Lactation Aid and Soothing Garment

Abstract

A lactation aid and soothing garment suspends thermal management pads near the surface of a patient's breasts by means of an adjustable-length neck band passing behind the patient's neck. The thermal management pads contain a heat-absorbing material that can be heated or cooled, for example in a microwave oven or a refrigerator, to apply heat or cold therapy to the breasts. Some embodiments comprise separable nipple soothers that can be heated or cooled to a different temperature so that the nipples can receive different temperature therapy than the bulk of the breast. Some embodiments facilitate the use of a mechanical breast pump while the thermal therapy is underway. Features of an embodiment allow a patient to wear the garment in a variety of ways in addition to around the neck (e.g., around the waist).

I claim: 
     
         1 . A therapeutic breast garment comprising:
 two thermal management pads, each such pad constructed of materials having an effective thermal mass and each finished with at least one soft, compliant outer surface;   a flexible, elongated neck band configured to join the two thermal management pads together so that one thermal management pad is located near each end of the neck band; and   an attachment mechanism to hold the two thermal management pads relatively close to one another, such that the soft, compliant outer surfaces thereof face in one common direction.   
     
     
         2 . The therapeutic breast garment of  claim 1  wherein a distance between the thermal management pads is adjustable in a direction parallel to a long axis of the neck band. 
     
     
         3 . The therapeutic breast garment of  claim 1  wherein each thermal management pad contains a natural grain. 
     
     
         4 . The therapeutic breast garment of  claim 1  wherein each thermal management pad contains granules of an inorganic-material. 
     
     
         5 . The therapeutic breast garment of  claim 1  wherein at least one thermal management pad is to be attached to the neck band by mating buttons and button-holes. 
     
     
         6 . The therapeutic breast garment of  claim 1  wherein each thermal management pad comprises a thermal management pad cover and a removable thermal management pad insert. 
     
     
         7 . The therapeutic breast garment of  claim 1  wherein the flexible, elongated neck band comprises a third thermal management pad. 
     
     
         8 . A therapeutic breast garment comprising:
 two thermal management pads, each pad comprising a fabric container holding an effective quantity of heat-absorbing material;   two thermal management pad covers, each cover comprising a fabric container sized to enclose one thermal management pad, each cover having an opening through which the enclosed thermal management pad may be inserted and removed, and each opening secured by a button and a button-hole;   an elongated neck band having a plurality of button-holes at each end thereof, a width of said neck band being similar to a width of the thermal management pad cover openings, and said neck band button-holes positioned to accept buttons of a thermal management pad cover button; and   one of a strap, a buckle, a snap, a button, or a hook-and-loop fastener positioned to secure one side of a first thermal management pad cover to another side of a second thermal management pad cover.   
     
     
         9 . The therapeutic breast garment of  claim 8  wherein each thermal management pad is quilted to restrict movement of the effective quantity of heat-absorbing material contained therein. 
     
     
         10 . The therapeutic breast garment of  claim 8  wherein each thermal management pad is contoured to conform more closely to a breast shape. 
     
     
         11 . The therapeutic breast garment of  claim 8  wherein each thermal management pad comprises a section of a loop side of hook-and-loop fabric, the breast garment further comprising:
 two disc-shaped nipple soothers, each nipple soother containing a quantity of heat absorbing material and each nipple soother secured to a section of a hook side of hook-and-loop fabric, so that each nipple soother may be removably affixed to a corresponding one of the two thermal management pads. 
 
     
     
         12 . The therapeutic breast garment of  claim 8  wherein each thermal management pad comprises a strap that is permanently connected on one end and detachably connected on another end. 
     
     
         13 . A therapeutic breast garment comprising:
 two partially-annular thermal management pads having an outer diameter, an inner diameter and an expandable gap, said inner diameter and expandable gap in an expanded state large enough to accommodate a funnel of a breast pump and said inner diameter and expandable gap in an unexpanded state large enough to accommodate a neck of the funnel of the breast pump but not large enough to accommodate the funnel of the breast pump;   a flexible, elongated neck band joining the two partially-annular thermal management pads;   a length-adjustment mechanism to alter a distance between the two partially-annular thermal management pads in a long direction of the neck band so that the partially-annular thermal management pads can be positioned on a patient with a first inner diameter of a first of the two partially-annular thermal management pads located near a nipple of a left breast of the patient and a second inner diameter of a second of the two partially-annular thermal management pads located near a nipple of a right breast of the patient, the flexible elongated neck band passing behind a neck of the patient; and   a belt to pass around a back of the patient from the first partially-annular thermal management pad to the second partially-annular thermal management pad to hold the partially-annular thermal management pads against the breasts of the patient.   
     
     
         14 . The therapeutic breast garment of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a privacy gown configured to be secured to cover both of the partially-annular thermal management pads.   
     
     
         15 . The therapeutic breast garment of  claim 13  wherein each partially-annular thermal management pad comprises:
 a partially-annular thermal management pad insert containing an effective quantity of a heat-absorbing material, said pad insert having quilting to prevent free movement of the heat-absorbing material within the pad insert; and 
 a partially-annular thermal management pad cover to contain the partially-annular thermal management pad insert, said thermal management pad cover having an opening to admit the thermal management pad insert, and said opening to be closed with a button and button-hole closure.