Very low urgency
--
Breast engorgement is the excessive filling of the breasts with milk, causing them to swell and become hard and painful.
Breast engorgement is most common when the breasts do not empty sufficiently, either because of a scheduled feeding, when women have difficulty breastfeeding or when they are separated from their babies.
It manifests with breast swelling and soreness, cracked nipples and reduced milk supply.
There is a lack of evidence about effective forms of treatment, although cabbage leaves, cold gel compresses, herbal compresses and breast massage are the most commonly used.
- Thibaudeau S, Sinno H, Williams B. The effects of breast reduction on successful breastfeeding: a systematic review. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2010; 63:1688.
- Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 361: Breastfeeding: maternal and infant aspects. Obstet Gynecol 2007; 109:479.
- Anderson PO. Domperidone: The Forbidden Fruit. Breastfeed Med 2017; 12:258.
- Lawrence RA, Lawrence RM. Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Professions, 7th ed, Elsevier Mosby, Maryland Heights 2011. p.253.
- Meek J, Tippins S. American Academy of Pediatrics New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding, Bantam Books, 2011. p.150.
- Zakarija-Grkovic I, Stewart F. Treatments for breast engorgement during lactation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Sep 18;9:CD006946. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006946.pub4.
- Johansson M, Fenwick J, Thies-Lagergren L. Mothers' experiences of pain during breastfeeding in the early postnatal period: A short report in a Swedish context. Am J Hum Biol. 2020 May;32(3):e23363. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.23363. Epub 2019 Dec 4.
- Anderson L, Kynoch K, Kildea S, Lee N. Effectiveness of breast massage for the treatment of women with breastfeeding problems: a systematic review. JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 2019 Aug;17(8):1668-1694. doi: 10.11124/JBISRIR-2017-003932
© TeckelMedical 2026
