Hi All!
Well, I simply couldn't stand it anymore, so have jumped back on to Lactnet!
Ahhhh, wonderful withdrawal relief...

About this subject that I have stumbled into the middle of, the heat vs
cold, I have a very simple thought as to why the heat is recommended as a
"before nursing/pumping", and since I don't know if it has been mentioned, I
will just hope that it hasn;t been mentioned.
OK, my thought is that cold brings on constriction, right?  Great for
swelling, etc.  BUT, which is more relaxing (for the majority of us), heat
or ice? (anyone for a nice ice bath???)  I, for one, cannot relax with ice
on any part of my body.  But, give me some heat/warmth, and I can relax
quite nicely.  I have found that with clients who are dealing with
engorgement, that the warmth before nursing/pumping tends to help them relax
so that they can get a letdown of milk for the pump or baby.  Then the
ice/cold afterward seems to really help the tissues reduce more because the
breast is not so full of milk.  Now, I don't know if the tissues shrink more
because the breast is less full, or if it is just a perceptual thing with
the moms I have worked with, but that has been what they have told me.  I
tell my clients the warmth is for relaxation and that it has an added bonus
of seeming to help the milk flow easier, and they believe this...when they
believe, it happens...and that the cold/ice is to reduce the swelling.  Of
course I give them all the info they need to avoid severe engorgement in the
first place, and rarely, if I have talked to the mom prior to birth, does
she experience severe engorgement, or even need to do heat/cold compresses.

Just my thoughts and ramblings...

Glad to be back!

Jay
Jay Simpson, CLE
Sacramento (State Capital), California, West Coast, USA
"No Miracles performed here, just a lot of love and hard work."