Community› The Bump Message Boards› Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
New Discussion

Day 2, Engorged and Guilt

caranicholecaranichole member
in Breastfeeding
It's day 2 and I'm engorged. I'm trying to let lo nurse frequently but she loves to sleep 4 hr stretches. I feel like if I express a little I will feel super guilty. I felt awful when I started leaking heavily earlier today. Is this normal? Over the top? Should I be trying harder to wake her more often? The nurses were pretty adamant about waking her at 3 hrs for feedings. One even scolded me when I waited till 4 hrs this morning.
Lilypie Premature Baby tickers
Lilypie Premature Baby tickers Lilypie Premature Baby tickers
Daisypath Anniversary tickers

Report Reply to Post

Re: Day 2, Engorged and Guilt

  • caranicholecaranichole member
    I definitely won't pump. I'm just feeling miserable. DH is helping me keep her up with music. I feel so lost. Hope I don't become annoying with my basic questions around here. This is so new to me and I want to do it right.
    Lilypie Premature Baby tickers
    Lilypie Premature Baby tickers Lilypie Premature Baby tickers
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers

    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • Kfran84Kfran84 member
    No worries! Engorgement is part of life. Learning to hand express some BM into a towel or into the sink or shower saved my breastfeeding career. No reason to feel guilty... Your body will make more milk when your baby demands it (ie when she feeds, sucks, triggers a release of milk).

    Right now your body is just trying to sync up with baby's needs and schedule. Your boobs are really smart.

    Your doc should advise you whether or not to wake baby for feedings. Mine told me not to, but yours might have a different philosophy.

    I actually called the hospital nursery the first few days I was at home to ask the nurses questions about sleep and feeding. Did yours give you a number? Hopefully your pedi's office is helpful too.


    image
    N '13 January Siggy Challenge
    ~*~ Winter Weather Fails ~*~
    AnniversaryBaby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Peanutz21Peanutz21 member
    hang in there!!! don't feel guilty if you need to hand express. i second the not pumping. as far as feedings, agree with PP - need to make sure LO is gaining weight, enough wet diapers a day and @ 2 days they really should be eating every 3 hours also to help you establish/regulate your supply

    fwiw i miss my engorgement days right now!

    TTC#2
    Image and video hosting by TinyPic
    Our little IVF miracle born 5/7/2014
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
  • RachelCA29RachelCA29 member
    The engorgement will get better. Your supplynjsit came in and it ki dnd of comes in like an avalanche at first. Once you are on a schedule your body will get better and making the milk your baby needs when she needs it, so you won't be super "full" all the time.

    As @Peanutz21‌ said, I also kind if miss my engorged days, I have a very fussy nurser; he likes them full and ready!
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    When Fluff Mail Arrives:
    image
    Report Reply
  • TheAnalyticalMommyTheAnalyticalMommy member
    Everyone gave good advice. I'm lucky to have a pedi that is very BF friendly and fairly knowledgeable (though it's a guy so some of it is more philosophical than from experience! haha). 

    In any case, when i asked him about waking my LO, he said that waking to feed every 3 hours was more for my supply and making BF work than for baby's nutrition at this point. That stuck with me... I think either way, if you hope to BF for a decent amount of time, you should probably offer the breast every 3 hours.

    Also, baby doesn't need to actually be awake to feed (though at that age that certainly makes it easier). 

    I spent the first two months pretty much offering the breast constantly.

    Good luck!
    Rachel (a.k.a. The Analytical Mommy.com and @analyticalmommy on IG)
    I'm just trying to make sense of things :-) 
    Report Reply
  • caranicholecaranichole member
    Amazingly within Grace's last two feedings, she was far more alert and hungry and I think she finally helped drain me a bit. I'm still sore but I can function and get up when I'm laying down again. I guess patience really is the key. Patience with baby and body. 


    Lilypie Premature Baby tickers
    Lilypie Premature Baby tickers Lilypie Premature Baby tickers
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers

    Report Reply
  • RDK24RDK24 member
    caranichole said:
    Amazingly within Grace's last two feedings, she was far more alert and hungry and I think she finally helped drain me a bit. I'm still sore but I can function and get up when I'm laying down again. I guess patience really is the key. Patience with baby and body. 


    Patince with baby and your body is exactly right. I remember feeling really freaked out by the giant, hard boobs that replaced my normal ones when my LO was tiny! It gets easier, I promise. Someone suggested this to me in the early days and it helped a lot: when you're home and you can shower, make the water really warm/hot and use a bar of soap and massage your breasts with the bar in circular motion. You may leak/spray in the shower, but it will give you some relief.

    I also got Boobie Tubes from Earth Mama Angel baby (you can warm them up or freeze them, whatever feels good) and stuck em in my bra to sleep since I felt like I was always sore there.

    GL, sounds like you're doing great already!
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"