If you experience
breast engorgement, make sure to start treating it as quickly as you can. This should involve frequent breastfeeding with complete emptying of the breasts at each feeding.
If you are not going to be breastfeeding, you should not express a large amount of breast milk. The more breast milk you express, the more your body will think you need to produce. Just express enough to relieve the pressure and make it more comfortable for you.
Applying a cold compress to the breast after each feeding can also be soothing. Breast engorgement can cause swelling and pain; a cold compress can help alleviate this discomfort. Various over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as
acetaminophen (
Tylenol®) or
ibuprofen (Advil
®,
Motrin®), can also be used to relieve pain or swelling.
(Click Breast Engorgement Treatment to learn more about the different ways to soothe breast engorgement, for information about the benefits of massage, and to find out how long the pain and swelling generally lasts.)
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