Sore breasts 6 months postpartum, what to do?

Childbirth is an extremely stressful process on a woman’s body. During childbirth, the body, which has been steadily growing to accommodate a fetus will suddenly be emptied of the fetus and the placenta. This results in many changes in the woman’s health. The placenta secretes hormones which are suddenly removed from the system at childbirth. These hormones are vital to the functioning of the body as it is with a fetus inside it but may not be necessary after childbirth. There are lots of fluids that will be passed into the bloodstream to be filtered out by the kidneys and passed as urine. Excessive urination often occurs after childbirth.

One of the more obvious changes after childbirth has to do with the breasts. A woman has breasts to feed her new born child. The breasts naturally produce milk upon stimulation. Stimulation of the breasts, in this case, involves the baby suckling on the nipple which activates the milk glands to secrete milk. Initially, milk production may be slow but it should sort itself out in a couple of days. Sometimes, women may suffer from engorged breasts. This happens when the milk production is excessive and fills up in the milk glands. This can cause significant discomfort to the woman and one may need to drain the excessive milk manually to relieve the pain caused by this.  

It is always recommended to continue breastfeeding for the first 6 months of the baby’s life. Breast milk is a natural way of ensuring that your child receives protection against illnesses as well as vital nutrition that is required in the early stages of life. Breast feeding also has a positive psychological impact on the woman as it maintains a strong bond between mother and child.

Soreness in the breasts is associated with childbirth and the first few months of motherhood. Initially, soreness is caused by milk production as this is not a normal process for the breasts until a child has been born. It is important for a new mother to take care of her breasts. Since the breasts change in their size, one should change the size and type of bra being used. An extra supportive bra or a sports bra may be a good solution to give extra support to a heavy bosom. Soreness that continues for a period of time should be treated with this solution. In case soreness persists even after using a supportive bra, consult your gynecologist.

Submitted by P T on March 17, 2010 at 05:34

Read more questions in Postpartum Depression