Help with milk arrival please..

[mermaid]

I just had my little boy 3 days ago and now my milk has come in, my breasts are painful and so huge they feel awful! I think Baby Finley is leaving too long between feeds and I can't get him to wake. I really would like some advice on whether to express some milk or not after a feed. Is it too early and will I mess up the 'programming' of the milk flow.? Please help, I can hardly bear it much longer. xxx

 

[Tasha20]

Aww hunny it will be gone within a few days the engorgement is just your milk comming in and it wont last long I promise

I wouldnt suggest pumping as this may interrupt you milk production im sure some more experienced pro bfeeders can help you

 

[Tina & Gabs]

It's just the weirdest thing isn't it? Painful and horrible but I read somewhere that you shouldn't start expressing before 4 to 6 weeks so as to get your milk established. As Tasha said it should go down pretty soon.
I left it 6 weeks before I expressed.

Good luck and well done

 

[Lucy]

Hi Mermaid

Congratulations on the birth of your little boy.

To ease the engorgement massage your breasts in the shower or bath, milk will come out and you'll feel much more comfortable but it wont interfere with the milk production.

Like the others have said, the pain will soon pass and your milk will settle down, make sure you are wearing a well supporting nursing bra as this will also help to minimise the discomfort.

Lucy

 

[skatty]

Here in Denmark I was told to express enough to relieve the engorgement to help prevent mastitis. I had lots of lumps when mine came in though. The shower is great and I also heated olive oil and massaged it in and the milk poured out and relieved me a bit. It is excruciating but it will only last a few days

 

[Lyndsey]

I was told to express if it got too painful but as everyone has said a warm bath and things sorted themselves out!

My pain only lasted one evening though and then things did settle down. Try changing your babies nappy to wake them up a bit before trying to feed.

 

[Melly+2]

yess its 6 weeks beforwe you start expressing, my mw told me xx

 

[budge]

I was told to express if it got too painful but as everyone has said a warm bath and things sorted themselves out!

My pain only lasted one evening though and then things did settle down. Try changing your babies nappy to wake them up a bit before trying to feed.

i was going to suggest a warm bath too. i used to put hot flannels on my boobs to sooth them and the milk ran out like a tap!

it soon passes and your boobs will go soft soon.
if you get pain or any red matks on your boobs then contact your midwife. well done!

 

[jennywren]

yess its 6 weeks beforwe you start expressing, my mw told me xx

'suggested'

 

[Tasha20]

I have been expressing sinse 3 weeks every other morning so she gets used to a teat, lol she knoes the difference between mummy and a bottle thers certainly no confusion.

Alot of mums that wait end up not being able to give ther baby a bottle because it refuses it, that normaly happens after 6 weeks.

So you need to way it up and decide for yourself

 

[cassi]

Hun it will go , when you milk first comes in it comes with a bang but painkillers, breat soothing pads and nice warm flannels and hot baths will help and a few days and it will be meeting your babys demands, If you express you will only produce more milk

 

[cassi]

afaiok its actually suggested you wait 3 weeks not 6

 

[Daggers]

Hi Mermaid hope things on the boob front have settled down a bit for you! I have nothing to add re pain relief as it's all already been said! However re expressing, I did discuss this with my MW and she suggested that at the earliest I should wait 2 wks, however as Skatty mentioned she started expressing from the minute go so I don't think it will do much harm if you were to express now, but I won't only do it for a short time at first just to releive the pain. Then once your milk has settled (say 2/3wks later) you could start expressing regularly - if that's what you'd want to do!
Good luck hun and congrats on the birth of your LO!!!!!!

 

[Melanie]

Here in Denmark I was told to express enough to relieve the engorgement to help prevent mastitis. I had lots of lumps when mine came in though. The shower is great and I also heated olive oil and massaged it in and the milk poured out and relieved me a bit. It is excruciating but it will only last a few days

Thats exactly the same advice i got here in Hungary. It worked great for me too, my boobs felt like bags of marbles when my milk came in lol.

 

[Nicky_Jones]

I HAD to express when my milk came in as Ellie couldn't latch on because I was so swollen (I have flat nipples as well). I made sure that I gave her the expressed milk later in the day though as I was warned that if you express of milk that they don't drink your body will think they need more than they do and you will always have too much.

 

[lozzi]

my boobs were enormous on the 4th day and they really hurt, so i expressed, and i didnt make any difference to my supply....


no one advised me against expressing, so i dunno....

my supply is fine... i expressed a couple of times in the first week as my boobs were huge and sooo sore, and literally she cudnt feed if that makes sense...

but my milk is fineeeeeeeeeee and dandy still so its all good...

 

[mermaid]

I am expressing once a day now so my partner can give a late evening feed while i get some much needed sleep! It works well for us and he brings baby up to bed after i have had a few hours.