Breast feeding mummys.. need your advice please

[Baileysmummy]

Whilst bailey was in hospital he was feeding off the breast and through the bottle, only because i wasnt sure if he was actually getting enough from me so the bottles were a top up really to make sure i knew what he was getting.. i expressed this milk and gave it via bottle...

Now im home though hes feeding off me all the time, but im in so much pain, not because hes not latching on, he latches perfectly, i think its because i was expressing so my body has made to much milk.. if that makes sense and now hes not getting what im making, it hurts so much and i havent got a pump as yet still waiting on delivery i really hope it hurrys up..

But what do i do in the meantime, i feel that if i carry on my boobs will explode cos theres so much milk, i actually hand expressed myself and got 6 oz's off, i dont normally get that much off with the pump, so something not right.. i know its good but god... how can i relive the pain..

any suggestions on what i can do..

 

[trixipaws]

it is awful when ur boobs get too full innit- millie puked a whole feed the other day and was hungry again, so i made too much milk and had big achey melons that nite- i had one this morning too coz she ate a lot y'day- unfortunately the only was to relieve is to feed! sorry cant be any further help...

 

[maybebaby]

I hate to say it, but if you keep expressing your body will keep making more milk as it works on a supply/demand basis. My advice is stop expressing and hopefully in a day or two your body will have adjusted and you will only make as much milk as Bailey needs. It's horrible when you're that full but if you keep expressing it won't get any better.

 

[Baileysmummy]

Thanks girls.. i was only expressing cos the hospital told me too.. so will my milk slow down then and will it make more as he grows.. sorry if i sound thick but i havent breast fed like this much before...

oh and i will stop expressing but really do hope im not in agony for much longer..

 

[maybebaby]

Your body makes as much milk as your baby needs. If the baby is going through a growth spurt he will suckle more often, which stimulates the breasts to make more. When you express on top of this your body thinks it needs to make more milk than it actually does. When you stop expressing you will continue to make more milk than you need for a couple of days, then everything should hopefully settle down. Good luck, it's so worth it if you can grit your teeth for a couple of days!

 

[gingerpig]

Try a couple of savoy cabbage leaves inside your bra it's supposed to help! Interestingly enough, in the 18th century noblewomen didn't breast fed their children but used wet nurses instead. Only thing is they also didn't know that the more milk you draw off from your breast the more it produces to keep up with demand. So they used to use puppies! There is somewhere a great (and real, not photoshopped painting) of an 18th century lady with two puppies latched on to her boobies! When Bailey goes through his first growth spurt you will notice how much more suckles and also how your body WILL be able to keep up with the added demand

 

[Baileysmummy]

aww that is really reassuring to know thanks again girls..

I have spoken to midwife today who also said the same thing..

I can see a difference today already, i have fed him on demand and i can see the difference in how much i have and i dont feel the need to express just yet.. lets hope it stays that way and i can relax tonight..

 

[gingerpig]

If it helps... after my c-section I was throwing for a week and a half and ended up back in hospital on a drip as I was officially starving.... I STILL managed to breastfeed Debs - our bodies are amazing things! I was topping her up with formula, but looking back she didn't need that as she was taking as much or as little as I was giving and some days going without. She was only complaining when I took her off the breast before she was finished. Of course because I was all new to it, and didn't know Debs I didn't understand why she was howling. As soon as I was on the drip and hydrated again I fed her exclusively from me and my body did it there and then. So PLEASE don't worry about your boobies, they sound like they're doing a great job of feeding Bailey and he's probably getting a lot more than you think as babies are much better at getting milk out of our boobies than we, or breast pumps are!

 

[angela-]

chick

just thought i would send a as i dont really have experience in what you going through as i had the other end of probs with at first having a very little milk supply. like the others say it will settle down and you can enjoy breast feeding, i didn't think it would ever get better but it did and i love breastfeeding my little diva now. xx

 

[Lyndsey]

Hello!

Can't really add more than what has already been said but just wanted to say well done for persevering! It is hard but hopefully with help you can keep going!

It is supply and demand and even now 6 months down the line if Logan has had a greedy day one day the following day my boobs are full and sore! it does get easier though I promise!

 

[babyjay1]

Ah hun know exactly how you feel. When i stopped bf after 5 months they killed me (in the process of stopping) just sending a hug!

 

[Baileysmummy]

Thanks for all your advice girls..


they have settled down so much over the weekend......

have another problem now though...

i dont think bailey is getting enough from me.. i gave him a bottle last night and he slept from 8.30 till 1.15am, he had 2 oz's of ebm..

when i feed him off the breast he doesnt even go 2 hours now..

 

[babyjay1]

I thought my LO wasn't get enough too when he was younger so i started giving him a bottle for his last feed and it helped alot. It also got him used to the bottle as i wanted to stop bf when he was 5 months.