About two to three days after your baby is born, you may experience what is known as breast engorgement. Engorgement can happen when your true milk comes in to replace the first milk, an immunity-boosting liquid called colostrum that is all your baby needs the first days. Engorgement causes your breasts to be swollen, tender and even hard in some cases. While experts do not recommend any specific herbal remedies for engorgement, the good news is that there are ways to treat this condition at home.
Causes of Engorgement
Almost every mother experiences heavy, swollen, tender breasts starting a few days after giving birth. These are normal symptoms associated with your milk "coming in" so you can feed your baby. Since additional blood and lymph are also flowing to the area, this contributes to the overall swelling as well. What differentiates engorgement is that in some women, the swelling from the milk itself is so severe that it squeezes some of the vessels that carry blood and lymph through the breasts shut, causing additional swelling and sometimes quite a bit of pain.
Cabbage and Anti-Inflammatories
As funny as it may sound, women have been treating breast engorgement with cabbage compresses for a long time. According to breastfeeding advocacy group La Leche League International, you should select inner leaves of a head of cabbage for this purpose. Rinse the leaves and remove the large center vein, then use a rolling pin or other implement to gently crush the leaves so the juices will begin to escape. Place the leaves directly against your breasts, inside your bra. Change the leaves every couple of hours until the swelling has gone down and is manageable.
If your physician says it is permissible, you can also take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to relieve the pain.
Nursing to Help
One of the best ways to treat engorgement is to continue to nurse your baby so the milk is being removed from your swollen breasts. You should nurse your baby frequently, at least every two to three hours, and on demand, that is, whenever she wishes to nurse. If she sleeps for over three hours during the day or four at night, wake her to nurse. You should also allow your baby to fully empty the first breast before you place her on the second -- meaning that she will either fall asleep or let go of your breast.
Be sure that your baby is latching properly and positioned well for nursing. If you have concerns about this, contact your healthcare provider.
Physical Remedies
Like other swelling-related discomforts, engorgement can be treated by physical remedies like massage and ice packs. The website Baby Center recommends that you ensure you are wearing a supportive bra that fits you well, because an ill-fitting nursing bra can lead to painful plugged milk ducts. Gently massage your breasts in a downward motion while you take a warm shower, and apply a warm and moist compress to your breasts before feeding. Cold compresses made of either frozen peas or corn or a bag of crushed ice can help relieve swelling.
If your baby has trouble latching on to your swollen breast, you may find that massaging your breast and lightly expressing some milk softens it so he can nurse.
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