Sore breasts & Bottlefeeding??

Question

I started to breast feed and my milk has come through but now I am bottle feeding and my breasts are large tight and VERY sore.
How do I get the milk to go away? Do I have to wait it out and how long?
I am in sooo much pain and just want them to go back to how they were!?

Answer 1

Hello:

Do you have a breast pump? If your breasts are very tight and sore it is probably because your body is still producing milk, which is completely natural. Use a breaks pump to drain the milk from your breasts.

Otherwise I would consult with a doctor.

I hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 2

there is some good advice here. cold can really help. ibuprofen, too, if you are not allergic. but don't pump!!! unless you want to continue to have milk. breastmilk works on a supply and demand system. yes, the problem is that your breasts are too full of milk, but if you pump, that sends the signal to your brain to make more milk. the only way to stop making milk is to leave it in there, unused. some women find that binding their breasts tightly to their chest helps. this can be done by wearing two or three tight fitting bras, all on top of each other. or you can use a pillowcase or ace wrap. wrap your breasts firmly down to your chest, like if you were trying to pretend you were a boy. after that, ice and ibuprofen, and the worst of it will be over in about 48 hours. good luck.

the pills that were used to dry up milk are no longer available. research found that they could cause stroke in young women, so the FDA pulled them from the market in the US several years ago.

Answer 3

Im not sure accurately how many days it takes for the milk to go away but i started off breastfeeding my son and stopped after a few weeks. Took about 3 days for the milk to go away, was agony before that but used the gel cooling breast pads and took 2 paraceptemol and that seemed to help alot. Have you tried using a cooling breast pad or even a warm flannel?

Leanne

Answer 4

I hear that cold packs over your breasts will help with the soreness and wear very supportive bras (I think close fitting sports bras are reccomended) They will return to normal once your body realizes that the baby doesn't feed from you anymore. The less he eats, the less your breasts will produce. You can look at the website for breastfeeding mothers www.lalecheleague.org they have a lot of information on breastfeeding in general.

Answer 5

Apply cold cabbage leaves and drink sage tea or use sage as a spice in foods. If you do pump or hand express, just do enough to relieve the pressure a bit because the more you pump, your body will think you need to make more. Take pain relievers and then wait it out. Shouldn't be more than a few days of pain before your body gets the message to shut down production.

Answer 6

Same happened to me . So I would only feed on the breast once a day (midnight), over about a week the milk gradually reduced, and its all gone now. 1 week ago.

Answer 7

it takes time. Dont express the milk. In a week or so production will be down, and things will start to feel better.

Ice them, that helps alot.

If you express the milk to relieve the pain, it will only continue to be replaced with more milk, and you'll end up with a never ending issue.

You can also ask your doctor about pills to help stop production.

Answer 8

You are more than likely engorged by the sounds of it. If you wish to give your infant the wonderful benefits of breastmilk than you should pump or try letting your baby nurse. If not than you can ask your doctor for something to help the milk dry up faster, I've heard. Or if you do nothing than I hear it will eventually subside on it's own. I breastfeed though... so I'm not sure. Haven't weaned my son yet.

Answer 9

just stop nursing all together. it may take some time for it to totaly go away but it will eventually. in the mean time warm compresses can soothe the engorgement pain. but maybe you should try nursing... breast is best... if your squeemish about the baby sucking on your breasts then concider pumping and putting it in a bottle. whatever you decide good luck with your baby!