Mastitis and lactostasis in breastfeeding women - how to prevent these diseases?

During pregnancy and after childbirth, a woman's breasts usually enlarge, sometimes very dramatically - by several sizes. As a rule, this is due to the “arrival” of milk in the first few days after the birth of the child. The change in breast volume requires the selection of special bras that take into account the size of the mammary glands, otherwise a woman may have lactostasis or even mastitis.
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What are lactostasis and mastitis?

Lactostasis is milk stasis in the breasts, which occurs for a variety of reasons:

  • active lactation with narrow milk ducts;
  • long intervals between feedings;
  • various breast diseases - for example, cystic fibrosis.

However, even in women without anatomical prerequisites for lactostasis can occur stagnation of milk. This is most often caused by inappropriate bra sizes that compress the mammary gland or underwear with “bones”.
If lactostasis is not eliminated in time (put the baby to the breast or decant milk), the breast tissue becomes inflamed, bacterial infection joins and mastitis develops
If lactostasis is not eliminated in time (put the baby to the breast or decant milk), the breast tissue becomes inflamed, bacterial infection joins and mastitis develops
It is manifested by swelling and redness of the breast, severe pain and fever, sometimes reaching 39-40 oC. Mastitis is treated with antibiotics, but such therapy is not always effective, and then doctors resort to surgical intervention (drainage of the gland).

How to prevent lactostasis and mastitis?

The basics of safe breastfeeding are feeding the baby on demand and putting the baby on the gland correctly. But these measures will not save a woman from milk stagnation if she wears a too small “prenatal” bra. Such underwear is very dangerous, because it presses on the breast, overstressing the milk ducts, and provokes lactostasis. It is enough to spend a couple of hours or a night in a narrow bra, so that there was a stagnation of milk, followed by an inflammatory process - mastitis.

However, it is quite easy to avoid these unpleasant complications: it is necessary to use special underwear for nursing women, which not only takes into account the changed size of the gland, but also greatly facilitates the process of breastfeeding.

What is a medical elastic nursing bra for breastfeeding mothers?

The Lauma Medical elastic bra has been designed specifically for nursing mothers. It is made of cotton (85%), polyamide (10%) and elastane (5%). Thanks to the combined composition, this underwear does not cause excessive sweating and allows the skin to “breathe” without irritating or rubbing it.

The special design of the elastic bra provides stability and support for the mammary glands: a woman feels comfortable even if her breasts are very enlarged. In addition, clasps in the upper part allow you to quickly release the nipple (for feeding or hygiene procedures) without having to completely remove clothing and underwear. Such bras are indispensable if the baby needs to be fed outside the house - for example, in the park or a cafe.

The Lauma Medical bra sizing grid takes into account the main parameters - under-breast circumference and breast volume, so any woman can choose the most comfortable size for herself.
Medical elastic bra is not only an attractive undergarment, but also comfortable breastfeeding, as well as an effective prevention of lactostasis and mastitis in breastfeeding women
Medical elastic bra is not only an attractive undergarment, but also comfortable breastfeeding, as well as an effective prevention of lactostasis and mastitis in breastfeeding women