Post Partum Engorgement (Not Breast Feeding)--any Other Suggestions??

Have you tried pumping to release the engorgement? Even though you are not breastfeeding, it is a good idea to pump so you are not in as much pain. Keep doing the ice packs and peas when you can. I have been there with engorgement and did not feel better until I began pumping my milk.

Ouch M.!! I remember how that felt!

I don't know if this will help you or not, but here is what I did. I did not do the full-on breast feeding either, but I did pump for the first 4-5 weeks when my son was born. The pumping helped reduce that engorged feeling a lot. I pumped as much as I could, but my milk production was less and less since my son wasn't actually breast-feeding. I would just give him what milk I pumped which helped build up his immunity. When I finally decided to dry up completely, I wore the tight sports bra and was dry within days.

HTH,
A.

Okay...so this will sound a little crazy. But when I was trying to dry up after breast feeding my daughter, I put cabbage leaves in my bra. It not only dried me up quickly but also relieved some of the pain associated with engorgement.

Good luck!!

I never nursed my kids past two weeks because I just couldn't keep up with their demands, but that didn't keep me from getting engorged when I switched them to formula. I know it's totally opposite from the advice people will give you, but hot pads/showers did it for me. When I used cold packs my breasts got hard and even more painful.

I had a clogged duct in my left breast which made it unbearable to sleep on my side. I used a heating pad on my left side to make it soft enough to massage out the duct (which hurt like @#$%^ let me tell you), but after three days it got better. Since you're not nursing, Ibuprofen should be safe to take (ask your doctor though); that's what I did, and it helped a TON. I'm sure any anti-inflammatory medicine will help.

Never go with the "hang in there" mentality. Ask your doctor. Yes, it may be just "growing pains" of having a newborn, but there could be some underlying cause. It never hurts to ask. :) In my experience though, using hot pads/showers helped so I could massage out the soreness, and after about four-five days I was back to "normal". (is there really a "normal" once you're a mom though?) :P Hope you're back in bed soon, and congrats on the new addition! :)

Dear M. -

Okay...I know that this will sound VERY weird!!! But it supposedly works. I have not tried it myself because I did nurse, but a very good friend of mine tried this and her grandma gave her this "old" suggestion and it worked like a charm for her. You take two cabbage leaves and you put one over each breast and then you take an ace bandage and have someone wrap it as tight as they can or as tight as you can stand it and still breathe...it only took her about 2 days and she was good to go. I never would have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes!! Hey...it might be worth a try!:) Take care and God Bless!! N.

Would you ever consider breast feeding? It's not too late. Even if you don't like the idea of breastfeeding you could pump all that wonderful milk out and give it to your baby through a bottle. That milk is loaded with nutrients that formula can't provide, especially now in the early newborn stage.

I'm not trying to be militant about breastfeeding. It's just that it sounds like your body is doing something very natural and what your baby needs. Even if you only pumped out your milk for a few weeks and gave that to your baby, it will give your baby immunity for several months.

Also, by pumping for a few weeks, you can wean off the engorgement that you're feeling and it won't be as bad. I've been engorged and that is a horrible feeling! I know what you're going through.

Just food for thought! Please know it's sent in a nice tone, not a judgemental one!

Hi M.
Do you have any signs of a infection. maybe some of your ducts are clogged.Which may be why you are haveing so much pain. I would call the nurse line and ask if this seems normal to them. Feel Better Soon :)T.

I second the advil, tylenol did nothing for me... that was the only thing that really helped me when my DD switch to formula. I ened up sleeping on the couch/fold out for the first 3 months because of the same issues you are having.

After we lost our first littel girl, the doctors had me wrap my breasts with an Ace bandage really tight and then wear a snug sports bra. I had to use nursing pads under the Ace bandage, but the engorgement went away after about a week to a week and a half. Good luck and I hope this helps.

Talk to your dr! there is medicine that can make your milk dry up!

I would expell a little bit of milk (either with a pump or just by sqeezing with your hand) when you are engorged. Just enough so you are comfortable again, but not so much that your body will think it needs to make more. Then over time, your body should stop producing milk. Good luck!

I took a breast feeding basics class when I was pregnant and our class leader told us to place cold green cabbage leaves on our breasts if they became engorged. She swore by it. Don't use the purple cabbage leaves because the color may stain your clothing.

Hi M.:

I have heard that cabbage leaves work well...just place the cabbage leaf on the breast and it helps with the drying up process...hadn't tried it myself, I took the stop and die approach, wouldn't recommend that!

Good luck!

I empathize with you, the pain is really a bummer!

It sounds like your body wants to breastfeed:) All kidding aside, I would try hot showers. It helps with let down so the milk will come out, but you'll feel better afterwards. As long as you don't over stimulate or empty your breast you should evenually stop producing. You could also try hand expressing just enough to relieve the pressure.

The putting a couple of cabbage leaves in your bra thing works wonders. It somehow helps with the swelling and pain. I didnt hear about putting cabbage leaves in my bra until my second child and wish I would have heard about it with my first. It reduced the drying up period and helped so much with the pain ans swelling. You do have to replace them pretty frequently (every couple of hours) Hope that helps!

M.,

First off Congrats on your new addition...

I feel your pain. I just had #3 back in October and I think the pain got worse with each pregnancy. I would say you are in the worth part of the engorgement since you are not going to be breastfeeding. Unfortunatley things get worse before they get better.

I guess I put up with the pain. I tried ice packs and that didn't work for me. I made sure to wear my sportsbra 24x7 and that seemed to help a bit.

I remember when I had #2 my husband was actually grossed out by how hard they were...lol

Hang in there and things should be better in a few days (I know, easier said than done).

I totally remember that pain! Breasts that nearly touched my chin, couldn't sleep because the weight about suffocated me... Finally my dr said ibuprophen. Skip the Tylenol, you need IBUPROPHEN (Advil)!!! It made all the difference!

Congrats on your growing family! :)

I hear ya! That was the worst. I used cabbage leaves & it worked great!!!!!!!!

Good luck :)

talk to your dr.they now have a medication for that problem...good luck

ice worked for me...but my sister swore by green cabbage leaves! I think it's worth a try!

Ouchie! I remember how painful my breasts were. They seriously were the size of cantalopes. The best suggestion I have is to buy cabbage leaves, scrunch them a little to break open some of the veins in the cabbage and put them in your bra right around your breasts.
The other thing that really worked for me, against all the advice and books, was to have my husband squeeze my boobs and get some of that milk out of there. Don't drain them, but just get some milk out. I was so big that I couldn't do it without hurting like crazy. It really did help take away quite a bit of the pain. In a week or so after he started doing that, I was finally able to do it myself...and I felt so much better.
But really, hang in there..it does get better! :)

I had the same issue with my son - after a week of pain - I tried taking a sudafed. It dried me right up and I had no issue. I only needed to take one. Not sure if that's the best advice or not - but that's what I did. Good Luck and Congrats on the new baby.

Hi M.,
You are right, it probably was not this bad with your first child, because you actually produce more milk after each baby. So your breast are filling more. The last few days are probably worse because your transition milk is in. Tomorrow your mature milk will be in. Sounds as if you are doing everything right, but I will give you a few more tips.

First off, if you do not have an allergy to asprin, I would 1) take 3 200mg = 600mg Ibprofern every six hours during the process. It helps with the inflamation of the milk ducts which is what is causing the pain, Tylenol does not do this at all.
2) I know this is going to sound crazy, but it works...... Go and get some cabbage and freeze it. Wear it in a tighter bra(like sports bra instead of nursing bra) around the clock for about three days. Does not make for smell, but it does work. When it becomes wilted, change the leaves to new ones.
3)Stay away from your husband during thistouch wise three to four day process. They help encourage milk production believe it or not...
4)Take some Benedryl at night; if no allergies ~ the antihistimine helps dry up the production. It works.
5)Try a bra and sports bra over the bra. If able,a sheet wrapped around the breast helps too.
6)Shower instead of a bath, but shower with your back to the shower.
7)When feeding the baby, prop the baby on a pillow and not your arms, to feed the baby. This keeps the baby from stimulating the breast if no one else is available to feed the baby.
8)Know it will be better soon. ((((HUG)))).

You may be able to still produce milk even though you are not truly producing enough to make a huge difference. I hear women all the time say, I am still lactating after weaning three months ago.... What's wrong? The truth is, just because you may be able to squeeze and produce milk from your breast, does not mean you are still fully lactaing. Some women can do this for years after weaning and some after an abortion. If they were to pump, it would only be drops there, so squeezing to see milk does not mean your body has not responded. Good luck with the journey of baby #2.

Hi! Sorry that I couldn't respond earlier; our computer was down. I breastfed and had problems with weaning. The lactation consultant told me to take a cabbage leaf and pound it and wear it in my bra. Although smelly, it really did help with the engorgement! Hope it helps. K.

CABBAGE. CABBAGE AND MORE CABBAGE. Make sure it's nice and cold. Ahhhhh...........

Hello-
I am a postpartum nurse at Meriter in Madison....Go to the store and get some cabbage leaves, chill them in the refrigerator and then take them out and crush the veins of the leaf and put them right over each breast under a tight bra like a sports bra..should help greatly:)

Hi M.,

I know how painful it is to be that engorged. It's awful! I used cabbage leaves, silly as it sounds. My OB/GYN suggested it and it really works. Of course you can't go out in public with leaves hanging out your 'décolleté' so try it on the weekend or evening. I washed and rinsed the leaves, removed the stems, and put them in the fridge until I needed them. Even just having something cool on the breasts felt so much better. I don't know who came up with this but seriously, I felt so much better after a couple of days and I didn't get engorged again even if my baby cried.

Good luck!

my last pregnancy I ended up wrapping my chest tightly with ace bandages and it was such a relief. I do remember that painful engorgement and tried everything you have done. I also remember not being able to lay on my side in bed because it hurt my chest so bad. Have your husband wrap them up tight for you!!

Oh, M., I remember going through that also!

I wore Always pads in a sports bra for the leaking (thankfully it was winter & I could hide under a big sweatshirt). I did nurse for a couple of weeks but had to stop. I did pump to ease the engorgement and pumped less & less each time to simulate weaning. I never tried cabbage leaves, but I have heard they work well. It took about a week to end the "flow."

My Mom got medicine to keep the milk from coming in, but that was in the 1960s.

Best wishes to you!!!

Hi M.,

The cabbage does work! I used it with my last baby and it worked great. Just get a head of cabbage, keep it in the fridge, rip off a leaf and put it in your bra. Not only does it help dry you out, the cold cabbage feels great. I really hope that this works for you!! It worked great for me!

Good Luck M. and hang in there, it will get better!!

Try using cold cabbage leaves.

Jenn

I feel your pain. I feel so bad for you. It sounds like you have done everything right. Like you said, about all you can do now is hang in there. I have heard of using cabbage leaves too. Now, I know you probably don't just have a head of cabbage at the moment, so this probably doesn't help right now. I don't know exactly what you have to do, but it's suppose to keep the breast cool. My friend did that and said it works. Maybe you can research it on the internet and find out what you have to do. The only other thing I could suggest is maybe stronger pain killers.
I hope this helps and you feel better. I hope that you get some rest so you can take care of that little one.

I was told to put cold cabbage leaves on, not sure it did alot but worth a try :)