Milk Supply Came In - Now What?!

jkuhmann · February 2013

I had had some trouble getting good latching in the hospital, so imagine my surprise and delight when I started getting great latches after unpacking my new My Brest Friend! (Thanks to all who encourged me to get a feeding pillow!) I was so relieved!

Then this morning, my milk came in and my breasts are so engorged and rock hard. Baby is having a hard time latching on at all and I'm not sure what to do now. I have tried cradle, cross cradle, football, and laid back positions, and I have hand expressed a little before our feedings (ETA: pump won't be here until tomorrow or Tuesday - bah!) , but he only wants to take the left breast (of course, it is already softer and not painful). I really want/need him to take my right, and I've resorted to just letting it hang out in his mouth and drip and not try so much to get him to suck. I don't know if that is good or bad or neither. He is having the right amount of wet/dirty diapers so I guess I can assume he is getting what he needs(?).

If anyone has any helpful advice, I would love it! My home visit nurse doesn't come until tomorrow morning, and I will call our lactation specialist on Tuesday if it still hasn't resolved, but I thought I would check here first in case anyone had any good suggestions for me tonight.

TIA!

(Also posted on the Breastfeeding board)

cmhicklin · February 2013

Use a pump to get a little more out? If DS goes too long between feedings, I have to use the pump to get some out before he will eat.

amtrak18 · February 2013

Are you planning on pumping? That is one thing that helped me. I didn't pump much an oz or 2 from each once a day to help balance it. You don't want to over pump as it will produce more but if you can manage it it can give some relief.

jkuhmann · February 2013

Sorry...I forgot to say my pump won't be here until tomorrow or Tuesday. :-(

Thank you both!!!

Reyka9 · February 2013

For relief until your pump comes, try hand expressing in the shower, or take a chilled cabbage leaf and stick it in your bra for no more than 20 mins, 3 times a day. Don't overdo the cabbage leaves because they can deplete your supply, but they feel amazing and will definitely soothe engorgement.

Mee83shell · February 2013

cabbage for 15min then hand express & do reverse pressure softening. It helps tremendously

2moms2b · February 2013

I second pp who says hand expressing in the shower. Let the water run as hot as you can stand it and let it run over your breast for a few minutes then hand express. If you can't stand it directly on your breast then let it hit your back for a little longer.

If you are engorged pumping might make it worse(it did with me) as I just produced more milk right behind it.

pitterpatter129 · February 2013

I found this when N was a baby after it was needed and specifically had bookmarked it for second child! :)4

https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/rev_pressure_soft_cotterman/

tamarar5 · February 2013

This happened to me with my first daughter. I hope you've found some relief by now but just in case, try a hot shower and manually express some out until it's not quite so hard? I always had a huge milk letdown in the shower (think like a firehose, lol!) so that might help a little! Plus, if you can manually express a little and make it not so hard, your lo should be able to latch on better.

Good luck! Hope everything worked out for you!

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