Very full breasts - dc is 4 days old

[Haddock73]

Is tis normal? Milk came in yesterday and today I have been feeding about every 3-4 hours from both boobs, but they never feel like they've been emptied. Ds2 is sleeping at the moment and my boobs feel so engorged, is this normal? I've had to hand express as I can feel a small lump on he side of the right boob.

Should I be waking him up and feeding him more? Or does the milk even out?

I would feed more often - 3-4 hours is quite infrequent for such a young baby, you're aiming for 10-12 times per 24 hours really.

I wouldn't expect your breasts to empty though really, keep feeding frequently from both sides and it will settle down soon.

So would you say every 2-3hrs instead? And should I be waking him up throughout the night?

I would aim for every 2 hours in the day, and I would wake at night if he hasn't woken after 5 hours

I'd aim for 2 hourly in the day, and probably 4 hourly at night at least until he has regained his birthweight and is asking for frequent feeds. Once he's doing this then maybe leave him to sleep at night.

MW came today and weighed baby. Ds2 only lost 2.5% of birth weight so MW thinks feeding is going well and every 3-4 hrs fine. Boobs are very enraged though so am aiming for every 3 hrs instead.

Engorged not enraged!

Ouch I remember this! Have you managed to clear the lump? Sounds like a blocked duct have a look on kellymom for ways to get rid. They can get very painful. Sounds like you're doing great hopefully they will settle down soon

This is normal and will pass. Don't worry about trying to get an empty feeling. I wouldn't necessarily change your feeding schedule if your baby seems content, is gaining weight and filling nappies. I couldn't lie down on my front for a couple of days but it settled down fairly quickly.

spotty everytime I feed ds2 the lump disappears, or I 've been hand expressing a bit.

Just want them to calm down, they're so sore and uncomfortable! Does cabbage leaves help?

Wow sounds like you are doing a fab job with feeding, well done. However, if your breasts are engorged you need to remove some milk to avoid trapping the milk in the ducts, feed the baby will be most effective otherwise hand expressing using hot flannel, massaging in the bath or shower will all help just until they feel more comfortable. Sounds like you have lots milk and this is ace :-)

Cabbage leaves do help to cool - only good for 30 mins or so though, then they start to smell as they sort of get cooked by the heat of your breasts!! Try it though - get a Savoy cabbage in the fridge and peel off leaves as you need them.

Engorgement isn't pleasant but it does pass, just a few days til things settle down. It's a good thing, it means you have plenty of milk! If the lumps are going during feeds its probably just milk so don't worry. All sounds normal to me (at least, that's how it felt for me when I was engorged with DC 1 and 2).

Ps. I'd go for max. Gap between feeds in the day of 3 hours for now. Otherwise you'll be screaming with full boobs!

I dont think feeding is going well :-( had to give ds2 an oz of formula last night as he screamed for 7hrs solid, both boobs were empty and he clawed at them until we gave in at 1.30am. Then slept til 6am after an opk feel like a huge failure for not feeding more often and thats why I dont have enough milk. Am so tired looking after ds1 and from the birth still. Feel crap now that we're combi feeding wanted to ebf.

DO NOT beat yourself up. `you are doing amazingly well. I would follow the advice here and aim for every 2 hours if possible. I see it is your second child so I guess that strapping yourself to the sofa with the TV remote all day is not an option? Just do the best you can in the circumstances (which you are!) and take up any offers to take DS1 to the park etc etc by friends.

Don't feel bad! One bottle doesn't mean you have to combi feed if you don't want to? You are doing so well

spotty I feel useless and like I cant cope. I have times where I feel so overwhelmed I cant stop crying. Dh thinks its hormones and babyblues, I'm worried about pnd.

Hey Haddock, you can still continue to before, a couple of oz's of formula doesn't mean the end. Your boobs are never empty, babies just have those cluster feeding marathons which makes it seem that they just want more and more milk.....You just need to plant yourself on the sofa and keep offering the breast, and when they get frustrated, offer the other one and so on.

You said yourself, the weight loss is tiny so please don't lose your confidence now. Keep your baby close, skin to skin if you can so that you can pick up on the hunger cues and respond quickly.

Things will get better, honest

Having two is really hard work, especially those first few weeks.

It could just be baby blues or it could be more. I wondered if I had PND a few times but with me it was just sheer exhaustion. Talk to your mw, you're obviously talking to your dh which is great. It sounds like you're just having a wobble (I'm no expert though!).

His weight loss is minimal, he's feeding well you just had a bad night last night.

(Also someone said on here once never give up on a bad day )

You've just had a baby, give yourself a break. Tomorrow get your dh to take ds1 out somewhere really fun for him and spend some time sleeping and feeding.