After 10 days of pain...

[MrsY]

I am reluctantly giving up breastfeeding.

I could barely cuddle her as the pressure on my breasts would make me cry. So, last night we went for a trip to the 24h petrol station and bought some formula.

But, what should I do regarding my breasts? Will they become engorged? Should I pump to relax them or just leave them?

Any advice would be gratefully appreciated...

Not trying to stop you giving up at all, but have you contacted your local breastfeeding support group/breast feeding advisor at your local hospital? HV will have info how to find them if you don't know. You should ring her as an emergency for help.

If your baby is only 10 days old you are probably under huge stress with very strange hormones and lots going on.

I did have a lot of pain at first (my dh kept saying 'Why don't you want to feed your own baby?') but got through it and it gets a lot easier.

Of course, I don't know your case or whether your health visitor is any good, or anything else.

Whatever you decide, all the best.

agree with RacingSnake. Most breastfeeding problems are solvable with the right help and support - and that support is crucial to many women.

Also it's not good for your health to immediately stop breastfeeding altogether, as this could led to engorgement and possibly mastitis, especially if you are tired and run down.

What support have you had? What exactly are the problems you are experiencing with breastfeeding?

Aw, MrsY, sorry you are having a bad time.

But apart from anything else - your feelings, your hopes and plans, how you wanted to feed - it is not a good idea for you to stop bf suddenly like this when you are so sore pressure from cuddling hurts you....you run the risk of mastitis and at worst a breast abscess.

You need to speak to a midwife now about your options - call them - and work out if stopping is what you want to do, if there are other options, and if stopping is what you decide, how to do it safely.

Talkboard is not the best place for getting this sort of emergency help, but we can discuss it, of course.

I went to a breastfeeding drop-in centre yesterday, and the councillors advised me not to feed directly from either breast for 48 hours, but pumping doesn't seest the seem to work...

My midwife is coming out tomorrow, so will get some advice from her - haven't been in pain from the breasts themselves today, just the nipples where they are so shredded. Have leaked a pint, though!

You can get nipple shields which help protect your nipples or creams. I never needed the shields but found the creams made a huge difference.

In what way does pumping not work? ARe you not getting any milk or is it that it is hurting? I had to express a lot and found that warm wet flannels applied before pumping was very helpful, also massaging in little circles around the breast.

My midwife suggested cold cabbage leaves applied to the painful areas and then replaced as they warm up would help and it did!! I know it sounds crazy, but I was desesperate enough to try anything and it did work.

Both - barely gettin an ounce after pumping an hour (with warm flannels) plus it's sore and looks more like strawberry milkshake as most of it is blood...

Tried Lansinoh but it didn't seem to do much good.

Ouch! That sounds awful! Where is your HV or midwife? This is an emergency. You should never be in so much pain. The more pain you are in, the more stressed you get and the harder it will be to let down the milk. I think the key is to be able to relax (!) Are you pumping with your baby next to you / watching her? That's what they advised me in hospital. One MW also told me that hand expressing can be easier, but I never got on with it. Might be worth trying? You do need three hands though, or a bit of ingenuity.

Your local hospital must have a BF advisor. Can you find out who it is?

Where are you? Obviously not in Dorset, the service we get here is so much better than what you are obviously getting.

I think the cream I was using was called Avent or something similar, but there was no blood, so that might need something different.

MrsY - you need specialist help with this. Has the midwife been yet?

What pump are you using MrsY? With the Lansinoh, are you warming it up first by rubbing it between your fingers to make it loosen up before applying? How hideous for you, you poor love.

Midwife been - told her that I've stopped breastfeeding and she shrugged... obviously sees failures like this quite often.

I'm in much less pain now, I pumped a little yesterday morning, and night, and again this morning, I've got a Tommee Tippee hand pump, and it wasn't as difficult, or as a blood stained, but still only got a dribble. Midwife thinks she wasn't getting enough before, and says she thought my decision best for both of us. She said not to give madam the bloody milk, so I'll do formula exclusively.

Warmed the Lansinoh before using, and I'll carry on using it for the next few days I think.

hope you are feeling better, you gave it a good try, now enjoy the baby and I hope you heal soon.

Yes, hope you feel better soon.

Very unimpressed with your midwife, though. Apalling service - you had a real emergency and no support at all. They should have been able to help.

Don't think of it as your failure - definitely theirs.

Your baby will be fine, though.