help breast hurt...

[Mom2Hope]

my newborn did great the first couple of days...day 3 here and he has barely nursed at all...I actually broke and gave him a bottle...I cried the whole time...but I wanted him to eat something...I know I will go to the lactation consultant and all that...but what can I do right now...my breast hurt so much they are so full...I think they either have or are transitioning to milk because they are so swollen and sore...baby boy wont nurse from them (he wants to but then pulls away when he gets mouth to breast)...trying to hand express hurts and gets hardly anything out at the moment...I don't know what to do...but any suggestions would be great...

 

[sheldonsmommy]

Get a little manual pump. Express some milk so your breasts aren't so full, and baby will have an easier time latching. If baby still won't latch, you can pump all your milk and try to bottle feed.

It's really important in these early stages that you have the sucking on your nipples to stimulate more milk production.

My guy could latch, but couldn't drink all the milk I was producing, so I pumped for comfort about once a day, after breastfeeding so I knew baby was full.

Feel free to ask any more questions!

 

[Jaymelynn]

My baby could not latch when my breasts were really full. He would get frustrated and pull off and on. I know you said you tried to hand express, but it was the only thing that worked for me. Once my breasts were a little softer he could latch on ok. I looked on youtube for videos that showed different ways to express. Good luck!!!

 

[rachy01]

Try massaging them for 10mins quite firmly with your fist before hand expressing - that helps get the milk moving

 

[makemeamammy]

I found hand expressing really hard and noticed that it was a good 10 minutes after I would try that milk would start coming out from underneath my nipple. If I were you I would use a pump but just take a wee tiny bit out so baby can latch easier. Latching when you are engorged is like trying to suck a football lol! You could also try me of those sucker things that pulls your nipple out a bit, I think lansinoh make them. Hugs! It will get easier very soon hun xx

 

[Mom2Hope]

thanks ladies...I got a breast pump today...and I see the lactation specialist Saturday...today I gave him bottles but at least they were bottles with breastmilk...my breast were still really hard...but by tonight after pumping every 3 hrs all day they are much softer...I am hoping tonight we can try to get him to latch...after hearing the comment about sucking on a football (lol) I could imagine how frustrating that must have been for my little guy...thanks ladies...really appreciate the advice given..

 

[Mum2BKW]

Instead of pumping, press your fingers hard into your breast around the edge of your nipple, as though you're trying to push your nipple into your breast. Do this immediately before a feed. It will move the inflammation back, which is what is causing your nipples to be too taught for baby to latch.

This SAVED me when I was ridiculously engorged for the first couple of weeks, pumping before a feed took 5/10 mins to remove enough to soften my breasts and it killed me to listen to my baby crying for food all that time. Pushing my nipples in was instant and worked so well! Give it a try

 

[makemeamammy]

Instead of pumping, press your fingers hard into your breast around the edge of your nipple, as though you're trying to push your nipple into your breast. Do this immediately before a feed. It will move the inflammation back, which is what is causing your nipples to be too taught for baby to latch.

This SAVED me when I was ridiculously engorged for the first couple of weeks, pumping before a feed took 5/10 mins to remove enough to soften my breasts and it killed me to listen to my baby crying for food all that time. Pushing my nipples in was instant and worked so well! Give it a try

I did this too. I would push it in and then pull on my nipple so it would come out. I would then pinch it to put it into baby's mouth but I def wouldn't advise that if you have cracked nipples! Lol! My nipples had cleared up enough to allow me to do this without much pain x

 

[Mom2Hope]

I was having trouble getting on to the site the last few days so I just now saw these last two suggestions. Sorry ladies...it does sound like wonderful advice though especially since it worked for both of you. I went to the lactation consultant yesterday...she said what it appears to be is when I got engorged like I thought baby couldn't latch to my nipple and I ended up having to give him a bottle until I could get a pump to get my breast issue fixed...and it appears he got use to the fast flow and nipple rather quickly because after trying to feed with her there and it not working she had me try a nipple shield...she said she generally doesn't like to use them but it could help in this case...and sure enough he is latching with the nipple shield...she said as he gets a little bigger (since he was a little early and his ability to suck on the nipple to pull his food may not be quite strong enough yet...we can try taking him off the nipple shield...so right now we are doing much better....

thank you all so much