A Comparative Study to Assess the Effectiveness of the Reverse Pressure Softening Technique and Lukewarm Water Compression in Alleviating Breast Engorgement and Supporting Breastfeeding Among Postnatal Mothers.

BACKGROUND: Breast engorgement is a frequent postpartum condition that can greatly impair breastfeeding success and maternal comfort. Timely and evidence-based therapies are critical to effectively relieving these symptoms and promoting optimum breastfeeding. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of reverse pressure softening (RPS) and lukewarm water compression (LWC) in reducing breast engorgement and promoting breastfeeding in postnatal mothers. METHODS: A randomized experiment including 60 postnatal mothers was carried out at a tertiary care facility in Tamil Nadu, India. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: LWC (n = 30) or RPS (n = 30). Breast engorgement was measured using the Six-Point Engorgement Scale, and nursing performance was rated using a standardized breastfeeding assessment method. Data were analyzed before and after the intervention using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: The postintervention study showed that the RPS group had significantly lower mean engorgement scores (1.60 ± 0.81) than the LWC group (2.43 ± 1.06). Furthermore, the RPS group had significantly greater nursing success scores (30.73 ± 4.21) than the LWC group (22.20 ± 3.52). The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The study found that RPS is substantially more effective than LWC in reducing breast engorgement and increasing breastfeeding results. RPS must be incorporated into normal postnatal care protocols in order to improve maternal well-being and breastfeeding effectiveness.