pumping to empty
I was recently listening to a podcast. One of the people interviewed had mastitis and was talking about how she was always pumping to empty her breasts because she was so scared of getting another mastitis. This is a common misconception. You get mastitis after going a little longer between nursing or pump sessions, and therefore you start to pump or nurse more and more in order to prevent another mastitis. This thinking is based on a theory that plugged ducts or mastitis happen due to stagnant milk that's been sitting in the breasts for too long. If that’s the case, we need to empty, and empty, and empty, more frequently and more completely to make sure that we don't get another plugged duct or infection.
Understanding Engorgement in the Postpartum period
Breast engorgement is characterized by the breasts becoming hard, swollen, and painful. It happens not only because milk production increases but also due to inflammation and fluid buildup in the breast tissues. This swelling can make it difficult for babies to latch onto the breast and for milk to flow easily, causing frustration for both the mother and the baby.