had to stop breastfeeding. advice please

[empa]

hi
i have been having problems and pain breast feeding my baby and have now had to stop which i am very upset about.
the only thing now my boobs are rock hard and very painful
does anyone have any advice on how i can ease the pain?
will a hot bath help or make it worse?
thanks xxx

 

[budge]

why have you had to stop breastfeeding? who had told you to stop?

 

[siobhan]

The only thing I got told when my 1 year old stopped feeding was not to express any, just let it build up for a few days and that might be painful, but then your body gets the message that it does noy have to produce milk any longer.

How come you had to stop, if you dont mind me asking? Is it the pain in your boobs that is making you want to stop?

I had lots of trouble breast feeding my first and gave up, which I now bitterly regret. Happily I went on to feed baby numbe 2 without any probs.

 

[budge]

from what i gather she was advised to stop by a brain dead health visitor who possibly thought that was easier than actually trying to find out the reason for the pain empa was suffering

 

[siobhan]

Really?

Ohh just found a post further down the board!

 

[empa]

the pain was just that bad i had to keep taking her off the breast
i am so upset and angry with myself as i really wanted to keep breastfeeding

 

[budge]

Really?

Ohh just found a post further down the board!

yep. makes my eyes flicker it really does.

 

[Urchin]

First, have for doing so well.

Your breasts will be painful cos they are so full of milk.
Expressing, or massaging them in a hot bath or shower will help.

I'm not going to say you should breast or bottlefeed, its such a personal thing... BUT if you did want to return to breastfeeding, it's not too late, it sounds like you need help with your latch. Is there a breastfeeding counselling service near you? Some HVs are more helpful that other when i f come to BF support, maybe ask around.

Have you got a friend who breastfed? Or anyone else who could have a look at your latch for you?

 

[budge]

First, have for doing so well.

Your breasts will be painful cos they are so full of milk.
Expressing, or massaging them in a hot bath or shower will help.

I'm not going to say you should breast or bottlefeed, its such a personal thing... BUT if you did want to return to breastfeeding, it's not too late, it sounds like you need help with your latch. Is there a breastfeeding counselling service near you? Some HVs are more helpful that other when i f come to BF support, maybe ask around.

Have you got a friend who breastfed? Or anyone else who could have a look at your latch for you?

i wasn't getting on at empa urchin. i was feeling mad about the useless health visitor.

empa where abouts do you live?

 

[budge]

the pain was just that bad i had to keep taking her off the breast
i am so upset and angry with myself as i really wanted to keep breastfeeding

oh emap. its not your fault chick


did you try what i suggested in your other post? or maybe it was this one im confused now.

your breats will be engorged and painful becasue of this. The only way yo will settle them down is feeding baby really frequently.
i can asssure you that in a few days - maybe a week they will feel loads better and breastffeeding will be a doddle for you and baby.

 

[siobhan]

Please dont feel angry or upset with yourself. Believe me I know how hard the decision is to stop. I agonised over it for ages with my first. I felt like I had let him down, guilty and just generally bad! Its only now that I look back and realise I did the best for him in the situation I was in. (living with my MIL )

I know when I lived in England there was a specially set up breast feeding cafe and also a breast feeding support group at the hospital near where I lived, is there anywhere like this that maybe you could access and gain some advice from?

 

[empa]

hi thanks for your replys my hv came round and said that she is latching on ok even though i said to her it does not feel as if she was the pain would shoot down my breast and i would be in tears with the pain she told me to stop and express but that was just as pain full
it came to the point where i was not feeding her enough as she would get on the a few mins later i would have to take her off
i really really want to carry on more than anything but the pain is just soooo bad

 

[budge]

hi thanks for your replys my hv came round and said that she is latching on ok even though i said to her it does not feel as if she was the pain would shoot down my breast and i would be in tears with the pain she told me to stop and express but that was just as pain full
it came to the point where i was not feeding her enough as she would get on the a few mins later i would have to take her off
i really really want to carry on more than anything but the pain is just soooo bad

you see whats going on here is that you are feeding and its painful and you are not wanting to feed or are unhappy whilst feeding which is just not good.

now this is what to do today Empa.

stop expressing milk. this will simply make the situlation worse.
Put your baby to the breast as often as you can - make sure the abby has emptied one breast before offering the other. She may fall asleep after one breast but you must wind her and offer her the other . If she accepts it then do the same - let her feed until she falls off . If she refused then lay her to sleep for as long as she wants. When she wants feeding again then do it.
If you don't respond to your babies needs and wants in the first 4 weeks then your breasts will not adjust to her needs.
Expressing at thyis stage will not releive your pain. I think you have engorgemnt and if its not sorted out then it will lead to other things which ill not go into as yet.

right thats today sorted.


tomorrow you must go to the doctors. ORT phone your midwife. Fook the health visitor. shes crap.

the doctor or midwife will no doubt either advise you to do what i have already advised above OR you might (and i suspect this ) need treatment for thrush/mastitis.
With nboth of these conditions you are advised to carry on feeding as normal.
The treatment for both will get in your system quick and you will soon feel better.

its hard to explain stuff on here and its easy for you to read this and think ''stuck up bossy bitch ' but im not. im just trying my best to help you with the information i have .

please just try and keep feeding theb aby ourself if thats what you want to do. Its not easy to go back to BF if you stop now.

If you want to give up then do so. Just BE HAPPY. That is the main thing here. A happy mum meanns a happy baby.

 

[trixipaws]

im a novice at breast feeding compared 2 budge lol!

but good luck empa xx

 

[empa]

thank you budge for all your advice you are very helpful.
i have not fed or expressed now for a day i have been giving her formula can i still do what you said and if i can what can i do to stop the excrutiating pain while feeding
is this normal to have such pain

 

[empa]

ps i dont think you are a stuck up bossy bitch you a great help

 

[budge]

thank you budge for all your advice you are very helpful.
i have not fed or expressed now for a day i have been giving her formula can i still do what you said and if i can what can i do to stop the excrutiating pain while feeding
is this normal to have such pain

no its not empa. i really think you have thrush.

you need to contact a midwife or go to your doctor where you can get sorted out.

of course you can start BF again empa its not too late.

But i am most concerned that you should get the pain sorted out. its not good to feeed and have so much pain. you should find it relaxing and pleasurable.

please go to th doctor tomorrow. could you keep me informed either way?

good luck . xxx

 

[empa]

i will go to the doctors then
thanks again for all you advice i will let you know how i get on
thanks emma

 

[budge]

good.

you'll be fine.