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First BFing session of the day

numberonemamanumberonemama member
in Breastfeeding

I have major oversupply usually and tend to block feed or at least do one boob a feeding.  LO sleeps thru the night now and my boobs usually wake me before she does!  They are ginormous and hard as rocks, usually leaking, etc... How am I supposed to deal with this? I've been choosing the worse one and feeding as much as possible though still not draining it! And then pumping a oz or so off the other one.  The next feeding I play it by ear and sometimes do half and half just to get some relief. 

Would love some advice! Thanks! 

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Re: First BFing session of the day

  • pepomntpatpepomntpat member
    How long has LO been STTN? Your supply should regulate in a few days, though it is still early in your BF relationship. I would try not to do too much pumping-just enough to relieve discomfort, not to empty. Otherwise your breasts won't figure out that the need to stop making so much!
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  • liz.eckelliz.eckel

    when you pump or nurse, you are telling your body "produce more!"..

    so pumping pumping an engorged breast only encourages further engorgement. for immediate comfort, you could pump for a minute or less, just to deflate the balloons a little. then deal with the fullness for a day or so until your body gets the hint. nurse on demand, though. your LO will tell your boobs how much to produce. trust it, i swear! baby and body know what to do.

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  • numberonemamanumberonemama member
    If I pump or hand express to comfort its usually for no more than a min (I can get 4-6 oz in 5-6 min of pumping) and I get around an oz...She's been sleeping thru the night for a few weeks and I got mastitis then too so I'm super nervous to let that boob be engorged.  My other boob has a clogged duct a of this morning too!
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  • linzeek44linzeek44 member

    This was the story of my life. LO started sleeping long stretches at four weeks, but at six weeks, my supply still hadn't regulated despite not pumping or anything. So I've been working with an LC and BFing group.

    Hopefully, your supply will regulate on its own. In the meanwhile, hand express or only pump the tiniest bit- just to comfort. Feed from one side per feeding. Half and half or pumping a lot might exacerbate the problem. Also, you want to make sure she is getting hindmilk and switching breasts too early might prevent her from getting much hindmilk.

    If your supply doesn't regulate with block feeding and minimal pumping, you can take more drastic measures. I had to extend the block through the night- feed on the left breast around 8, left breast at 3, right breast at 7. It was rough. Plus peppermint tea before bed and Altoids.

    My supply just regulated at 14 weeks. I'm so thankful I didn't give up around 10 weeks when it had been 6 weeks of terrible nighttime engorgement. I felt defeated but powered through, and I'm glad I did. 

    I hope your situation corrects itself, but if not, there is still hope. :)  


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  • mommasqueakmommasqueak member
    imagelinzeek44:

    Hopefully, your supply will regulate on its own. In the meanwhile, hand express or only pump the tiniest bit- just to comfort. Feed from one side per feeding. Half and half or pumping a lot might exacerbate the problem.

    mine were very similar around month 2-3. i swear i would only take a step or two, and i could feel dripping on my feet! i had to wear my nursing bra + two pads, finally got the silicone ones. i was hand expressing in the shower. and pumping every other day. just to get an extra bottle going so DH could feed her every now and then. now i am really regular. and i actually will start to leak right around the time she needs to eat.

    i would just keep at it, PP said most of the points i wanted to say. the more you express, and pump, and LO eats the more your breasts will produce. but be careful because if you over do it the other way, you may end up drying up!

    GL!!

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