Just got home from the hospital!

the LC in the hospital said not to pump or give the baby a bottle for 2 weeks. however.
my boobs are as hard as a rock and are lumpy and so uncomfortable. they baby latches well but i'd REALLY love to relieve this pressure/pain before the next feeding.

is this 'ok?'
is it ok to pump so soon? my milk has definitely come in. my section was 4 days ago.

 

I don't see why not--especially if you want to freeze some milk for future use. It seems like what the LC was saying was not to pump to give the baby a bottle for two weeks, until the baby's latch is well established (which I usually hear as 4 to 6 weeks not 2). So if you pump, but don't give the baby that milk, what's the harm in pumping.

More importantly, IS it a boy? a girl? name? weight?
Congratulations!
How are the big brothers doing?

 

Are you planning on going back to work and pumping during that time? If so I would pump to relieve engorgement and build a freezer stash when the baby is satisfied/full but you are still uncomfortably full. I'd also take a hot shower to work out the lumps and hand express any extra in the shower.

Congrats on #3!

 

If you're not needing to save milk for later, I probably wouldn't pump. It's just more stimulation that can encourage milk production, which you're obviously not needing at the moment. The suggestion I got from a LC (that really worked but felt a little odd) was to fill a large bowl or pan with quite warm water, strip down, and hang your breasts in the warm water. It feels wonderful (once you get over feeling funny dangling your breasts over a table, half naked), it helps you let down and relieve some of the pressure without stimulating for more milk and then your baby can nurse without drowning, too.

Edited for excessive comma use,,, LOL

 

The best thing you can do for engorgement is nurse, nurse, nurse the babe as often as s/he will. You can also take some advil if the swelling's really uncomfortable. But I agree that if you can power through these next couple of days without any added stimulation, it will help your milk production regulate to what you need just that much faster.

 

I had the same thing happen to me. My body thought it was producing for twins again! I did not pump regularly at home mainly because I couldn't find the time to do so in between her feeding needs and my two year olds' mommy needs. Plus, the more you pump the more you make. I would just hand express when you are uncomfortable and nurse frequently. Will you be going back to work before the end of the school year? If so and you want to build a freezer stash, maybe pump once a day in between feeds and freeze that. I did this during the twins' naptime. The discomfort with my engorgement only lasted a few days after we came home, so hang in there!

On another note, because I had oversupply, I had a problem with Gianna having green stools and lots of gas from all the foremilk. I found that after she stopped nursing and I burped her I could get her to go back on the same breast again and get her nursing until she got the hindmilk instead of giving her both breasts at a feeding. This may be something you have to do as you go forward if you continue to have tons of milk.

 

If you are uncomfortable I would certainly pump and freeze a stash for later. There will most likely come a time that you will be happy to have some bm in the freezer so someone else can feed. Good Luck.

 

I think its safe to pump to COMFORT. No more than that. So dont pump to empty just pump or hand express to take the edge off. oh and Google Reverse Pressure Softening. Sometimes doing that alone, or BEFORE latching little one, helps them to get on and drain the breast that much better. Massage the lumps while she nurses.

 

I hope you're feeling better.
I would definitely say pump. I know many others frown on it, but I was totally engorged for a long time with my youngest son and it's miserable. In the early weeks, sometimes the body produces way more than LO will take which was the case for me. Each feeding, I'd pray he would take enough to relieve me a little, but he rarely did (I was constantly soaked, my breasts would just drip milk endlessly). I pumped once or twice a week in those early days (both breasts for 10 minutes or less) just to get relief and I do not regret it for a second.
Some say it doesn't help your cause, but I was making tons of milk one way or the other. Now my milk has regulated based on LO's consumption and I have a nice freezer stash.
If pumping is going to bring you relief, do not hesitate. And, yes, the LC was probably talking about pumping to bottle feed the baby which is a different story.
One other thing is if you are prone to mastitis like me, you really don't want to be constantly engorged without moving the milk out.

Something different will be right for each person. These early weeks are A LOT of trial and error, so see what works best for you.

Good luck.