Caffeine is known to cause fussiness and Engorgement. Sometimes mothers • Gently massage your breast as the baby • If these measures don’t seem to help, a wakefulness in some babies. You may want to experience engorgement as their milk supply breastfeeds to encourage the milk to lactation consultant can discuss other types limit your intake of substances that contain increases, or “comes in.” This usually occurs flow freely of treatments with you caffeine, such as chocolate, coffee, tea, many within the first couple of days. If your • Feed your baby as often as possible (at least soft drinks (not just colas), and some breasts become engorged, they will feel full, every 3 hours), for as long as they will headache, cold, and allergy medicines. swollen, tender, and warm to the touch. You breastfeed, and from both sides, if possible. Because alcohol passes through breast milk to may have swelling that extends up under Unfortunately, baby’s tummy will be baby, many experts recommend that you limit your arms, since you have milk ducts there, getting fuller than it has before and they The best way to prevent or entirely avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. too. The swelling can flatten out your nipple, may wish to shorten the length of feedings engorgement is to breastfeed perhaps making it difficult for your baby to just when you wish they would breastfeed your baby frequently Check with your baby’s health care latch on properly and leading to nipple longer. professional for specific recommendations. soreness. • If your baby doesn’t feed frequently and Mothers who smoke cigarettes may make less vigorously from both breasts, use a breast milk and have problems with milk let-down. The engorgement should be gone, or much pump or hand-express milk after each The American Academy of Pediatrics advises decreased, within 48 hours. If not, it may be feeding from the side baby didn’t feed from. against smoking while breastfeeding because a good idea to get help from a lactation This will help relieve the engorgement and nicotine passes through breast milk to consultant. If engorgement goes unrelieved, keep up your the baby. it can affect your milk supply. milk supply. Babies who are around smoke are more likely The best way to prevent engorgement is to • After breastfeeding, and between feedings, to get respiratory illnesses such as coughs and breastfeed your baby frequently, day and put cold compresses or cloth-covered ice asthma as well as ear infections. There also night, right from the start, making sure that packs on your breasts to reduce the seems to be a connection between passive they are correctly latched on. swelling. Refreezable ice packs or even bags cigarette smoke and sudden infant death of small frozen vegetables, such as peas or syndrome (SIDS). If you do become engorged, the following corn, work well as ice packs because they measures may help: can be wrapped around the breast. Your If you smoke and are unable to stop breasts should soften somewhat after altogether, at least cut down as much as you • Apply warm, moist compresses (hot breastfeeding, but they will still be quite can. Certainly, you do not want to smoke washcloths or towels) just before feeding— hard until the swelling goes down. during feedings because of the possibility for about 5 minutes only. More heat than • Avoid underwire nursing bras; they can put of burns. this may actually increase the swelling. additional pressure on engorged breasts • Massage your breasts, expressing some and increase the risk of plugged milk ducts No breastfeeding mother should ever use milk, to soften the areola so your baby can • If the engorgement is painful, you may illegal drugs of any kind. latch far enough on to your breast. Wearing safely take a mild analgesic to relieve the breast shells for about 30 minutes before discomfort, as recommended by your health the feeding may encourage leaking and care professional soften the areola. 30 31