Free Web NovelChapter 513: Chapter 513: A Special Technique
When Li Xu first acquired the intelligence system, it had already provided him with the relevant information.
He had even bought a special silicone model for it, secretly practicing his massage techniques after the clinic closed.
However, he usually treated patients primarily with medicinal formulas. On top of that, very few patients would proactively seek out a male doctor for such a private gynecological issue. As a result, this skill had been left to collect dust, and he had almost forgotten he even possessed such a unique talent.
Generally speaking, traditional lactation induction primarily involves performing Massage on the breasts to clear the mammary ducts and drain accumulated milk. This prevents milk stasis and helps avoid acute mastitis.
This physical therapy is indeed remarkably effective.
However, it also has two distinct drawbacks.
First, it’s expensive.
For the average family, this is no small expense.
Second, it’s awkward.
Massage on such a private area is awkward enough. Forget a male doctor—even when an unfamiliar female lactation specialist performs it, many new mothers feel uncomfortable or even resistant.
This emotional stress, in turn, inhibits prolactin secretion and negatively affects the outcome.
But Li Xu was different.
Among the information he possessed was an exceptionally unique treatment plan: auricular acupressure for lactation.
It was an advanced technique based on holographic meridian theory that didn’t require any contact with private areas. Simply stimulating specific acupoints on the ear could achieve, or even surpass, the effects of direct Massage.
It was practically a divine technique tailor-made for male doctors.
Thinking of this, Li Xu nodded. "Yes, I can help with lactation. Chinese Medicine Massage is particularly effective for low milk supply caused by milk stasis or poor circulation of qi and blood."
As there were no other patients in the clinic at that moment, he beckoned to the young mother. "Follow me to the examination room."
Just as he stood up, someone tugged on his sleeve.
Song Sisi pulled him aside and whispered, "Li Xu, about this... Why don’t you teach me, and I can treat her? After all, you’re a man. It’s not exactly... appropriate..."
She wanted to help Li Xu, but of course, there was also a hint of a woman’s jealousy in her heart.
Seeing her ’guarding her food,’ Li Xu couldn’t help but smile. He gave her palm a gentle squeeze. "Silly girl, what’s going through your head? It’s not what you think."
"I have a unique technique that avoids any impropriety. There’s no need for direct contact with the affected area. You can watch from the side and learn."
Inside the examination room, Li Xu didn’t rush to begin.
Chinese medicine emphasizes diagnosis and treatment based on pattern differentiation. You can’t just start randomly pressing points for lactation induction.
"First, hold out your hand. I’m going to take your pulse."
Li Xu gestured for the patient to sit down.
Resting his fingers on her wrist, Li Xu carefully read her pulse.
The pulse was thready and weak, a sign of qi and blood deficiency.
But it was also somewhat wiry and tight, indicating liver qi stagnation.
Combined with the patient’s chief complaint, Li Xu had a clear picture of the situation.
But this was still not enough.
"Pardon me for asking, but have you always had a low milk supply, or did it decrease suddenly?"
Li Xu asked.
The patient sighed, her face etched with worry. "Sigh... Doctor Li, to be honest, I’m a dancer. Between all the training and dieting, people called me ’the airport’ when I was a kid. I was still an A-cup in college... I’ve always been flat-chested."
"I was hoping pregnancy and childbirth would be a chance for a ’second puberty,’ but... after having the baby, they’re still just as small. I don’t have nearly enough milk, and my baby just WAILS with hunger. Now I have to supplement with formula. I’m just so worried."
Hearing this, Li Xu had a moment of realization.
’So she was worried the ’containers’ were too small to hold enough milk.’
He couldn’t help but smile and said, "Ma’am, you’ve mixed up your concepts. What you have shouldn’t be called being flat-chested; it’s ’low milk supply,’ also known as hypogalactia. It’s a completely different issue from breast size."
The patient looked puzzled. "Aren’t they the same thing? Those mothers who are... well-endowed... their chests are so big, they must hold a lot of milk. Mine are so small. How could they possibly hold enough?"
This is actually a common misconception.
Li Xu shook his head and patiently explained:
"Breast size and milk quantity don’t actually have a direct, proportional relationship!"
"First, you need to understand something. Breast size is determined mainly by fatty tissue and glandular tissue. To be more precise, the visible size is primarily determined by the amount of fatty tissue!"
"In other words, larger breasts might just have more fat, while smaller breasts have less. But that has nothing to do with milk production."
"Milk secretion depends on the glandular tissue—the ’factories’ that produce milk—as well as their quantity, quality, and the patency of the mammary ducts."
"And in this respect, whether a woman has larger or smaller breasts, the number of mammary glands is actually quite similar."
"There’s no fundamental difference between them in terms of glandular structure or nerve distribution."
"It’s like comparing a large warehouse and a small one. As long as they have the same number of machines inside and the production lines run at the same speed, they’ll produce the same amount of goods. The large warehouse just has more filler material stacked inside."
After listening to all this, the patient’s eyes widened as if a whole new world had been opened to her. "Really? Then... then why is my supply so low?"
Li Xu smiled and explained, "Milk supply is primarily related to the level of prolactin secreted by the pituitary gland and the stimulation from the newborn’s suckling during feeding. Of course, the mother’s nutrition, sleep, emotional state, and overall health are also closely linked."
"In fact, clinically, we often see some mothers with smaller breasts whose milk ducts are shorter and straighter, making milk ejection even smoother. Their milk volume can be even higher than many well-endowed mothers. They’re practically ’dairy cows’!"
"So you see, you’ve been mistaken. Don’t put so much psychological pressure on yourself."
Hearing Li Xu’s professional explanation, the patient let out a long sigh of relief. Much of the anxiety on her face faded away.
Meanwhile, Song Sisi, who was standing to the side, quietly glanced down at her own chest.
Her figure was well-proportioned; she wasn’t what you would call the voluptuous type.
She had occasionally worried that if she had a baby in the future, she might not be able to produce enough milk, and the baby would go hungry.
Now, after hearing Li Xu’s explanation, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, secretly overjoyed. ’Thank goodness, thank goodness. It doesn’t make a difference. I won’t have to worry about that in the future.’
"Then, Doctor Li, if I’m not ’missing any parts,’ why don’t I have any milk?"
The patient pressed on.
"That goes back to what I just said: qi and blood deficiency, combined with liver qi stagnation."
"Your problem isn’t with your breasts, but with ’blockage’ and ’deficiency.’ Now, I’m going to use a special method to help clear the way for you."
"Doctor Li, shall we start then?"
The mother was eager to begin.
Li Xu nodded, put on a pair of disposable medical gloves, and said, "Please take off your top and lie down on the treatment bed. I need to perform a palpation first to confirm the exact location and severity of the milk stasis. Then we can proceed with a targeted treatment to clear it."
The mother did as she was told. With a hint of shyness, she unbuttoned her top and lay down.
Li Xu’s expression was calm, his gaze focused.
