Quick help please!

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

I have left my nearly 2yo DS for the first time this weekend. I brought my breast pump with me thinking I'd be fine to pump while I was away and resume feeding when I got back. Big mistake. I can't get a drop on the pump (which I haven't used for over a year, but just assumed would be fine) or by hand expressing (which, tbh, never worked for me).

Help! I last fed him at 5am yesterday and won't see him until 3pm tomorrow. WTF do I do? Any tips for expressing or getting the engorgement to go down?

And, stupid question, how much do I need to worry? Will this just cause some discomfort or can engorgement cause mastitis?

Thank you

Are you engorged now? What feeds will you miss?

Can you have a hot bath? You will probably leak in the bath if you have full breasts but hand expressing should be easier there too.

It could be your DS feeds mostly for a comfort now so your supply is relatively low & as a result you won't get engorged.

I know when I spent a night apart from my DD at 15 mo I missed 3 feeds and didn't even feel full let alone engorged.

Have you got photos of your DS on your phone?

If so get a cup of tea and try to relax. Look at the photos of your son and allow yourself to mull over the things you love about him and happy memories with him.

Allow yourself to get really sentimental.

I know this sounds weird but this should help you get let down as for many women it has an emotional
Element but you don't notice t because ds is already in your
Arms.

Thank you for replying If anything, just being able to go 'argh' has helped me already!

Huge now. Not painful, but humungous. I'll miss tonight's feed and tomorrow morning's feed. I've already missed last night's and this morning's.

I tried expressing in the shower and got nothing. I'll try a bath after dinner.

X-post. Love that idea Doodle, but I'm about to go to a formal dinner so maybe best not to let myself get too emotional yet

After dinner, I'll come back to my room, get myself all sentimental, have a bath and then try

If it doesn't work try in the morning when your milk supply us greatest and I find most easy to pump.

And enjoy your formal dinner. Very envious!

Thank you all. I didn't manage to pump a drop while I was away, but was given a warm welcome home from DS so feeling much more comfortable now