Engorgement

On the 3rd or 4th day after you deliver your newborn baby, you may experience engorgement. This means your breasts harden as they fill with milk. At the same time, the pores from which the milk may flow out are not fully open. As a result, your breasts get swollen and painful and you may feel a little feverish.

All this is normal. You can reduce milk production by putting cold cabbage leaves in your bra. Don't overdo it as you may stop milk production altogether. Just leave it on for a few hours at most.

If your breasts are engorged, your baby would have to suck very hard to get his meal. If that is the case when you are going to breastfeed your baby, prepare a bowl of hot water. Soak 2 towels in the water and wring dry. Use these towels as hot compresses on your breasts to soften them and ease the flow of milk. With the towels on your breasts, massage your breasts for 5 minutes to stimulate the flow of milk. Then when your baby latches on, he should find it easier to get his milk..

Engorgement can also occur when you miss a feed. Wearing a very firm support bra helps ease the pain. You could express some of the milk to relieve the pain. If there are hard lumps in your breasts, chances are that you have a block duct. To ease the milk out of a blocked duct, gently massage the lump, then express your milk. Do not let a hard painful lump remain for more than 24 hours. A blocked duct can get infected. If that happens, and you see a pink swelling there, please see a doctor