Painful breasts
Your breasts hurt and you have already heard of abscesses? So you fear the worst? Don’t panic! There are a number of alarm signals to consider first.
- The first signs of a breast engorgement: in the breasts there is too much milk because the baby drinks less, or has been weaned too quickly. Express some milk from the breast under a warm shower and you should feel better.
- Further signs are inflammation of the lymphatic nodes (red lines on the breasts) or mastitis (inflammation of the breast glands, a reddening and swelling on one side of the breast). Both can be treated through rest and with warm compresses (small towel soaked in warm water).
- And if it’s the scary abscess? Abscesses do not appear without warning: you will have a fever, swelling in the armpits and pus in the milk. Whatever it is, there is no cause for alarm: if you don’t breastfeed for a few days, your milk production should not be affected. Seek your doctor’s advice.
