Please help my poor boobie!

[HeavyMetalMama]

Bit of background, my right boob is a git. Baby wouldn’t entertain it for 2 days no idea why. It’s always over produced and gets engorged whether I use it or not. I can only pump from my right boob.

Anyway I pumped 3oz from it for the first time with an electric pump this morning and later noticed my bra was stuck to it. I’ve got a big open bit on my Areola and it’s so sore! I’ve not fed from that side all evening and currently pumping from it so when baby wakes he can have it from a bottle to rest my boob a bit. Problem with resting is that it’s getting engorged! And lefty’s not doing the job! What do I do? I’ve got a long day out tomorrow with no access to anywhere I can pump or clean/store bottles! I’ve got 2 bottles of expressed in cool bags but that’s it. I’m walking around with one deflated balloon and one sad melon!

Hi OP, sorry about your right one. That sounds tough and I've been there. How old is your baby if you don't mind me asking? When mine was very small I used nipple guards and fed as normal if I needed a break. If I pimped I'd just get more engorged as it would stimulate production. In between feeds it was hot flannels and "booby tubes" all the way.

*pumped not pimped!

Squeeze a bit of breastmilk out and cover the sore bit with it. Breastmilk has stupendous healing qualities!

My hunch is you need to feed from it; you're highly likely to get mastitis otherwise.

How old is your baby? It might be worth trying different feeding holds to get him to feed happily from that side.

Do you think pumping led to the sore? If yes I'd stop pumping and get feeding from that side asap! Then depending on which machine you have look at different size funnel bits (for example Medela have four sizes available).

I should add, resting from feeding on it because my 9 week old feeds like a dog - clamp on and shake head.

I would also second feeding baby from it, it’s the best way of draining it-pumping just doesn’t do it the same. You could hand express a bit out first so it’s not so engorged and baby can get a good latch.

Try nipple shields

Baby’s 9 weeks old and very effective at feeding, always drains the boob although if he’s been asleep a few hours I have to express a bit before he can feed from the right or it drowns the poor boy and he brings it up! I’ve just got 5oz from it, could definitely have gotten more but I just wanted as much as he’s likely to need at the next feed. I know it can add to the problem but it was starting to get red and hard and the last thing I need is mastitis as you say. I’ve got my lansinoh boob therapearl doughnut thing heated up to soothe it

Is it possible to just rest it for a few hours? Everything is sticking to it and the nipple is cracked, very sore despite using cream, cleaning and new pads, hot boob thingy and I fed off it last around 8pm

Oh and he won’t feed from a sheild

Another vote for nipple shields - they worked wonders for me

Nipple shields rest it! Use when feeding. Dont express for a few days just feed baby but with nipple shields on - it helps with fast/over flow and latch

x-post!

When you say "wont'", what do you mean? Refuses to put it in his mouth, or won't do the work to feed through it (they are harder work for the baby)?

Have you tried hand expressing some milk on to the shield before you offer it to him?

If you've got open sores on it you need to phone out of hours first thing in the morning and see out of hours.

Please hide the pump from yourself and resist the temptation to pump any more from it! The pump will further irritate the damaged skin and by pumping so much you're sending your production messages to up the supply!

I know that putting baby on a sore boob is agony but it's pretty much always the best course of action over pumping.

Maybe let that boob miss the next feed but feed from it the following feed.

Thank you, I’ll try the sheild again with the milk on the sheild. He puts it in his mouth then spits it out in disgust or tries to chew it! It’s on the boob/Areola not the nipple itself but he can be quite rough when he’s hungry!

Out of curiosity, if I can’t pump now how do I pump when I need bottles (like now) without interfering with my milk? Today’s the first time I’ve pumped twice in a day or gotten more than 3oz

Currently feeding him from the left

Say you need 1 bottle for an evening out next week, you could have pumped once today and then once on Monday to space out the pumping sessions.

Even if you're wanting to fill the freezer I'd only pump once a day. But if you're thinking about return to work for example you would express the feed that DS misses while you're at work if it's remotely practicable to do so. You'd then express a full feed in one session as it's a missed feed.

An average volume for a bottle of breastmilk for one feed tends to be 4 Oz (note the quantity is less than a formula feed would be).

I'd definitely avoid pumping more than once a day if you're prone to oversupply as it is.

Thank you for letting me know. I’ve not pumped for a few weeks I’ve got a couple of 1-3oz bags in the freezer as I’m disabled and lose consciousness without warning so Dad needs to be able to feed baby. He’s only had it twice though. I like having more milk because I’ve felt so deflated and empty the last few weeks, how do I get my left to keep up? Hate having odd girls even when I ignore the right but for every other feed. Baby gets frustrated on the left sometimes like he’s not getting enough then settles on the right. Bloody boobs.

I’ve only ever pumped once a day a couple of times a week for 1-3oz before today