What is the cause of milk blockage? There may be several reasons

New mothers are prone to milk duct blockage in the beginning. The reasons for milk duct blockage are mostly the following: irregular breastfeeding time or incorrect breastfeeding posture, or problems with diet and daily routine that can affect the mammary glands and cause milk duct blockage.

1. Irregular feeding time or incorrect feeding posture

The most common problem is that the intervals between breastfeeding are too long, which causes milk to accumulate and cannot be discharged in time. Therefore, you should pay attention to regular breastfeeding. Even if it is not completely empty, you must suck out some milk to prevent excessive milk swelling and blockage.

2. Squeezing the breasts will cause milk blockage

If the mother wears a bra with an underwire for a long time or a bra that is too tight, which causes the breasts to be often squeezed, or if the breasts are accidentally hit, it will cause blockage. Also, if the mother always lies in one direction to feed when sleeping, the breasts will be squeezed.

3. Mothers who are angry or have extreme emotional fluctuations are also prone to milk blockage.

4. Eating too much greasy food may cause milk blockage

Nipple hypoplasia (too small or inverted) hinders breastfeeding. One or both nipples are retracted into the breast skin, or turned inward into the breast. The degree of nipple inversion varies from person to person, and is generally divided into mild and severe conditions:

Mild nipple inversion: The nipple retracts to varying degrees. The nipple can be squeezed out by hand, or sucked with negative pressure to make the nipple protrude from the body surface. Severe nipple inversion: The nipple is completely submerged in the surface of the areola and cannot be squeezed out. It often grows in the opposite direction.

Milk blockage may be a "sequelae" of mastitis

1. Scar tissue

After mastitis heals, the scar tissue on the walls of the mammary ducts causes the diameter of the mammary ducts to become thinner, making milk blockage more likely to occur and recur.

2. Inflammation

If you have had mastitis but the inflammation has not completely healed, you may occasionally feel a stinging sensation. The inner wall of the mammary duct is still swollen, which can easily cause milk blockage, and it is easy to have repeated milk blockage.

The best solution is to feed your baby whenever he or she is hungry, about every 2 hours, or when your breasts become swollen, firm, or sore, from both breasts. Swollen breasts make it harder for your baby to latch on to your areola. When this happens, you can apply warm, moist compresses to your breasts to make them softer, and if necessary, express some milk by hand or with a breast pump before feeding.