ideas on painful breasts

Nouhad - posted on 09/03/2012

I use to eat raw natural almonds (soaked in water for 1 day make it less dry) between feeding & the milk would pour like a fountain. U can try that. Good luck.

Leah - posted on 03/21/2011

Allisi, you also need to drink lots of water. Some people have problems drinking caffinated products while nursing. It tends to cut down on milk production as well. Drink lots of water and your production will go up as well. If you have a GNC store near you purchase Fenugreek or Mother's milk (herbal tea). Take 4 capsuls of fenugreek 4 x's a day and your milk production will pick back up. Directions for the herbal tea is on the box. Any Lactation consultant will tell you this. The down side is that it may take 3-5 day for it to start working. Hope this helps.

Jane - posted on 03/21/2011

breastmilk is good for a few days. the 24 hour thing has to do w/formula, once you mix formula w/water, it should be used w/in 24 hours.

breastmilk, i think, is good for 4 or six days in the fridge. and 6 months in the freezer.

if you go to Babycenter.com, you can probably find out.

if you can keep up the milk production that'd be awesome! oh, and you need to keep up w/your meals and snacks, that's huge in keeping your body going to produce milk. i always ate more when i was nursing than when i was pregnant - feed the fire so the machine can produce.

you should pump 10 minutes or 15 mintues per side.

the more the baby feeds or you pump, the more your body will make milk. it's supply and demand. so if you feed in the morning and then pump two or three times at work and then feed once or twice in the evening, then your body will keep producing on that schedule.

good luck!

Jody - posted on 03/21/2011

People who think the breastmilk only last for 24hrs might be confusing it with formula, which is only good for 24 hours after it has been made, this is because Bmilk doesn't have save problems with bacterial growth as formula since our bodies put anitbodies and antibacterial power into the milk to pass on to our little ones to keep them healthy and it helps keep our milk safe :),



Go to this link here and it is a chart you can print with breastmilk storage outlines from DR.Sears

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/t026900...

The length of time breastmilk is good for all depends on the temperature so take a little lunch cooler with an icepack to work and you won't have to worry :)

Another thing is, when reheating you milk do it slowly and be careful not ot over heat, sounds like common sense right? but heating with boiling water or in the microwave usually causes important protiens and immunities to breakdown, no matter what method you use, you need to heat slowly and mix well to remove any hot spots, warm to hot tap water to heat the milk works well especial if you use those disposible drop in bottles, less plastic between the milk and heat means quicker easier heating. My little guy is great with eating his milk once it is approx skin temp, so not very hot or anything, some babies are picker but when you're hungry you're hungry :)

Also unike formula you can heat breastmilk 2 times! but I recommend if you are unsure how much baby will eat, heat milk in one container and feed from another ot prevent bacteria and germs going into the bottle from the nipple, then you don't have to worry quite so much.

I pump and store in the fridge in big 8oz plastic bottles (just buy cheap ones with lids, gerber makes cheap three packs of them and they fit my pump too, might not fit yours though), and freeze if not used in 3 days using, nuk brand breastmilk freezer bags (found them to be cheapest and good quality), they hold up to about 10oz, you can also freeze in ice cube tray, each cube is around one ounce but they don't last as long since they are more exposed to air etc and can absorb odours etc from freezer. You can also add to a already frozen bag as long as milk is cold from fridge to top up one that was not full. Make sure to date the bags and use the oldest first!

By going so long between feeding/pumping your body thinks the baby only needs the amount of milk they were eating after you got home, so by pumping at work and feeding your little one as much as possible when you are together you will kick your production back up.Below I have put some links to help give you info about increasing you milk again

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bf-li...

http://www.motherandchildhealth.com/Brea...

the biggest thing is pumping often at least every 3 hours ( or more, more is better within reason) I recommend, pump before work for 5-15min per breast (even if baby has eaten!),since you say you work, let say 10 hours from leaving to home again, so then try pumping 2.5 hrs appart, you will pump 3 times at work and then be home with milk for baby to eat from you. You can probably move to 3.5hrs after your production is up again. Feed your baby as often as you can at home and try pumping after his feeds for 5-15min or until you get 1oz off each breast, whichever comes first, this will help increase you milk again. You can also try drinking milk tea with fenugreek and goats rue in it, or fenugreek capsules if you prefer but combinations tend to work best. Oh and if your baby sleeps 5-6hrs at night pump after the last feeding before bed, since your production is highest in the middle of the night, if your empty before then it helps production go up too and usually results in giving you extra milk to store usually :D

ALso if you baby complains that you don't have enough milk at night, feed feed feed and if they really freak cause they are hungry and you don't seem to have anything feed them some stored milk, (if you have some) and pump instead, your body will still get the signal that baby wants food and make more but you will be less stressed and baby will be full :)

Stress and lack of rest make your milk production go down too, also avoid too much caffiene and also surprisingly cocoa, so no dark chocolate, stick to white and milk chocolate if you gotta have some :) take a prenatal vitamin and drink water whenever you feed or pump :)

Good luck and sorry for the information overload! can you tell I am a science person? lol :D

Alisi - posted on 03/21/2011

Thanks you'all for the great encouragement! but hey....a couple of friends said breast milk only stays good in the fridge a few hours.tell me...can it last longer than 24 hours in the fridge? Joddy and Jane, you both seem to be right about milk production.Because i don't pump my milk, i have realised a big reduction in the milk that sometimes the baby doesn't have enough to feed on. How could i possibly boost this milk again?

Jane - posted on 03/18/2011

you should be pumping while you're at work. that way you will continue to produce milk and you won't be uncomforable or leaking. your employee should be providing you w/the privacy to do so.

Jody - posted on 03/18/2011

I agree with Leah, pump! you poor woman, I am breastfeeding and I pump if I miss a feed with my boy, if you don't pump your milk production will go down and eventually you won't be sore but you risk having to switch to formula outright, some womens bodies take that as a sign of weaning and they pretty much dry up.
Milk stores for a few days in the fridge and a few months if properly stored in the freezer. I have a freezer with a weeks worth of back up milk because of it. When the sitter comes she grabs a bag ( the oldest of course) thaws it and feeds. Anything I pumped that days goes into the freezer for next time :) It makes it easy to have a date night with the hubby.

A tip as well, pump before work to try to empty yourself so you can last longer but try to stick close to the babies normal feed times and routines if possible after that (ie pump one side more than the other if baby normally only eats off one side per feed etc)
They say on average you save $2000 by breastfeeding for 1 year, so invest in a good pump ( it makes a difference let me tell you!!)
Good luck and best wishes to you and your little one.

Alisi - posted on 03/17/2011

oh Leah,
thanks so very much.i'l do just that starting immediately!

Leah - posted on 03/17/2011

When I went back to work, I was able to walk to where my baby was in order to nurse him. But on the occassion that I would not be near him, I would take a breast pump with me and would pump at the time of his normal feedings. This would allow my husband, daycare, or babysitter to have a bottle for him without using formula. You can do the same. Find a closet, or your office, or go to the bathroom in a stall and pump. Your milk is good for 10 hours at room temp before needing to be refrigerated, or bring a cooler with you and put the milk in it. Don't make yourself suffer till the next time you get to feed.