Breast Engorgement

Symptoms

Symptoms of breast engorgement happen when the breasts produce and fill with milk but little milk is removed from them. Milk overfills and engorges the breasts.

If your breasts are engorged, you may notice the following:

• Breasts are swollen, firm, and painful. If severely engorged, breasts are very swollen, hard, shiny, warm, and slightly lumpy to the touch.
• Your nipple may flatten out and the dark area around the nipple, called the areola, may be very hard.
  • Your baby may have trouble latching on to a flattened, hard nipple and may not be able to get enough milk out. See a picture of proper latch-on for breast-feeding.
  • If your baby is not able to get enough milk, he or she will suck harder than usual during nursing and want to nurse more often.
  • Your nipples may become damaged by your baby's efforts to latch on well and get enough milk.
• You have a slight fever of around 38°C (100°F).
• The lymph nodes in your armpits may be slightly swollen and tender.

Complications of engorgement

If you are breast-feeding and don't relieve breast engorgement, you are likely to develop one or both of the following:

• Blocked milk duct
• Breast infection, called mastitis. (See a picture of mastitis.)

Call your doctor today if you develop signs of a breast infection (mastitis). You may first notice:

• Chills, aches, and symptoms like the flu.
• A fever of 38°C (100°F) or higher.

Later you may notice:

• A reddened, painful area of one breast. This area may be warm to the touch.
• An increased heart rate (more than 100 beats per minute).
• Thick, yellow drainage (pus) coming from the nipple.
• Swollen and tender lymph nodes in your armpit on the same side as the infected breast.

See help for blocked milk ducts and breast infection (mastitis). For more information, see the topic Mastitis While Breast-Feeding.

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Author:	Kathe Gallagher, MSW	Last Updated: July 20, 2007
Medical Review:	Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
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