Mothers Value and Utilize Early Outpatient Education on Breast Massage and Hand Expression in Their Self-Management of Engorgement.

Background: Breast engorgement is a major cause of pain and weaning in the early postpartum period. While protocols reinforce the need for anticipatory engorgement advice and continued outpatient health professional breastfeeding support, there remains limited information on the efficacy of focused postdischarge engorgement education. This study sought to explore if outpatient postpartum engorgement education changed mothers' home management and if mothers found instruction on specific massage and hand expression techniques helpful.

Therapeutic Breast Massage in Lactation for the Management of Engorgement, Plugged Ducts, and Mastitis.

Background: Many women in developed countries do not meet their breastfeeding goals and wean early because of breast pain.

Objective: This study aimed to describe clinical response to therapeutic breast massage in lactation (TBML) in the management of engorgement, plugged ducts, and mastitis.

Methods: Breastfeeding women presenting with engorgement, plugged ducts, or mastitis who received TBML as part of their treatment were enrolled (n = 42).

Recapturing the art of therapeutic breast massage during breastfeeding.

Milk expression is a normal part of breastfeeding, but in developed countries in particular, the focus tends to center on mechanical expression. In Russia, there is a long tradition of hands-on techniques that continues in the present day and includes mothers turning to providers trained in hand expression and breast massage techniques to resolve breastfeeding complications including engorgement, plugged ducts, and mastitis. As observed over the course of several trips to Russia, Russian clinicians routinely combine hand expression with breast massage for the treatment of milk stasis, engorgement, and plugged ducts.