of stagnant zones, the condition of the ducts and sinuses.

It is important to differentiate the form of lactostasis, which can develop in a compensated or decompensated form.

Such studies are carried out using a pharmacosonographic test.

With the development of a compensated type of disease, UST is highly effective, and studies can reveal the dynamics of improvement in the condition of the mammary gland. With an advanced, decompensated form, you will have to resort to drug therapy.

Contraindications

Despite the safety of UST, there are contraindications to the use of ultrasound radiation. Procedures cannot be performed in the following circumstances:

• serious neurological abnormalities;
• malignant tumors of various localizations;
• mastitis during its exacerbation;
• severe hormonal imbalance (mastopathy);
• the presence of fibroadenomatosis of the mammary gland.

Prevention of lactostasis

Lactostasis, as a rule, is caused by reasons that depend on the behavior of the nursing woman.

In order to prevent this phenomenon, you should adhere to:

1. A nursing woman should sleep on her back or side.
2. It is necessary to choose the right bra. It should not tighten the chest. It is best to use underwear specifically designed for nursing mothers.
3. When feeding a baby, you should not press on the breast with your fingers, as in this case the ducts are pinched.
4. The child must be positioned in the optimal position so that he can free the mammary gland as much as possible. Active artificial feeding is not recommended if there is sufficient production of own milk.
5. Feeding the baby should be done regularly.
6. Hypothermia and chest injury should not be allowed. It is very dangerous to be in a draft with your chest open.

What will help eliminate the risk of disease

If the first signs of lactostasis appear, you should consult a doctor and begin ultrasound treatment. At the same time, you should take your own measures to eliminate the disease:

1. Carefully monitor the feeding process and how much milk the baby is able to suck. The remaining milk must be expressed immediately.
2. Additional feeding of a baby from a bottle is not recommended. This causes him to develop an incorrect latch on the nipple when feeding.
3. The baby is more often applied to the affected breast, but you should not use the healthy breast, so as not to cause a similar phenomenon in it.
4. Taking a warm shower before breastfeeding helps your milk flow easier.
5. A woman’s body should not be allowed to become dehydrated. You need to drink at the first feeling of thirst, without artificial restraint.

Lactostasis in a nursing woman can cause serious consequences. It needs to be identified and treated at an early stage. Ultrasound therapy is one of the effective forms of combating this phenomenon. This procedure is considered absolutely safe, and a positive effect is achieved after 3-4 sessions.

Lactostasis is the stagnation of breast milk in the ducts of the mammary gland of a nursing mother. This condition can occur at any stage of breastfeeding - immediately after the birth of the baby, and a year later; It may occur once, or it may recur periodically at least every month. Lactostasis not only causes significant discomfort to a woman, but can also pose a threat to breastfeeding, and, when complicated, the health of a young mother. The complex treatment of lactostasis also includes physiotherapeutic techniques. Our article will discuss why milk stagnation occurs in the breast, what are the clinical manifestations of this condition, as well as methods of its treatment, including physiotherapy.

Why does lactostasis occur, the mechanisms of its development

There are a number of reasons why this condition occurs.

First of all, this is the incorrect attachment of the baby to the breast. Normally, the baby is facing the mother’s mammary gland, his head and torso are located in the same plane, his mouth covers most of the areola, and his lower lip is turned out. During proper attachment, the mother does not feel pain (except for the first stages of feeding) and notices how the baby rhythmically swallows milk. If applied incorrectly, the breast is not completely emptied, but only partially - some parts are better, some are worse, or are not emptied at all. The milk in the ducts of these lobes stagnates - lactostasis is formed.

The second reason for stagnation of milk is feeding the baby by the hour, and not on demand, long breaks between feedings, especially at the stage of lactation. Again, the milk comes in, but the baby doesn’t suck it, the breasts don’t empty, but new milk comes in – lactostasis.

Other causes of this condition are:

• hyperlactation (increased amount of milk) due to frequent irrational pumping;
• breast injury (tissue in the area of ​​the injury swells, the duct contracts, milk does not come out, but new milk arrives);
• infectious diseases of the mother's respiratory tract (same as in the previous case, the tissue of the mammary gland swells, and so on in order...);
• anatomical features of the mammary gland (narrow, excessively tortuous ducts);
• wearing the wrong underwear (squeezing the breasts under the bone or seams of the bra, swelling of the breast tissue, spasm of the duct with all the consequences);
• sagging breasts;
• sleeping on the stomach or side with chest compressions;
• psycho-emotional stress;
• physical stress.

Milk that stagnates in the duct causes an increase in pressure in it and in the entire lobule, the breast tissue swells, resulting in the formation of a seal and pain. Without an outflow path, milk is partially absorbed into the blood, which entails an increase in the woman’s body temperature. Due to prolonged hypertension (increased pressure) in the lobules, milk production is reduced until lactation completely stops (with total lactostasis).

What are the symptoms of lactostasis

It is not difficult to recognize this condition. At one “wonderful” moment, a woman notices pain in a certain area of ​​the mammary gland, a feeling of fullness, heaviness in it. When palpating the affected area, a very painful lump is revealed. Some women experience an increase in body temperature to subfebrile (37-38°C) and febrile (38-39°C) values, accompanied by chills or without it. Sometimes a young mother first notices weakness and exhaustion, then discovers that she has an elevated temperature and only then, trying to find its cause, she examines herself and palpates that very painful lump deep in the mammary gland.

It is worth noting that not every mother finds this lump herself - sometimes it is discovered by a doctor who was called home to a nursing mother complaining of a high temperature.

In some women, by the way, the body temperature does not rise in this condition.

Feeding with lactostasis is often accompanied by intense pain. The lump becomes larger over time, and the skin over it may turn red. If the woman is not provided with assistance at this stage, an infection penetrates into the stagnant milk and mastitis develops, which, if left untreated, will lead to the accumulation of pus in the mammary gland, necrosis of the affected tissues and sepsis.

How to treat lactostasis

To eliminate lactostasis, milk must be expressed; a breast pump can be used for this.

First of all, it is worth saying that in most cases of milk stagnation, especially at an early stage of the process, a woman can easily cope with it on her own, or more precisely, with the help of a child. The main method in the treatment of milk stagnation is frequent (at the slightest opportunity, at least every 10 minutes) application of the child to the affected breast. Attachments must be correct, and they will be more effective if the baby is positioned so as to direct his chin towards the seal (then during sucking there will be an additional massage of the seal with the baby’s chin). If stagnation occurs in one of the upper segments, the child should be placed “upside down” (the child lies and the mother hangs over him) - that is, the mother and baby will have to twist a lot, but the result will not be long in coming.

Before feeding, the mother needs to take a warm (but not hot!) shower, directing the jets of the shower head to the seal area and the interscapular area. Warm jets massage, resulting in relaxation of spasmed muscles and ducts. Instead of a shower, you can use a warm compress, which is applied to the affected area 15-20 minutes before feeding.

Some experts recommend using compresses with camphor alcohol. Mom should know that this drug helps reduce lactation in the area of ​​its use, which can later be quite difficult to restore. This method is justified and should be used only in cases where lactostasis occurs due to hyperlactation - camphor will reduce the amount of milk secreted by the gland, the process of its secretion will be normalized.

Also, before and after feeding (and sometimes during the process), the mother should undergo a gentle breast massage. I want to focus specifically on the word “gently”... Previously it was believed that with lactostasis, stagnation of milk should be “broken.” They did it quite roughly, causing my mother excruciating pain and leaving a lot of bruises after such a “massage”. Under no circumstances should you do this! Rough mechanical impacts, even if they help restore the flow of milk today, tomorrow will cause swelling of the delicate glandular tissue, which will provoke a whole series of new lactostases. Yes, massage is necessary and very important in the fight against congestion, but the movements of the massager should be soft, not traumatic to the breast tissue, and they should be carried out in the direction from the periphery to the center. It is worth noting that the most correct person to perform such a massage and teach it to a young mother is a specially trained midwife.

You should express milk at the same time as the massage. But it is important not to express it “to the last drop,” but to stimulate the lobule with stagnation as much as possible in order to release it. The mother should learn the pumping technique while still in the maternity hospital, and if this does not happen, you can also contact a midwife or use an effective breast pump.

It happens that after feeding, standing in the bathroom under a warm shower, massaging the area of ​​compaction and expressing, a woman practically does not observe milk, but suddenly the stream intensifies sharply, and the milk has a rich white-yellowish color, it is relatively thick and quite warm. This just means that mother’s actions were crowned with success and lactostasis was defeated.

Often, after the milk flow has been restored, a woman immediately notices an improvement in her condition, whether this happens while feeding the baby or during a breast massage. The feeling of pressure and fullness in the affected area decreases, the pain becomes less intense, and for many, body temperature returns to normal very quickly. Residual effects of lactostasis may bother the young mother for several more days - until the swelling goes away.

To reduce swelling, you can treat the skin over the area of ​​compaction with Traumeel ointment or use folk remedies such as cabbage leaves. It should first be scalded with boiling water, then beaten a little with a kitchen hammer (to release the juice) and applied to the chest, covered with a cloth or polyethylene. Keep it until you get tired of it, because as you probably guessed, there are no side effects from this remedy.

You have probably heard about this method of treating lactostasis, when instead of the child, the mother puts the father to the breast so that he resolves the stagnation. This is unreasonable, ineffective, and sometimes harmful for both mother and baby. Firstly, the child suckles at the breast using his own unique method - he does not suck, but as if squeezes milk out of the gaps located under the areola. An adult cannot do this physiologically.
Secondly, dad’s oral cavity contains a lot of microorganisms, even opportunistic ones. If there are even microcracks on the mother's nipple, the infection will easily penetrate from the father's mouth through them into the area of ​​the ducts, infecting the milk. This can lead to mastitis in the mother and infectious diseases in the baby.

If the temperature is high, a nursing woman can take a paracetamol tablet or, if the baby is over 6 months old, ibuprofen.

Even if a mother consults a doctor on the first day of illness, but he assesses her condition as not severe, she may be advised to fight lactostasis on her own for 2-3 days. If during this time the woman’s condition does not return to normal, the doctor will prescribe her an antibiotic (there is a high risk of infection at this stage) that is compatible with breastfeeding (there are actually quite a lot of them, so don’t worry that you will have to temporarily stop breastfeeding - you won’t have to ), straining and physiotherapeutic treatment methods. Sometimes, based on the woman’s condition, an antibiotic, pumping and physiotherapy can be prescribed earlier - this is decided by the doctor (usually a gynecologist) in each specific case.

Physiotherapy for lactostasis

In this section we will talk specifically about hardware techniques, since breast massage also belongs to physiotherapeutic methods, but we have already talked about it earlier.

So, for lactostasis, several physical treatment methods can be used, which improve blood and lymph flow in the area of ​​stagnation, have analgesic, decongestant, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic effects. During the procedures, the woman feels comfortable and does not feel any pain.

1. Ultrasound on the affected mammary gland. This is the most effective, and therefore the most popular and widespread method of treating this pathology. Penetrating deeply, ultrasound gently massages the delicate glandular tissue and increases the local temperature, thus providing all of the above positive effects. The ultrasound intensity should be 0.2-0.4 W per cm 2, and it is carried out in continuous mode. The duration of the procedure is from 3 to 5 minutes daily. A course of treatment of up to 8-10 procedures is recommended, but many women feel much better after the 2-3rd session.
2. High intensity pulse. The devices “AMIT-01” and “AIMT2 AGS” are used. The inductors are placed in contact over the affected area on both sides of the mammary gland, bypassing the areola area. Induction is from 300 to 600 mT at the beginning of treatment, and by the end of the course it is increased to 1000 mT. The interval between pulses is 20 ms. The procedure is carried out for 5-7 minutes once a day for 5-10 days.
3. and therapy. The emitters of the corresponding devices are placed in contact above the affected area. The radiation power is 8-10 W. The procedure lasts from 6 to 10 minutes and is carried out daily for 8-10 days.

Contraindications to physiotherapy for lactostasis are:

• acute mastitis;
• mastopathy;
• fibroadenomatosis of the mammary glands;
• malignant tumors;
• organic diseases of the central nervous system.

In conclusion, I would like to say that a problem such as lactostasis can significantly reduce the quality of life of a nursing mother, especially if she is breastfeeding for the first time, and even if she is impressionable. With each subsequent lactostasis, if any occur, the woman feels more and more confident and copes with them faster and faster. In any case, if you experience the symptoms described above, still consult a doctor who will examine you and give adequate recommendations for treatment, which will most likely include physical therapy.