A lactation aid and soothing garment suspends thermal management pads near the surface of a patients breasts by means of an adjustable-length neck band passing behind the patients 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).
