just pregnant, stopped BF 5 days ago, sore hard breast

[gruffalomum]

Can anyone help?

I stopped BF my 17 mo DD earlier this week, it was a gradual process, by the end she was only having one small feed a day.

I was very lucky and didn't suffer with any engorgement or pain after stopping.

A few days later I found out I was pregnant.

Today I have a really sore hard lump in my right breast (the one she fed off last if that means anything?) and I don't know what to do.

I don't want to feed her or to express as that will increase my supply and confuse poor DD. I also don't want to take any painkillers because of the new pregnancy...but am terrified of needing antibiotics or worse if I let this drift without treatment - does anyone know what is best to do and whether this is normal?

Thanks in advance.

Ok, this sounds normal, but I think you do need to treat it a little bit, or you may end up with mastitis (antibiotics) or an abcess (also bad).

If you're not happy to feed your DD, then you need to express on that side, I'm afraid. If you can hand-express, that's probably best, as you can focus on clearing the lump.

I would recommend iboprofen to reduce inflammation, but that's not advised early in pregnancy.

Yes definitely hand express. There is a useful guide of how to on Kellymom somewhere. I found when this happened to me that standing in a warm shower helped, expressing and sort of massaging the lump down towards the nipple with a soapy, blunt comb helped a lot.

It's easier to express when you're not trying to collect the milk! Do it into a muslin or towel or something to prevent yourself getting soaked.

I took a homeopathic remedy for it which cleared it up really quickly without antibiotics (I know most people on MN dismiss homeopathy but I can look up what it was if you are interested)

I was advised though on here that if you get any flu like symptoms at all to go and get antibiotics as soon as you can. I was also advised by a BF helpline to treat myself as though I was ill, whether I felt ill or not, until the blockage cleared. I was on my own with DS all day so limited in how much I could rest but I did try and stay on the sofa as much as poss, didn't go out and do anything etc.

Thank you both very much, have managed a little bit of hand expressing - you are so right its easier when not trying to collect the milk!! I have hideous memories of hand expressing three days after DD was born to collect milk for a syringe feed....

The lump is still there, it seems to go when I express and return a few hours later. It is sore. I am a bit scared of expressing too much but more scared I think of it not clearing up at all...

BertieBotts am willing to try anything that is safe in early preg so if you have the time to look up your remedy I would be very grateful.

thanks again, off to try again...