What advice can I give a new mum about persevering with b/f?

[Gingerbear]

Her boy is 5 days old and she is struggling with b/f as her milk is pouring out, she is engorged and has a cracked nipple. She is thinking of packing in and switching to bottles.
I have told her DH to call the NCT helpline, and post here for advice, but I am going to see her this afternoon and wanted to help if I could.
It is over 3 years since I last breastfed, and I was very lucky and had few problems in the early days.

Her midwife has told her not to express any milk yet - as it will make her more engorged. Could she though? At this early stage if it would help?
And is kamilosan the best stuff for cracked nipples?

maybe just express on the cracked side, or just enough to get rid of the engorgement. I think cabbage (savoy ?) leaves are meant to help with that.

Hot showers, or warm cloths on boobs can help.

Cracked nipple sounds like a bad latch - encourage her to try the rugbyball hold - littlies seem to get a better latch that way.

oh - and remind her that now is about the time when she feels worst - hormones raging - and may doubt her ability to cope with anything - it will improve in a day or two.

does she have nipple cream? it's a miracle that stuff. I don't know about kamilosan, but I use some butter stuff that's just got olive oil and things in it. poss best to ask the chemists about that though.

with ds I used to hand express a little bit to releive the engorging - just a few squirts is enough to releive the pain, but not enough to make it worse (or at least i don't think it is - didn't seem to cause problems anyway). Do you know how to hand express?

thank you, it is all coming back to me now

cold savoy cabbage leaves really help

tell her not to go to asda with them poking out her top though...

also nipple sheilds might help: I know at least two people for whom breastfeeding was saved by those things.

hand express - push against the boob with a rolling motion then squeeze the nipple from base to tip like milking a cow? Into a pyrex bowl?

oh, yeah, i forgot about those. the midwife said i should never use them,and dd would never feed without them, and it proved to be utter nonsense. they really really helped.

As well as all the practical tips, the one thing that I was told and has stuck with me is to not plan ahead... don't plan to breastfeed for a week/month/year - just wake each day and "I will breastfeed for today".

I'm now 7 months in, and it is that that has gotten me this far.

so true flamebat, one day at a time.

Firstly she needs to address the pain - this is best resolved with attention to getting him on in a way that doesn't hurt and the midwife should help with that.

Nipple shields can be used as a last resort as a temp measure but it is certainly not 'utter nonsense' that they interfere with happy breastfeeding, because they certainly can do, though not in each and every individual case.

Gently hand expressing may well help with the engorgement - don't know why the midwife has been dogmatic about this. Too muich expressing might make things worse, but she needs to be comfortable.

Any non-allergenic treatment that promotes moist wound healing will help, too. There are a number of products available.

Good luck to her.

thank you tiktok.

I am sad to report that she gave up breastfeeding on Thursday last week I wish I could have helped more.