Breast engorgement and newborn

[Volleyfeet]

Hello looking for some advice from other mums! My DD is now 6 days old and breastfed. Milk came in yesterday and now suffering with severe engorgement of my left breast. Really swollen and sore and DD unable to feed from it.

I have always had some issues feeding from my left due to different shaped nipple but thought I was successfully managing to feed lying down. The midwife I saw today thought I had not been properly emptying that side hence the engorgement. She advised to feed across body position but even after hand expressing and softening breast she will latch but not suck.

I am still managing to feed from my right. Feeling a bit down about it all as thought it was starting to come together after a rocky start and she had put weight on in the last 2 days (7% birth weight loss day 5 versus 8% loss at 3 days) which made me think all my hours of feeding was leading to some improvement.

Any advice on what to do from here? Know I need DD to feed from right to help with swelling but can't get her on except in the position that the midwife thinks has caused this problem?

Thanks for any input.

Can you try hiring an electric pump to keep the supply up and engorement down until she gets a bit older and will feed well from both breasts.

Long time since I BF but I remember being in the same situation and the midwife suggested an underarm position. Had pillow to my left and then lay DS under my arm lifting from the back of his head onto my breast. Remember the difference in that he seriously attached himself compared to across the body. Helped relieve the engorgement. Hope you find what works for you quickly.

Congratulations!
My 5 dc is 11 months and still bf it was very difficult at first because he only seemed comfortable feeding if I wasn't!
Anyway we changed and swapped around all the time, each feed seemed to different position.

Agree breast pump may help in the short term. Or to take a little off before feeding may help baby latch on.
I used to stand in the shower and when I felt the milk "let down" it would really ease my discomfort.
It can be very uncomfortable so I feel for you and hope it settles down very soon.
Large cabbage leaves in the bra where just arrrhhhhhh so fabulous. :/)