when do your boobs start feeling 'normal' again??

[girlsyearapart]

hi dd3 is 2 wks 1 day old now.

I am mix feeding so she has maybe 3-4 bfs a day and 3 bottles.

My milk has come in and she latches well but my boobs are sore. Not hot spots but general sort of aching and tingling- even when I go outside and the wind blows on them..

Tell me this goes away soon?? Need to wear a bra 24/7 and is uncomfortable to towel dry boob area. Surely if people continue bfing for months/years this can't last??

I want to start running again in a few weeks and couldn't contemplate it at the moment.

Thanks

It takes a different amount of time with different people. With my firs I was sore a lot longer. I enjoyed it a lot more the second time round. Did you bf the other 2 dd's? If so, it should all get better a lot quicker. If it's your first time it can take a month or two to get to the point of not needing breastpads etc. As for running, I would go just after giving a feed - and maybe expressing the other 'boob' as they will be heavy if they haven't been fed on for some time.

Good luck with bf. It really is a wonderful feeling when it's all going well, and well worth sticking with it till you get there.

thanks merry didn't do v well with the other two. 10 days of ebf with dd1 miserable for all concerned, around same with dd2 but mix feeding and stopped as blood transfusion after birth made me feel awful.

Going so much better this time I'm determined to keep it up!

Have relapsing remitting M.S with highest chance of relapse being after birth so need to mix feed to make sure I get a rest and that dh can give her a bottle and if I need medication/hospital I dont leave him with a baby who'll only take breast!

How's it going? Hopefully is ok.

Do hope it goes well for you...and that it's enjoyable. I find it so satisfying and made me feel productive (did it 18 months this time round, cos it's the last time!). I have CFS/ ME so it was lovely to do something relatively 'easy' (after the first few months) which also made me feel very good about myself.

thanks. Going ok but bit disheartened when she feeds for ages then doesn't settle afterwards like she does after formula.

still am enjoying it and so is she which is the main thing. especially the early morning feed in bed when everyone else is asleep feels very special

girlsyearapart - totally understand your reasons for mixed feeding, but at the moment it sounds like your breasts feel full and heavy not just because it is early days (which it is) but because they are still producing more than is needed....this won't last for much longer, and you will find that breastmilk production winds down and reduces. The upside is your breasts will feel more comfortable; the downside is you are likely to have to give more bottles and so breastfeeding will be replaced with bottles.

The time this takes varies for individual women, but long-term mixed feeding is not usually possible when it's 50-50 breast/formula from early on. But you may manage to continue with the 'best' feeds (eg the snuggly early morning one :)) for a little while yet :)

how long do you reckon we can mix feed for then tiktok?

Determined to tick the bf box on the 6/8 wk check form..

Do you think she isn't settling after bf as milk is reducing then?

Argh so confused about the whole thing!

Sorry, girlsyearapart - accurate predictions not my forte :)

Breastfeeding which is no more than 3/4 times in 24 hours from the early days typically lasts weeks rather than months, though (and for some people, it lasts days rather than weeks). It's not just a question of amounts of milk, though - perception and confidence play a part, too.

Babies tend to settle for longer after a formula feed because i) the milk takes longer to digest ii) they may take more in volume as they are less 'in control' of volume than they are when bf.

Those are the most likely reasons for the difference in her settling at this early stage.

Thanks. Know you are something of a bf guru in these parts so appreciate time you've taken to reply

It's not the amount of time between feeds that was bothering me, more that she doesn't seem to be full straight after a feed no matter how long I feed for..

Oh well onwards and upwards will keep trying.

girlsyearapart - if she is not satisfied or happy 'straight after a feed' maybe she just wants to stay longer at the breast....or to take a short break and come to the breast again.

It's actually not that easy for any breastfeeding mother to pinpoint the moment which you'd describe as 'straight after a feed'...what makes you know it is 'straight after'? :)

Took me three weeks (until she was out of hospital and I stopped expressing, so I guess it may well be sooner than that if you don't have to express every few hours).

Good luck.

tiktok by straight after I mean once she has fed, rested, fed, rested repeat for over an hour..feel very disheartened that we can feed for that long with seemingly little result. She does generally settle for longer after the morning feed though.

loopy thankyou, I'm starting to feel more comfortable now. no more bra wearing at night at least