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Babies: 0 - 3 Months
help!!! exclusively pumping mammas
I am not nursing, rather I am pumping and giving my son my bm through a bottle. well a week or so ago I noticed my supply falling so I have been pumping every 2 hours (before I was engorged for so long that I could pump 5 oz on each boob...wish that was still the case!). I was getting about 1.5-2 oz per breast w/ pumping every 2 hours, but I noticed yesterday that my left breast had small hard lumps and was not pumping well. I have a medela pump in style and around 10 minutes the left would stop producing, but when I take it off the breast shield it starts leaking and I had expressed and had the "milk jet streams" as I call them and my breast still felt hard/full. when I was engorged I had to get a lerger breastshield and maybe I need a smaller one for that side? I don't know, but I am worried that this will become full blown mastitis if I cannot get this left boob fully emptied at each pumping.
Do any of you have advice about what I could do? I have tried putting heat on it and masssaging before pumping, but that has not made a difference. I am going to call my hospitals lactatiob center and ask them, but I am kinda afraid they are going to beat me up about not nursing and tell me to nurse..there were some problems and I just decided to pump b/c I liked the idea of my husband helping out with feeds. My son is almost 5 weeks btw and w/ my flat nips it makes it near impossible to latch him on. I have also seen 3 LC before anyone asks. TIA!
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Re: help!!! exclusively pumping mammas
you probably have a clogged duct. sometimes it can take a day or so to get rid of it. try massaging while pumping, hot showers (massage and try to hand express in there), etc. In the shower, take a large toothed comb, get it soapy, and run it against your breast towards the nipple. I don't know why, but this has worked for me before.
Clogged ducts are such a pain when EPing, just keep trying to get it out.
I know what you mean- i saw three LCs to help with our latching issues too- no go. And they were NOT supportive of EPing- which is TOTAL bull.
honestly- only thing i can tell you is keep with the heat and keep massaging try massaging them in the shower with the hot water on the front of your body. and- try doing some single power pumping with your problem boob. ten minutes pumping- ten minute break, ten minute pump again. i know this is hard- especially if you are alone with baby during the day. try doing it at night when DH can help out. It sounds like you have a few clogged ducts.
just a note- if you are going to EP- i would suggest you allowing yourself to get hard and engorged- pump before you get to that point so you avoid clogged ducts and mastisis. if you develop a fever or if your breasts get really hot- call your OB because it is most like mastisis- and start the antibiotics. GL. it gets better. I have been EPing for four and half months now. The ivilliage board is GREAT- the women are so supportive.
One other thing that I have found helps clogged ducts is to drink A TON of water...
GL!
"You reach deeper until you can find the strength. That's all life is, one big fight after another."
Angel babies: 9/19/07, 10/08/09, 1/05/11