How much do I express to avoid Amazonian boob?!

[IsaacsMomma]

Hi, my first baby is 5 weeks old, and one of my nipples is very badly cracked, so I'm expressing from that side as latch on is very painful, and to give it chance to heal. This is working, but since I started that boob is always hard and full, and I don't know if I should be draining it, or just expressing a little to avoid the engorging?? My boy still seems to be getting enough, and is happy, so I'm not worried about him - just me, as I don't want it to turn into mastitis etc. Help! .... thanks.

Well the more you express the more milk you will make. I used a breast pump when expressing for my first dd and produced way too much milk. So for my second dd I tried hand expressing and I got enough milk and it was much gentler on my boobs.

are you using a pump? if so then try hand expressing, ask your HV for advice on how to do it if you are not sure.

Presumably your baby is feeding from the other side and draining it each time? I would always express the painful side until it is empty or you risk getting blocked milk ducts and/or mastitis. You can freeze any excess (count yourself lucky to have such a good supply!)

Forgot to add - nubbins is right - expressing never produces as much as a baby's sucking so you will need to keep up a lot of expressing to maintain the same supply as the other side.