WHILE YOU breastfeed ABOUT YOURSELF function, but it can make your milk Many women experience anxiety, mood Plugged ducts are more common during the Your activities. There are no health or taste sour. swings, irritability, and other emotional first 3 months of breastfeeding and may medical reasons why breastfeeding mothers Although your baby may not like the taste of changes, some of which last well past the occur for a number of reasons. One of the cannot participate in sports and exercise. your milk, the lactic acid won’t hurt him. first few weeks. Get enough rest, take breaks most common is when you skip a feeding or After the initial postpartum period is over Within about an hour after you have finished from baby care, exercise (even if you just two, such as when your baby starts to sleep (4–6 weeks) and your body has had a chance exercising, the taste should be gone. take regular short walks), and spend time through the night. Bras that are too tight or to recover from the birth, you should be able with other adults—all these help prevent have an underwire that presses on a milk to resume athletic activities you had been Returning to normal. Breastfeeding severe depression. Joining a new parents duct—or anything that puts too much doing before pregnancy. The only exception parents are often keen to understand when group, where you can take the baby and talk pressure on a duct—can cause plugging. The is that it is best to avoid contact sports, since their bodies will return to pre-pregnancy to other parents, may help. If you continue to plug by itself doesn’t require any treatment they could result in injuries to the breast(s). weight. Breastfeeding stimulates uterine be unable to focus on simple tasks or have with medication, but, if left unattended, it The increased physical activity may trigger contractions that assist the uterus in difficulty taking care of yourself, seek help may turn into a breast infection leaking of breast milk. If you breastfeed right becoming smaller. Though the process of from a counselor. (called mastitis). before participating in the sport, leaking is breastfeeding uses a large amount of energy Your normal menstrual cycle probably will The key to relieving a plugged duct and less likely to be a problem. It is a good idea to (calories), you will find that you get hungry not resume while you are breastfeeding. In preventing mastitis is to keep the milk wear a sports bra, since your breasts are and thirsty while breastfeeding, and you fact, most women do not have menstrual flowing freely from the affected breast. larger than before pregnancy and the need to attend to these signals. periods until breastfeeding is less frequent support will be welcome. Once you are beyond the first few (such as when the baby starts to eat solid Strategies to accomplish this include: Women have sometimes complained that postpartum weeks, the rapid and radical food, sleeps through the night, or receives • Take your bra off when you breastfeed their babies refused to breastfeed (or else fed changes that your body has undergone since regular feeding supplements). Be aware that • Apply warm heat (compresses) to very unenthusiastically) just after the delivery will slow down. You may still have neither breastfeeding nor lack of menstrual the area of the plug for 15 minutes mother exercised. If this happens to you, it puffy hands, legs, or feet for a few months. periods will necessarily prevent pregnancy. before feeding may be because when you exercise Some experience “night sweats” for a few Talk to your health care professional about vigorously, lactic acid appears in your breast weeks. When these occur, you may wake up methods of birth control. • Breastfeed frequently and, for milk. Lactic acid is a product of normal body during the night to find yourself drenched Plugged ducts/mastitis. It is normal for 24–48 hours, begin all feedings on with perspiration and needing a complete your breasts to feel generally lumpy, because the side where the plug is. If your baby change of clothes. These sweats are not due usually breastfeeds only on one side at a to breastfeeding, but to hormonal “ups and the milk ducts are filling and emptying during feeding, have her feed on the side with the downs.” the course of the day. Any lump that remains plug for as long as possible and express unchanged for 3 days needs to be evaluated by milk from the breast without Another postpartum event that is often your health care professional. the plug unexpected and may occur 6–12 weeks after If you feel a painful lump in your breast, you giving birth is a certain amount of hair loss. probably have a small blockage in a milk Although seldom severe, it can continue for duct. The skin over this area may be red and If you continue to be unable to several months. Both breastfeeding and slightly warm to the touch. When you have a focus on simple tasks or have bottle-feeding parents experience it. It, too, plugged duct, your milk cannot flow out of difficulty taking care of yourself, is caused by the influence of hormones, the area behind the blockage and it backs up. seek help from a counselor. which take hair follicles from a growing This causes that area of the breast to stay phase (present all during pregnancy) to a full, even after the baby has finished feeding. 46 resting phase. 47