The warming of tissues is a known therapeutic intervention that has the effect of increasing local blood flow and metabolism in tissues, facilitating excretion of tissue waste materials and phagocytosis, and enhancing tissue nutrition (Barret, Barman, Boitano, et al., 2010). Warm compresses placed on the breasts have long been recommended to aid the let down reflex. Kent, Geddes, Hepworth, & Hartmann (2011) found that warmed pump flanges resulted in a larger amount of available milk removal. Yigit, Cigdem, Temizsoy, Cingi, Korel, Yildirim, & Ovali, (2012) studied whether warming the breast prior to pumping would increase the volume of milk expressed from a warmed breast compared with the contralateral breast which was not warmed. Mothers placed a warm compress (40.5C/104.9F) on one breast prior to pumping with an electric breast pump. The amount of milk obtained from the warmed breasts was significantly higher than that obtained from the non-warmed breasts. Warming probably has an enhancing effect on the milk ducts or milk flow, allowing more milk to be pumped, rather than increasing actual breastmilk production
Warming up to better milk flow
