breast engorgement

due to medical reasons i can't breastfeed my 6 day old boys so we've had them on formula.

i woke up yesterday and my breast just got EXTREMELY sore, like rock hard on the sides and i've started leaking breastmilk.
i talking to my OB and she said to just wrap them up, wear a tight bra and that was it.

do any of you ladies have any advice to make the pain go away? do pain killers like motrin help you any? and what type of nipple pads work the best?

thanks!

 

I wore a tight sports bra, and I put an ice pack over each boob in the sports bra. It went away within 24 hours.

 

oh ice, i didn't even think about that. ok great i will try that tonight! thanks!!

 

ouch!

when i stopped nursing i was told to wear a tight bra and take motrin. the motrin did help take the edge off.. i also wrapped an ace bandage around me really tightly, it wasn't the most comfortable thing but i think it helped. after about 3 days i took off the ace bandage and just wore a tight bra.

the best pads for me were the ones by lansinoh.

i have also heard that putting green cabbage leaves in your bra will help with the engorgement, i didn't try it, but maybe someone else here can give you info about it.

 

Oh that's no fun! We had some latching on issues at first so when i got engorged i pumped, could you not pump to gain some relief?

 

If you pump, your body will think you are breastfeeding & make more milk. I have heard that a tight fitting bra & cabbage leaves will work. And I think ice sounds like a good idea!

 

Sorry you are uncomfortable! :hug:

My doctor said to wear a tight sports bra. In the shower don't let water run over them. Keep your back to the water as much as possible. Don't touch them at all. Touching them just encourages your milk supply. She also suggested cabbage leaves. You'll want to change out the leaves frequently and it is a bit stinky! My engorgement didn't take but a few days to go down.

 

Motrin can help a lot, at least to a point where you can get some sleep.
Frozen peas, or ice packs.
Try using cabbage leaves on your breasts, it may help, supposedly an enzyme in the leaves that help dry you up faster, could just be old wives tale but I know people that swear by it.

 

sports bra, ice and instead of breast pads, just use wash cloths...I had to, it was alot of milk dripping like a faucet. Good luck!

 

You can pump, just don't pump till empty. If you empty your breast, that tells your body to make more. Just pump enough to give you relief. Your supply should go down after a couple of days.

 

You don't want any stimulation at all or it will take a bit longer for the milk to dry up. Ice and tight bra were what helped me. I never did the cabbage thing. The warm water from the shower will make it worse (it encourages letdown which is exactly what you want to avoid). It really is only a few days, but it feels like forever!