Calling all bf gurus!

[Pandasandmonkeys]

My DS is 10 weeks old and EBF. He feeds brilliantly and is gaining excellent weight. The problem I have is that I'm still getting engorged and extremely uncomfortable between feeds. I either feed &/or express every 3-5 hours round the clock but I'm still suffering. I remember the midwives saying that I should only be uncomfortable for a short while my supply was established, but I'm still suffering with hard, very sore and heavy boobs! Help! All advice appreciated

Do you switch sides during feeds? I'd try switching less often than you are, known as block feeding I think, and expressing only a tiny bit to make yourself comfortable. I think weaning your boobs off the expressing would be the first step, as all the expressing is going to mean more supply of milk as they think the baby's drinking that too!

I usually only express when he has my milk from a bottle so dh can feed. Except for once a day to keep the freezer stash topped up - I can easily get 5-8oz in about 15 mins from one breast.

i only ever block feed as DS won't shift of the first breast til he's done and then will very rarely want more from the other side. He's just had a good long feed from one breast after sleeping thru (a rare 6hour treat :) ) and am stil feeling full and uncomfortable.

Sorry, misread you slightly as quite early!

Block feeding would be using one side for a set length of time, so might be 2 feeds on one side then 2 on the other, and should reduce supply. I know some people have to do this from quite early but I started doing one side am and the other pm at 12m as meant didn't need to express at work and still had tonnes.

Not sure what else to suggest but I'm sure others will come along soon!

Thank you, I had the wrong end of the stick with why block feeding was

Could you express and donate to your local hospital milk bank?

I didn't explain well! Much better info on it if you look online, kellymom is a fab site and probably has info on oversupply.

I had considered donating to a milk bank but there isn't one local to me

I agree with the block feeding suggestion. I know several people that had oversupply issues in the first few months.

If you are expressing a lot of milk quickly, then I would suggest expressing for just a couple of minutes from each side at the end of a feed. Too much pumping is possibly contributing to your oversupply.

Also, do you demand feed and look for your baby's hunger cues before the crying? Or do you feed to a schedule?

I always feed on demand and about 7-8 feeds in 24 hours

He rarely cries before a feed, except during the night when he cries to wake me. He'l usually be sucking his hands, get very restless and root around before crying to show me he's hungry

Nope, no gina ford here! I feed him when he seems hungry. Sometimes that's every 2 hours, sometimes every 4/5. He is a VERY laid back baby who likes to sleep ALOT. I have tried offering a feed when I start thinking its been a while between feeds but if he doesn't want it then he will refuse

. I'm not at all concerned that he's not getting enough milk, he gains between 10 and 13 oz every week and is a big healthy boy - 14lb 3 oz

I would say 4-5 hours is a long time to go at that age between a feed. In the daytime I always offered it when 3 hours were up (usually he didn't go that long anyway). If you can't make him drink then only express a tiny amount to relieve the engorgement. If you express more then you are tellling your breasts to produce more milk. Try to express as little as possible and feed as often as possible. Perhaps if you carry him in a sling or let him sleep on you close to your breast the smell of the milk will prompt him to feed more often.

Thanks for the advice everyone. Hopefully it will regulate soon, feeling this huge and uncomfortable is very wearing