Engorgment - help

[empen]

I am better at feeding from one breast cause the left one is painful - but bearable. Problem is I have been leaking loads when he feeds and end up covered in milk. Anyway, now it is really painful, aching, sore to the touch, hard and swollen all on the armpit side. I have tried a warm bath with flannels on my boob, have expressed 7oz (in 2 seperate sittings) and I even braved it to feed him on it. So I am out of ideas and in a lot of pain. I even started getting a head rush adn dizzy spells earlier - not sure if it was related but made me feel pretty rubbish.
So now I am asking for you to share your wisdom. Am going to get some cabbage (does it matter what type??)

empen it sounds like you might have mastitis not just engorgement. I had this and felt all fluey with sore hard red boob. cabbage any type is ok but i think it may be more than just engorgement you may need some abs I had some and it cleared up very quickly

If you've got temperature etc then might be an infection but you can still start the same treatments for blocked ducts until you get checked out for mastitis.

I've never tried the cabbage and not sure it isn't an old wives tale (though lots of these still work!) but I found applying heat gel packs helped, you could carry on with the flannels or a hot water bottle also. Massage the area if its not too painful - some people suggest stroking firmly over bump towards nipple with a wide toothed comb.

Keep feeding on that side, if anything MORE than normal to help move any blocked bits and drain the ducts. And take ibuprofen for both pain and inflammation relief.

But yes- if you feel flu-ey, go to GP and see if you need ABs...

Thanks for the advice. What is ABs?

Antibiotics.

How is it today?

This does sound rather like mastitis, but you don't need antibiotics immediately for mastitis - only if you have left it too late and are running a prolonged temperature, which doesn't shift with neurofen. You can take neurofen safely whilst feeding (though not if you are trying to conceive!)

Mastitis is swelling/inflamation of the milk ducts and tubes, and neurofen takes the swelling down. You then need to get your baby to feed from that side as much as possible. As the neurofen reduces the swelling it should be less painful to feed, after a short while. (You may need to express from the other side to stop it getting engorged/inflamed too.)

Don't worry about the milk - even if it is a bit lumpy/yoghurty, baby will be fine with it.

I'm sure that the cabbage thing is not a myth - it has a soothing effect, but I think it needs to be savoy cabbage to be effective.