Oooooooooowwwwwww! Painful boobs, help!

[MrsCaptainReynolds]

After a lot of difficulty breast feeding I've reached 6 months eBF with DS2. Really pleased as only got to 3 months with DS1. The main issue I havehad is one of oversupply so my babies have had to feed a lot to reach hindmilk, getting watery stuff mostly and suffering from lactose overload and poor weight gain. With advice from LLL I block fed (sticking to same boob for 3/4 hours) DS2 and things went really well, regained birth weight after 3 weeks and has kept to his centile since then.

But for various reasons I'm stopping now and things are problematic. He has started weaning onto a few foods and some formula over the past two weeks. I do want to completely stop BF but initially thought this would happen gradually. Unfortunately its become plain that it'll have to stop abruptly. Not breast feeding exclusively seems to bringing back all his symptoms of lactose overload and the milk he is getting from me is once again really watery. Everytime I feed him myself he gets explosive diarhoea and his poor bum is in tatters.

So I completely stopped 2 days ago. He is content and happy, bowels settled, so I think probably the right thing to do. But I am in agony. My 36Ds are more like 36JJs, feel like I'm going to explode, can barely lift my arms, in tears if anyone touches me, can't even really pick up or cuddle DSs. Have tried to hand express to relieve the pressure but not having much success -never really have had with expressing.

How long will this last? Where does all the milk go? Do I need to get them empty (somehow) and bind them to stop them filling again, or is that some old wives nonsense? Any one got any ideas how to deal with this?

Sorry for typos, my ipad is dying.

I don't have much advice I'm afraid, but just wanted to say please don't bind your breasts, that sounds like a really bad idea, and I don't see how it could technically stop milk production. I would imagine it might even cause worse problems like mastitis if you blocked a duct?

I've read that hand expressing in a hot shower, and putting cold cabbage leaves in your bra, do help.

Some advice on Kellymom here. Of course, they blithely suggest expressing small amounts, but, like you, I always likened this to getting blood out of a stone!
Lying in the bath does make it a bit easier though, and you're not trying to produce a lot, just enough to ease the pressure so I found it did help a bit. Never tried the cabbage leaf thing but some people swear by it.
Horrid sensation- you have my sympathy.

Thanks for the sympathy ladies. And confirmation that there isn't really going to be an easy solution to this. Will try morning baths for a few days to see if I can ease a little off, and some cabbage leaves.

Bumping in case someone on the evening shift has any bright ideas.

just said this on similar thread. cabbage helped me savoy only, kept in fridge

Do you have a breast pump? I would be concerned about getting mastitis from stopping so abruptly. For me hand expressing wouldn't be enough. I would pump a little if you can, they should calm down after about a week.

You poor thing. Had massive engorgement problems last year, boobs in agony, and the only thing that really helped was standing under a hot shower with a flannel in each hand and massaging them for about 10 mins or so. This made expressing easier and made boobs feel normal again. Really hope you feel better soon - it's so uncomfortable

Stopping suddenly is a real risk of mastitis ESP if your prone to over supply. As dropping one feed a week is advised I personnalt would express each day till comfortable and gradually reduce the amount you are expressing.

I have an over supply issue with both babies and I find dropping one feed very uncomfortable let alone more than one in one go.

I've heard people say that they were given pills to 'dry them up' is this still a thing? Maybe if you are in this much agony it is worn a visit to the Dr?

Gave up yesterday and fed him a little to relieve the engorgement. Just can't seem to hand or pump express. Sure enough it went right through him.

Have read that sudafed might dry things up. No sign of acute mastitis yet, just very painful all over.

Hi there, I am in very similar situation to you. I have done just over 6 months breastfeeding and decided to stop and did my last feed at 6 Friday morning. Went to health visitor fri am and she advised the best thing to do is just go cold turkey and stop. Her advice was to just take painkillers to manage the sore boobs and that the worst of the pain should pass within a couple of days. She advised not to express at all
I haven't done cabbage but I did use it when I started breastfeeding and it did provide some relief then. I also read that sage can help decrease supply, and that an ingredient in sudafed is known to also do this, so might send DH to get me some.

Most of all I just wanted to send you my sympathy and say hang in there as it will only get better each day

You can get sage tablets from health food shops. I take it for hot flushes .

My midwife recommended cold Savoy cabbage leaves for engorgement. I wasn't trying to stop feeding but it really did relieve the pain. You do smell like a bin as they warm up though. But the relief is worth it!