Need Solutions for Engorged Breasts

I have a 5 week old that I am breast feeding. I suffered from engorgment do to not knowing all the "rules" of feeding. I understand the pain you are in. It was not fun. The solution (a little time consuming but worked great) I found was warm compress on the breast before pumping (rice tied in a cotton sock heated in the microwave for 40 seconds) then frozen peas laid on the after pumping. I have been told cabbage leaves, but I personally did not have success with them. I hope you find relief soon

I understand. Been there done that. What I did and someone told me to do this was to get a cloth as hot as I could stand it and lay it on my breast and that would cause the milk to flow therefore easing the pain that I was experienceing with engorgement. Trust that this will be of help to you.

As crazy as it sounds, the cabbage leaves really do work. I have 3 kids, breast fed all of them their 1st year and used the cabbage each time. Good luck!

Hi F. -
I had this same problem. I would not use cabbage...cabbage actually makes your milk come down. I know this will be painful, but what I did under my mothers advice was took an ace bandage and had my husband wrap me as tight as I could stand it. From what I understand the more support the quicker your milk will dry. Don't stand under the shower for a couple of days and tell yur husband hands off....LOL. i will tell you it can take atleast a week or more.

I have breast fed 6 children and a good solution is warm tea bags. Put 2 on each breast for about 20-30 minutes. Keep rewarming. It really helps.

YES cabage works just make sure u wrap an ace bandage tight around your bust area!!

Stand in a warm shower and just let your breast drip til the engorgement subsides. This does work, and seems to be the easiest and simplest way to release the pain without stimulating more milk production. Also cut back on calories and massive amounts of water consumption. Good luck! You're actually very lucky, most moms can't get to this point of milk production.

Wrap them tightly with an ace bandage and wear it all the time.The nurse told me at the hospital that cabbage leaves do work but you have to make sure you arent going to feed your baby anymore because it can be dangerous to your child.Benedrel also works.I was told not to pump or even let the shower water hit my breast.if you cant stand it anymore you can sqeeze a little out but try to elminate it.Try ice packs to help with pain.

Just pump enough to relieve the pressure, no more or it will make the milk keep coming. After awhil if this hasn't helped , I think there may be a pill, but when I quit nursing, this is what I tried.

Been there, hurt that! What I did was continue to pump my breasts for the Preme Bank at Parkland Hospital. They provided the bottles and I filled them and froze the milk. They would come weekly and collect the frozen milk and provide more clean bottles. I was helping those babies and reducing my milk supply weekly. It's a wonderful way to give back to your community!

F.,
Don't pump anymore!!! If you need to express a little milk just stand in a hot shower for a few minutes. Any pumping stimulates your breasts to make more milk. The cabbage leaves do work, but they have to be the red cabbage leaves not regular cabbage. I weaned my 3rd child back in September and had to go out of town immediately. I just stood in a hot shower every night for relief. By the time I got back home, 5 days later, my engorgement was gone. I also was one that produced tons of milk, I could never use all I had in the freezer. I hope this helps.

I feel your pain!! I have a 7 month old and 3 other kids 7,5 and 3. I've breastfeed all our kids until they are 1 and I'm still breastfeeding our 7 month old. I have the tendency to get Mastitis (breast infections from engorgement) so I am constantly having to make sure my breast don't get too full. When I weaned our other kids I just slowly cut out feedings and gradually did it so I wouldn't get engorged. But since I've had Mastitis so many times (5 times with our current baby), I have plenty of time managing my engorgement. Sometimes when my breasts got engorged they were so swollen that I couldn't get my milk to even pump out. So if you are not getting any milk out by pumping, I suggest taking a long hot shower and let the hot water fall on your breast for as long as you can then immediately go pump. (a heating pad will also work if you can't take a long shower but the shower works best) I have found that heat releases milk flow and cold helps with the swelling so after you pump your breast empty...apply cold packs to keep the swelling down. Massaging your breast while you pump can also help you get the milk out...you might need to ask your husband to help with this cause you run out of hands. One thing to watch is if you start feeling flu-like symptoms and/or red streaks, that is a sign of Mastitis and you'll need to call your gyno and get antibiotics. You might try doing the above to get empty and to get relief then since you are not breast-feeding, avoid stimulating the nipples or warming the breasts unless you need relief. Instead, apply cold packs or your getting an infection since you are NOT trying stimulate more milk production. The cabbage leaves work just because the shape is right...ice packs work just as good. Use medicine for pain and inflammation, and wear a supportive bra that fits well but not too tight.
I also found that exercising and cutting back on my junky food (extra calories) helps slow down my milk production when weaning. If you production doesn't slow down, you might need to keep pumping and gradually cut down on your frequency to avoid engorgement.

Hi... lots of experience with this! I recommend bags of frozen peas...and combing. It sounds weird, but it works! Just get a comb with larger-than-normal prongs, stand under a warm shower and literally comb your breasts from the top down, slowly and gently. I learned about it when I had a clogged duct that was getting infected. The combing relieved my pain and cleared the clogged duct. Do remember, though, that pumping will make your body think it still needs to produce...so if you can fight through the pain for a couple of days, and just treat the pain symptoms, your body will adjust naturally. Cut back on all of the water you might have been drinking to keep your supply up while you were nursing, too. Oh, and it also helps to wear a snug-fitting sports bra. Good Luck!

I was told by my lactation consultant when my daughter was born (4 years ago) not to stimulate the breasts at all when weaning..that includes pumping just enough to reduce the pain. If you stimulate, even that little bit, you will keep producing milk. I went through one night of absolute pain but survived. I used ice packs all over my chest area to help with the swelling and pain.

It was not comfortable, I will not lie to you, but it had to be done.

I would definitely consult your lactation consult or even physician as to what to do these days.

J. S.

This was my solution 16 years ago, I didn't believe it could work but what a miracle! Cabbage leaves! Yes Cabbage leaves! Take a head of cabbage and freeze it. Take the leaves one by one and cup them over the breast until wilted, repeat until the head of cabbage is used up. Then take a tight bra and sheet or towel and tie it tight. The next morning my milk was gone and breast were back to normal!
It's crazy but it works! Good luck!

Mom of 2 sons, 22 yrs and 16 yrs, home schooled both, 22 is bmw mechanic and a professional bmxer, husband bmw mechanic/teacher also a bmx racer but not a pro. We travel a ton with racing so from time to time I read my emails..saw yours and BINGO knew it worked for me and it hopefully will for you too!

C. M, Richardson Texas

When I weaned my son, cabbage leaves worked the best!

I used cabbage and it seemed to help...more soothing than anything. I have heard that using a tight sports bra works to help with pressure and engorgment.

My aunt who is a nurse told me to take cold showers or to put a cold towel on my breast. I chose the cold towels. What I would do is take a ice cold wash cloth (I also tried the ice pack from frezer, but it was too stiff) and put it in my bra where ever the pain was until the towel got warm and I would start over by day 3 I was fine. The only shock was the first time I put the cold towel on. I did not use my pain pills or tylenol, due to pumping milk. I also pumped at least three times a day to relieve the pain.
I hope this helps,
T.

You might consider donating it as you wean yourself... They have "milk banks" for those tiny preemie babies who wouldn't survive on formula because of how premature they are. I know there are banks in Fort Worth and Austin, so I suspect something exists in other cities as well. It might give you a chance to wean more slowly without having to throw away the milk. It always killed me to throw any away... ;) Oh - and the way I understand it works, they come get the milk. So you don't have to take it anywhere once you're signed up.

I have actually used the frozen cabbage leaves and they do really relieve some to the pain. I have also taken warm showers and suppressed some milk then by hand to relieve pressure. Other than that, it is just waiting it out.

Have you asked your Dr. about some pills that will dry out your breasts?

I had an old school mom who had me wrap a white sheet around my chest for a few days and I had no more milk production.

I apologize in advance if I can't help you.

F.

I am breastfeeding now and I read that you are supposed to wrap them in an ace bandage under your cloths. Also when you take a shower to put your back to the water so that they dont get stimulated and leak. So I think that while the pumping may relieve the pain temporarily, that in the long run your dragging this thing out.

Sage tea also helps. It isn't the best tasting stuff but it works. Follow the link for more info.

http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/breast/AS-lacsuppression.htm

There is a product on the market called Cabo cream. You can order it online or pick it up at the mothers gift store at Presbyterian hospital of plano. It is wonderful! Apply it 2 - 5 times daily and in a couple of days your done! It costs about $18. Goodluck!

When I weaned my daughter I did use the cabbage leaves and they worked great. You might give it a try!

I know it sounds crazy but cabbage leaves were the only thing that helped me. I would but the cabbage leaves on, then my husband would wrap 2 ace baggages around me. I wore this in lieu of a bra. No one ever smelled the cabbage either. it took about 2 1/2 -3 weeks b/c I had to stop pumping suddendly. hope you feel better

cabbage leaves do work but let me worn you--if you leave them on to the point that they get warm--it can cause an adverse reaction and cause heart problems. This happened to me on several occasions--and I didn't know what was happening--it was hard for me to breathe and it felt like my heart was racing. So--I would use them--keep them on for a few minutes--and then put new ones on. I had to put them in my armpits and on my chest because my glands were very long. Best of luck. It is a hard time, I know.

Check with your doctor, Felicity. He will be able to give you a shot or Rx to dry up the milk. When I quit, I bound my breasts tightly until it dried up.....yes, it is painful! Good luck!

To do the cabbage leaf thing, this is what you have to do: Buy about 6 to 8 heads of cabbage. Prepare the leaves by washing them, and laying them flat. You put one cabbage leaf on a paper towel, and then, put another paper towel on top. Go back and forth with cabbage leaf, paper towel, untl you have about 10 leaves. Put them in a gallon sized plastic ziploc bag and put them in the refridgerator. Prep a bunch at a time, so that you don't have to do it every few hours. Next, you take about 4 or 5 leaves per breast and scruch them up to activate the stuff inside of the leaves. Place the leaves on your breast, and put a tight fitting sports bra over it. Next, wrap tightly with an ace bandage. You need to change the leaves every 4 hours or so. When you change them, you will find that they are hot. This works in a matter of days, but you will smell like a salad, and the stuff in the cabbage does cause a reaction (i.e. you can feel it working, and it is not necessarily pleasant). Do not pump at all, instead, before you start wil the cabbage leaves, get in the hot shower and get out as much of the milk as possible. When you get out of the shower, immediately work on getting the cabbage on. Let me know if you need any more help with this.
H.

Ice packs help. I weaned back in November, and there were two or three days where I had ice packs in my bra! And pumping a little is OK to relieve the worst of the engorgement, but don't do too much or your body will keep producing . . . it will be a never-ending cycle.

ice packs work real good

I would suggest for you to call your dr's office and see if he can suggest if there is something to dry your breasts.

Cabbage leaves worked great for me. Wear a tight sportsbra and keep the leaves in all the time. I was skeptical when my dr recommended using cabbage, but it was the best.

Yes Cabbage works, I used it after both pregnancies and I was a 36HH after I had the kids and I didn't even have a problem with the leaves not fitting...LOL

The trick is the colder the better...not frozen just very cold...

Good Luck
E.

Get in the shower with your pump and let the hot water hit your breasts for a couple minutes and hold a hot wash cloth on them too, pump while your in the shower it helps the milk come out faster then when you get out apply lanolin to your nipples. Hope this helps I know how much pain you are in its really painful but it will go away within a week or two.

I went through that and what I did was take a hot shower, or even bath, and gently express a small amount (in the bath, if the water is covering your breasts, it'll express automatically) and little by little your body will stop making the milk.

Hope this helps, I know it's hard!

Yes cabbage leaves do work. Put them in the fridge, once cold apply to breast and wrap with an ace bandage. It will only take a few days and you will dry up. I experinced the same thing.

Cold cabbage leaves in a tight bra round the clock, stop pumping, no stimulation to the breasts.

Hi. I just had a baby 5 months ago and was dredding this process again, but my OB invented this cream called CABO cream. It is made from plant extracts and it is miraculous. It is a little on the pricey side ($18 for a 1 oz bottle) but it lasts forever. I still have some and don't need it anymore. I would be happy to get you what I have left so you can try it. You can also contact Dr. Jill Farmar's office at ###-###-####
You might be able to get it online too - I think she has a website. It just takes longer. Her office is at Presby Plano, and I live right around the corner from there. You can either go through her, or like I said, I would be more than happy to meet you somewhere and give you what I have left.

T. ###-###-####

As crazy as it may sound YES the cabbage leaves do work, just change them out and don't let the cabbage get real warm on your body. Another thing, if you have some new born diapers left take two of them open them up, and fill them with water and freeze them. This came from a nurse that took care of me when I had my kids. After the diapers are frozen place them on your breast. Best ice packs in the world! I would wear these with a sports bra and ace bandage to keep them in place.

Cabbage leaves worked for me!! I also wore a bra 24/7 until my milk dried up. Good Luck!!
C. E.
Do you have any suggestions on how to get my 4 year old son to stop sucking his thumb??

Stop pumping!!! Your body will think you still need milk and will keep making more. More pumping=more milk production.

I was told to take an antihistimine (benadryl i think) and the first day I was miserable. Then my ped office told me to try cabbage leaves....and the second night I could actually sleep. They worked like magic. I think I bought two heads total...and everytime they got wilty....I put two more in.

I would bet money on them!

I am about to start weaning my second child...so I am right here behind you. Two weeks and counting (yeah!!! but sad too :(

I had the same problem each time I weaned my kids. Cabbage leaves do work, but there's a right way to do it that will get the best results. What worked for me was to break the veins in the leaves before applying them. That's supposed to relaese whatever substance the leaves have that help dry you up. Then you have to keep the leaves moist, so I wet papertowels and put them up against the leaves. Then, a layer of plastic wrap between the papertowel and my bra, to keep it dry...a little tedious, but it worked within a couple of days. Good luck!

cabbage leaves do work. Try pumping a little longer...the only way to reduce the pain is to get the milk out. Pump until you get relief...your body will figure it out eventually and until it does there is no reason to be in pain!!!

Cabbage does work. I used it and what a relief!! Use the whole leaf to cover yourself and then where your bra...good luck!
K.

yes cabbage leaved do work make sure they are cold..ice packs to breast will help also. pumping at this point will just increase your milk production you can also wear a sports bra.the tighter the better...the most beneficial will be cabbage leaves several times a day and ice packs it will go away...you can also take ibuprophen Motrin]tylenol,

Yes cabbage leaves do work. Another thing that helped me was gel inserts, keep them in the fridge so they are cold. Take ibuprofen too. Good luck!

Yes - actually cabbage leaves do help! Also, wear a tight-fitting sports bra to held bind your breasts a little. And, you are doing the right thing by pumping just a little to alleviate the pain. Don't worry, the discomfort will go away after only a few days!

I who used to work in a maternal/child unit. I haven't tried the cabbage leaves, but have talked to a few moms who have, and they say it does help. It is what we were told by the doctors to recommend. Change them out as they wilt. If you run a temp, get a red or hot area on a breast, see your doctor - sometimes people will develop mastitis while trying to wean. Try to pump as little as you can, because it will keep signaling the body to produce milk. Good luck.

Ice seemed to help me. It made the swelling go down and it relieved some of the pain.

No cabbage doesn't work. Hot showers will relieve some of the pain. If you can, pump when you used to feed - you can donate this milk to the Mother's Milk Bank which gives milk to premie babies which so need it. About every 2 days just drop a pump. You will have no problem in about a week or two.

Hi Felicity,

I feel your pain! I stopped breastfeeding a few months ago and I was sore for about a week until my supply dried up.

The most relief I felt was in a hot shower. Use both hands and start with one breast. Start closest to your chest and firmly move them outward toward the nipple, so as you are "milking". Do this 2-3 times and then switch breasts. I would recommend repeating this sequence 4-5 times on each breast, or until you feel the pressure subside. I know that sounds strange, but believe me, it helps. It will hurt when you first start, so you might want to stand in the shower, facing the showerhead and let the warmth of the water relax the breasts/muscles before you start.

Hope this helps.

i got a sports bra with cabbage leaves to hold them all together and that worked the BEST!!!!! GOOD LUCK!

Yes Cabbage leaves do work. You also want to bind up your breasts as tight as you can handle. Get an ace bandage and wrap it tightly around your breasts like a bras then put a sports bra on over it. Try to to get stimulated and keep them away from warm or hot water. Since the hot water will let down your milk. I would try pumping like you fed your baby and each day skip a feeding that way it will slow down the milk production. And then you can keep them wrapped up till they dry up. This method worked for me with my last three children. I felt so much better after doing it that way. Since it takes time for the milk to dry up. This is the best way to do it and most comfortable for the mom.

Both times that i was pregnant my breasts were hugeand extreemly engorged. And especially after having my babies it got worse. Of course. They would leak constantly and it was painful and embarrissing. Everywhere i went i needed an extra bra and shirt. After having my first son i breast fed him for maybe a month then i went back to the doctor and they gave me a shot to dry them up. The 2nd time i wasn't given that option. Buy my doctor suggested that i stand in the shower and let warm water hit my breast it's supposed to help the swelling go down. Eventually after the 2nd time of stopping breast feeding i let them dry up on their own. I hope this helps... i'm not sure about the leaf thing.
Take Care ~ T.

I liked hot showers and massage the breast and squeezing the milk out until it is less full. I also used ice packs and cold cabbage leaves. However, for those of you not yet weaning (and probably for those who have weaned but are still engorged), I recommend weaning gradually and early if you have a goal to end feeding. I started in Oct. to get my baby weaned by Jan. I would take away one feeding/pumping about one a week (or one for every 2 weeks) and slowly take away another feeding/pumping away. If I got too uncomfortable, I'd wait to take away another feeding. The hardest part to weaning your baby is figuring out what your baby's favorite feeding is. You need to keep their favorite feeding the longest. I produced so much milk it was crazy, my baby would get sprayed, and to avoid this I sometimes had to pump a little first. If your baby is not yet one years old, and you are weaning, you may need to supplement with formula, but talk with your pediatrician. My baby drank water and diluted apple juice with her meals because she refused formula and she was just shy of one years old for milk. Once the baby turned one yrs. old you can give them milk. She was the only one of my three kids that liked milk right off the bat. My other 2 hated regular milk, so I had to give them Pediasure for ages 1yrs. and up. They eventually got off Pediasure drinks by age 4 and switched to milk. FYI, they were drinking the Pediasure and not eating as much at meal time, so I learned this the hard way. So it really helps when your baby likes milk at age one. I had the fewest problems with engoragement when I weaned slowly. Good luck! I hope this info was helpful.