Can this wait?

[MadameJ]

Yesterday my left breast felt engorged on the top and side (by my armpit), dd2 jasnt being feeding great as she has a chest infection. She took a reasonable feed of that side but it still felt hard so I massaged it and hand expressed a little more. This morning both breasts feel quite sore especially when carrying dd against them. Do I need to call ooh or can I wait until the gp is open tomorrow? I never had any problems with my first daughter so I'm a bit clueless. Thanks and happy new year.

Sympathies :( I kept getting blockages early on and was terrified of mastitis. Some things that helped me:

After each feed, check your boobs- I got in the habit of having a gentle grope each time she finished a side, and if there was a section still full, I'd express a little right then by hand.

Expressing is easiest for me when I lean forwards, and if my DD has already got my letdown started. So immediately after a feed on either side (or during a feed on the other side) was the easiest time to express.

Once the blockage was cleared, my bf counsellors told me to take extra care on that side for the next day, as it would be sore still and prone to re-blocking. The sore part was definitely true!

In terms of prevention I had to learn not to let anything press too hard or for too long on my chest- so not letting DD sleep on me for too long was the major one.

train that sounds horrible :( hope you are asleep by now. I don't know the biological answer to your question but I can tell you from experience that it's possible for your breasts to be agonisingly full and still not suffer permanent damage- I hope that's some small consolation!!

Sorry train forgot you had left your pump at home. How are you this am? Have you got meds yet? Are you taking any other painkillers? Paracetamol and anti inflammatories? They will help with discomfort. Was the prescription for pain relief or antibiotics?

Got back home and got an emergency appt with my own GP who prescribed another antibiotic on top of the first one (it had got v v red and sore by then) which seems to be making a difference already - it's still lumpy but soreness reducing and DD has been able to feed more off that side which is helping a lot. How is everyone else feeling?

Another tip that worked for me (but made me feel a bit silly!) was to feed baby when they are lying on their back with you on all fours, dangling your boob over their mouth. I guess it's gravity helping to clear the blockage but all I know is it helped for me.

you can also try brushing your breasts with a hair brush when having a hot shower/bath. worked for me and a friend.

Glad to hear that you're starting to feel a bit more comfortable, train.