in desperate need of advice (again)

[stripeyZ]

I posted on monday about two week old DS & breast pain and i had developed mastitis. i'm now on antibiotics and been advised to feed & ensure the breast is empty, which i had been doing with the aid of a pump.

Turns out the pump has been making things worse as my nipple is too swollen & doesn't fit the shield. I read this could led to blocked ducts and cause mastitis so stopped using it at 3am this morning. To cut a long story short, medela shields don't appear to be available in the shops so i'm waiting for an online delivery of a larger one tomorrow.

In the meantime i am hand expressing but have no clue what i am doing. I have been lying in a warm bath & giving it a go after feeding. Milk is coming out and i am massaging from with two fingers from the chest wall to the nipple at either side of the breast.

My questions are:

Is this method ok?
Does the breast ever really empty? (read somewhere that it didn't)
Can i cause more damage by doing this for too long/hard?
Should you rotate where you massage or concentrate on the area where you get a milk flow?
Is there anything else i could be doing that would make this any better?

It's taking ages & i'm never reaching the point of no milk so feel like i must be doing it wrong. Any advice would be really appreciated as i'm feeling pretty stressed.

As I understand it (I'm no expert!), when people say 'empty' it isn't ever completely empty because breastmilk is continuously produced - they mean the reserves of breastmilk are well-drained. When I express, it starts off sort of spraying and then slows to a steady drip after a while. But I don't think it would ever get nothing.

I looked on youtube at videos of hand expressing to check how to do it effectively - this may help you.

Here is a good video that shows how to hand express.

She holds her breast in a C shape and does rotate it to ensure all the ducts are 'emptied'.

You're right though, the breasts are never completely empty. I'm assuming you're managing to feed directly from the breast and are then expressing just to make sure the breast is as 'drained' as it can be. Is that right?

Don't forget to feed as often as you can and rest as much as possible.

Hope you feel better soon.

stripey, hope you get this sorted.....it would be helpful, I think, if the HCP(s) who advised and supported you got involved and ensured you were tackling the situation safely, comfortably and effectively. No one should have to rely on the internet and a forum for this sort of thing (helpful though both can be as an adjunct to real life care).

It is so sad that a new mum, barely 2 weeks postnatal, is having to struggle like this :(

Get your midwife/HV involved - phone them tomorrow and say how difficult this is.

And yes - the breast cannot ever truly empty. Any of the bf helplines would give you good info, too.

Yes i am feeding him solely on that side & expressing on the other. Bloody hurts though. The video was really useful, thank you, and is pretty much what i have been doing. DS is feeding for 30-40 mins ish and emptying it i think. If anything i have been over doing it and so will stop now.

tiktok - your post made my cry (for about the 100th time today). I agree it's pretty sorry state of affairs. My GP is useless & advised cabbage leaves despite a temp of 40 with paracetamol. They eventually prescribed the wrong antibiotics & my midwives stepped in but have now discharged me. HV is due for her first visit on Friday. I may call tomorrow but she sounded pretty clueless. All the HCP advice has been pretty wishy washy and i am making it up as i go along. I intended to go to breastfeeding meetings once i felt recovered from the birth then this happened but am hoping to make the next one on friday.

No wonder people give up feeding and end up with PND. This experience really has been awful.