baby blues and hurting.. :(

Daniela79

I have been crying all afternoon and on top of that my boobs are killing me....  milk came in two nights ago and the pain or engorgement hasn't gotten better...  sudafed and cabbage leaves aren't doing it for me...

HOw long is the pain supposed to last?  and the blues?  I feel like having a nervous breakdown and she's only 4 days old...    ughh

Sherriberry

I had a breakdown around the same time! It will get better. I never had any pain so I can't help with that Have you tried a hot shower?

Make sure you take some breaks and sleep!  I found the sleep deprivation caused a lot of my emotions to get out of whack. It really does get a little easier every day, after you get over the initial hump.

Brookie-Cookie

Bag of frozen peas on the girls may help.  Or try a hot shower and let them squirt all over the place.  It gets better.  Are you bfing?  Because isn't cabbage leaves to stop the milk completely?  Good luck!

kandp

If you aren't bfing, the pain should subside soon. If you are, just keep nursing frequently to relieve pressure, or pump just enough to relieve some of the pressure.

As for the blues, I felt like I was having a breakdown every day until 2 weeks pp. seriously. I cried like all day long. But, once I was past the 2 week mark, things started getting better.

MiaMichelle

Oh honey, it will get better.  It is very difficult to adjust the first few weeks.  Do you have family around to help you?  That is SO important.

As far as the engorgement, are you pumping to relieve yourself?  That's what you have to do.. nurse as much as you can, and pump as much as you can.  If your boobs are actually clogged (clogged ducts), you need to massage in the shower... massage to the point where it HURTS.  It was very painful for me but the milk did start flowing after about 24 hours.

Please call a family member or a friend to come and help you.  Just going to lie down for an hour or two can make you feel SO much better.

And you will adjust... we all do.  If you really feel like you are struggling, call your doctor. 

Hugs

JessMil10

I cried about 6 times a day for the first week because I thought I was inadequate and unprepared. I couldn't even sleep unless I held her in my arms. Once the second week began I was ready to have her sleep in her bassinet and the crying tapered off.

As for the breasts, mine hurt for about 3 days and then the pain went away, so hopefully you are almost there.

Good luck and you are doing great. Trust your instincts and know you will be a great mama to your little girl! 

calgal1683

First off congrats on your DD. Have you tried a hot shower? That seemed to help for me. It lasted about a week or so. And the blues, those lasted just a couple days for me, but everyone is different. If you need to, talk to your doctor, they are there to help.

It is the hardest job in the world, but when you look at your DD it is all worth it!
 

papagena

Hang in there - it gets so much better!!! 

As for the engorgement - do you have a pump?  Or you could try hand expressing or taking a hot shower.  My supply regulated after a couple days - it wasn't that bad for too long. 

As for the baby blues, you're not alone.  It's hard to transition to being home, too.  Give yourself some time, and remember to ask for help from willing family and friends.  If you need to, feel free to call your OB.  You'll get there - it takes some time.

ketamarie

I'm sorry you are going through this! It is totally normal to have the blues and be super emotional right after birth! A lot of it is just your hormones going crazy!! It does get MUCH better after a few weeks. I was the same way when we got home....I think the sleep deprivation and the hormones really was overwhelming at first. Just know that you are not alone, and your hormones will even out with in a few weeks.  I don't know about the engorgement length. But when I have been engorged ice packs helped tons!!!!

Kearsta

I was there, too!  It will get better.  I promise!  I was engorged for about two days and I just took a lot of warm baths (helped with the pain from the episiotomy , too) and put sacks of frozen veggies on my boobs.  I probably had pain in my boobs for about a week, though.  The baby blues come and go, but I started feeling a lot better after a couple of weeks. 

TKx2

I had several breakdowns the first week, mainly due to the fact she refused to BF.  It got a lot better after the first week.  Hang in there!

Echowysp

(((Hugs)))  My baby is only 10 days old and I'm starting to feel better already.  It was really rough the first few days where I felt so overwhelmed all of the time and cried at the drop of a hat.  I still get blue in the evening when it gets dark and I feel my fatigue more, but not like I did last week.  It's sleep deprivation, hormones and just the adjustment to caring for someone 24/7.  I'm also dealing with feelings of things not always being the way I imagined when I was pregnant.  What helped me was talking to people, posting on this board and trying to get naps in where I can.  Seriously, a 20 minute nap while dh watches ds helps so much.  And knowing that every woman goes through this and sees the other end.

As far as engorgement goes, mine lasted maybe 2 days.  I actually worried when it was gone because I thought it meant I didn't make milk anymore.  Now my breast feel fine without any nipple pain or anything.  Just give it a few days.

krismtg

The first week is really hard.  I am only in my second week and it has gotten a bit better.  I cried every day the first week.  I found that once I got some sleep I felt better.  As far as the boobs, I am formula feeding so I had to have my dry up.  I took motrain and used cabbage leaves when they hurt.  The pain went away in a few days but I am still leaking.  Also wear your bra all the time and my ob said not to let the hot water hit your boobs too much because it stimulates milk production and it will take longer for them to dry up.  I also found that posting/lurking helped a lot because it gave me reassurance that I was doing okay and answered my questions even though some of them were stupid.  I hope you feel better and just take it one day at a time.  Each day will get a little bit easier and even though there will be bad days eventually it will work itself out and you will feel comfortable being a mom.