My breast make me think of quitting :(

[loveandterror]

Hello ladies, I've only been a mum for 5 days and I can't deal with the breastfeeding. It's not so much that I dont like giving my boobies, but how terrible my breast feel. They are engorged to the size of melons and every time before I give my LO my boobs I have to express some milk with a breast pump.

My boobs feel like I got implants, they feel hard on the sides and a bit warm as well.
I need you guys to talk to or some advice on what to do.

Will the engorgement last?
Could I express my Breast milk and give LO a bottle every time instead of boob?
Also when I would express excessive amounts how do I store and warm the bottles up?
I have no idea about these things.
I've been crying all night and just can't handle it anymore

 

[noon_child]

The engorgement won't last but I won't lie, it won't be gone in a few days. Supply regulates (i.e your boobs don't "store" milk as they know how much to make on demand) between 6 weeks and 3months, but it happens gradually, so I'd say you'd notice less painful engorgement each week or so as you go on. I'd say I didn't notice painful engorgement after about week 3 maybe...

It is very normal at that stage to get breasts so engorged that LO can't latch (especially on a morning) but I don't remember that lasting past the first growth spurt at day 7. Pumping off milk may actually be signalling your breasts to make more, so alternatives to try would be standing in a hot shower (this seems to stimulate excess milk to leak out) or only expressing/pumping till you feel your letdown and then just letting it squirt out in to a cloth etc. but I pumped just to get LO able to get a mouthful of boob and as it was just a few squirts I don't think it affected supply too much.

I'm not sure that exclusive expressing will make much difference to how your boobs feel. Your body will still have to learn how to adapt to what your baby needs and get engorged.

Have you tried savoy cabbage leaves against your boobs, or sticking some breast pads in the freezer (not for too long) so they are cold when you put them on your breasts?

Do you have a baby cafe/breastfeeding cafe that you could visit? Or call LLL or NCT to come and do a home visit? They are great support and just let you cry and vent etc.

 

[loveandterror]

The engorgement won't last but I won't lie, it won't be gone in a few days. Supply regulates (i.e your boobs don't "store" milk as they know how much to make on demand) between 6 weeks and 3months, but it happens gradually, so I'd say you'd notice less painful engorgement each week or so as you go on. I'd say I didn't notice painful engorgement after about week 3 maybe...

It is very normal at that stage to get breasts so engorged that LO can't latch (especially on a morning) but I don't remember that lasting past the first growth spurt at day 7. Pumping off milk may actually be signalling your breasts to make more, so alternatives to try would be standing in a hot shower (this seems to stimulate excess milk to leak out) or only expressing/pumping till you feel your letdown and then just letting it squirt out in to a cloth etc. but I pumped just to get LO able to get a mouthful of boob and as it was just a few squirts I don't think it affected supply too much.

I'm not sure that exclusive expressing will make much difference to how your boobs feel. Your body will still have to learn how to adapt to what your baby needs and get engorged.

Have you tried savoy cabbage leaves against your boobs, or sticking some breast pads in the freezer (not for too long) so they are cold when you put them on your breasts?

Do you have a baby cafe/breastfeeding cafe that you could visit? Or call LLL or NCT to come and do a home visit? They are great support and just let you cry and vent etc.

Thank you so much for your reply. I looked up LLL and there's one literally 0.95miles away from my house. I'll definitely get in touch with them.

Re: advice
I'll try getting some squirts out with a pump and then make her latch on. I hope this will work.i have my doubts though as my breast and nipple are rock hard

 

[nlk]

I exclusively expressed due to tongue tie for the first week or so and it didn't help with engorgement. As PP said, it will go down over time. My LO is three weeks old and the engorgement is gone, but I do still feel a bit too full sometimes.

If you're worried about it impacting the latch, try gently pressing just to the side of your nipple to give her something to get to a bit easier? And as your nursing, massage towards the nipple to make sure you get everything. For me, having milk left undrained made the pain a lot worse.

Hopefully it doesn't last much longer for you! Try some ibuprofen ad well to take the edge off xx

 

[purplecupcake]

The more you pump, the more engorged you will get, so I'd stop pumping until your supply has evened out.

 

[BigAl]

I always post links to kellymom, its my fav website. Boring but this may help https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/engorgement/

My baby is 2w and I feel that the engorgement is a bit more under control as she is taking more milk. Last time it was 6w until my supply fully regulated, so still the odd time of engorgement, but more manageable.

Hope it calms down soon for you.

 

[Tulip]

I wasn't painfully engorged after the first week or so, but still felt 'full' at feed times after that.

Try reverse pressure softening - should be on one of those kellymom links - to get lo to latch, it worked for us. I agree with the others, don't express more than you need to for comfort or to get LO latched - it'll just tell your body to make even more milk.

You CAN do this! The first couple of weeks are so hard, but you're halfway there xx

 

[c1403]

My LO is 3 weeks and 2days old. During the first week or so my breasts were very engorged but once we got settled and got our latch right they did calm down. I have no pain now apart from the initial latch as she clamps down a little. The only real time I notice they feel slightly engorged is in the mornings when LO has had a bit of a gap between feeds (sometimes going 3-3.5 hours). Once she starts feeding it goes away.

As for expressing, I do plan to move onto that at around 6-8 weeks as I want to build a stock for my return to work (only do two days). I think its advised to wait a while until feeding is established.

If you are really struggling but want to keep breastfeeding then seek advice of a midwife or breastfeeding consultant as that helped me so much. Good Luck xx

 

[Mrsb3]

Don't pump ! Your boobs will get more engorged!! I remember mine was lije that too but I loved them like that they felt ace to me but it dosent last lol - my dd is nearly 4 months and they hardly ever get full now I still feel them fill up you know that burning sensation but they don't get big as they used to and now she drains them in 10 mins flat haha

It will settle down you just got to hang in their

 

[wifey29]

I would stop pumping, your body will think that it needs to make more than it does and it can lead to mastitis. I made that mistake with my first. You might need to express a small amount off so that baby can latch if you're super engorged though. Hang in there, the first few weeks are tough and uncomfortable, but well worth it in the long run. Although it doesn't feel like it now, these early days are so short and go by so fast. I'm four months in wiTH DS2 now and my boobs rarely feel full, only really if he goes longer between feeds that normal. It gets much much easier I promise. Definitely look into contacting a lactation counsellor, they are amazing support.