Trying to wean, breasts very engorged

QUESTION: My wife is trying to wean our daughter off breast milk and her left breast is engorged and feverish. It has been that way since she stopped breast feeding three days ago. What should we do or should we see a doctor. To get the swelling down, she has used a ice pack on breast so far, but we don't know what to do.

Dear Robert,

It is not uncommon for a woman to end up with mastitis (a breast infection) when she decides to wean. It usually means that the weaning took place faster than the body could handle. She did the right thing by applying ice, but it needs to be repeated every couple hours until the pain and engorgement have been reduced. Cold cabbage leaves placed inside the bra can also be very helpful. Replace them as they wilt. We don't know why it works, but many women report tremendous and sometimes immediate relief, so she may want to try this!

Also, it would be very helpful to pump the breasts just a little whenever she begins to feel tightness. Pumping will not encourage the milk supply as long as she is not emptying the breast. Anytime just a little milk is taken out of the breast, it sends a signal to the brain to slow down on the supply. If your baby is still willing, it might be easier to let the baby just nurse a little during this time.

You may be told by well-meaning friends (or even a doctor) to bind the breast. This is no longer recommended, and is extremely uncomfortable and also dangerous. ( I have seen two women who were treated this way end up in surgery because of a breast abscess.) It is certainly fine for her to take Tylenol or Ibuprofin for pain. If your wife has a fever, then you need to call her doctor and get a prescription for an antibiotic. That will work in a hurry!

Cher Sealy, RN, BSN, IBCLC, LLLL
 

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