We have spoken about sore nipples so often, I almost feel like I have forgotten that they are attached to breasts!
Congested and poorly drained breasts can also lead to a lot of pain and discomfort, so this morning, I want to look at deep tissue breast pain.
Now, we all have different shape and size breasts, so we can expect that you will feel variations in the depth of pain you experience. For instance, a mom with a G cup, is more likely to experience deep tissue pain than a mom with an A cup. Similarly, complications in a G cup will be harder to observe and manange than an A cup, as a lot of breast tissue is not palpable or easy to examine – if that makes sense.
It is therefore crucial that any breast pain is flagged up and treated immediately before it becomes more complex.
Okay, so what would we expect to be the cause of deep tissue breast pain?
Usually a blockage of sorts. A blockage will inhibit the milk flow and will prevent the breast from draining efficiently. When this happens, the breast milk then seeps into the tissue surrounding the milk bags or alveoli sacs. This leads to the surrounding tissue becoming inflammed, hot, swollen and pain and often results in mastitis.
For moms with larger breasts, if the in inflammation is right at the back of the breast – close to your rib cage, you will not see the usual redness appearing on the skin, nor will you feel the heat we tell you to look out for. Now, you will just feel this sharp, soreness probably coupled with a bruised feeling and will not really know what to do about it.
Make sure that you are drinking enough water – especially in the current climate where the heat dehydrates your body more than usual. If you are not drinking enough water, your milk will become thick and sticky, which could lead to blockages.
Make sure that your baby is well positioned at the breast and that the breast feels empty after feeds. If you feel a lump or degree of tenderness after the feeds, you need to act quickly to find the root of the problem. There is little point applying ‘band aid therapy’ – you need to know what is causing the bloackages so that you don’t experience recurrent pain.
Get a copy of the Mastitis eBook as this cover all stages of breast tissue inflammation and will help you find the primary cause.
Get in touch if you need to.
Much love,
Geraldine
