Did your boobs ever settle down?

[Bellyrub1980]

My baby is 3 weeks old and exclusively breast feeding. I'm getting to grips with it okay and generally happy with how it's going. However, I'm getting fed up with my boobs always feeling uncomfortable, not engorged exactly (I know how that feels) but just uncomfortable iyswim.

Does this last the entire time you Breast feed? ie the whole 6 months or a year? Or do they settle down?

And will Breast pads always be needed the entire time?

Not that I'd give up breastfeeding purely for these reasons, but it would be nice to think it won't last for a year!!

I'm wondering this too so place marking... 12 weeks in and still experiencing the same things!

It does settle down, I can't remember exactly how long with dc1, maybe 6ish weeks before my boobs felt "normal" again, my dc2 is 4 weeks now and my boobs felt fine by about week 2 this time but I think that's because my body was used to breastfeeding.

It's so worth holding out, breastfeeding is just so fantastic when everything is settled down.

I'm wondering whether I should have got properly fitted for a bra rather than just bought the first suze that fitted....

That's good to hear! Thank you :)

I have a 9 week old and boobs are now fine in the day but still get huge and solid overnight as she sleeps well so there's a long time between feeds. Not sure how much help that is to you though!

I find gently massaging my breast whilst ds feeds helps make sure he empties the breast completely which makes them feel better, I only do the breast massaging when I'm feeding at home though, I'm all for feeding in public but I'm not sure the world is ready for my breast massaging in public ;)

It does settle down. The uncomfortable fullness lessens - it takes longer to feel that way and is not as uncomfortable. For me, the leaking has reduced a lot but I still need breast pads as the opposite one from the one "in use" leaks.

Same as Euro I don't leak randomly any more (10 weeks) but for example my left drips as I feed from the right.
They only feel "full" between 4 hr apart night feeds never daytime feeds. When it first happened I worried about where the milk was but I squeezed and it sprayed so even soft boobs have it!
At night I massage the hard boobs or just compress them as I feed (especially if dd is sleepy/lazy) and it does ease it - I've also been told it helps loosen fats into the liquid milk making the milk richer/fatter faster.

I found boobs were soft and normal after 6 months or so, and then was on about 4 feeds a day. Now on one to two feeds overnight and they feel back to normal. Washable bamboo breastpads are more economical and softer, I found. Didn't need them after three months though.

About 12 weeks I think.
Certainly after 6mo I was back in my old sports bras for an hour or so run or exercise class and out of night bras. No leaks.

Oh and ds was ebf to 6mo then bf with food till 13.5mo.

Yes it gets better. DS1 is 14 wks and I stopped using breast pads about 2 weeks ago. He's started only feeding once in the night or not at all if DH does a dream feed so they do get hard in the morning still but back to soft after his first feed. Mine were really uncomfortable all the time at the beginning and kept getting letdown all the time but now my letdown just happens when he latches on.

Ok that's good. It's getting to the point where I hate leaving the house because my boobs just ache the whole time. I just can't wait to get my bra off!!

Lol that's me with bras since I was 14! The things we put up with for our kids!

Boob jail!

Does your bra really fit properly? Perhaps do the measurements and ask on an MN bra intervention thread?

Jolly, I swear the bras fitted when I bought them a few weeks ago. But I apear to have gone up 3 cup sizes since then! Unfortunately they've all been worn so can't return them now. But going to have to buy at least one bra that can cope with these jugonauts!! Will get measured properly this time.

Shops like Markies don't do proper fittings as their method is crap. Somewhere like Bravissimo would be your best bet :)

I'm 30G - Bravissimo or Debenhams are better than marks. Though Bravissimo nursing bras are sadly ugly, so once you know your siz try fig leaves or similar.

Also soft night bras from mothercare are great athome. Like industrial strength crop tops with drop flaps for nursing.
I also have been known not to change out of them for trips to the shops or whatever.

Mine settled down a few months in. By 6 months I wasn't uncomfortable or randomly leaky anymore, and by about 9 months I stopped wearing nursing pads completely.

I never got on with nursing bras, so I just got measured bought my favourite style of normal bra in my new size and popped my boob out over the top of it for feeding. I found it much easier than trying to faff about getting a nursing bra clipped back together one handed.

Mine still haven't at 15 weeks. Still engorged and still leaking. I'm not sure when bf is meant to become easy and enjoyable. I'm only planning another 2 weeks as I've had enough of this.

Thanks for the advice re shops. I'm out in the sticks so no bravissimo here, but there is a debenhams in the next town.

Why are underwired bras so frowned upon when Breast feeding???

I have underwired bras when BF. I think once you're past the earliest days you're fine. In fact I think that underwires are fine as long as your bra fits well. You can do the measurements yourself and order online. I ordered about 6 bras last time and kept the one that fitted.