Using heat to help your milk move is one of my favorite tricks in the toolbox of ways to make breastfeeding work for you! The idea with this intervention is to help empty your breasts more effectively and comfortably because you are engorged or struggling with a clog. Warm breasts are easier to comfortably express milk with both with nursing and pumping. As long as you take precautions with heating to make sure things are not too warm and risking a burn, this intervention is safe and easy to do from the comfort of your home.

When it homes to using heat to help you empty your breasts, we have options from low tech/low cost to high tech/higher cost, depending on your needs and preferences.

A sock filled with rice and warmed in the microwave

This is about the most basic and low tech/low cost way to use heat we have available. You can fill a clean tube sock with rice, and pop it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds at a time, flipping it and carefully watching for overheating until you have a warm pack to place against your breast. Don’t overfill the sock, we want it to stay flexible and easily manipulated to curve it around your breast. This can be extremely helpful for people with larger breasts, or breasts that may be longer and flatter, as we can truly customize how the sock is used to best target all of the breast tissue.

A heating pad designed for the neck and shoulders

This particular style of heating pad allows you to closely wrap the heating pad around traditional pump flanges to keep the breasts heated during pumping. Combining heat with an appropriately sized breast pump flange can help to effectively promote full drainage of the breasts. If you are battling clogged ducts and mastitis, this can be an easy way to maintain the heat and help clear your breasts to prevent further problems. The downside is this requires an outlet and is not super portable.

Breastfeeding Hot/Cold Packs

Breastfeeding Hot and Cold Packs are a great way to address engorgement and clogged ducts with one product! Use heat before pumping to help the milk flow more easily. Use heat during pumping when snapped around traditional flanges for a more efficient and comfortable pumping session. Use cooled after pumping to address inflammation and irritation.

Frida Mom Instant Heat Packs are an awesome option for those without easy access to a microwave to heat a traditional hot pack and can be reused several times.

Bamboobies heat packs are filled with flax seed versus the gel of the Lansinoh packs, and may be able to maintain heat longer, but they cannot be used while pumping.

LaVie Warming Massagers

LaVie warming Massagers have been a game changing product for pumping parents. These massagers are shaped to hug the breast and allow use while pumping with traditional pumps or wearable pumps. They can be used for heat alone, massage alone, or a combination of heat and massage. They are rechargeable and seem to last about 1.5-2 hours per charge in my experience. This is about long enough to handle a work day for the average pumping parent, and they recharge quickly.

Precautions when Using Heat

Your breasts are very sensitive, and you need to be mindful when using heat on your breast! Always check your hot packs before applying for safe temperatures, and do not use heat for sustained periods of time. If you feel overly warm, take a break from the heat to prevent injury.

If you are still struggling after using heat, perhaps you need a different intervention! This is where skilled lactation care comes in. Book a consultation today to get the help you need!

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