How to deal with stone milk? Do not apply hot compress to stone milk

Simply put, stone milk refers to the situation during lactation when the pregnant woman's breasts secrete too much milk and fail to discharge it in time, resulting in lumps, swelling and pain in the breasts. This is commonly known as stone milk. In this case, normal breastfeeding and correct milk expression are appropriate. If you still feel uncomfortable, appropriate cold compresses can be applied.

When new mothers are breastfeeding, they may encounter excessive milk secretion, which is difficult to discharge and squeeze out. Their breasts may become hard and lumpy, swollen and painful, which is commonly known as "stone milk". I believe that many mothers who breastfeed have experienced problems such as engorgement, stone milk, and even mastitis. Stone milk swells up and it is really painful if you accidentally touch it! When many new mothers encounter stone milk, they may think that applying some hot compresses can make the breasts softer and easier to squeeze, but in fact this is not only a wrong concept, but also a dangerous action! Moms must pay attention!

When applying heat, the micro-vessels of the breast will expand faster, which may cause inflammation. For example, it is like applying heat to a child with a fever; therefore, after the heat pack is removed, the breast will become more swollen, the milk will increase, and it will be more difficult to squeeze out, which will make the mother feel more uncomfortable!

What to do if you have stone milk? Just follow these three steps:

1. Breastfeed and let the baby suck

2. Use the correct method to express breast milk by hand

3. Cold compress assistance

The first thing a mother can do is breastfeeding. Letting the baby suck milk is actually the most effective way to relieve the pain. If the breasts are still very hard and feel like they are about to get inflamed after breastfeeding, you can express the milk in the correct way. Finally, apply a cold compress to prevent the surrounding breasts from getting engorged so that they are less likely to get inflamed.

In the clinic, I have also encountered mothers asking, when can I apply hot compress? In fact, it is not recommended to apply hot compress to the breasts when they are in a normal state, because it is unnecessary. In principle, hot compress can only be applied slightly when 1) the milk supply decreases 2) there are no local lumps in the breasts. After applying it, the mother will be more relaxed, so milking may be smoother. However, experts also remind that if the mother feels that the lump is getting bigger and the lump is painful, it is not suitable to apply hot compress!

Cold compress

When applying cold compress, you can prepare a small piece of cold gel or a towel, or you can use cabbage if you have it at home. Put the cold gel in the refrigerator to let it freeze a little, then take it out and wrap it with a towel to isolate it, and then apply it to the area where the mother wants to apply it.

If you use a towel, wet it first, and then don't wring it too dry. Keep the towel slightly damp so that it will be better at transmitting cold.

After putting it in the refrigerator for about 3-5 minutes, take out the towel, fold it into strips, and apply it on the breasts in a circle. When applying, be careful to avoid applying it to the nipple and areola, so as not to reduce the milk ejection reflex and make it more difficult for the mother to express milk. Just apply it on the periphery like this.

★Hot compress

If you want to apply heat, you can dip a towel in warm water, the temperature of which should be about the same as that of hot spring water. When applying, wet the towel, roll it into a strip, and apply it around the breast. However, experts also remind that under normal conditions, the breasts do not really need to be specially cold or hot. Just remember the following principles:

1. If blockage really occurs, breastfeed the baby first and let him suck.

2. If it really doesn’t work, use cold compress as an aid.

3. As for the hot compress part, it is really not necessary, mommy’s own body temperature is fine.

I believe that after reading this, mommy will know better how to save stone milk~