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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Still getting horribly engorged breasts at 18 weeks even though we have a regular feeding pattern........is this normal?

21 replies

daisyandbabybootoo · 08/10/2007 23:39

I thought things would have calmed down by this time as everything I've read tells me so, but I still get horrible lumpen breasted engorgement and blocked ducts.

It's a lot easier than it has been, but still quite painful especially at this time of night and obviously first thing in the morning.

I've read so much about boobs adjusting to what is demanded of them....but mine haven't been needed at this time (or during the night) since DD was 10 weeks old, so why do they still get so lumpen and sore?

OP posts:
Original poster
daisyandbabybootoo · 08/10/2007 23:56

bump.....

OP posts:
Original poster
daisyandbabybootoo · 09/10/2007 00:07

maybe tomorrow...it is a bit late.

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Original poster
daisyandbabybootoo · 09/10/2007 11:18

bump

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IwansMam · 09/10/2007 14:15

Daisy, no advice, just bumping for you. Interested to know how you got DD into feeding routine, and very at the sleeping through the night.

Original poster
daisyandbabybootoo · 09/10/2007 14:29

thanks iwansmum. our routine is loosely based around the GF routines, but allowing for on-demand feeding. I've also got a DS at school so we need to work around that as well.

Her routine has gone a bit awry at the moment (apparently normal at this age) and she has been waking at night on and off, but it's been the last three nights. I think she has been having a growth spurt as well, but as her feeding is more efficient, she doesn't appear to be feeding for longer or need any extra feeds (apart from the night one an a wee dream feed before I go to bed the last few nights)

I have spent the morning reading up on stuff...old threads on here and other internet resources.

I think I'm just lucky with the sleeping through the night, altough the last couple of nights has been a culture shock to me. DH asked if she'd been up last night, and tbh I'm not sure...I may just have dreamt it!

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IwansMam · 09/10/2007 15:59

Hi, thanks for that. Think a friend may have GF so may look at that for a bit of guidance. Was hoping DS (15 weeks) would fall into his own pattern but doesn't seem to be. Sorry to hear that things have gone off for the past day or so. Hope things return to normal soon!

Another bump

Original poster
daisyandbabybootoo · 09/10/2007 16:09

iwansmam....come and talk to us on the June Postnatal Thread. We're all in the same age bracket as your LO and it's nice to talk to mums of similar aged babies. We've had a few newcomers over the last day or so, and the more the merrier

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pulapula · 09/10/2007 20:40

Hi Daisy,

I was wondering the same thing as i wake up in the night and can't get back to sleep as my boobs are so sore/engorged/leaky and i haven't fed during the night for a few weeks and always express around 10pm. DS is now 15 weeks.

I am interested to know if things calm down for you after the 4m growth spurt.

bump...

teabag007 · 09/10/2007 23:14

hi daisy,
no advice i'm afraid but sympathy.

i still wake up with lumpy boob and like you have been lucky with dd sleeping through. I think I have probably encouraged mine by expressing (i express from one in the morning whilst she feeds from the other. I also empty them out last thing at night).

I also happen to have one breast twice the size of the other and it's the big one which has the problem, the other one hardly ever.

I'm not sure what to suggest as I was also under the impression that things should settle.

Original poster
daisyandbabybootoo · 09/10/2007 23:16

I've been expressing just before bed as well. I wonder if this is making things worse?

I've not expressed tonight, but as she has been waking up about 3am it shouldn't be an issue.

You'd think by this time I'd have it sussed.....but noooo.

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weepotion · 09/10/2007 23:26

hi daisy
just when we think we get it all sorted!!!!!!!

i dont have any really advice but --- i used to express off around this time ar night and very often had engorgement and blocked ducts. i dropped that expressing gradually ( less each night for a few nights) and it seems to have sorted itself out. maybe my expressing was encouraging more milk??

anyhow - good luck missus.

Original poster
daisyandbabybootoo · 09/10/2007 23:32

thanks WO...i love your halloween name

I'll try dropping this express and see how I go!

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pulapula · 10/10/2007 09:52

Mmm, I express in the evening and in the morning (off one boob whilst DS feeds off the other). I wondered too if all the expressing was encouraging too much milk production overnight, but then I really like giving DS bottles before bed and at 11pm so I know he is taking on enough to see him through the night. Plus DH does the 11pm bottle so I get a rest. I don't think I could fit expressing sessions in any other time, but if this continues, I guess I could reduce the expressing and start with some formula. I am worried about mastitis every time I get engorged.

I find that if I don't get my letdown in the evening, I am even more sore in the night, so guess weepotion's advice of reducing expressing gradually is sensible.

teabag007 · 10/10/2007 11:44

we do the same pula and the 10 or 11 pm EBM bottle really works well for us so don't really want to change things. I've been lucky so far in avoiding mastitis and too many blocked ducts despite the engorgement so i think we'll carry on as we are for now
sounds like gradual reduction in expressing may be the way to go - good luck daisy!

Original poster
daisyandbabybootoo · 10/10/2007 16:35

I didn't express last night, and she didn't wake up...so I was engorged this morning, but not horribly so; i was just a bit lumpen around the nipple area. I'm going to leave off the expressing for a few nights and see what happens.

I've tried expressing in the morning off one breast after she's fed from the other one, but I find it's really thin and watery foremilk (I get about 6ozs thn no more). When she gets it as a bottle, it's more like a snack and she clamours for more very quickly.

after 18 weeks I still feel pretty clueless.

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pulapula · 10/10/2007 20:17

Daisy,

I find the morning expressed milk is very watery too. So i either mix it with a "better" batch to produced more balanced feeds, or keep pumping off both boobs after the feed, to get the more creamy milk. A bit of a faff, but a good excuse to stay in bed!

Original poster
daisyandbabybootoo · 10/10/2007 20:25

No such luxury for me pulapula.....DH away Mon-Fri so I have to get up and do the school run

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NoviceKnitter · 10/10/2007 20:29

Hiya, I don't know if this is relevant or not really, but just thought I'd share that my DD is 15 weeks and I wake up each morning with my top COMPLETELY DRENCHED despite bra and breast pads. Not overly worried as it's just something else to wash, but I had kind of thought they would have calmed down a bit by now...

Mind you , for first 9/10 weeks she fed more or less every hour and it's only recently calmed down, and massively, so maybe supply is still catching up with that...

Original poster
daisyandbabybootoo · 10/10/2007 21:28

thanks for that noviceknitter (I love your name by the way)

all the books I've got say it calms down....

it's weird cos about a month ago, by teatime my boobs felt like floppy empty sacs (nice image ), but they are full all the time at the moment.

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NoviceKnitter · 10/10/2007 22:10

Mine have recently become really fountainous, and she has new habit of coming off between mouthfuls, and so milk sprays all over her and in her eyes, and all over me too! (sorry, probably TMI... )

IamDaisy · 12/10/2007 00:02

oooh, DD does that too. she likes to stop off and smile and laugh at me, which is lovely, but....just get on with it won't you!!!

nice talking to you noviceknitter

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