Breastfeeding and Engorgement

Ashley - posted on 01/15/2009

Wow you are so luckky to be able to pump 8-12 ounces! Thats so great I pumped about 4 ounces in one 15 pumping "session" out of one breast and I was so excited! LOL Yeah my husband is currently deployed but should be coming back early and I am so excited to start pumping so that he can jump in and help take over!! Cause ever since she was born ive had to do everything alone not that I mind because she has truely been an amazing baby!!! But I had yet another question for you gals! Do you ever get sick of breast feeding! Dont get me wrong I do not want to give my daughter formula because I figure why should I when I am making everything she is needing but there are times that I am just kinda tired of the whole process? I feel really aweful for feeling this way... I hope im not the only one who has these feelings? I do plan on returning to work part time once my husband returns home and I will be trying to find a pumping rhythm so that she cna still recieve all the benefits of me being with her 24/7

Sarah - posted on 01/14/2009

Breastfeeding in the beginning is painful, but it gets easier after your body regulates.

To help with the soreness, get a tube sock, fill it with rice, tie a knot in it and then nuke it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Wrap a dish towel around it and wrap it around your breast. This will ease the pressure and the pain while breastfeeding or before pumping.

Depending on if you decide to "keep" milk and freeze it for when you don't feel like breastfeeding, keep pumping and then bag and freeze it. It makes life easier down the road if you want to go out or want "daddy" involved in the feedings w/o the use of formula. I enjoyed making milk for him. It was satisfying. I could get between 8-12 ounces from each breast in a pumping session. Having a dual pump makes it easier and faster.

Yes, your body makes more for the more you pump, but the supply I had was wonderful. My son is almost 1 year old and my frozen supply just ran out last week. I was so glad that I did that and wished I was able to pump more.

For sore nipples, use the lanolin or the aqua gels, but don't use them at the same time. In the beginning I used the aqua gels all day. I had two pair and when I wasn't using one, the other was in the fridge. It was soothing to put the cool packs on myself. After the rawness was gone, I used lanolin all the time and it kept things in check.

I've heard other friends swear by cabbage leaves to dry up your milk supply if you are interested in slowing things down or stopping (I haven't tried it myself).

Hope that helps. Best of luck and it does get easier if you choose to feed for the long haul.

Jacqueline - posted on 01/14/2009

hi, the more u mump the more ur milk comes so just xpress a little just to take the edge off.in about 6 weeks u would have found ur rythm so just keep at it well..... thats when u get a beter milk flow. hope this was helpful n sorry its so late.

Billie - posted on 01/14/2009

the shower helped alot when i was brestfeeding and it was hard for me to pump my son was a good eater i brestfed until he was 18 months old and my biggest issue was when he would be feeding on one brest the other one would start leaking...well actually streaming more mike....umm stay away from beer the doesnt help the engorgment and you could look up a brest feeding clinic they might have some other solutions for you i know it helped with me and my son....if you in mississauga there is a brest feeding clinic in medowvale town center but you might have to surch the web for other places...but definatially try the shower and keep pumping my mother would tell you that your brests are full enough to feed twins at least thats what she would say to me :) gook luck

Christina - posted on 01/14/2009

I had the same problem. I just  pumped a little or let it leak into a  container when I was engorged just until I felt some relief. The more you pump the more you make. But 6 weeks there is a growth spurt so you may  go through it  again. I get engorged every  night and my daughter is 4 months. She eats so much  during the day! Gerber also makes the cold/hot breast pads...they are $10 and sooo worth it. Put it in the freezer and then stick it in your bra...ahhh...so nice...hope this helps!

Leslie - posted on 01/13/2009

I had no problems with milk supply. Our Midwives swear by it and they have a 100% sucess rate with breast-feeding.

Best of luck with the solutions you find :D

Ashley - posted on 01/13/2009

geesh I mean leaf not leave woah im over tired lol!

Ashley - posted on 01/13/2009

I have been told by my lactation consultant that a cabbage leave will dry up your milk and if not dry it up it will significantly reduce your milk supply.....

Leslie - posted on 01/13/2009

Buy a cabbage, core it, cut it in half and keep it in the fridge. Peel off one leaf for each breast. Leave them on until the cabbage smels cooked. This works like a dream! cabbage is a natural anti-inflamatory. Some of my friends have even kept the leaves on all day going out etc with them in their bra. I found it a huge relief.

Rachel - posted on 12/30/2008

I had the same problem!! I started out pumping a little at a time to relieve the engorgment but I soon found that I needed to force myself to wait between feedings.
Get yourself some Lansinoh or Avent nursing pads. The kind that are extra thick like a maxi pad. This way if you force your self to go longer between feedings you can leak and not worry to much. I have hand expressed in the shower but it can be painful and did not work so well for me, my breast were to sore. Eventually my body adjusted. It's painful and I hear you! Sorry to not be more of a help.

Emily - posted on 12/30/2008

If you pump until you're empty you will continue to produce lots of milk. Instead, pump just until the engorgement is relieved. Nurse your baby on demand and your supply will regulate and you won't need to pump as much.

Ashley - posted on 12/30/2008

Yeah I produce so much milk because I just pumped one breast for about 15 mins and I had already expressed about 4.5oz of milk! Which I thought was a lot... but then it seemed to me that her schedule of feedings changed a little bit and she was sleeping 4-4.5 hours a night so thats why I am guessing that I got so engorged! But I dont want the process to continue on so thats why I didnt wanna just pump! But I definately agree producing milk is such an amazing thing the human body is pretty incredible!!

Katie - posted on 12/30/2008

Pumping will definitely just perpetuate the engorgement problem. You could try pumping just a little bit to relieve some of the firmness. I would get (and still do sometimes) really engorged during the night and leak everywhere. Eventually your body will figure it out and your production will equal what baby wants/you'll stop getting so engorged. But then you'll hit a growth spurt he/she'll nurse all the time and then stop and you'll be back in the same boat. :P Hot showers definitely relief some of the discomfort. You can pump it all out and freeze it, but you'll have to keep that up because production will continue to stay up too if you pump/feed constantly.

Toni - posted on 12/30/2008

hot shower and definately pump and freeze it

Sara - posted on 12/30/2008

Congratulations on making so much milk! If you are pumping and it ends up to be "to much" - you won't use it in 3 months or ever, etc. - you could donate the frozen bags to people who need it. There are places who do this... I have heard... I think it is a cool idea...

You could also try feeding her more. She maybe just really hungry - your body knows what your baby needs - or getting ready to need that much more milk that you are already producing!

Wow - aren't our bodies amazing! :) It is your super-power friend!

Jacintha - posted on 12/30/2008

I always manually expressed (about a teaspoon worth from each breast) when this happened with my first child. I was feeding bub from both breasts each feed. Expressing so little eased the pressure a bit and ensured I wouldn't continue the cycle. It took about 4 days until things were normal. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Esther - posted on 12/30/2008

I found that when i had a shower and massaged my breasts under warm water that it helped - also to manually express in the shower - sometimes if you express it can increase your milk supply. How often are you feeding? and for how long?