Editing Breast engorgement (section)

== Treatment ==

The mother must remove the breast milk. If the baby can attach well and suckle, then she should breastfeed as frequently as the baby is willing. If the baby is not able to attach and suckle effectively, she should express her milk by hand or with a pump a few times until the breasts are softer, so that the baby can attach better,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Warning Signs of Breastfeeding Problems|url=https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/pages/Warning-Signs-of-Breastfeeding-Problems.aspx|access-date=2020-10-29|website=HealthyChildren.org}}</ref> and then get them to breastfeed frequently.
She can apply warm compresses to the breast or take a warm shower before expressing, which helps the milk to flow. She can use cold compresses after feeding or expressing, which helps to reduce the oedema.
Engorgement occurs less often in baby-friendly hospitals which practise the Ten Steps and which help mothers to start breastfeeding soon after delivery.<ref name = ncbi1 />

Regular breastfeeding can and should be continued.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Zakarija-Grkovic|first1=Irena|last2=Stewart|first2=Fiona|date=18 September 2020|title=Treatments for breast engorgement during lactation|journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|volume=2020|issue=9 |pages=CD006946|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD006946.pub4|issn=1469-493X|pmid=32944940|pmc=8094412}}</ref> Medical methods of treating engorged breasts are proteolytic enzymes such as serrapeptase, protease, and subcutaneous oxytocin. Cabbage leaves are often cited as a possible treatment but studies have found they provide "no overall benefit" on breast engorgement.<ref name=":0" /> Evidence from published clinical trials on the effectiveness of treatment options is of weak quality and is not strong enough to justify a clinical recommendation.<ref name=":0" />