Breast massage has many positive effects on breastfeeding, as it allows you to increase your milk supply.
Breast massage has many positive effects for breastfeeding, as it allows you to increase your milk supply, stimulate your ejection reflex, treat engorgement, plugged ducts or mastitis, help the lymphatic system in eliminating toxins, or soften the breast so that the baby can latch on easily.
In addition, there are other reasons why it is interesting to include it in our daily routine. From Lansinoh Spain, midwife Paula Camarós tells us about the advantages of these regular massages, as well as what techniques and methods we can follow.
SEVEN BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING OF CHEST MASSAGING
1. Helps to ”empty the chest”. Milk collects deep in the breast, so mothers may still feel full after pumping. With a massage, we can empty it effectively.
2. Improves the quality of breast milk. Breast massage helps empty the milk ducts and facilitates the flow of milk. Many studies suggest that it improves the quality of breast milk by significantly increasing the concentration of total solids, lipids, and casein.
3. Stimulates the milk ejection reflex. Gently massaging the breasts with one or both hands, gently patting the entire breast with the fingertips, or lightly rolling the breast combined with gentle massaging and shaking can stimulate the milk ejection reflex.
4. Reduces periareolar swelling. According to some studies, gentle therapeutic breast massage significantly reduced periareolar swelling from 93% to 7% as well as the severity of engorgement, which was reduced from 5.31% to 3.48%.
Milk collects deep in the breast, so mothers can still feel full after pumping
5. Regulates the flow of lymph and eliminates toxins. Breast massage is very effective in regulating the flow of lymph through the lymph nodes, helping to eliminate toxins and retained fluids after childbirth, especially those related to cesarean sections.
6. Improves the baby’s grip. Smoothing reverse pressure temporarily removes fluid from around the nipple area. This technique improves the baby’s latch and increases milk transfer when the nipple is engorged.
7. Increases milk production. Stanford researchers found that combining breast massage with a manual expression of milk resulted in increased milk production (48%) per session (mothers of premature babies less than 31 weeks gestation).
CHEST MASSAGE TECHNIQUES FOR BREASTFEEDING
Mothers should experiment to find the technique that is most effective and comfortable for them. Paula Camarós tells us about the main and most widespread massage techniques for breastfeeding.
-Circular movements to stimulate the milk ejection reflex. ”Focus on one breast at a time. With one hand supporting the breast, gently massage in small circles with your fingertips, working around the entire breast. Gently trace your fingers from the base of the breast towards the nipple. You may feel a tingling or a warm sensation as the reflex is stimulated. The feeling is better with warm hands,” he notes.
-From side to side to increase milk supply. ”While nursing or expressing milk, use your hands to feel the firm areas of the breast, including the outer edges. Gently massage or compress these areas to empty them. After feeding or pumping, gently massage the breast with circular movements with the fingertips, or gently roll each breast between both hands”, says Paula Camarós.
-Squeezing the breast to promote the flow of milk. ”Use your fingertips to massage your breast from the base of the breast towards the nipple. Massage helps warm and loosen the tissues around the milk ducts and promotes milk flow. Massaging the breast toward the armpit also helps reduce swelling and improve drainage,” he adds.