After giving birth, a woman will experience a shift in hormones, causing more blood in the breasts. Two to five days postpartum the breasts will begin making more milk, causing swelling and a large amount of milk to become stored in the breasts. The breasts will be bigger, harder, tenderer and warmer. The areola will become taut and hard. Milk will not flow well and the nipple will shorten as the areola stretches, making it difficult for your baby to latch on to breastfeed. You may experience a fever that lasts less than 24 hours. Engorgement usually occurs in both breasts, and if the retained milk is not removed, milk production will stop for a time, until the milk has been removed.