Visual cue
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Narration
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Title slide
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Welcome to this spoken tutorial on Breast conditions in lactating mothers
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Image: Engorged breasts.
Image: Breast affected by mastitis.
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In this tutorial, we will learn about-
- Breast engorgement and
- Mastitis
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Image: Engorged breasts.
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Let us begin with Breast engorgement,
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Image: Engorged breasts.
Image: Calendar.
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- Engorgement occurs most commonly between 3 to 5 days after delivery.
- It occurs in both breasts simultaneously,
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Image: Full breasts.
Image: Engorged breasts.
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- Mother should not confuse breast engorgement with breast fullness.
- Thus, Now we will discuss the difference between breast engorgement and full breasts.
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Image: Engorged breasts.
Image: A baby is trying to latch on the mother’s big breast.
Image: Clock for showing the duration of 24 hours.
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- In engorgement-
- breast becomes firm, swollen and painfully full of milk.
- it gives shiny appearance and shows dilated veins on the surface.
- mother may suffer from fever that lasts for more than 24 hours and
- latching becomes hard for the baby.
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Image: Full breasts.
Image: A sick mother with the red cross mark.
Image: Symbol of pain.
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- Whereas, full breasts are normal.
- full breasts appear big but they do not give shiny appearance,
- full breasts are not painful and fever is absent during breast fullness.
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Image: A mother is breastfeeding the baby soon after delivery.
Image: A mother is breastfeeding to a baby.
Image: Baby is crying but the mother is not breastfeeding her baby.
Image: Poor attachment.
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Now let’s discuss the causes of breast engorgement in lactating mothers.
- Breast engorgement can occur in the following conditions-
- if mother has not fed the baby soon after delivery.
- mother is not feeding the baby frequently.
- baby has poorly latched on mother’s breast during breastfeeding.
- mother has stopped breastfeeding suddenly.
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Image: Icon of treatment.
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Now let’s discuss how engorgement can be treated.
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Image: Washing hands.
Image: Mother is drinking a glass of water in sitting position.
Image: Mother is carrying her baby.
Image: Mother is smelling the baby’s towel.
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First-
- Ask the mother to wash her hands with the clean water,
- Then, bring the baby closer to the mother so she can-
- see,
- smell and
- touch the baby.
- If baby is too fussy, mother can smell the baby’s towel.
- After that, mother should drink a glass of water.
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Image: A piece of cloth is kept on the mother's breast.
Image: A mother is taking a shower.
Image: Breastmilk is coming out from the breast.
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- Then, keep wet warm cloth on the breast for 5 to 10 minutes or
- Mother can also take a warm shower.
- It will help the breast milk to come out.
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Image: Health worker is talking to a mother
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- After that, health worker should tell the mother to relax-
- as excess of stress will affect the let-down reflex and
- milk will not come out.
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Image: A health worker is massaging the mother’s upper back.
Image: Breast milk is coming out from the breast.
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- Now, either health worker or any family member should massage on the mother’s neck and upper back.
- it will help the breast milk to come out.
- since, nerve supply towards upper back and breast is same.
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Image: A mother is gently massaging her breasts.
Image: Oxytocin reflex.
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- Then, mother should start gently massaging her breast in circular motion.
- Massaging will make her relax and will improve the let-down reflex.
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Image: Oxytocin reflex.
Image: Oxytocin hormone.
Image: Milk is coming out from the breast.
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- All these things will help in releasing of oxytocin.
- It is known as oxytocin reflex or let-down reflex.
- Oxytocin is a hormone which helps the breast milk to come out.
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Image: A mother is expressing the milk using her hands.
Image: A baby is latched on properly on her mother’s breast
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- Then, mother should manually express some amount of milk to soften the areola.
- It will help the baby to latch on the breast correctly.
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Image: Mother is gently massaging the area around areola.
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- During expressing the breast milk-
- mother should apply pressure around the areola.
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Image: Mother is helping the baby in latching.
Image: A mother is breastfeeding on both sides.
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- After expressing-
- mother should guide the areola in the baby’s mouth.
- as it would be difficult for a baby to self-attach.
- try to breastfeed on both sides.
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Image: The cold cloth is kept on the mother’s breasts.
Image: The Cabbage leaves are kept on the mother’s breasts.
Image: A refrigerator.
Image: An earthen pot.
Image: A mother is breastfeeding the baby.
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- Between the feeds mother should keep wet cold cloth on breasts for 5- 10 minutes.
Or
- Mother can keep cold cabbage leaves on breasts.
- She can store these cabbage leaves either in refrigerator or in earthen pot.
- It helps in reducing the tenderness and edema in the breast.
- Then mother should breastfeed frequently.
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Image: Breast engorgement.
Image: Icon of prevention.
Image: Squirming baby.
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Now let’s learn how can we prevent breast engorgement
- First, try to understand hunger signals of a baby such as-
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Image: Rooting reflex.
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- Increasing rooting reflex
In rooting reflex-
baby turns her head towards anything which touches her cheek or mouth.
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Image: A baby is sucking his fingers.
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Image: The crying baby
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- In late stage, the baby starts crying.
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Image: The Grouped image of early hunger signals of the baby.
Image: A mother is breastfeeding to a baby with the green check mark.
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- breastfeed the baby whenever she shows early hunger signals,
- and not wait for the baby to cry.
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Image: The Correct technique of breastfeeding
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- Make sure that the baby is latched on properly and feeding well.
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Image: Mother is checking the breast is emptied or not
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Remember,
- Empty one breast completely before you switch to the other side.
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Image: Overfull breasts.
Image: Mastitis breast.
Image: Symbol of pain.
Image: The sick mother.
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Next, let’s learn another breast condition called Mastitis-
- It is a condition where part of breast becomes red, swollen and hard.
- Mother feels severe pain, fever and ill.
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Image: Natural delivery.
Image: A calendar.
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- Many mothers goes through mastitis in first 6 weeks,
- But it can occur at any time during lactation.
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Image: Mastitis breast.
Image: Engorged breasts.
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- It is sometimes confused with breast engorgement.
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Image: engorged breasts
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- However engorgement affects whole breast and often both breasts.
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Image: One breast which is affected by mastitis.
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- Whereas mastitis affects part of the breast and usually only one breast.
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Image: Engorged breasts.
Image: Blocked ducts.
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- Mastitis may develop in an engorged breasts or follow condition of blocked ducts,
- Now, we will discuss how blocked ducts develop into mastitis if untreated.
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Image: Blocked duct.
Image: A breast affected by mastitis.
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- Blocked duct is a condition where milk is not removed from part of a breast.
- Usually this duct is the part of breast blocked by thickened milk.
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Image: Blocked duct.
Image: Breast engorgement.
Image: Milk stasis.
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- Blocked duct and breast engorgement causes milk stasis.
- When milk stays in part of a breast in blocked ducts and breast engorgement,
- It is called stasis.
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Image: Inflammation of breast tissue.
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- If this stasis is not removed, it could lead to inflammation of breast tissue.
- It is called non-infective mastitis.
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Image: Breasts with infective mastitis.
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Whereas,
- Sometimes breast becomes infected with the bacteria and this is called infective mastitis.
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Image: Mastitis breast.
Image: Medicines.
Image: Breast fissure.
Image: Breast abscess.
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In following conditions, bacteria will easily enter through fissure:
- If fissure is present on the breast.
- If mastitis remains untreated,
- Delayed treatment
Note that:
- Breast abscess is a progression of untreated mastitis.
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Image: Mastitis breast.
Image: A working mother.
Image: A sick mother.
Image: A sick baby.
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Now let’s discuss the causes of mastitis-
- The first and foremost cause of mastitis is infrequent feedings.
- if lactating mother is a working woman then frequent breastfeeding becomes challenging.
- other reason for infrequent feedings could be illness in a mother or a baby.
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Image: Nipple feeding
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- Second, is nipple feeding
- in nipple feeding baby will not empty the breast completely.
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Image: Breast milk is coming out from the breast.
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- Third, is oversupply of milk
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Image: Mother is giving other food to the baby apart from breastmilk.
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- Fourth, is rapid weaning-
- Where baby eat other foods apart from breast milk.
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Image: A mother who has worn a tight bra.
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- Fifth, is tight clothes-
- if mother uses tight clothes, especially in night if mother wears a tight bra,
- it brings pressure on the breast and can block the milk ducts.
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Image: A stressed mother.
Image: Let-down reflex.
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- Sixth is maternal stress -
- if mother is going through any stressful conditions.
- it will affect the let-down reflex.
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Image: nipple fissure
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- Seventh is nipple fissure-
- it provides a way for bacteria to enter the breast tissue and may lead to mastitis.
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Image: Icon of cause and treatment.
Image: A piece of cloth is kept on the mother’s breast.
Image: A mother is taking a shower.
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Now let’s look at the treatment for mastitis,
- First try to identify the cause and then start the treatment.
- Mother should use warm compresses before breastfeeding,
- Or should take a warm shower.
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Image: Mother is breastfeeding her baby from affected breast.
Image: a symbol of pain.
Image: mother is breastfeeding her baby from unaffected breast.
Image: Mother is breastfeeding the baby.
Animation of a clock with the green checkmark.
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- She should start breastfeeding from affected breast first,
- If it is increasing the pain or affecting the let-down reflex then start with the unaffected breast.
- Remember, frequent breastfeeding is necessary.
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Image: Open wound on the areola.
Image: A mother is breastfeeding on the affected side with red cross mark.
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- If the open wound is not on the nipple or on the areola then mother can breastfeed on the affected side.
Remember,
- Whenever a mother is feeding to a baby from mastitis breast-
- she should monitor the baby for signs of infection as there will be a risk of infection to a baby.
- since, Breast milk from affected side will have many harmful bacterias.
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Image: A mother is massaging her breast.
Image: Hand movements during massaging.
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- Massaging the breast may improve the milk supply,
- It should be a gentle massaging from affected area to towards nipple.
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Image: A mother is taking rest.
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- And should take enough of rest
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Image: A mother is talking to a doctor.
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- If symptoms are severe then she should refer to the doctor.
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Image: Antibiotics
Image: Surgical drainage of pus.
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- Breast abscess will require surgical drainage of abscess and antibiotics.
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Image: A mother involved in relaxation practice.
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- Apart from these, Mother should make a special effort to relax her body and breathe deeply and evenly.
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Image: A mother is listening to a music.
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- Listen to the soothing music and
- Think about your baby to help in starting the let-down reflex.
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Image: Correct breastfeeding attachment.
Image: Blocked duct with red cross mark.
Image: Correct latching
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Remember,
- For preventing mastitis, correct latching is necessary.
- It will avoid blocked duct and baby will get enough milk.
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Image: Mother is breastfeeding a baby with correct positioning and proper latch on
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Keys to prevent all these breast conditions are-
- Proper attachment and positioning of a baby and
- Frequent breastfeeding.
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Image: Engorged breasts.
Image: Mastitis breasts.
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This brings us to the end of this tutorial on breast conditions in lactating mothers.
In this tutorial, we learnt about
- Breast engorgement
- Mastitis
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Image: Spoken Tutorial Project logo.
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This tutorial has been contributed by
- the Spoken Tutorial Project, IIT Bombay
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Link to spoken tutorial project or NMEICT
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Spoken Tutorial Project is funded by NMEICT, MHRD, Government of India.
More information on this mission is available at this link.
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Image: WHEELS Global foundation logo
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This tutorial is partly funded by a generous contribution from WHEELS Global Foundation.
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Maa aur Shishu Poshan project logo.
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- This tutorial is a part of “Maa aur Shishu Poshan Project”.
- The domain reviewers for this tutorial are -
- Dr. Rupal Dalal, MD Pediatrics and
- Dr. Taru Jindal, MS Gynaecology and Obstetrics.
This is Nutritionist Rajani Sawant along with animator Arthi Anbalagan from IIT Bombay signing off.
Thanks for joining
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