Recently, M has taken to sleeping longer stretches. While this is awesome, I'm having an engorgement problem come 4am. She eats around 5 or 6pm and then again at midnight. At the midnight feeding, she only eats from one side. That means at 4am, I am in pain on the side she didn't eat from.
Should I pump the other side after she eats? Will my body figure this out so I won't be so engorged at 4am?
blogger / watermelon / 14218 posts
Your body will eventually adjust, but if I were you I'd pump and freeze the milk! If you can figure out pumping while nursing you won't have to stay up extra long... or if you can have DH bottle feed while you pump, that's even better.
squash / 13199 posts
If you pump then your body will still keep making that amount of milk, but if you just deal with the engorgement you r body will eventually adjust. I had to deal with the same thing
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
@mrs. wagon: the problem is I'm soooooooooooooo tired. I'm doing the laying down feeding which is awesome. I can be practically asleep and she will eat. When she's done, I move her to her crib and pass out again. I hate pumping. 
blogger / watermelon / 14218 posts
@mediagirl: I feel you girl, I do!! Lately I have been staying up a bit later and I'll pump before going to sleep, then when LMW gets up for her night feeding I'll help Wagon Sr. get set up for the (bottle) feeding and then go back to sleep while he feeds her. I've never been able to do the laying down nursing (my kids were so finicky about how they were positioned!!) so I've never had the luxury of the dreamfeed!!! I would say just keep at it, stock up on nursing pads, and your body will eventually adjust. Can you switch sides with her in the middle so that you're at least a little even and slightly less engorged at 4am?
pomegranate / 3383 posts
I hate pumping too and would never get up to pump in the middle of the night! My body always adjusted in 1-2 days. The other option is to just take the edge off by squirting into the sink or a towel so the engorgement wouldn't bother you so much.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
@mrs. wagon: that might be a good move - switching sides halfway through. I might try that tonight and see what happens. Thank you! Oh and btw...she was a finicky eater until just recently. She doesn't seem to have her reflux issue anymore and I think that really helped calm her down during feedings.
coconut / 8498 posts
I always hated pumping in the middle of the night. I just ignored it and my body adjusted pretty quickly. Do you have a manual pump? You wouldn't have to deal with the whole big setup and could pump just enough to get some relief. I did that and just left the milk by the bed. It was worth losing that milk to go back to sleep quickly 
pomelo / 5093 posts
I say get the rest and switch off halfway through. If you push through the irritation of engorgement, you shouldn't have to suffer for more than a few days.
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
I'm curious about this too! LO slept a 5.5 hour stretch the week I got mastitis, and I'm paranoid that's why. I'm so afraid to let myself get engorged/get used to longer night feedings, so even if she sleeps longer I've set an alarm for every 3 hours to pump. I'm hoping I outgrow this paranoia soon to get more sleep..I use a manual pump so I don't have to get out of bed to go pump in the nursery with the PISA. I fall asleep while I'm pumping, LOL.
cantaloupe / 6146 posts
@mediagirl: I sleep on a folded towel to soak up the engorgement and just let it hurt and leak because at least I'm kind of still asleep...
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