Milk is in, when does it settle?

[Tribblewithoutacause]

My milk has come in and I feel like I'm carrying a pair of rocks around in my bra.

When does everything settle down?

Not really sure as I never really got that rock feeling. Hopefully someone will be along soon.

Congratulations too

I felt a lot better the next day and it was pretty good by the third day. At nearly 5 weeks I do feel very full sometimes but not like the first day. I am breastfeeding, not sure how it varies if you're not (you don't say )

Oh sorry, yes I am EBF. I have been feeding often but it's very uncomfortable at the moment.

Are you still in hospital or at home? If in hospital ask one of the MWs to show you how to hand express. Expressing just a little off will make you more comfortable without stimulating your supply too much. If you are at home, is the mw coming today? If so ask her the same thing, if not you should have been given a number to ring to speak to the MWs when you left hospital. I'd give them a call, there no point in being uncomfortable needlessly

Jump in the bath with a couple of flannels and keep putting hot water on them and draping them over your boobs - instant relief! (For a while anyway!)

Have a read of this on engorgement too.

Took about a week for mine to feel normal but agree that hand expressing helps. I was amazed at how long I kept leaking for though ebf and I was still soaking three pads a day at 2 months. Now at 6 months I only need 1 a day but couldn't do without as sometimes I just seem to explode!

The first day or so was the worst (IME). Found that expressing some was the best option - otherwise you may find that they are just too hard and full for the baby to be able to latch, and then it's tears all round. I found an electric pump invaluable because I could never get the hang of hand expressing (hot flannels / baths also helped). It settles down after a couple of days, but the big change comes after about six to seven weeks when you stop getting through quite so many breast pads...