engorgement ?

meljp430

my lo is 3 days old and i began to feel engorged this evening. he has no distinct patterns and has nursed on both sides a handful of times and now lately has been feeding only on one side. my question is, can i pump (a couple of min.) on the opposite side if he will not feed again for 2 hours? i am lumpy and becoming more uncomfortable, but i don't want to screw it up and make it worse. just looking for some relief.

dmhrn13

I recommend pumping for 10 minutes on both breasts after each feeding to all of my patients. The baby isn't going to know the difference, it will help with your milk supply & being engorged isn't helping either of you. You can take a hot shower before to help let down, but truly the more you get that milk flowing the better its going to be for you both. Good luck!