Know 5 Ways to Take Care of Breasts While Breastfeeding

Caring for the breasts during breastfeeding is an important thing to do. In addition to maintaining the comfort and smoothness of breastfeeding, healthy breasts can also prevent various complaints that can arise when breastfeeding.

Breast milk or mother's milk is the main nutritional intake for babies, because it contains a variety of nutrients that are important for growth and development.

Not only babies, breastfeeding can also provide benefits for mothers, such as losing weight, reducing bleeding after childbirth, reducing the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

However, there are times when various problems or complaints arise while breastfeeding, such as nipple pain, sore and cracked nipples, swollen breasts, blockage of milk ducts, and breast infection or mastitis.

Well, by knowing how to take care of your breasts, you can overcome and prevent these problems.

Get to know how to take care of your breasts while breastfeeding

The following are steps to take care of the breasts while breastfeeding that can be done:

1. Know the different breastfeeding positions

Finding the right breastfeeding position is not easy. For some conditions, such as giving birth by Caesarean section, having twins, or having large breasts, there are certain positions that are more comfortable and make it easier for you to breastfeed.

Not only a matter of comfort, the right breastfeeding position can also prevent breast problems. If you have not found a comfortable position, you are advised to consult a lactation consultant.

2. Understand proper attachment

In addition to the position of breastfeeding, proper attachment is also important for every breastfeeding mother to know. A good latch position is when the baby's mouth is not only pressed against the nipple, but also covers most of the areola or the dark area around the nipple.

In addition, the right attachment can also be known when the mother does not feel pain when the baby suckles and the milk seems to come out smoothly. The wrong attachment can cause the mother's breast to be injured or blistered.

3. Make sure the breasts are empty safter breastfeeding

Make sure you empty your breasts optimally to prevent breast engorgement or blockage of the milk ducts. You can do this by breastfeeding the baby on the left and right breasts alternately and feeding the little one as needed.

If your breasts feel full after your baby has finished feeding, you can pump out the remaining milk.

4. Avoid wearing a bra that is too tight

Not only comfortable, choosing and using the right bra when breastfeeding also needs to be considered to prevent excessive pressure on the breasts.

It is recommended that you wear a special nursing bra during the breastfeeding process. Although you can actually use a regular bra that is larger in size, nursing bras usually have a design that has been adapted to the needs of the mother during breastfeeding.

5. Breast massage regularly

To improve the flow of milk, massage your breasts or warm breast compresses regularly to open the ducts and prevent blockages in the breast milk glands. If your breasts are painful, hard, and swollen, you can use a cold compress.

In addition to doing care while breastfeeding, you also need to do breast care after breastfeeding. Here are some things you can do:

  • Wash hands thoroughly before breastfeeding or touching the breast.
  • Clean the nipples gently with warm water and avoid using soap to prevent dry, cracked, and irritated skin.
  • Apply an ointment or cream containing lanolin to your nipples if your nipples are sore, dry, or sore.
  • If you use breast pads on a bra to absorb excess milk, be sure to change it when it's wet to prevent the growth of germs that can cause infection.
  • Apply a few drops of breast milk on the nipple and allow it to dry after each feeding. Breast milk is known to moisturize and protect the nipples from infection.

If you want to know more about how to take care of your breasts while breastfeeding or if you have symptoms of a breast infection, such as fever, red lumps in your breasts, painful and swollen breasts, or breasts with pus, you should immediately consult a doctor for proper treatment.