I had that happen, I would squeeze out milk, pressing my fingers just outside the nipple. When the nipple is pliant then use the pump to express it out a bit. The place the bottom of the nipple on your babies lower lip and insert as much of the nipple as possible this will help baby latch on. After a day or two you won’t be engorged as baby will feed and your milk supply will be regulated by baby.
It will get better in a couple days. Stick it out, pump, feed baby, and when gets too engorged go in shower and massage and hand express, repeat and repeat. By 2 weeks from now it will be a totally different situation. They say first 2 weeks can be the hardest especially if first baby and engorgment is so bad! You got it!
You should talk to your doctor. But I had some of the same issues, seems you’ve tried everything I did and I still had issues. It got better with every child but…
i had that problem with my second daughter and my dr told me to pump. i did and it worked
I went through this exactly with my other baby😢
You have to keep pumping after massaging. I’m so sorry you’re going through this!
I was exhausted & gave up on myself too early. It’s great that you thought to ask for help because I’m kicking myself for not trying every option before. I’m pumping for my newest baby now & it’s gotten so much easier compared to the last time.
I wish you all the luck & positivity to keep going. God bless!
This happened to me with 3 out of my four pregnancies (only tried breastfeeding with my last two)! I tried that all too but I couldn’t handle the pain of clogged ducts and becoming engorged so I threw in the towel each time unfortunately. I’ve heard sunflower lecithin helps and consistently pumping everything 2 hours?
Try right after you feed baby to get on the pump. If baby has gotten you to let down and gotten milk flowing pumping should be easier and don’t stress about it I tried that one and I was stressed and I haven’t ever again it literally will not come out
Start the pump slow and gradually up the power to get the let down. Try to relax and not stress about doing it. If you can get a hands free nursing bra thats helpful because it can do its thing and you can focus elsewhere
Get a medela pump, a hospital grade one, its a life saver. Its so good it will increase your flow unlike other pumps. Ask your midwife about how you can hire one from the hospital or anywhere.
I did that and had no help. I dried up at 6 months with my 1st and 4 months with my 2nd… please dont give up and try every feeding… idk how to help, but I wish you luck and pray for your comfort and knowledge
A Haaka for one breast while baby is on the other. Also if you’re comfortable, have your partner or someone else massage your breasts while you pump, this helped me a ton.
Pumping never worked for me. I was hounded and hassled by the medical staff when I was in the hospital until I told them all to get away from me and don’t come back in the room until is said it was ok. My son was definitely a grazer when it came to nursing. Even if yours doesn’t nurse long, just let the baby play with the food supply, stimulation is very important. I would literally hold a bottle on one side while my son nursed on the other once everything got rolling. If you didn’t have this problem before, you know what you’re doing so stop second guessing yourself. YOU GOT THIS MOMMA. Take control and don’t stress it. You and baby will work it out together.
ok, when I was breastfeeding and didn’t have a pump I had to manually ‘milk’ myself. If you rub and squeeze from the outside towards your nipple it might help some come out rather than just pumping.
Definitely pump. I felt so engorged the day before my milk finally came in on almost day 6. I had to get a haakaa pump and bring it with me into the shower to get any kind of relief.
Make sure your lo doesn’t have any ties. It sounds like they’re not emptying the breast due to not being able to transfer all the milk out. This will cause engorgement and baby can empty the breast way more efficiently than a pump!
You don’t have to breast feed. Formula fed babies are just as healthy. Breast feeding is not for everyone
I like the haaka pump with some epsom salt in it, and i took sunflower lecithin 4 times a day for awhile to help it come out easier. Before that ot just felt like the lumps were there no matter what…and showering just hurt when the water would hit my boobs.
Make sure you have a hospital grade pump. Some places have them that you can rent for a short time. Also after your son feeds, massage your breasts before you pump. Always knead in the direction of your nipples. It may be that the pump you are using isn’t strong enough. If you are still having issues , you should consult either your doctor or a lactation consultant.
I would nurse on one side and pump the other side. 2 hours later Id nurse on the opposite side and pump opposite side. I would get 6-10oz every 2 hours. Relaxing is key.
Pump, pump, pump. I was an over producer like 2.5+ times my babes need. I would have one let down within a min or two of pumping then my big let down at minute 16/17 and another about 35 mins in. In all I would have to pump for 45 mins to feel ‘empty’.
I felt I didn’t have much time to pump, especially when I fed my baby on demand and she’s now two weeks old. Personally I found it that when I tried to pump and feed on demand caused my breast to try to supply more milk and it caused more pain. I was told to wait until the baby got feeding to settle a little first. I didn’t get relief unfortunately until 14 days after giving birth and my breast started to soften. I’d say if you don’t have to pump now on the early days , don’t! Just feed the baby as often as they want to eat and as the baby gets older , maybe 4-6 weeks, incorporate pumping.
I had used cabbage leaves inside my bra. And it did allow for let down.
When they are so engorged you can’t even touch them to massage the milk out.
Good luck
And congratulations on your new baby
Before pumping wash breasts in warm water and keep a warm compress over them it helps the flow and afterwards lightly oil whole breast with olive or almond oil that will keep breast soft and not hard like footballs …all the best
Contact your local breastfeeding consultant.
Health department should be able to point you in the right direction if you’re not sure of who is one.
Wake the baby up to eat, and if the baby falls asleep while feeding burp the baby it will wake baby up to drink more. Your body makes the milk your baby needs if your engorged it means yours going to long between feeding. Remember breastfeeding has no schedule like formula
I didn’t read all the comments and I wasn’t able to breastfeed either of my kids, but cabbage leaves as funny as it sounds, saved my boobs!!
Try self expressing into a baby bottle or cup vs pump…at least for a few more weeks or so… . I felt the pump was too much suction at times. Fyi: You can save in breast milk storage bag in freezer…
Feed baby, pump with pump, when with hands, and then a warm shower… and if you and your husband are comfortable with it you can ask him to help too…
I necame very engorged. Tried wrapping hot towels. Not much luck. A bit of success with ‘bruised’ cabbage leaves put inThe bra over the breast and by drinking about 4 oz beer helped me ‘let down.’
Pumping will produce more milk. Your baby may be about to have a growth spurt with lots of snack feeds and then you’ll feel relieved. Hot flannels are good. So are frozen fresh cabbage leafs on boobs…They work better than anything costing x
It is completely normal for your boobs to go rock hard on day 2/3, don’t panic about it, continue feeding as often as your baby demands. Your boobs will go down in a day or two.
I used the hair dryer on warm and it helped relieve pain
I have twins and i dont pump i massage everytime my babies are eating the makes the milk come out
Try massaging the boob while you pump, I always did this because I could never get everything out with pumping alone
Wrap your beasts in cabbage leaves. Really helps engorgement
Pump as often as possible and try to do so until you’re as close to empty as you can be. You’ll feel tied to the pump for a while, but once your body comes into balance and the baby starts to eat more, you’ll be just fine. I know this sounds kind of silly, but let the pumping time become “me time”. When your baby is asleep and/or being cared for by someone else, get yourself a drink and snack, watch your favorite show or read a book. Let your body and mind relax. You’ve got this momma! Keep up the good work
Take oil and gently massage breasts from back towards nipple with both hands. The milk should soon flow and lumps become soft
Try a half glass of wine to relax and let your milk down.
Hot showers and cabbage or lettuce on the breast.
Steam cabbage rolls and place them on breaststroke for 10-15 mins
I used cabbage leaves to help relieve the pain
Ok probably a stupid question, but are you using the massage mode on your pump to induce a let down? Only reason I ask is because I actually know people that never knew that using the massage mode would help with a letdown
Also as you do get baby to latch on, you can massage those areas that have the hard rocky feel, massage it closer to the nipple so that the baby can suck it right out, sand for the pump- except it’s harder with the pump because the baby has a different way of naturally sucking the milk out
Maybe try a hot pack before pumping it helps with letdown.
I was like this in the beginning with each of my three kids. The best thing that worked for me was once every day I took a hot bath and massaged a lot of the milk out. You could probably catch it if you wanted to but try doing it by hand instead of the pump. Unless you have one of the pumps where you can be hands free and massage your breasts at the same time. Massage downward towards the nipple. Within about a few days my baby and my supply usually got on the same track.
When your in the warm shower, massage then hand express. Good luck Mom
My Dr had me use cold cabbage. It worked great
You are nervous… Relax… Pump in a quiet room alone if possible
You may need a different pump
Pump at least 15 min at a time
Get hubs/bf to feed too…
It realeave pressure
Pump manually and release the knots
Take some pain reliever. When my boobs would get that way I’d have to pump slow and low. As I’d pump I’d massage them. I also found these microwaveable pack things at Target that I’d have on my breast for a few minutes before I’d pump. It helped. It would take time to get it all worked out sometimes. Good luck. Definitely take some pain reliever though and relax somehow if you can. Maybe a warm bath
I had the same problem! I was power pumping and it didn’t help at all! Until I talked to the right lactation nurse and she brought in a head of cabbage yes I know super weird but LIFE SAVER! She had me cover both breasts with cold leaves from the cabbage and let them sit until they were wilted, and it worked magic! I was literally so engorged that I was easily 10 times what I shouldve been!
Call your lactation nurse. You could develop mastitis. It was more painful than giving birth, for me. There are also positions they can show you to help the baby feed better so that more milk is coming out. I had the hardest time pumping. I was so engorged but I could only pump small amounts. I also tried lactation cookies and it helped a ton.
You are doing everything right! It will get better. Once your body regulates to how much milk you baby needs. When you shower or anytime really you can lightly express just enough to relieve some pressure. Pumping helps you with your milk supply, I would not stop for a few weeks at least .
Take oil and gently massage breasts from back towards nipple with both hands. The milk should soon flow and lumps become soft
Cabbage is what I used to stop breastfeeding faster… only to dry out your breasts…
But to help with supply…
You are engorged, it hurts like hell… pump every 3 hours for 15-20 mins max try and times every day because your breasts will be on a schedule…
Don’t worry about your supply it will increase gradually, and also when u can latch baby on… the more you latch the less you have to pump…if u keep pumping and latching it tells your breasts to make more milk… that’s how u become engorged when you can’t let it out…
Warm compresses, hot showers- with a wash cloth pressing on each one at a time will help
Definitely some Tylenol or other pain medication
Wear a sports bra to keep them feeling comfortable by not leaking- because even when u leak, milk that’s let out let’s your boobies know they need to produce that amount more…
When u get rid of the engorgement and wish for more supply do skin to skin contact… if baby has a hard time latching on, get the nipple shield to help until he gets used to being close to your boobs then u can ween him off…
I went through so much with my kids and learned a lot and every baby is different… good luck…also there is the breastfeeding hot line, I don’t remember the number but there’s many and wic has their personal one they can refer you to, it’s free… good luck dear
Take an ice cube rub it on your nipples 3 times a day use heat pad 15 mins before and after feedings when possible it helps had to do it with my 3 kids when they were babies
Cabbage leaves. I was skeptical too, but it actually worked for me.
Put them on the breasts
Oh man that hurts!
Honestly having an orgasm brings down milk. But…
I took a warm shower then had my boyfriend Massage my breast, basically milking me and it helped so much those first few days.
I had to pump and massage in the lumpy areas, so my ducts didn’t get clogged.
see about selling it, there is a big demand for it, call your doc and see what is said
First, you need to CHILL! Stress can exacerbate the condition. Your ducts are working fine. Your baby will fix everything the more he/she eats. Let that teamwork begin
The most Important is that you see a doctor.
Now if breastfeeding becomes stressful remember- Fed is best.
Make sure your child is being fed adequately and make sur you have a fallow up with your doctor’s in caisse of infection in your milk glands, which isn’t good for bub and does happen.
I’ve had an infection in my milk gland with my first, and we had to stop breastfeeding because i had to take a severe course of antibiotics and the situation would of took 7 to 9 days to resolved with it, So i wasn’t gonna risk feeding issue, that’s never good… Babies who don’t receive adequate milk by day 3 are starving, this is what we are currently studying in ky biomed classes, the rising number of infant malnutrition associated to woman insisting to breastfeed without medical advice, because sometimes it does just happen that it doesn’t work out and woman need not wait to feed a infant that young… So make sur Hes being well fed first, second see a doctor. 3rd do what is safer, don’t risk poor nutrition… someoje woman never get their milk in, the human body is not perfect, just because you breastfed successfully doesn’t mean you will always and that’s ok no harm and no shame in this and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise-- Fed is Best.
For a new mom it is really hard the first bit. Even my second one was not easy with breast feeding . The engorged boobs come with the territory . Some women are lucky enough to have lots of milk. All you can do is message and push out those lumps . Not easy but do able . Lol get your husband to suck on one and release the pressure
Take a warm bath and do hand expressions, but do it underwater. It will help you see where the milk is actually coming out. Check your nipple for clogs too.
I was able to empty out by massaging and applying pressure while I was pumping. I used a pumping bra and then felt for lumps with both hands. As the pump was going, I’d massage out the hard spots with two hands.
Pump, don’t listen to her. Mine told me the same thing and it actually screwed me on my breastfeeding experience and I had to stop early because my production level was to low and before anyone tells me she’ll produce to much, that only happens if you continue to pump as if the baby was cluster feeding. I talked with my son’s pediatrician and my OBGYN and they both confirmed that because they didn’t let me pump it actually affected my production level and I was to a point I was barley making any. I was diagnosed with hyper lactation when my son was born, so that goes to show they don’t know every woman’s body or how it will work during breastfeeding.
WIC has lactation consultants and they are amazing help!!
It’s usually what happens when my milk is coming in. Just keep what your doing sounds like you’re doing good. Keep nursing and pumping and massaging out the lumps. Skin to skin. Hot shower even on the back can help. It’s the transition. But if you start to feel sick like flu symptoms and run a fever thats Mastitis and may need some antibiotics.
That’s just what happens for a few days once your milk comes in. Give it a few days and keep doing what you’re doing
Alright so I have had clog ducts, my breast did not respond to pumps so I did what my lactation consultant told me. I did a hot both with laying chest down massaging my breasts for 15 min and then my spouse helped unclog me worked like a charm!
Use hot moist heat while massaging your breast. The water needs to be very hot and I had todo this multiple times a day. Also while pumping. I bought some bamboo wash cloths to soak in hot water. They hold the heat and water the best. You can also use cloth baby diaper inserts. Also have your spouse help if you are struggling with the pump. Also a Hakka may be a better option than an actual pump while nursing so you see if you are actually having let down while nursing. I had to pump for a few minutes before nursing and then latch baby. But honestly hot moist heat while massaging multiple times a day helped my clogged ducts.
Brandi Fondren can you help this poor momma
Breastfeeding, The Struggles We’ve Overcome this group is amazing for things like this.
That’s just your note coming in you are a strong producer right now so it’s a positive thing to be honest with you pump and freeze and keep doing whatever you can showers compresses lactation self lactation and feeding the baby whatever you need and to help get it down don’t try and overdo it though because then you’re going to make yourself produce too much
I pumped every 3 hours until i was able too feed properly the milk came in later but it came in and the clogged milk duds unclogged by them selves
Hot compress! I soaked newborn diapers in hot water and wrapped aren’t my breasts until the milk started flowing on it’s own, then pump and store that good first milk for when baby is sick. Use a deep freezer for longer shelf life.
Pump after each feeding
Cold cabbage leaves in nursing bra, should help
This exact thing happened to me, the consultant told me to pump often. Consistently as much as i can . She has me put a hot wet cloth on, then made me pump while massaging very hard. My man helped me and thats the only way it gave me any relief. She said i was just over producing & to not be afraid to pump… I really thought it would never stop and at about the 3rd week it slowed down and regulated. Massage, massage, massage while you pump, after a hot bath or cloth.
If you dont have a partner who’s willing to suck on you to relieve the pain, I know this may sound weird but it can help and if not maybe use a warm cloth over breast,
You can relieve the pain using cabbage leaf put them on your breast nice and cold.
The only way to feel better is to get the milk out.
That milk is gold, keep it and put it in storage.
Go see or book an online appointment with a lactation clinic.
Do not give up, try to lach your baby any minute you get.
They will take it all out.
Use a nipple butter after every feeding.
Good luck.
Note, very healthy diet and barley, cranberry juice and even beer can make you make more milk.
You should simulate what the baby does at the breast. To get a let down you have to have quick stimulation with little suction. Once the milk comes down you need slower motions but longer and stronger suction. I use my spectra s2 and it has a massage function that stimulates the let down
The first few days of your milk first coming in you likely won’t be able to make them feel empty. There’s a lot of fluid and blood brought to the breast area when you first start producing that will make them feel engorged, warm, sore and heavy. Just keep trying to nurse, and hand express or pump a bit to relief pressure. You can use warm compresses before feed and cold after to help. Ibuprofen and Tylenol can help with the discomfort.
Feed on demand and then pump… just keep latching baby as often as you can. When pumping, cover the bottle with a baby sock so you can’t see how much you pump. Not sure why this worked for me always but just not seeing the bottle, i would fill it in minutes!
I had this same issue clumps and lumps and my areola was really swollen where my nipple was sinking in - what worked for me was to wear nursing bra so i had enough support and I took this supplement which I took for my first baby as well. Before pumping I also used a lactation massager- this cleared for me in 2 days.
I’ve successfully nursed 4 children, including a set of twins. It sounds like you are not relaxed enough for let down to occur. When I had trouble with this, I would look at my baby, stroke his/her hair and actively think about how much I love my baby and why. This worked for me because Oxytocin, the “love” hormone is what’s responsible for the let down. Also, see a lactation consultant if possible. You can do this!
Don’t pump! Latch baby often and hand express milk in hot shower to get relief. Your supply will regulate. Pumping tells your body to make more milk which can lead to oversupply.
Whenever I had lumps/clogged ducts and would engorge, I asked my husband to suckle my breast and clear the clogs. It only happened a few times, and he got a whole lot of milk, but it worked within seconds every time. I hope you get this figured out!!
My baby is 3 weeks old and I just went through this. I stopped pumping. My nipples were huge and swollen so much that my baby couldn’t even get it into his mouth. I bought a nipple shield. He was able to get my milk moving because of the shield and I felt almost completely better by the next day. I don’t use the shield now but am keeping it in case it happens again. I have not pumped anymore either.
Oh hun I’m so sorry. I went through this myself and it hurts. Stand in a warm warm shower and let it run down your boobs until you start leaking then pump for as long as you can. Just relax … Sometimes the sound of a bay crying will let it down so play a recording of y our baby while trying to pump and throw that liquid gold in the freezer. Also sometimes your local WIC department will have a lactation specialist who can help
Sounds weird but go old school…im a mother of 6…go buy a head of cabbage and pull off some leaves lay them
on your breast
Try to relax. I know how frustrating it is. Cabbage leaves on your breast can help with the pain engorgement causes. Pumping might not be the right thing to do. It could be causing you to produce more milk than your baby can drink. This will cause engorgement
You can ask a nurse for nipple shields. The baby may not be able to fully latch on to cause the let down if you are engorged. It happened to me. My baby latched on and i thought she was nursing great but then a few days later i was completely emgorged then she started getting fussy and screaming and it ended up being my boobs were too engorged for her to fully nurse from.