https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 19:10:44 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397794 Wed, 23 Dec 2015 05:03:32 +0000 AprilFool 2397794@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Just when it was really painful to take the edge off a bit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397665 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 21:58:24 +0000 Foodnerd81 2397665@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh my god. Just pumped for five minutes andi T has never felt so good. Still a little engorged and might wake her up to eat in a few minutes. Hoping my body gets the memo fast! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397658 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 21:44:16 +0000 yellowbird 2397658@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I would pump when I was painfully engorged just enough to relieve the pressure and then I would pump for about 5 minutes before feeding. I only really had to do that for a few days and my body started getting the memo </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397648 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 21:31:42 +0000 Littlebit7 2397648@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh I had this terrrrrribly. So bad LO wasn't able to nurse for 5 days<br /> Per my LC, lots of massage pre and post nursing. Reallllly got in there especially near the armpits. Prior to nursing, massage followed by warm compress (I used an electric heating pad) for about 5 min then baby on boob. Massage gently while nursing if you feel like you need it. Ice in between sessions for pain. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397643 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 21:27:45 +0000 MrsADS 2397643@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had to pump. I was too engorged for baby to latch. And I had SO much milk that he was getting all foremilk and getting so much he was just spittting up like crazy (he still has bad reflux but the milk situation made it worse).</p> <p>Baby is 4 months now and my milk has kind of regulated, although I still make more than he needs. I still have to pump some to manage the engorgement, usually before I go to bed, in the MOTN, and 1st thing in the morning. And occasionally 1x during the day if I block feed. I always feed just one side. </p> <p>It sucks but I had SO much milk from the beginning that if I hadn't pumped a little I would have gotten mastitis. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397633 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 21:07:30 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 2397633@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would just pump a little until it feels better. I feel like it took a good week or two to stop being *so* engorged, but I had to pump to take the pressure off. I was terrified of getting mastitis. </p> <p>... I would stay away from the cabbage leaves - you don't want to end up with the opposite problem of drying up too early. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397629 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 21:02:53 +0000 hilsy85 2397629@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I think I pumped after she ate if it felt like I still was really full, and I pumped if she went more than 2 hours without eating/if I felt really engorged and she was sleeping.. To help her latch, I would un latch her once I felt my letdown, an I would massage while I let it spray into a cloth, Then re latch. It was definitely tough and a multiple hand operation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397619 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 20:47:49 +0000 Foodnerd81 2397619@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tofuwad: yeah I saw that online last night but couldn't really do it. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397614 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 20:39:56 +0000 tofuwad 2397614@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There is also something called reverse pressure softening which helped me get her latched when I was super engorged. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397612 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 20:39:22 +0000 blackbird 2397612@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had to use ice to alleviate some swelling so the milk could even come out. I changed shirts often and soaked through a lot of clothing for probably 3-4 months. If I laid on my side, it basically slowly squeezed milk out all night long </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397608 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 20:36:55 +0000 Foodnerd81 2397608@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: @yellowbird: @AprilFool: did you just pump when you felt really engorged, or time it to be close to when you thought they would eat again? To think last time I was worried I didn't have enough milk at this stage. </p> <p>@cityliving: I don't think we could handle side lying nursing yet. I really looking toward to when we can but right now I think she's too little and floppy and I need to guide everything more. Plus everything is a milky enough mess as it is, if I tried side lying I think I would wake up in a pool of milk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397551 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 19:32:31 +0000 Foodnerd81 2397551@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for all the advice so far. I went to a BF support group that our ped runs and she gave me a nipple shield to try, and G nursed great once she latched an d settled. I even was noticeable less engorged. Nursed a few more times with and without the shield and she was doing great, but then she napped for an hour and I half and I'm super engorged again. But I'm able to nurse through it now but she's pretty fussy and I'm still rock hard. I see a warm shower and quick pump in my future plus some ice packs. </p> <p>Meanwhile dhs family are all here in our small 2 bed condo and I just want everyone gone. I usually like them all but I just want quiet. At least BFing is an excuse to leave and come to the bedroom when I want to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397491 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 18:20:20 +0000 AprilFool 2397491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pumping was the only thing that helped me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397479 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 18:00:05 +0000 yellowbird 2397479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I would pump until your boobs are softer and she can latch properly. Your milk will regulate itself. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2397477 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 17:55:33 +0000 cityliving 2397477@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh, hang in there. I think it lasted about 3 days for me with the LO on the boob a ton (I remember thinking nursing every 2 hours seemed like a dream.) +1 for chilled gel packs. I also found it easiest to express in the shower and then feed her right after. Just a heads up, my doula mentioned that the cabbage leaves can work too well and hurt your supply later on so I'd be careful with that. I had to express into her mouth a little at the start of each feed when they were as hard as you described for her to know to latch. If all else fails I've found it easier for my baby to nurse through an engorement when we are lieing on our sides facing each other (also easier when she's tired or you have oversupply... Really just easier). Good luck and congrats! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2396585 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 08:39:42 +0000 Foodnerd81 2396585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh this is awful. Poor baby cannot latch even after I hand express some and my boobs are rock hard and painful. Had an awful night with tons of screaming (her) and crying (both of us). I finally hand expressed an ounce into a bottle and she gulped it down then I was able to get her to latch and nurse a bit more before falling asleep. Woke up to the same issue only even worse. expressed in the shower while she cried but she did finally nurse- worried she has a pretty bad latch though which won't help my nipples down the road. </p> <p>I will try the cabbage and massaging once she latched seems to help. This is just terrible. And so frustrating that she is starving and I have way too much milk! </p> <p>Thanks for the responses so far. I really hope this doesn't last a week. I may not make it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2396537 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 07:51:15 +0000 hilsy85 2396537@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was like a week for me. It was awful! LO was not eating as much as I was producing so I constantly felt full even after feedings. I ended up pumping when she went more than 2 hours between sessions, and that really helped. I only pumped 3-4 minutes (but still got like 3-4 oz!) so it didn't cause an over supply or anything. ANd I think it helped ward off mastitis. Also, I ran hot water over a disposable diaper and stuck that in my bra. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2396508 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 07:18:13 +0000 Pumuckl 2396508@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used ice pads because for me the engorgement led to my lymph not draining properly which then led to more engorgement. So cooling them between feeds and warming them up with a warm washcloth before nursing is what really helped this time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2396429 Tue, 22 Dec 2015 00:00:31 +0000 tofuwad 2396429@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For me engorgement lasted at least a week. Maybe longer, I've kind of blocked it out. I remember thinking that it would never end. But cabbage helped a lot, and I also just stuck ice packs inside my sleeping bras (wrapped in a paper towel). I also did cabbage and ice at the same time. Also taking Advil or Motrin because engorgement is partly inflammation of the tissue. I basically had ice packs in my bra all day for at least a week or so. Good luck! At least you know you've got some good milk flowing.</p> <p>Also wearing a properly fitting, snug bra. At the beginning I was just wearing my stretchy sleep bras, but if you can handle wearing a snug (but not ill-fitting) bra, that helped me a lot. It can't fit improperly or it could cause clogs, but it helped a lot more than I thought it would. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2396406 Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:15:41 +0000 peaches1038 2396406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh yeah. I mean like 4 hours for me now. The cabbage really helped. I kept it in the fridge and just peeled off on layer and stuck it in my nursing bra. The coolness felt really nice. I just kept it in until the next feeding. Hope it evens out for you soon!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2396403 Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:10:45 +0000 Foodnerd81 2396403@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peaches1038: I mean, I am going like an hour between feeds right now... </p> <p>I should get some cabbage tomorrow for sure though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2396401 Mon, 21 Dec 2015 23:08:32 +0000 peaches1038 2396401@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I massaged the lumps in the shower but tried not to let too much hot water run on my chest. You could also use ice packs or cabbage leaves, both of which really helped me! It lasted about a week before I wasn't painfully engorged all the time. Though, at 7 weeks postpartum, if I go too long between feeds, I still get really full </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2396389 Mon, 21 Dec 2015 22:43:53 +0000 Foodnerd81 2396389@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also I tried catching some of the milk in a bottle but it was annoying so I just watched that liquid gold literally go down the drain... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/engorgement-question#post-2396388 Mon, 21 Dec 2015 22:42:41 +0000 Foodnerd81 2396388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you got really engorged when your milk came in, how long did it last? What helped with the pain and discomfort?</p> <p>On the advice of some previously posted questions about this on HB and kellymom, I hand expressed to take the edge off, then had a good long feeding with the baby. It felt much better but still had some big lumps. Now a couple hours later I'm already engorged again. I don't remember it being this intense last time! I was reading my toddler a story and she accidentally elbowed me in the boob and I almost cried. </p> <p>How long can I expect this to last? Milk came in last night, 4 days post partum right now. </p>