Breast massage during pregnancy

Women who expect to be replenished in the family are often recommended to do breast massage during pregnancy, which should be part of the proper breast care during this period and prepare it for the upcoming feeding of the baby.

Pregnant breast preparation for breastfeeding

But to carry out the preparation of the breast for the feeding of the pregnant woman is necessary. To do this, consultations are conducted between obstetricians who advise:

• follow the purity of the breasts, which is maintained by an ordinary shower (with baby soap), after which the breast in the first three months of pregnancy should be carefully dried with lightly soaking movements (without excessive pressure or rubbing);
• even being at home, wear a comfortable, matching breast size and non-compressive gland bra, and better - from natural material;
• in the second trimester, it is possible to carry out contrasting douche (or the same shower) followed by the use of a harder towel, with which each mammary gland is wiped in circular motions, including the juice zone. In fact, this is the self-massage of the breast;
• to soften the skin and relieve itching, which often occurs due to the dilatation of the epidermis, it is useful to lubricate the breast with olive oil of good quality, avoiding creams that often contain not very useful components;
• daily allow the breast to "breathe", that is, harden the breasts with the help of air baths.

But shortly before the birth, doctors recommend (and show how to do it correctly) to practice the nipples a little by pulling and squeezing them. But these manipulations are forbidden, if a woman underwent courses of therapy for the preservation of pregnancy.

To remove all doubts about how to do breast massage during pregnancy, contact a good midwife, and read the materials: Breast Massage and Massage during pregnancy.

Do I need breast massage for pregnancy?

This question is asked by many pregnant women, and it arises for a reason. When it comes to what massage techniques are allowed to use, it is unlikely that there is a therapeutic massage. In therapeutic massage, a clear set of techniques is used (in the form of stroking, rubbing, kneading, effleurage and vibration), which should improve the trophism of tissues in certain diseases and pathological conditions. And there are many of these - from osteochondrosis and back pain to post-traumatic syndromes and paralysis.

We want to remind you that pregnancy does not apply to diseases or pathologies ... Then what, in fact, means breast massage during the period of gestation and how to do breast massage during pregnancy?

To ensure the lactation process under the influence of estradiol, prolactin, produced by the placenta of chorionic somatomamotropin and some pituitary hormones, the mammary gland undergoes a number of morphological changes during pregnancy.

These changes (which can cause some soreness of the mammary glands) are physiological, that is, the process itself is the development of the fetus in the uterus. They occur during the entire gestation and are not included in the indications for the massage. Moreover, during the first and third trimesters, any effects on the breast of a pregnant woman are strictly forbidden. This is due not only to the development of the alveoli and ducts in the glands, but also to the special dependence of their condition on the production of hormones (besides not only sex hormones) and their release into the blood. Especially developed vegetative innervation of the nipple, and during pregnancy, nerve endings, concentrated in the nipple and its areoles, become hypersensitive.

So, for the so-called breast massage with the purpose of preparing for lactation, the main contraindications include the first and last three months of pregnancy, as well as an increased tone of the uterus (which can instantly increase from just touching the breast). To that, many women have various diffuse changes in the mammary gland, which occur without pronounced symptoms and which a woman may not even guess.

The consequences of massage and any impact on the chest during pregnancy can lead to its interruption, and at later dates - to the premature birth and the emergence of an unviable or premature baby.

During pregnancy, abdominal, lumbar, axillary and inguinal areas and internal thighs are contraindicated. Nipple massage is also contraindicated.

Nevertheless, you can stumble upon the suggestions of massage parlors to undergo a breast massage with increased sensitivity of the mammary glands during pregnancy or that striae (striped skin atrophy or stretch marks) do not appear on the breast . Pass by and do not be enamored with promises, which in most cases are impossible, and often simply absurd.

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