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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Infant feeding

Retiring a boob - help pls!

15 replies

Hobbit19 · 12/10/2018 13:59

DS has been EBF for 4 and a bit months. Loads of problems feeding on the right, pain, blocked ducts etc. He ended up vomiting blood, and in an especially delightful moment somehow sucked a blood clot out of my boob and then spat it out. Charming. (I took him to A and E btw, it was definitely my bloody not his.) Over the last 4 months he has had his tongue tie cut twice, 3 lots of massage therapy, 2 trips to the BFing specialist and lots of support from local boob groups for latch and positioning etc. Unsurprisingly, I've had enough! The constsnt pain was starting to wear on my MH and I'm not even starting down that road. So, right boob is being put out to pasture. Left boob is making a great effort to fill in and I only had to give him one feed from the freezer stash yesterday so I am hopeful that i can keep feeding. Right boob obviously absolutely ginormous and quite sore. I've been pumping as little as possible, yesterday I did 1oz 3 times. I'm applying cabbage leaves etc. It's a.bit of an odd situation trying to massively increase supply on one side while dropping feeding completely on the other. Ell dobe if you read this dar, you may have a biscuit.

Questions: Any ideas how long I will be engorged for on the right? Should I stop pumping completely and just grit my teeth for a bit? Anything else I can do for relief that won't affect supply on the right??

OP posts:

Report

Hobbit19 · 12/10/2018 14:00

Sorry for typos, trying to type and feed!

OP posts:

Lightsong · 12/10/2018 14:25

I gave up using my left side at around 4 months because my nipple was turning into a horrible, mangled mess.

The engorgement didn't last long at all for me, maybe a day or two, but maybe that's because I had been offering it less anyway (due to the agony!) rather than stopping cold turkey IYSWIM. I didn't do any pumping at all, either to relieve defunct breast or to stimulate still useful breast.

My DS was still EBF to 6 months and still BF now at 18 months so I'm sure you will manage just fine once the other side gives up completely.

CoperCabana · 12/10/2018 14:28

I fed one sided successfully for months due to cysts on the other side making it uncomfortable. I don’t remember the engorgement lasting longer than a day or two. In fact I had to suddenly stop feeding altogether with my second child due to hospitalisation and I was fine on about day 3 after a couple of very sore days!

CoperCabana · 12/10/2018 14:29

And yes I only pumped a couple of times when I had to give up completely and then just rode it out.

Hobbit19 · 12/10/2018 21:10

Oh right brilliant, thanks so much for replying. This is the end of day 3 so I'm hoping that this will be the worst bit and I'll wake up more comfortable tomorrow. It's also great to hear that you could continue feeding too.

OP posts:

Jellybabie3 · 13/10/2018 04:41

Oh OP...what a trooper....no advice but

off to find biscuits to try and eradicate image of blood clot

CoperCabana · 13/10/2018 08:58

Hope you have woken up to less discomfort this morning.

Shelley54 · 13/10/2018 12:57

No advice but bravo. I tip my hat to you. What dedication.

NotCitrus · 13/10/2018 13:13

Hopefully you will feel better soon. I never got the hang of feeding on the left side and with dc2 didn't bother after two weeks. Continued happily with the right for two years. (with dc1 I tried with the left for 5 months then used just right for another 9 months).

Hobbit19 · 13/10/2018 13:21

Cheers for the kudos lads! Yep, right boob still comically large the morning, uncomfortable but much, much less painful, huzzah! Left boob doing a cracking job of keeping up, it has essentially doubled production in 3 days. Boobs are very clever.

OP posts:

Hobbit19 · 13/10/2018 13:25

Those of you who fed from one side long term, what did you do about different sized boobs? I'm normally a 32AA but when feeding I'm more of a 32D.... so a fairly significant difference... I am more than happy to have zero boob on both sides, but not sure what to do re: bras, tops etc with just the one boob??

OP posts:

NotCitrus · 13/10/2018 13:52

Mine werent the same when feeding so it didn't make much difference! Afterwards they evened out.

ShalomJackie · 13/10/2018 14:00

I one sided 2 boys until they were 12 months each. The boob soon settled down quite quickly both times.

CoperCabana · 14/10/2018 18:45

I am a little bit lopsided anyway but I didn’t notice any more lopsided due to feeding one sided. I guess if it’s an issue, you could look at one of those things that you use for a mastectomy - think it’s called a softie? Or buy a bra with removable padding? Glad things have settled down today and well done for sticking with it!

Lightsong · 15/10/2018 12:50

Sorry to say but I am still noticeably lopsided at 18m, I am hoping it will even out when I stop feeding DS

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