milk just came in...pain...help??

Question

I'm breastfeeding my son, and my milk just cam in yesterday and no matter how much i nurse him and pump, my breasts still really hurt, i know he doesnt always latch on properly which can cause some pain....anyone know what i can do to relieve the pain??

Answer 1

• Wear a supportive nursing bra, even during the night. Be sure it isn't too tight.

• Nurse frequently — every two to three hours — even if it means waking your baby. (This is especially important because unrelieved engorgement can cause a permanent drop in your milk production.) Try to get the first side as soft as possible. If your baby is satisfied with just one breast, you can offer the other breast at the next feeding.

• Avoid having your baby latch on and suckle when the areola — the dark area around your nipple — is very firm. To reduce the possibility of nipple damage and to help your baby latch on, manually express or pump milk until your areola softens. It may be easier to manually express milk in the shower; the warm water by itself may cause enough leakage to soften the areola.

• Avoid pumping milk except when you need to soften the areola or when your baby is unable to latch on. Excessive or habitual pumping can lead to overproduction of milk and prolonged engorgement.

• While your baby's nursing, gently massage the breast he's on. This encourages milk to flow and will help relieve some of the tightness and discomfort.

• To soothe the pain and help relieve swelling, apply cold packs to your breasts for a short period after nursing. Crushed ice in a plastic bag works well.

• Some women find relief by applying fresh green cabbage leaves to their breasts. Strip the main vein from two larger, outer leaves and cut a hole in each one for your nipple. Rinse and dry them before laying them on your breasts or sliding them into the cups of your bra.

• If you're really in pain, take ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or a mild pain reliever prescribed by your healthcare provider.

• Don't apply direct heat, such as warm washcloths, heating pads, or hot water bottles, to your engorged breasts unless it's to soften the areola and help your milk letdown. Rather than alleviate the pain, this may aggravate the condition.

Answer 2

For the next 48 hours... you will feel pain. It's your breasts adjusting to how much milk they'll need to produce. Just keep nursing your son when he's hungry so your breasts can guage the amount of milk to produce. Do not pump to empty your breasts to relieve pain. This will tell your body to produce more milk. If the pain is too much... and your son doesn't need to nurse, just express enough milk to relieve the pressure (by hand... a couple of squirts should do the trick)... but not too much. You can also take Tylenol to help with pain. Cold compress will help as well.
Remember... the key is to nurse your son when he's hungry... and in a few days, your breasts will adjust to his needs and stop getting engorged (which is what's causing the pain). You also want to make sure you empty at least one breast during each feeding to prevent clogged ducts. They can be very painful and lead to infections.
I nursed through mastitis, numerous infections from clogged ducts, and lots of engorgement (I overproduced milk) with my first child... so I knew full well what was coming the second time. I just bit my tongue for a few days... and things got much better.
Good luck... and trust me, it will get better!

Answer 3

I am just getting over the same thing. Except I am getting so full that he cant even latch on so I have to use a nipple shield. I also had a fever since the day after I left the hospital and my doctor told me to pump and feed but don't pump until they are dry because you will over produce and it will just keep hurting. I am feeding during the day and bottle feeding breastmilk at night. It has messed up the whole latching process but hopefully we can get back into that. I use ice packs and when I take showers I let the water run on me for a minute so I can express while I am in the shower. (it usually starts flowing on it's own. The good thing about pumping is you can freeze alot! It starts to get better but I dont know how much better yet because I just delivered on the 28th of Feb, so I am not very far into it myself. Good Luck and Keep it up!

Answer 4

Heat will help you "deflate" a little, (take a warm bath if you can), pur-lan or olive oil. Try not to nurse and pump too much, just enough to feed him. You might be telling your body to make more than is necessary. If thats the case, about a day of horrible pain and then you will return to a natural production level.

Dont give up though, the begginning is the worst part. By the end of the first month youll be glad you didnt quit. Bottles are hard to make at 3 am when you havent really slept for days. Its worth the pain at least for all the time you save in the long run.

Answer 5

A hot shower, as hot as you can stand it. That will help let some of your milk flow out and give you relief. Also, believe it, COLD cabbage leaves! Peel off a leaf, place it in your bra, and instant relief. I would also get that breastfeeding ointment made by Lansinoh for sore breasts. You can apply it, and still breastfeed your baby without having to wash it all off. It's safe. Target sells it. If the Dr. Says o.k., take some advil or tylenol. If none of these tips works, see your dr. about possible mastis infection...that is where your breasts feel hot and very tender and lumpy. If it's just nipple pain you experience, it's not mastis...just your baby's inexperience at latching on. Hopefully, with time, your milk supply will regulate itself and taper off some, and your son will get the 'hang' of breasfeeding! It takes time and patience. Good luck to you! P.S. Still having problems? Contact the Le Leche League...experts in all things breastfeeding-free services and advice!

Answer 6

The other suggestions about using the bath/shower to soften the breasts are great. Make an appointment with a lactation consultant to get some help fixing that latch. Once baby is nursing efficiently all the time, your production will be more regulated. Tylenol, Motrin or Advil are fine for pain.

Answer 7

Warm showers (putting breasts directly into the spray and massaging them) really helped me that first week. Also, both cool and warm compresses. One of the nurses gave me a tip that worked great. Put disposable diapers in the freezer or wet them and put them in the microwave for a few seconds to create instant compresses that you can slide right in your bra. I also found Lansinoh to be very soothing. Of course, you should also see a lactation consultant (many hospitals have them on staff) about the latch issue, so that you will not continue to have pain as time goes on.

Answer 8

If you have a fever as well, call the doctor....for you have a breast infection. Sometimes a warm/hot shower will relieve the pain and manually pump the breasts with your hands.

Answer 9

nice warm bath or shower, you can try binding yourself with a towel or sheet but sometimes that will slow your production down. Don't give up tho, it will get better. If you are having nipple pain from him not latching on good try A&D ointment, it will not hurt the baby and it will keep them from drying out and cracking as bad..ouch..oh the memories lol good luck and congratulations on the new baby.

Answer 10

that is very painful. it will last for a few more weeks. something that helped me was to put wet face cloths in the freezer for 1/2 hour then put them on the breasts. cold showers also help. just remember it will pass, and it would be the same if you werent breastfeeding
congrats on the new bub!