Engorgement (ouch!)

[Lirpa11]

I have a 3 week old and I am EBF. Sometimes I pump to save aome and freeze it.

Well, after over a week and half, my breasts went soft and squishy. I thought maybe the milk dried up but our son seemed to be eating just fine.

Well, after two weeks, DS did a lot of cluster feeding over two days and my milk supply increased substantially. My breasts started feeling harder and fuller again and only squishy after he fed.

My problem is, one or both has been really hard either in the morning or in the evening, or both. This morning one was hard as a Rock. I had to use my hands and empty milk in the sink so DS could even latch.

Now this evening they both feel so full again, nearly hard.

Will this go away? Should I avoid a pump? Should I pump to help ease the pressure?

 

[hlynne]

I have an 11 week old. I thought that I was supposed to pump between feedings to have a supply in the freezer "just in case". I EBF so there is really no need for me to keep a supply because I do not work. Anyway, my LO starting having green poop instead of the yellow and seedy. This was due to my oversupply. I had inadvertently gave myself an oversupply by pumping everyday. The oversupply caused the green poop because it was a fore milk hind milk imbalance. My son was getting all of the fore milk because I was so engorged all the time. What he was getting was enough for a meal so he was never getting to the hind milk thus causing green poop. This started at about 7 weeks I believe. Hopefully that makes some sense to you. Anyway, I do not pump anymore and my breasts are not engorged anymore (only if he sleeps 9 hours without a feed). So, I was told that if you do pump you could end up with an oversupply and you could end up having the problem that I had. A few weeks after I stopped pumping, my son stopped having the green poop.

I am not saying that this will happen to you, but I would just make sure that your LO is getting enough hind milk if you do have to pump.

 

[Lirpa11]

Makes perfect sense. We have actually had green specks in his poo too

I was told to pump to keep supply up too but I don't want to have to pump every day. It seemed if I try to pump to relieve them, I just make more milk! Then I have to pump earlier than before. I'll just leave pumping for a bit and just try to breastfeed for awhile. These engorged breasts are awful '

 

[FarmMom]

Your supply will regulate to what your baby needs if you don't pump. There's no need this early unless you are heading back to work. I would suggest just hand expressing a bit like you have done, but not pumping. If you do pump, only enough to get comfortable and help baby latch. Eventually you won't feel full all the time, but milk will still be ther. As long as baby is having wet diapers, he is getting milk.

 

[zorak]

It sounds like you have an oversupply. Like the other ladies have said avoid the pump, hand express a little when needed to releave discomfort. Over time your supply will adjust. If it doesn't another thing you can try is block feeding where you only offer baby one boob per feed.

I had massive over supply with my first so I took these steps as a pre caution with my second, although I still occasionally get engorged its nowhere near as bad.

 

[hlynne]

If you are uncomfortable because of the engorgement, I read a Leche League article that says to just pump for about 30-40 seconds. Just for relief. That will not turn on the "switch" for your milk production. I don't know how it works, but it worked for me