To make it easier for mothers to breastfeed, new gadgets and accessories are constantly being invented. The trend of 2022 is heated breast massager. They prepare the glands for feeding and pumping, facilitate the fight against lactostasis, help with seals and bumps, and are used to prevent such dangerous complications as mastitis.
What is a heated breast massager and why is it needed?
Such a device is used when breast massage is recommended. It can be difficult to manually stretch the glands on your own so as not to damage the tissues. No need to listen to the advice of midwives who insist on hard straining. All this not only does not benefit lactation but also harms women's health.
Unlike manual massage, the hardware procedure does not injure the mammary glands. It does not harm the health of a nursing mother. Even inept movements with a massager do not lead to such dangerous consequences as manual straining.
The massager vibrates easily, increasing blood circulation and lymph outflow at the site of impact. Breast massagers are great helpers for experienced women with mature lactation and young mothers who are just starting to feed their babies.
Indications for using the massager:
Breast engorgement: Usually, in women, a few days after childbirth, the glands are much engorged. Colostrum changes to milk and is supplied in large volumes. It is good if the baby can grab the nipple and empty the breast.
But sometimes the mammary glands swell so much that the baby cannot cling to the stretched areola. The vibration massager accelerates the outflow of lymph. Already after the first massage, the mother notices that the swelling is gone. The nipple and the area around it soften, and the baby may trap the areola.
Laktostasis Treatment with heated breast massager
Seals in the mammary gland appear due to blockage of the milk duct. The milk accumulates and cannot come out. In this case, midwives and doctors of the Soviet school often recommend decanting. This is very painful and almost always leads to health problems in the future.
The heated breast massager causes the outflow of lymph. During the massage, the ducts expand, the milk comes out more easily, and the bump dissolves.
Preparing for pumping:
During suckling, the baby stimulates the nipple, and milk is easily evacuated from the breast. When expressing, there is no such stimulation, so it is often difficult for women to express a large volume. To increase the outflow of milk, you can take a warm shower. Heat contributes to the expansion of the milk duct, and the vibrating massager enhances this effect and improves the evacuation of milk.
Preparing for feeding:
Often, mothers, especially during a growth spurt in a baby, are faced with a lack of milk. This condition is called a lactation crisis. At this time, many people think that the child needs supplementary feeding. But the introduction of the mixture into the diet of the baby only exacerbates the situation. Giving an extra serving of food from a bottle is easy.
But it is better to work with your breasts. A heated breast massager stimulates the nipple and causes a rush of milk. Frequent application, in turn, tells the body that the baby needs more. In a few days, the mother will notice that her milk has increased, and the baby is satisfied with the work done.
Nursing mothers can do breast massages without any indications. Momcozy breast massager has a positive effect on lactation, helps to cope with difficulties, and facilitates breastfeeding. Vibrating impulses have a good effect on the skin.
How to choose a heated breast massager?
Manufacturers of vibratory massagers offer different devices. They differ in type, a number of modes, additional functions, and cost. When buying a device, you need to pay attention to such details:
Vibration mode: Massagers with one mode are cheaper. More often, women buy devices with 2-3 vibration modes. There are massagers with a large number of functions.
Appearance and form: Small portable massagers are convenient. You can take them with you. There are three-dimensional systems that are superimposed on the entire surface of the chest.
Many devices of this action are positioned as a means for breast enlargement and tightening.
Five ways to use the lactation massager
Slightly pressing on the chest with a narrow edge, move the massager towards the nipple. This technique puts forward pressure on the milk ducts and pushes the milk forward, helping to empty the breast more efficiently.
Use the narrow edge to reach the deepest areas. The rounded shape is great for developing knots and blocked breast ducts.
The bucket-shaped side edge of the heated breast massager helps to move the milk along the ducts. The bucket side edge is also suitable for reaching under the bust areas.
Using a wide edge helps push the hindmilk forward and helps remove the lump faster mammary glands, arising from the overflowing of the breast with milk.
Place the massager in the bra with the narrow tip down before feeding the baby. This will stimulate milk production and its movement through the ducts. If you are expressing milk with a breast pump, you can press the narrow vibrating edge of the massager against the suction cup of the breast pump to increase the area of vibration.
Place the massager in the bra with the control buttons up and rock it from side to side. Applying pressure and compression techniques will help you better empty your breasts when you feed or pump.
Instructions for use of the heated massager for lactostasis
Take a warm shower, pouring water over the mammary gland. Attention! Warming the mammary gland is specifically not recommended.
Turn on the heated breast massager in the mode of pulsating vibration and attach the narrow part to the place of stagnation during feeding or pumping the mammary gland.
After emptying the mammary gland, switch the lactation massager to constant vibration mode and perform lymphatic drainage massage in the direction from the areola to the lymph nodes (axillary and subclavian) for at least 7-10 minutes.
How to use a heated breast massager?
Massage of the breast is performed without pain, with gentle movements. If discomfort occurs, it is necessary to lower the vibration mode and reduce the pressure. Massage is done from the base of the breast to the nipple or locally. For the prevention of breast problems during lactation, Mommy Know Best can be used several times a month or on days when there is free time.
You can put the heated breast massager in a bra and do household chores while the device improves the functioning of the mammary glands.
- To stimulate blood circulation, the correct and uniform outflow of milk, massager with a wide base with light pressure movements leads from the base of the mammary gland to the nipple.
- To ensure good blood circulation and prevent the formation of stretch marks in the lower lobe, massage this area of \u200b\u200bthe chest with comfortable pressure movements. This is where seals most often appear. To prevent milk stagnation, attach a massager with a wide base to the lower part of the mammary gland.
- For deep penetration to the ducts, massage is performed with a narrow spout of a lactomassager. The movements are progressive, from the base of the breast to the nipple. The narrow base of the massager “works out” the deep ducts well and prevents stagnation in the deep tissues of the mammary gland.
- The wide base of the massager is used as a "spoon", it collects milk along the entire duct and stimulates the exit to the nipple. A wide base with a slight pressure leads from the base of the chest to the center; the movements are repeated along the entire circumference.
- The narrow part of the lactomassager will help to cope with the stagnation of milk and lumps. Vibration gently and safely “crushes” milk accumulations in the ducts and stimulates painless excretion to the nipple.
You can experiment with the methods of using a heated breast massager. Different vibration techniques and the position of the device on the chest allow every nursing woman to use the massager effectively. Safety and convenience allow you to use the device right while feeding your baby.
Contraindications
A heated breast massager can be used by women of any age at all stages of lactation and even after breastfeeding (to restore and maintain breast elasticity).
Contraindications for use:
- acute infections of the soft tissues of the breast;
- open wounds;
- pronounced mastitis;
- exacerbation of intercostal neuralgia;
- rash of unknown origin;
- Increase in body temperature.
How to do breast massages?
Breast massage with a vibrating massager is hard to do wrong. The nipple area and part of the skin around it are usually treated. But if there is a problem, then you need to pay attention to special areas.
- When engorged, massage the skin around the nipple with soft circular motions. After that, a massage is performed in the direction from the nipple to the armpits to drain the lymph. If the massage is done correctly, then with slight pressure on the skin around the nipple, milk is released from it.
- With lactostasis and stagnation of milk in the ducts, local massage is performed at the site of compaction. After that, movements are made from the bump to the nipple to facilitate the evacuation of milk.
- In preparation for feeding and pumping, the breasts are massaged in a circular motion. Pay special attention to the skin around the nipple.
During the massage, a woman should not have discomfort and pain.
What Not to Do during heated breast massage?
During the massage, you cannot:
- Press hard on the chest so as not to injure soft tissues;
- massage the lymph nodes;
- endure pain and discomfort;
- massage damaged breast skin, cracked nipples;
- Use creams and oils for a massage that will be harmful to the baby if swallowed.
