72 hours after delivery, a bottle-feeding mother reports both breasts are swollen, warm, and tender. Which instruction should the nurse give?

72 hours after delivery, a bottle-feeding mother reports both breasts are swollen, warm, and tender. Which instruction should the nurse give?

• A. Apply ice to the breasts
• B. Wear a loose-fitting bra
• C. Run warm water on the breasts during a shower
• D. Express small amounts of milk from the breasts

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how to relieve breast engorgement in a mother who is bottle-feeding. At about 72 hours postpartum, milk coming in can make the breasts full, firm, warm, and tender. For a mother who is not planning to breastfeed, the goal is to reduce fullness and discomfort without stimulating more milk production. Applying ice to the breasts is the best initial approach because cold therapy decreases swelling and numbness for pain, and it helps constrict blood vessels, which reduces the engorgement and tenderness. This aligns with suppressing lactation since it avoids stimulating additional milk flow. Running warm water would increase blood flow and worsen engorgement, so it’s not appropriate here. Expressing small amounts of milk would further stimulate lactation and prolong engorgement, making it less effective for a bottle-feeding mother. A loose-fitting bra provides supportive comfort and can help, but the most effective measure to relieve symptoms in this scenario is cold therapy. If redness, fever, or breast warmth spreads, that could signal mastitis and would require medical evaluation.

The main idea is how to relieve breast engorgement in a mother who is bottle-feeding. At about 72 hours postpartum, milk coming in can make the breasts full, firm, warm, and tender. For a mother who is not planning to breastfeed, the goal is to reduce fullness and discomfort without stimulating more milk production.

Applying ice to the breasts is the best initial approach because cold therapy decreases swelling and numbness for pain, and it helps constrict blood vessels, which reduces the engorgement and tenderness. This aligns with suppressing lactation since it avoids stimulating additional milk flow.

Running warm water would increase blood flow and worsen engorgement, so it’s not appropriate here. Expressing small amounts of milk would further stimulate lactation and prolong engorgement, making it less effective for a bottle-feeding mother. A loose-fitting bra provides supportive comfort and can help, but the most effective measure to relieve symptoms in this scenario is cold therapy. If redness, fever, or breast warmth spreads, that could signal mastitis and would require medical evaluation.