Open Milk Channels with Breast Massage!

It is possible to breastfeed your baby comfortably, open the milk channels, increase milk production and prevent problems such as mastitis with breast massage! In this article, we have given you very useful information about breast massage.

What does breast massage do?

Breast massage has many benefits. These are very important benefits not only for you but also for your baby. breast massage;

• It provides the opening of milk channels and prevents clogging. In this respect, we can also give the name of massage for mastitis.
• Thanks to the opening in the channels, it increases milk production.
• It reduces the feeling of fullness and pain in the breasts of mothers due to breastfeeding.
• It helps speed up circulation.
• It protects the health of the breast and lymphatic systems in the breast.
• It reduces stress by stimulating the secretion of the hormone oxytocin

How to do breast massage?

Let’s start by answering the question of when to do breast massage first. You can perform breast massage before and during breastfeeding. Of course, the way these two massages are applied is different from each other. However, it is basically aimed to open the milk channels in the breast, to relax the mother and to provide the baby with maximum benefit from breast milk.

Breast massage before breastfeeding

You can facilitate the transportation of milk to your baby with milk massage to the breast before breastfeeding. Thanks to this massage, since the milk channels will be opened, the milk will reach her more easily with each sucking movement of her baby, and she will not have to force herself during breastfeeding and she will not be stressed!

The steps to massage the breast before breastfeeding are as follows;

• Grasp your chest from above and below with the palms of your hands first.
• Advance both hands from the bottom of your chest to your nipple, making light pressures.
• Repeat this process several times.
• Another movement can be done using the fingertips.
• Again, grasp your chest with your hands and apply light pressure to each area of ​​the breast by making circular movements on your fingertips.
• If you want your hand and fingers to move more easily, you can apply a vegetable oil. You can also prevent the formation of cracks with oils such as almond oil and centaury oil.
• Both of these massages are also known as mastitis massage. Because the milk ducts are open prevents the formation of mastitis.

Breast massage during breastfeeding

Breast massage during breastfeeding makes it easier for babies with weak suction power to benefit from breast milk.

• For this massage, you need to carefully observe your baby during breastfeeding. Babies with weak suction power may suddenly stop sucking during breastfeeding and may fall asleep at the breast.
• While the baby is doing one of these two movements while suckling, you can make circular movements with your fingertips on the part of your breast close to the armpit without separating him from the breast, or you can rub your fingertips together up and down.
• With this movement, the milk will fill the baby’s mouth and the baby will continue sucking from where it left off. At the same time, since the flow accelerates, your baby will not need to spend extra power.

What you need to know about breast massage

• You can do the massage whenever you want. It’s up to you to set the frequency.
• If you feel pain or tenderness, you can pause the massage.
• Using natural oils can create a better experience as it will increase lubricity.