FTM engorge breast nipple helpllll pleaseeee

dmosquera4 · April 2014

I'm hurting ladies I need some help I've been reading a lot to help ease my nipples but if have any tricks please share my milk came in so fast now my breast are getting hard so quick even after feeding, pumping makes my nipples worse, now they are a little cracked I need help really I don't know what to do, I literally I'm crying while writing this because of how much pain I am in

amhah09 · April 2014

I'm sorry, I'm sure others will chime in with awesome relief methods. Have you tried any of the soothes gel pads or anything like that? I only ever did lanolin and otherwise just trucked on through this phase. Not that it helps relieve your pain, but it is completely normal. Make sure you're getting proper latch though because a bad latch will make it a lot worse.

As far as engorgement, try your best NOT to pump. If you do pump then pump very briefly just enough to relieve the bulk of the pain. Engorgement is perfectly normal because your supply is trying to regulate based on LO's needs. Pumping will only signal more production.

Good luck! Just remember, this phase does pass!

dmosquera4 · April 2014

Got it no pumping @amhah09‌ will the pain of him sucking eventually subsize after a few weeks? I need some hope after my breast gets used to it if how long will it take

columbia1 · April 2014

Had this exact same problem. Met w a lactation consultant and she reccomended this concoction: athletes foot cream, 1% hydrocortisone, neosporin. Put a tiny dot of each on finger and mix them together on your nipple. Within two days I had little to no pain and my cracks were totally healed.

Also read to ice your nipple a little before LO latches. Never tried it, but some people have said it worked.

Hang in there. I promise it'll get easier. Just keep telling yourself to "get thru today" that always helps me whenever I'm feeling like quitting BFing.

Sorry for any spelling errors. Sleep deprivation and mobile. Blah

ksulli · April 2014

The engorgement should only last two or three days and then get significantly better. Hope the nipples do too. Whoever said BFing doesn't hurt was a fool- it hurts like a b*tch while you get it established.

amhah09 · April 2014

dmosquera4 said:
Got it no pumping @amhah09‌ will the pain of him sucking eventually subsize after a few weeks? I need some hope after my breast gets used to it if how long will it take

Yes. Toe-curling pain w/ latch is normal for me for the first couple weeks. The engorgement should only last a few days to a week.

heids4787 · April 2014

These tips are so helpful!! I'm a FTM and my boobs were rock-hard on Saturday. A hot compress offered me some relief and also self expressing some milk while I was taking a hot shower.

My LO is still struggling with proper latch so I've been using a nipple shield, but my nips are still chaffed - probably due to my poor positioning. Thank goodness for my LC appointment tmrw. I hope it gets better for you, too!

pdilly2b · April 2014

I concur with trying to avoid pumping. I pumped with my first in the early days to relieve engorgement and got a ton out, which I thought was thrilling at the time, but it set me up for overproduction for the entire time I breastfed DS (23 mo) so that if I even delayed a feeding by like an hour, I would be in a lot of pain and start getting a clogged duct.

It sometimes does help to nurse the baby in different positions because positioning effects how the breast is emptied. So if you always do cradle hold, try cross cradle or side-lying and the slight difference may help provide some relief. Also take a hot shower and try to squeeze your breasts to get some to come out.

As others would said, what you are experiencing is pretty typical (I'm going through it too at the moment and so far successful at avoiding pumping) and will pass. Hang in there and good luck!

Hayley52481 · April 2014

This was me a few nights ago.. I was crying and shaking it hurt so bad! I put bags of frozen veggies on them (helped a little) and I did pump but that did NOTHING I was just so desperate and upset. It only took one day and I feel so much better. Just nurse frequently and soon the pain should subside but I would still talk to the LC if it's too much. I also took a Motrin which helped.

Sdieringer01 · April 2014

I have always just used my own milk on nipples to relieve chafing and it worked perfectly. I was always told it the latch shouldn't hurt if baby is in properly. If it hurts like hell, remove baby and try again. I always pulled back my skin on the top of my nipple to make it even and brushed baby's lip to get them to open nice and wide - then you kind if jam it in there. Good luck and hang in there, it will get better.

Luma88 · April 2014

I am a STM and with my first ended up using a nipple shield the whole year to feed him. (He was born early though and had latch and sucking issues).

This time, I really wanted it to work, but had the same kind of issues you are having. Horrible pain, bleeding etc. - didn't know how I would make it through.

Everyone kept saying it gets better with time, and I wanted to punch them. But they were right. It did get better. No cracks, no more blood, no more pain. My doc prescribed APNO (All Purpose Nipple Ointment) and that was heaven - guessing it's similar to the triple cream people are talking about. I would say she was almost 2 weeks old when it got better.

One thing I did end up doing was only using one breast to feed for 2 days. I pumped the other one instead. The blood and cracking was so bad that I just couldn't even fathom feeding on it. So by the time I started using that breast again it was close to healed.

Good luck!! Hope it gets better for you too!

dmosquera4 · April 2014

Thank you ladies I had a major melt down this morning and you guys made me feel so much better I love this board and all of you really thank you!!!

juniper75 · April 2014

Totally normal and it will get so much better! I second the recommendation for All Purpose Nipple Ointment - I didn't get it with DD until she was 6 months old and wish I'd had it in the beginning when your poor nipples go through so much. I got it right away this time and although it doesn't prevent the "adjustment period", it seems to be clearing up faster. A warm compress can help with the engorgement. You can also use cabbage leaves but be careful and look into it first as it can affect your milk production. Dr. Jack Newmans site and Kelly Mom are great resources for breastfeeding support - I highly recomment checking them out. There is also a private Kelly Mom support group on FB you can request to join which is soo helpful.

Good luck - I am sure you are doing amazing! It really will pass very soon and then breastfeeding becomes painless.

MissWhis · April 2014

I had bad engorgement last week when I stopped pumping after every feed. The thing that helped the most was to put a heat pad on my breast for about 5 min before I'd nurse (I used a buckwheat pillow that I microwaved to heat) then afterward I stuffed a bag of frozen veggies in my bra for 20 min. I would also pump a little for comfort - but try to do as little as possible. I would stop after 10 mL or so on each side. Good luck! It's so painful!

sking72 · April 2014

I was given nipple shields in the hospital, threw them in my purse and forgot about them for a few days. Found them yesterday and they almost instantly made breast feeding a million times more comfortable! I was told pain when they first latch is normal, but it was past toe curling pain, and it made it really hard to want to feed her. They are so much better now and the latching pain subsides much quicker.

HNRomance · April 2014

"A warm compress can help with the engorgement. You can also use cabbage leaves but be careful and look into it first as it can affect your milk production."
I have no personal experience but I've had 2 friends that did this and said it worked great!

Yogini6911 · April 2014

Cabbage leaves dry up milk supply so id be cautious with this

Erikahenderson1 · April 2014

Nipple cream for the cracking and nipple shield until it heals. Heat before feeding, ice after. It gets better. A strict pattern helps too.

babym6705 · April 2014

https://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/47/relieving-and-treating-engorged-breasts

This website is helping me a lot. I'm also extremely engorged. I have found standing in a hot shower for a few minutes helps a little. Also, baby latched perfect with no pain before I got engorged but since my breasts became engorged it has been difficult and slightly painful when LO latches but I have just kinda sucked it up and after he sucks for a few minutes the pain subsides. I also noticed I had to stop using lanolin while engorged because it made it too difficult for him to latch.

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