More BFing questions..

JulyMomma2U2

Okay, so nursing is going great!  DS is 6 days old, and as of yesterday, we were up 2oz from when we left the hospital on Monday, so, yay for that!  But, talk to me about discomfort...

I feel like my left side is always engorged.. not super engorged, where my nip is like a rock.. but, on the one side of this breast it's always firmer and tender.. when I'm nursing DS on that side, I spend a lot of time trying to massage the tender area hoping that he'll suck the milk out from there, but it doesn't seem to be working.. today I nursed him for over 45 minutes on that same breast.. towards the end he was getting very squirmy (last 15-20 minutes), and I think it's because he wasn't getting much milk from there anymore (I say this because I switched him to the other side and he was back to guzzling).. even after nursing him that long on the one side, I still feel that tenderness/firm spot (it's on the side back closest to my armpit)..

Should I try pumping it out?  I've always heard baby is best at sucking out the milk, so I figure if him nursing for over 45 minutes doesn't get it out, my pump sure isn't either..

Is this normal maybe?  It's not painful, it's just tender.. my other breast, when empty, isn't tender at all.. it's only semi-tender when full.. 

Sorry!  These all sound like strange/silly questions, I'm sure, but I didn't nurse DS1 for long enough to experience any of this   Thanks ladies!

ct103

mkc5869:

You may have a clogged duct. Try pointing his chin toward the tender spot when nursing. You could also try putting heat on that spot before nursing. I had this happen a lot in the beginning and that always helped!

Ditto. It happened to me on the left side too, and it was a clogged duct. Heat therapy and massaging towards your nipple while he nurses will help. You could try a different nursing position as well, such as the football hold, which can help empty it out. Don't be afraid to be a little aggressive while massaging either!

Hang in there! The hardest part is definitely the beginning! You're doing great!

ProfessorPedals825

ct103:

mkc5869:

You may have a clogged duct. Try pointing his chin toward the tender spot when nursing. You could also try putting heat on that spot before nursing. I had this happen a lot in the beginning and that always helped!

Ditto. It happened to me on the left side too, and it was a clogged duct. Heat therapy and massaging towards your nipple while he nurses will help. You could try a different nursing position as well, such as the football hold, which can help empty it out. Don't be afraid to be a little aggressive while massaging either! Hang in there! The hardest part is definitely the beginning! You're doing great!

I agree about the aggressive massaging.  I also found hot showers really helped.  I've used the pump to take care of a clogged duct as well, but I had to turn it on full blast and only for a few minutes until I felt it soften up.  Hurt like hell but the relief was worth it.  I'd really only suggest this though if the heat, massage, and nursing aren't helping.

JulyMomma2U2

Thanks ladies - knew I could count on ya'll!! I'm going to try massaging it later when I nurse on that side again and I'll work at it in the shower, too!  My LC told me never to use heat, so it's interesting you guys are all suggesting heat therapy.. she specifically told me only ice for engorgement issues and such.. so far everything else nursing wise is going good.. I have a ped appointment for both LOs today (DS1 has his 1 year visit and first visit for DS2).. I'll ask her about this, too, and see what she says