Breast Care Tips After Childbirth

Postpartum Breast Condition: How to Care and General Recommendations

Even during pregnancy, the breasts undergo changes – they increase in size and fill with milk. After childbirth, there is always some discomfort. Those who choose breastfeeding encounter related issues. Those who do not breastfeed also have to endure discomfort. The condition of the breasts after childbirth is a rather sensitive topic.

To feel as comfortable as possible and reduce the risks of developing typical postpartum breast conditions, it is recommended to:

1. Wear comfortable underwear.
2. Use breast pads.
3. Take air baths: leave the breasts uncovered for a few minutes after feeding.
4. Use a postpartum breast cream.
5. Take a hydromassage with a contrast shower.

All these rules apply to both breastfeeding mothers and women who do not practice breastfeeding.

The mother’s comfort depends on matching the amount of milk produced to the baby’s needs, so she does not have to constantly express milk and massage her breasts.

What to eat after childbirth to stimulate lactation:

• cumin;
• nuts;
• meat and fish;
• oatmeal;
• buckwheat porridge;
• carrots and onions.

For detailed advice on nutrition during breastfeeding, you should consult a nutritionist through the online course.

Harmful advice: What should you not do with your breasts postpartum?

There are many misconceptions about women’s health circulating, so it’s important to know what can harm breasts after childbirth.

Firstly, it’s about sexy lingerie or just an uncomfortable bra. Wearing a tight bra post-delivery can increase the risk of lactostasis.

Another dangerous practice that women often adopt in the name of beauty is sudden weight loss, a poor diet, or exhausting oneself with physical exercises. All these negatively affect breast condition and the process of lactation.

One should also avoid rough breast massages. It is very easy to damage the mammary glands after childbirth, therefore, if you do massage the breast, do it gently and carefully. It is important to follow the direction of movements and apply moderate pressure.

Postpartum, due to the hormones produced, women become particularly sensitive to ultraviolet rays. Therefore, during this period, sunbathing is permissible only with the chest covered.

Excessive cleanliness can negatively affect breast condition after childbirth. Frequent showers with soap and other detergents increase the risk of nipple cracking. On the other hand, using masks and wraps will significantly speed up the skin’s elasticity recovery.

Under no circumstances should nipples be wiped with alcohol-containing liquids – this dries the skin, which will inevitably lead to cracks over time. Healing these damages will require ointments, which is quite inconvenient: they can only be applied after feedings and must be washed off soon afterwards to prevent the medication from entering the baby’s system.

Postpartum breast care involves not only hygiene and dietary adherence but also the prevention of mastoptosis (sagging breasts). To prevent this unpleasant consequence of childbirth, you can perform breast exercises. A set of such exercises is included in the momslab.com course. Overall, any physical activity has a beneficial effect on the breasts, as these muscles are engaged in almost all of our movements.