Hello, Moms,
Let me begin by saying that I successfully breastfed my first two children for 13 months each. I had baby number 3 about a week ago, and she is doing excellent with nursing. My problem is that my breasts are so incredibly engorged right now with the new supply that has recently come in. There is no way that Baby Girl is able to come close to emptying out even one side, let alone both.
For the life of me, I cannot remember how I dealt with this on my first two children... I'm going to chalk it up to recovery and lack of sleep. :)
So, I need relief. My breasts hurt. They are hard as rocks...even after nursing. Baby girl is getting plenty of milk, latch is good, suction is good, growth is good, etc. There's just too much milk for right now.
My problem is that I am in limbo between relief now from the excess milk without jeapordizing future supply. I am NOT to the point of mastitis, and I'm actually feeling decent (other than the hard as rocks boobs). I keep thinking that my body will start to reabsorb some of this milk at some point, but it hasn't yet. I have done a little pumping each night to help relieve the pressure, but I have never completely drained a side. I am afraid if I do, then supply/demand will just refill them as full.
Suggestions for now? Do I use my pump to completely drain one/both sides so that I'm starting from a clean slate (empty breast!). Do I hang in there a little longer? I definitely don't want to make things worse with whatever I do.
Thanks for your help!
Thanks for all the suggestions! I've been focusing on one side at a time with baby and expressing a little from the other side. One breast is already feeling so much better. :) I do plan on trying out some of the other ideas today. Thanks again!
What I've done with all three of mine was to pump empty after that first morning feeding. I got relief and my supply was always excessive, but I didn't spend all day rock hard and in pain. When my babies slept through the night, around 6 weeks or earlier, I started pumping at night, before I went to bed, so I didn't wake up engorged.
Your supply is out of whack with her demand. Give it a bit longer and you will even out again. Until then, I always hand expressed just enough (usually in the shower) to relieve the pressure and uncomfortable feeling, but not enough to seriously mess with demand.
I also had to sleep with a towel under me because I'd leak in the night while sleeping.
I say while you have the milk pump and freeze. This way down the road if you need pumped milk you have it. To mix into cereals for supplement in case your supply drops this time.
Put cabbage leaves in your bra. It goes a long way to relieving the discomfort.
You are doing exactly the right thing. I too had an oversupply issue with my 2nd child and it is painful.
Pump off a little bit of milk from both sides so that you are not as hard as a rock (I froze this for later). I suggest that you do it right before nursing. Otherwise, your baby will get a lot of foremilk, and not as much of the rich hindmilk.
Don't pump too much. You are right that you don't want to empty, because that will signal to your body to make even more.
I went to nursing on 1 side per feeding to get my supply down to something manageable (nurse, take baby off to burp, then put back on the same side instead of switching). I would nurse on 1 side and then pump about 2 oz from the other side (pump just enough to relieve the pain, not to empty).
Some more good tips on kellymom - http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/fast-letdown/
I agree with the others, in that you should pump a little and use warm compresses. You should get some relief with this.
I'm jumping on the pump-and-freeze bandwagon! Yea for extra milk and congratulations on the new healthy baby!!
I would nurse her on both sides (express a little if necessary) and remember that your body will eventually figure out you are not nursing an army. I went to block feeding, because I had an overactive letdown, but see what works for you.
As others have said, utilize this time and pump and freeze! You won't end up with an "empty breast" as pumping isn't effective enough to completely empty out your supply. You can pump, then if baby is hungry you can nurse! If you are worried their won't be enough (there will be, though), just alternate nursing on one side, pumping the other. Good luck and congratulations on #3!
If I pumped, it would just make it worse. The only way I could get relief is to take a hot shower & drip. It give me just enough relief without interfering with my supply.
When I needed to wean my first baby from nursing, I called the lactation nurse at the hospital and she told me about the cabbage leaves. You put leaves in your bra after cutting the large veins in the leaves. When they get warm and limp, you throw them away and replace them. There's a chemical reaction between the cabbage and your milk and sweat that helps decrease your milk. Just do it a little bit to get relief.
I would use some hot wet washrags on your breasts or stand in the hot shower and massage them to try to soften them up. While you're in the shower, some of the milk will come out. It's okay to take some tylenol for the pain, too.
I would not drain your breasts right now for fear of telling your breasts that they need to make that much more milk.
Good luck and congrats on the baby!
If you are going to pump and save, I would drain completely, or almost completely so that when you do use it there is hind milk mixed with the first milk. If you are going to pump and dump, just do enough for relief.
I'd suggest what others have... pump milk and freeze it. Yes, your supply will be up, but it will be a relief. I did this with my son.
Warm compress is great. Also, the cabbage leaves? That's a good one, too, and be sure to go over them with a rolling pin.Common green cabbage is good, and the rolling pin will release the sinigrin and other herbal components... the cabbage compresses have been since the 1800s to reduce swelling in sprains and broken bones. Good stuff!
