how do i stop my breasts from hurting?

Question

i just had a baby and omg! My boobs hurt so bad they have been at a constant hard for almost 24hrs. I've heard of cabbage leaves n stuff but is there anything else?

im not breast feeding and my boobs are so sore and they have been at a constant hard for 24hrs now. How do i stop the pain?

Answer 1

You need to be nursing or pumping frequently so that you don't get so badly engorged. With a newborn, you should be nursing at least every 2 hours around the clock. Your breasts are trying to figure out if you had twins, triplets or just one baby. Nursing frequently will help your body begin to regulate production to what your baby needs.

Cold can help with the swelling from engorgement. Bags of frozen peas make excellent ice packs as they form to your body. Cabbage leaves can help too, but don't over use them as they can also damage supply for some moms. You are safe to take ibuprofen for the pain of engorgement. Apply heat right before nursing/pumping to get blood flowing to that area and soften your breasts.

Answer 2

Here is the info I give to my cliets-who are breastfeeding moms--so some of this may not apply to you--but the measures given willwork

Cabbage leaves work, but only cause they are cold. People say to use cabbage leaves because of their shape, molds nicely to, lets say, ummmmm . . . an engorged breast. cutting the veins simply soften the leaves.

Do not bind your breasts to help your milk "dry up." This is an outdated practice that can cause plugged ducts, breast infection, or breast abscess.

Don't eat oatmeal (some women with over supply swear it is evil! LOL)

If your breasts feel full and uncomfortable when you don't nurse at a specific time, then express just enough milk to relieve the fullness. You can do this by pumping for a couple of minutes or hand expressing. The less milk you remove, the quicker your body will realize it doesn't need to produce. Sometimes just taking a hot shower will do the job - anything that relieves the fullness is fine. If you are comfortable without expressing at all, that's okay too.

Do express or pump if you get uncomfortably full. It's not good for your body to not have any way of relieving the fullness. Pumping or hand expressing (learn how at http://www.lactationinstitute.org/MANUALEX.html)just enough milk to relieve discomfort will not prevent your milk supply from decreasing. What causes milk production to stay the same or increase is adequate milk removal. If only a small amount of milk is removed from the breast, then milk production will decrease. In addition, expressing a little milk will relieve your discomfort and make it less likely that you'll develop plugged ducts, a breast infection, or an abscess.

Tylenol or Advil for discomfort

Take pseudoephedrine--120 mg/day, a decongestant. research shows that it can decrease milk supply by as much as 24%. (found in Sudafed, Actifed)

To use dried sage (Salvia officinalis) for reducing milk supply, take 1/4 teaspoon of sage 3x per day for 1-3 days. You can mix the sage in vegetable juice (for example, V-8), but it won't mix well into other juices. You can also mix it into other foods. If you don't like the taste of sage, try putting it into a tiny piece of sandwich and swallowing it whole - peanut butter or something else a bit sticky seems to work best for holding the sage in place. Tear off the corner of the sandwich containing the sage (it should be a very small section) and swallow it without chewing (that's why you need a very small section).

To use sage tea for decreasing milk supply, infuse 1 tablespoon of dried sage in 1 cup of boiling water (or 20g dried sage in 50 ml boiling water). Steep for 5-15 minutes. Drink 1 cup, 2 - 6 times per day.

You can use a tincture of sage instead: 30-60 drops of tincture, 3-6 times a day.

Another effective treatment is to apply fresh, crushed jasmine flowers (Jasminum sambac) to the breasts to decrease milk flow. A study has shown this to be effective

Other herbs that can decrease milk supply: Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Spearmint, Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), Chickweed, Black Walnut, stinging nettles (not nettle - that increases milk supply), Yarrow, Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum), Lemon Balm, Oregano, Periwinkle Herb (Vinca minor), Sorrel (Rumex acetosa).

Sage, peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, oregano, and cabbage leaves can all be incorporated into a pressed oil (cold pressed or hot) to make massage oils for milk suppression.

Peppermint essential oil has been used traditionally for decreasing milk supply. Peppermint tea is a very weak form of peppermint and only large amounts (quarts) would be expected to decrease milk supply. Some women have successfully used the strong peppermint candies (for example, Altoids® Curiously Strong Peppermints) for decreasing milk supply (a few per day aren't likely to affect supply, though).

If your not planning on another baby soon Estrogen-containing contraceptives have been linked to low milk supply

However, weaning should not be done cold turkey. Elimanating one feeding at a time is ideal. Night feedings should be the last to go.

Answer 3

Well you really should nurse, but that's a decision for one to make on their own. Cabage does work, what you want to do is ge a whole head of cabage cut is in half mash the surface down a little so that it's not too hard and hold them on your brest directly over the nipple. you can also use bags of frozen pees that way they will conform to your brest and the cold will help your body to stop producing milk

Answer 4

yes, nursing and pumping help. but if you aren't breast feeding, the pain will go away in a few days. it doesn't last forever. a warm washcloth helps a bit.