Engorgement!!!!- UPDATE: Still engorged :(

[CryPixie83]

My ds was born Sept 1 and I have engorgement from hell! I don't remember it being this "bad" with dd (who is still nursing btw). My left breast is twice the size of my right (which is huge itself). I have cabbage in my bra right now, which I think is hlping a bit. Is there anything I can do to lessen the engorgement or at least make it more comfortable to nurse... right now anytime either dc latches on I want to scream and cry When does this typically end? This is day 3 of the Dolly Parton look alike party here, I thought it'd be close to over by now but it's the same.

I'm not going to quit nursing, I've nursed through much worse, but this is playing hell on my mental stability and hormone-laden emotions:

[MarcyC]

Can you pump & freeze? That's the only thing I can think of, really. Try also cold compresses and tylenol.

[quirkylayne]

.

[CryPixie83]

Working on the cabbage (I love my dh!) and the tylenol. I can't hand express, they're too full and I can't get it to work (I know how to express, it's just not happening right now). I have a pump and I've tried it a couple times but with the newbie and the toddler it's hard without feeling like I've got a couple of hungry lions staring at me

[CryPixie83]

DS is 12 days old now. My right breast is doing great, but my left is still engorged I feel so lopsided, my back hurts and that particular nipple hurts.. I want to cry everytime one of the kiddos latch on.Plus, dd has all her teeth and when she nurses on the left side they rub my nipple and leave little teeth marks. I've been taking tylenol when it really hurts and I need to get some more cabbage (forgot to put it in the fridge). I know I'm nursing more on the left side (I'm right handed)... I dont know if I'm helping or making it better... it feels better when it's less full but I know nursing more encourages milk production, so it really seems like a catch 22. What should I do?

[timneh_mom]

Can you pinpoint what helped you with your right breast? Was it the cabbage, the ice packs? It's really normal for one breast to be a better producer than the other. I'd keep trying what you've been doing, since it seemed to work for the other side... It can be so hard in the beginning...

[cdahlgrd]

If I were you, I would pump the engorged side until empty, and then make sure it is emptied at least every 2-3 hours for a day. Once the swelling and pain are gone, then you can slow the pumping until you can stop comfortably. Also, Ibuprophen might be better because it also reduces inflamation.

If you don't empty the breast, you may end up with a whopper of a mastitis infection.

You can check out Kellysmom.com if you want someone to back me up.

[annekevdbroek]

I had terrible problems with oversupply/engorgement. When my son was 3 or 4 weeks old I started pumping. Between the engorgement and pain of let down I just couldn't take the pain any more. I couldn't sleep, walk, ride in the car, etc. without a lot of pain. The pumping was a WONDERFUL! My son never took a bottle so I donated gallons and gallons to a local milk bank and a friend. When my son was 6 or 7 months old I started slowly tapering off the pumping and stopped when he was 9 months old.

I actually don't think the pumping increased my supply - I just think it took the engorgement back to a manageable level. I started with pumping at night so I could sleep, once in the middle of the night after DS nursed so I could sleep again ( I had fast let down with the pump so it only took 10 minutes or so), in the am after DS nursed, and mid-day. I tapered off the middle of the night first, then mid-day, then am, the pm pump was the last to go.

I couldn't have done it without the pump. I honestly think it was the only thing that kept me going with the early BF. I am expecting Mr. #2 now and am worried that I am going to have massive over-supply again. Just, after 4 weeks post-partum I didn't see any sign of my supply adjusting.

[savannah smiles]

Originally Posted by cdahlgrd

If I were you, I would pump the engorged side until empty, and then make sure it is emptied at least every 2-3 hours for a day. Once the swelling and pain are gone, then you can slow the pumping until you can stop comfortably. Also, Ibuprophen might be better because it also reduces inflamation.

If you don't empty the breast, you may end up with a whopper of a mastitis infection.

You can check out Kellysmom.com if you want someone to back me up.

ITA with cdahlgrd! I was engorged with both of my babies but this time around I had a pump to help things out. I'm so glad I had it because I don't know how I would have gotten through it otherwise. I was horribly engorged for over a week and then over time (and as the baby at more during each feeding) it got better.

[twinvillageiowa]

My milk didn't come in for 4 or 5 days, then came in so fast and hard that I was taken by surprise. We couldn't bf yet, (they were in the NICU) but I had to pump every 2 hours or I was in severe pain. I would get 8 oz in under 10 min. I stupidly would stop pumping, even though the milk was still shooting out. (This was due to the LC having cancer and not being available, so I had no idea that I should remove ALL the milk.) Now, at 3 months, I still pump and bf but don't get swollen for about 4 hours. Your body is just freaking out because of all the hormones. It will calm down soon.

[CryPixie83]

So my engorgement had finally started to go down, then last night my toddler fell asleep w/o nursing (she was sick) and then I had a drink and then I woke up with huge melons on my chest *sigh* I'm breakin out the pump...

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

Originally Posted by cdahlgrd

If I were you, I would pump the engorged side until empty, and then make sure it is emptied at least every 2-3 hours for a day. Once the swelling and pain are gone, then you can slow the pumping until you can stop comfortably. Also, Ibuprophen might be better because it also reduces inflamation.

If you don't empty the breast, you may end up with a whopper of a mastitis infection.

ditto

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

Originally Posted by CryPixie83

So my engorgement had finally started to go down, then last night my toddler fell asleep w/o nursing (she was sick) and then I had a drink and then I woke up with huge melons on my chest *sigh* I'm breakin out the pump...

feel better soon mama