What is breast engorgement?
Breast engorgement is a condition where your breasts get very swollen and painful from having too much milk inside. This may happen in your breasts, your areolas, or both places. Your breasts may also feel lumpy, hard, and warm, and you may have a fever. Mothers who gave birth for the first time have an increased risk for having this condition. Breast engorgement usually happens 3 to 7 days after giving birth when your regular milk comes in. You can also get engorged if you are not breastfeeding often enough or your baby does not suckle well. Your breasts do not completely empty and milk may build up inside causing engorgement. Breast engorgement also happens when milk does not come out of your breasts well enough. Plugged milk ducts can block the flow of milk out to your nipples and cause your breasts to swell. How do breasts make milk? • Your breasts change during pregnancy to prepare for making milk. Your breasts contain milk glands and milk ducts that increase in number, causing yo
