I am 1 week postpartum, engorged breasts going down finally, have lumpy breasts now. is this OK? will it stop?

Postpartum begins after you have delivered your baby and marks the beginning of motherhood. However, most women seem petrified to go through this phase with the very thought of sleepless nights with your baby crying all day long and the fear of going through a postpartum depression. But despite all of this, it is an experience that you will cherish throughout your life. Engorged breast is something that every woman experiences after giving birth to her baby. It occurs almost 2 to 3 days after your delivery where your breasts swell up; feel tender with lumps and a feeling of being full making that make you very uncomfortable. You may also feel feverish but you need not worry at all as this is a temporary condition and will go away in time.

When you begin to breast feed your child, you will notice a lot of changes in your breasts as there is an increase in the breast milk because of which there is more blood that is being supplied to the breasts as well as the tissues around it which results in swollen or engorged breasts. You will normally feel lumps in your breasts when they are full with milk. The lump mostly might be as a result of a particular area that still contains some milk and has not been out completely. This can be treated by a proper massage of your breasts along with application of some heat and also if you feed the baby in a certain way or if you change their position. You can also apply an ice pack to ease out any pain that is there. Engorged breasts go off relatively quickly with your breasts becoming softer; however, they are still full with milk in this case. Your breasts will slowly become soft and tender by the 6th or 8th week when the milk supply has been fully established.

You will need to be a little patient till both you and your baby get used to it. However, look out for any tiny knot like lumps that you feel in your breasts as they can be indicating an infection which is caused due to blocked milk ducts that has bacteria caught in between them. The infected area thus, turns red and even hot. All the other changes are perfectly normal but if you still feel apprehensive or notice some unusual changes in your breasts, it is best you consult your doctor.

Submitted by P T on March 24, 2010 at 12:09

Read more questions in Postpartum Depression