Common breastfeeding problems and solutions

• Engorgement-Painful overfilling of the breast with milk.
  • Nurse frequently, about every 1 to 2 hours
  • Prior to nursing take a warm shower or put a cold compress on breast
  • Put  baby skin to skin prior to nursing
  • Massage breast prior to nursing
  • Hand express a little milk to make the latch easier
  • Wear a comfortable supportive bra
• Sore nipples- Your nipples may be tender the first week or so of breastfeeding. This should get better with time. The trick is learning good positioning and latch on. Once the problem is corrected, the nipple generally heals quickly. If there is no improvement after 24 hours, contact a breastfeeding support provider.
  • Make sure baby is positioned correctly. When cradling the baby tummy to tummy, sidelying, or in the clutch (football) hold, make sure the baby does not need to turn his/her head. 
  • Make sure the babies chin and nose are right at the breast. The mouth should be opened wide and the lips should be flanged out.
  • Mom should support her breast with the c-hold and it can help to put mom's feet up on a footstool.
  • Start on the least sore side first. If it is still painful after the initial latch, start over and try relatching.
  • Remember to breat the suction before taking the babe off the breast
  • Mom can express breastmilk onto the nipple after nursing. There are also purified lanolin creams and moist healing pads that can be used to help with the healing process. 
• Thrush- Thrush is a yeast infection that can affect the breast or nipple. Generally the pain is intense and burning in nature. Other symptoms include pinkness, itchiness, and flaky skin.
  • Notify your doctor. Both the baby and mother need to be treated, if not, the infection could be passed back and forth.
  • Anything that touches the breast or baby's mouth needs cleaned thoroughly. Bras and nursing pads should be washed in hot water, and any pacifiers, bottle nipples, pump parts should be boiled or put through the dishwasher. 
  • Any milk that was expressed during this time is fine to use while being treated, but it is not recommended to save this milk and use at a later date. 
• Plugged ducts- Sore area in the breast, feels like knots or lumps. Usually a result of skipped feedings, over abundant milk supply, poor positioning, or tight clothing
  • Take a warm shower or apply a warm compress to the area
  • Nurse frequently
  • Massage from affected area toward the nipple
  • Position baby so that chin is facing the blocked area if possible
• Mastitis- A plugged duct can develop into Mastitis. You will have the same symptoms along with a fever (over 101 degrees f), chills and flu like symptoms. The breast may have a red streaking look to it.
  • Same as plugged ducts
  • Notify a doctor, you may need antibiotic treatment
  • Rest and drink lots of fluid
• Supply issues- Supply issues can be real or percieved. Your milk production is based on supply and demand. Babies go through growth spurts around 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and then again around 3 months. Around 3 months your breasts don't feel quite as full. This is normal but it does cause some moms to worry. Sometimes if a baby is nursing frequently a mom thinks it is because she doesn't have enough milk. If your baby is nursing frequently it will help bring your supply up. You can help by drinking plenty of fluids and resting.  Here are a few things to look at before becoming concered.
  • Is the baby having at least 6-8 wet diapers a day?
  • Is the baby having several stools that are seedy yellow stools the first 6 weeks of life? (After 6 weeks the stools can slow down considerably)
  • Do you hear frequent swallows?
  • Is the baby content after nursing? 

If you answer yes to these questions then these are good signs that your baby is getting enough.

If you have recently been stressed or have missed some feedings, or pumpings if back at work, these can affect your milk supply. Before reaching for formula, speak to a breastfeeding expert for some guidance.