Swollen Ouchy Boobs!!

**{sarah}** · May 21st, 2008, 08:38 PM

My milk started coming in yesterday, but today, OMG it's there for sure

My boobs are really really hard & swollen, which of course is a wonderful thing but I need some advice.

Juliette fed around about an hour ago, for an hour on the left side. Not sure if it's relevant, but I had some leakage on the right at the time. So she fed for an hour, but it's still pretty hard & full. The right side is really really hard & really sore because she had just had enough with the left & couldn't do the right at all.

So what do I do? Cai had suggested expressing earlier in the day, but I'm not sure to what point & at that stage I was feeling ok with waiting til she fed so didn't ask

Do I express until they're just not quite so hard, or until they go soft, or until they are just more comfortable? Generally she goes 3 hours from the finish of one feed to the start of another, so we're looking at probably around two more hours now before she feeds again.

**Visitor7** · May 21st, 2008, 08:46 PM

Express until you feel comfortable. If you need to, feed her before she starts looking for it. I had to do that the other night, otherwise I would have burst. If she's asleep, wake her. It's best for her to drain your breast rather than you becoming too engorged. And when you do feed her, you might want to express a little first, so she attaches correctly, and easily.

**sneakysparkle** · May 21st, 2008, 08:52 PM

I always found it was easier to feed if I just expressed a little first! Just do what's comfortable darl

Congratulations by the way!

**Lulu** · May 21st, 2008, 08:55 PM

Well heelllooooooooooo Jessica Rabbit! When my milk came in, I had my back to Dp - said "check THESE out" sucked my guts in, turned around.......and his eyes POPPED OUT. Man, they were up to my chin!

And I used to leak out one side (sometimes spray) when bubs was feeding from the other. I used to give the girls a bit of a massage in the shower when they became too hard, i was easier for me to hand express a little with nice warm water. Just enough to make them soft so bubs could latch easier.

Enchanted · May 21st, 2008, 10:11 PM

Whe my milk first came in and my boobs were as hard as rocks like yours are, I expressed a bit until they felt comfortable. It was amazing how much I got from just a few squeezes of the pump! I just froze the milk to use later on

Hope they settle down down soon hun. Shouldn't be too much longer!

paradise lost · May 21st, 2008, 10:24 PM

Well bit different for me because i WANTED to fill my freezer, so when i was full up and hard i used to feed DD from one side and pump from the other (as you note, the let-down is bilateral which meant i barely had to pump while she was feeding, it just ejects out with light suction!) until she'd finished feeding. She never took more than one BB for the first month anyway (i had masses then) and i ended up with 5 full days worth of milk in the freezer by the 9th week!

I didn't pump every feed, but always the morning ones (was always more full in the mornings) and always the dream feed (because she always took least then).

Two words of warning though:

1) it can take a bit longer for your supply to settle if you pump every feed (as your boobs go on thinking you need all the milk you take) - this didn't bother me and in fact my over-supply meant that i could go on feeding that bit longer when my thyroid failed and my milk supply dropped off suddenly around 4 months. Whenever i got annoyed with having over-supply i'd pump a bit less, and when she went to having 2 boobs each feed i'd give her one, pump the foremilk off the other, then burp her and give her the hind milk off the pumped boob and pump whatever was left in the suckled boob. Worked great for us, no colic or anything.

2) in the early weeks (4-6ish, from memory) there is still colostrum IN your milk. This is because the bub goes on needing the protein and high levels of antibody, and also because boobs aren't taps, so milk comes in "as well" rather than "instead" - this is all fine but colostrum is mildly laxative (helps to clear the meconium from their bowels), so if you DO give her freezer EBM in 2 months that was pumped when she was a week old, she might have a runny nappy - remember not to fret if that happens.

Bx

**Barb Glare** · May 21st, 2008, 10:28 PM

HI,

Congratulations! Good on you. Now I have to go and find the thread and read all about it.
Most mums tend to somewhat overproduce. At this stage your milk supply is driven by your hormones (in a few weeks, "supply and demand" will take over)
If your baby is asleep or full and your breasts are uncomfortably full, express. Express enough so that they are soft and manageable. Often at this age, babe will be "full" after the first breast always offer the second breast, but you may find you need to express the other side. Keep that milk flowing. If your breasts still seem hot afterwards, put an icepack on them - or gently dampen a disposable nappy and freeze it - it will feel great on the books
Talk soon
Barb

**MantaRay** · May 22nd, 2008, 10:06 AM

Sarah, when my milk came in with Tom, I was just about crying in pain my bbs were so sore and uncomfortable. Because I had had the same thing with Jack and gotten mastitis, the mws suggested a once-off full express. I got over 400mls out - you should have seen the look on the mws face when she saw it, and then when I told her I'd run out of bottles and had to tip some down the sink as well! And the new mw in the morning came in and told me my milk supply was the talk of the ward LOL.

It sure felt better at the time, and I don't actually think it took any longer for my supply to settle down then it did with Jack - both times took a few agonising days. But then it settles down and feels so much better. So I guess the point of all this rambling is don't be too scared to express enough off for comfort. It's not likely to delay the settling down phase and it's well worth it to ease the pain.

GL, I hope it settles down really soon for you - and congrats on bfing! Top job!!

**Liz** · May 22nd, 2008, 10:30 AM

Yay for all that milk Sarah! Just express away until you're comfortable

I had way too much milk for my prem, but I still sat at the pump after each feed. Unfortunately the hospital fridge broke and i had to chuck my massive stock of milk.

LOL Manta - my supply was the talk of the ward too coz I'd pump 200mls in a few minutes on one side. I couldve done more, but I was too lazy to change bottles LMAO.

I actually love the feeling of the baby drinking from an engorged boob.. kinda satisfying feeling like squeezing a big zit LOL. OK.. that sounded weird.. I'll go now.

**aussienic** · May 22nd, 2008, 11:39 AM

I actually love the feeling of the baby drinking from an engorged boob.. kinda satisfying feeling like squeezing a big zit LOL. OK.. that sounded weird.. I'll go now.

Thats exactly how I would describe it too

**mbear** · May 22nd, 2008, 02:39 PM

Sarah - are you offering both breasts ? I always found if my right boob was full and DD was sucking on left boob, i would detach and latch her on to my fuller boob. Even if she doesnt drain it (which she wont at this age) it does relieve the 'full' feeling a bit....

**{sarah}** · May 22nd, 2008, 03:33 PM

Yep, offering both breasts. Most times she takes both with a nappy change in between.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions of how much to express. I got 20ml in about 2 minutes which was amazing (

) but I stopped because madame decided she wanted another feed. They are still quite hard & sore but not nearly as much as last night. Does that eventually go away or is it something you just learn to deal with?

**MantaRay** · May 22nd, 2008, 03:39 PM

It definitely goes away Sarah. It usually takes around 6 weeks for supply and demand to work properly, but you should start feeling better within a week or so. Sounds like you are doing a great job!

**Lulu** · May 22nd, 2008, 03:43 PM

Nah, it will back off a little, it's still early days. Are your boobs up under your arms too? he he. You will probably find you will get the overfull feeling only when bubs is due for a feed.

**Marlene** · May 22nd, 2008, 03:45 PM

Sarah...the first few days are the worst, I was in tears I was in so much pain, I would just express to the point where I was comfortable. It does settle down after a few days. I now dont get rock hard and sore between feeds, but will get a little bit sore sometimes just before a feed is due or if Jack sleeps a bit longer than usual. At first i was a bit worried that my milk supply had dropped (isn't it funny? there is always something to worry about) but when I expressed I got 100ml in only a few minutes, so there was still plenty of milk, but your bb's just evetually learn how much milk to make to satisfy your beautiful bub.

**Liz** · May 22nd, 2008, 05:53 PM

It definitely goes away

Occassionally you'll feel that hard and full again if bub has an extra long sleep or something. I find my boobs start off overfull for the first few days, then we have a number of weeks of the other side leaking profusely (often squirting!) during letdown while feeding, together with the occassional engorgement from feeding patterns changing, and then it all settles down nicely, and makes milk to order

I find I wear breastpads for about the first 2 or 3 months, mainly when I'm out, coz I can't entirely trust my other boob not to leak with that first letdown LOL.

ETA: 20mls is fantastic Sarah! When you think of how much a 5 day old needs in a feed, and how long it takes them to feed in those early days. Well done

It's all looking good for a loooooong breastfeeding relationship. Keep up the good work!