Breastfeeding day 3 engorgement :(

[PurplePunkPrincess]

My baby has been feeding well, every 3-4 hours but only takes 1 side at a time. He refuses more and he is content but my boobs have filled up and it's really uncomfortable, I've just expressed 7oz and still in a lot of pain, I feel like I have 2 bowling balls on my chest!

It's awful but stick with it, it goes

Firstly try not to express off too much; just enough to relieve the discomfort. Because breastfeeding works on a supply / demand set up, if you're expressing 7oz, it will encourage more milk.

Have you had your latch checked? What kind of pain are you in?

Spend as much time as you can without your bra on, use hot and cold flannels, and remember you can now take anti inflammatory pain killers.

Your milk is probably coming in very rapidly. Try massaging your breasts gently and hand express a few drops from each. side to relieve pressure. rather than using a pump to express large volumes. 7 oz is way too much to express at this stage. It'll be confusing your body, because it thinks baby is sucking - so too much expressing will cause an oversupply and discomfort.

It will ease up and after a few weeks your supply should start to settle.

I had two bowling balls for boobs only for a couple of days, try and put up with the pain if possible. It was a few weeks before I could sleep on my front again but will be longer if you express large amounts.

I found massaging in warm shower naturally let down some and made me feel more comfortable after.

The latch was fine, it's a lot harder for him now because I'm so engorged, it's frustrating. I don't remember this happening last time I bf. Midwife said he had a slight tongue tie but it hasn't been an issue so far, but now I'm wondering if that's not helping

Try to hand express a little before he feeds. It'll make it easier for him to latch on.

Don't express so much after each feed though! It's encouraging the over-production.

How are his nappies - colour of poo and wetness?

Tongue tie is certainly something to bare in mind...

Wet nappies every few hours, he pooed last night, and we got the first musturdy yellow one! I'm regretting expressing now as it didn't even relieve any discomfort. He is still only feeding from one side at a time still.

I expressed a little before feeding him this morning and it did help, eagerly waiting for him to take the next side.

I guess I will just have to keep feeding as much as possible and pray it passes quickly xx

I took alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen and cabbage leaves in your bra honestly do help!

It does settle.

My baby never really fed from more than one side in a feed until she was past a year old.

I remember the engorgement of the early days and breasts that felt like bowling balls. As others have said, as tempting as it is, don't express large volumes as your breasts will go into milk production overload if they think baby is needing over 7oz pelf feed

I have also been in the situation of breasts being too engorged to attach so I either hand expressed a little or expressed 1oz maximum.

It's a case of being patient and just waiting for your milk production to stabilise once your breasts identify how much milk your baby needs and produce only that volume.

My DS is 10 weeks and has only just started feeding off both sides. Don't force the issue as it's so important your baby has a good feed off one breast in order to reach the fatty milk.

2nd the savoy cabbage leaves, peel them off put them in the fridge, paracetamol massage, also try feeding lying down If you can get the angle.
It will pass,but that thought didn't help while I was dripping tears on my baby, trying to feed while balanced above him. So know how you feel.
You are doing great.

Great advice here from everyone. Hang on in there!

It's worth remembering that the muscles involved in latching and feeding are still very new so he will become more efficient at this.
Also, does he fall asleep on your breast? If so, maybe strip him down, change his nappy (even if not needed - pop it off and on) just to rouse him i to taking a feed from the other side.

Sounds like you're doing a sterling job though

Thank you for all the replies. It's been a rough day! After some tears from both of us, a bath and hot towels we managed to get a feed from each side and he's been feeding frequently since this afternoon! Which has helped a lot! Have put the breast pump away for now.

I'm still very engorged and have just finished feeding and off for some much needed sleep :)

You are doing amazingly, well done.
I hope you managed to get some unbroken sleep.

I learnt how to feed lying down after a little while. It was a lifesaver

He woke up at half 1, half 4 and then at half 8 for feeds :) so we got some sleep.

I bf my last for 8 months and never managed the laying down feeding!

X

You poor thing - 12 years on I can still remember that discomfort. A friend who had many babies recommended frozen cabbage leaves so I dutifully froze a whole cabbage well before the baby was born. When I realised just how the cabbage leaves were meant to work I (smugly) went to fetch my cabbage leaves from the freezer but what I had was one tightly frozen ball of cabbage - duh!! Separate the leaves first!! Anyway that's about as much use to you now as it was to me then so all I can offer is sympathy - it will pass and hopefully your breastfeeding experience will go well from here on.

Well done you You're through the hardest part now!

If he's got a TT it might be worth getting it checked by a lactation consultant or other breastfeeding specialist. But it sounds like you're both doing brilliantly. Keep going

Well done you You're through the hardest part now!

If he's got a TT it might be worth getting it checked by a lactation consultant or other breastfeeding specialist. But it sounds like you're both doing brilliantly. Keep going