https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 09 May 2026 16:44:34 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317752 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 12:41:25 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 2317752@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was engorged for 2 weeks and I was miserable. It would NOT go away. I had rocks all the way into my armpits! The only thing that helped was pumping to relieve the pressure--just enough to make me feel better. After 2 weeks, everything regulated. Don't be afraid to pump just a bit! You'll feel so much better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317740 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 12:33:26 +0000 Happygal 2317740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ouch. Sorry. I agree with others about learning to hand express or pumping just a little bit. I found a manual pump to be great for relieving pain. I kept it on my nightstand. </p> <p>@rattles: the first time I started leaking like crazy was when I got out of the hot shower and bent over to blow dry my hair. I was had no idea why that was happening! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317704 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 12:19:58 +0000 ChiCalGoBee 2317704@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pickle: Ugh, every single one of my friends who has nursed has had L.C.s scare them about pumping too early! What is the deal?! I started pumping from the beginning (my son was in the NICU so I had to), but I kept it up at home, pumping after his first morning feed at about 8 AM. It's one of best decisions I've made. He turned 11 months old yesterday and I'm JUST now stopping that morning pump because it created my freezer stash for me. I say pump a little bit to help with engorgement and start up your freezer stash! Congrats on your little one! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317685 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 12:11:50 +0000 tofuwad 2317685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There is a good video on hand expression from Stanford:<br /> <a href="http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/HandExpression.html" rel="nofollow">http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/HandExpression.html</a><br /> I found it helpful to express in front of a mirror so I could see what I was doing. </p> <p>And what helped me the most was having a green cabbage in the fridge and putting the cold cabbage in my bra along with an ice pack. The cold is really what helped me. Not all of the engorgement is milk- some of it is inflammation so ice will help the swelling. Hang in there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317453 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 09:51:14 +0000 rattles 2317453@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hot shower, bend at the waist and massage breasts (bag of marbles style) for temporary relief. And it will be better in a few days! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317353 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 08:30:49 +0000 lawbee11 2317353@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The hand expression takes practice. The first few times I tried nothing came out. I had better results when I would press firmly and move my hand down towards my nipple (start high...like almost up to your collarbone). I did this in a hot shower and it really helped. I didn't pump at all until after 6 weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317350 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 08:26:33 +0000 avivoca 2317350@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pumped just a little and used what I got to start my freezer stash. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317323 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 08:02:23 +0000 NovBaby1112 2317323@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pump just a little bit, hot shower and hand express, and ice packs. It'll pass in a few days though!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317322 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 08:02:01 +0000 blackbird 2317322@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pickle: I would pump for about 5 minutes just to relieve some pressure! And it took me a long time to figure out hand expression. There's definitely a trick to it....it's kind of like milking a cow. Which makes so much sense, but it takes a little getting used to! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317306 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 07:38:53 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 2317306@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'll definitely look up a video for hand expression. It's also nice to hear I can pump just a little. The hospital's lactation consultant had me scared to try! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317279 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 06:27:48 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 2317279@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Definitely pump! Just enough to give you relief until she eats again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317277 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 06:24:33 +0000 travellingbee 2317277@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would definitely try to pump for just a couple of minutes. It will relieve that the same as hand expressing would. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317275 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 06:18:26 +0000 travelgirl1 2317275@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Putting cabbage leaves in your breasts is supposed to help with engorgement. Ice helps relieve it too, either use a bag of frozen peas or pour water over a diaper and freeze it, feels do good! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317274 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 06:18:06 +0000 Pumuckl 2317274@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For me the issue was only partly milk I also got some of the lymph channels blocked/tightened so the lymph was causing the most pain. Cooling between feedings helped immensely with that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317269 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 06:03:52 +0000 mrswin 2317269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pickle: It took me a couple of tries to get hand expressing figured out. See if you can find a good you tube video. I found that I had to dangle a bit to get started. #gravity 😊 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317264 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 05:51:59 +0000 MrsADS 2317264@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I felt like my boob were up to my chin! I had to pump some! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317261 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 05:21:33 +0000 yellowbird 2317261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You can pump just for a minute or two to relieve engorgement. It will not affect your supply! Your supply will be crazy the first couple of weeks anyway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317260 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 05:19:31 +0000 catomd00 2317260@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It will pass in a few days! Definitely google how to hand express. There's a certain technique to it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-2#post-2317259 Tue, 13 Oct 2015 05:13:02 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 2317259@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My milk came in yesterday and I'm seriously engorged. Any tips on how to deal with it? I tried to hand express in the shower last night, but either my body wasn't fooled or I have no clue how to do it. I will be trying it again though. I don't want to pump because I have enough milk. </p> <p>Here's our current feeding routine in case there is something I could differently to make it better. I offer one side at each feeding. DD nurses for about 10-15 minutes at a time. Then I offer the other side at the next feeding. Sometime she'll eat from both sides if she pops off the first and then starts to root around again a few minutes later. Over a 24 hour period she spends almost an equal amount of time at both breasts. </p>