Breast Engorgement in Lactating Mother

It is normal for breasts to become larger, heavier and a little tender when they begin making more milk. Sometimes this fullness may turn into engorgement, when breasts feel very hard and painful.
There may be breast swelling, tenderness (Painful to touch), warmth, redness, throbbing, and flattening of the nipple. Engorgement sometimes also causes a low-grade fever and can be confused with a breast infection.
Engorgement is the result of the milk building up. It usually happens during the third to fifth day after birth, but it can happen at any time.
 Image via Wikipedia
Engorgement may be a sequel to plugged ducts and may lead to a breast infection, so it is important to try to be prevented. If treated properly, engorgement should resolve.
What can be done:
1. Baby to be fed often after birth as long as he or she likes, latched on well and sucking effectively. In the early weeks after birth, baby can be awakened to feed, if four hours have passed since the beginning of the last feeding.
2. Work with a lactation consultant to improve the baby’s latch.
3. Breastfeeding often on the affected side to remove the milk, keep it moving freely, and prevent the breast from becoming overly full.
4. Avoiding overusing pacifiers and using bottles to supplement feedings.
5. Hand expression or pumping a little milk to first soften the breast, areola, and nipple before breastfeeding.
6. Massaging the breast.
7. Using cold compresses in between feedings to help ease pain.
8. If returning to work, try to pump your milk on the same schedule that the baby breastfed at home. Or, you can pump at least every four hours.
Asking for help!
Ask your lactation consultant or doctor for help, if the engorgement lasts for two days or more.
9. Get enough rest, proper nutrition, and fluids.
10. Wear a well-fitting, supportive bra that is not too tight.

Right lower Abdominal Pain In Ladies-4

Image via Wikipedia

                       Right lower abdominal pain in ladies may come from an infection in the fallopian tubes .Fallopian tubes are simply called tubes which are connected to uterus in the middle  and freely open in the outer sides to receive an ovum.These are also called salpinx.These many a times get infected from outside through vagina and uterus .Some times gets infected from blood borne infection from some other infection.This infection is usually bacterial or bacteria like organisms and called Salpingitis.If it is in the right side may confuse with an appendicitis.It may also occur both the sides at the same time.The patient complains of pain in the middle to lower abdomen ,fever vomiting etc.. 

Image via Wikipedia

  In that case though there is some confusion still clinical differentiation is possible.This pain and elicited pain on pressure is more towards the center and in appendicitis it is more towards out side.The sequence of a classic appendicitis e.g. pain, vomiting and fever pattern is not present.A history of  vaginal discharge,  usually foul smelling may be present.A  pelvic examination will differentiate it.A swab collected from there will prove it pathologically.An ultrasonography will aid the diagnosis.
   So here a non-surgical treatment is followed and   a gynecologist takes over the case.


 

Right lower Abdominal Pain In Young Lady -3

Image via Wikipedia

     Young ladies some times complain of pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation.If it is in the right lower abdomen confuses with the common and dreaded ailment in that site,appendicitis.It is again difficult and at the same time easy to distinguish.It is a condition called A Ruptured Chocolate Cyst of Right Ovary.This cyst may occur in the either ovary and right side is important for us.Other innocent cause is dysmenorrhoea which is almost a self limiting condition .There are some other causes of academic interest.We will discuss chocolate cyst of ovary here.

 

Image by euthman via Flickr,Ovarian Cyst(Benign)

A chocolate cyst,the name is due to collection of of chocolate colored fluid in one or both ovaries.This occurs due to a condition called endometriosis where an inner lining of uterus called endometrium is found embeded in the ovary which is an ectopic site for that.There are so many ectopic sites for endometriosis.And is pathological.So,when menstrual cycle begins with menstrual bleeding due to shredding of endometrium in uterus also the same thing occurs in the other ectopic sites.And if an ectopic site is ovary there occurs bleeding.Which creates a space for itself and so become a cyst containing blood and some endometrium.This goes on in a cyclical manner with ever increasing size.Ultimately it can not accommodate more and bursts.
  It causes pain in that side of lower abdomen ,vomiting and some times fever.And if it is in the right side teaches the surgeon a lesson in excluding it from appendicitis..But most commonly this ruptures around menstrual flow time though can occur at any time.An ultrasonogram is helpful besides the clinical examination.

Image by bc the path via Flickr,Ovarian  Endometrial Cyst.

  If conformed conservative management i.e. without surgery will resolve the condition.But some times surgical intervention is required. Laporoscopy is better idea over open surgery as at the first place it will confirm the actual condition basing on which further action can be taken.   

   

Related articles by Zemanta

• What Is Endometriosis (slideshare.net)