Engorged and Not Letting Down

First, your baby is getting plenty if she is wetting 8 or more diapers a day. The first few days are colostrum anyway.

Second, you say you "tried relaxing" but I think you need to relax better. Feed that baby OFTEN. With my first, I also had engorgement issues, and the best thing I did was get to bed for a few days and nurse nurse nurse. It might be that the baby isn't staying attached long enough to cue the letdown response. Try only nursing on one side for each feeding, she needs that hindmilk for the calories. I see you have another young child. I hope no one is expecting you to take care of him, too, and that the people in your life are letting you heal from the birth and bond with the new baby.

Third, if you are pumping, that may be why you are engorged. You are cuing your body to make more milk, more than your baby requires or is asking for. You are essentially telling your breasts to make milk for 2 or more babies! Take a break from the pumping right now, your baby is only a few days old and doesn't need it. Let your milk regulate itself over the next few weeks.

Fourth, congratulations on your new babe :)

You have already received a lot of good advice and encouragement. I just wanted to add I had a very strong let down sensation (almost painful at times) but the more engorged I was the less I felt it. Maybe the ducts were so full they didn't have to or couldn't constrict to push the milk forward, or maybe the discomfort of engorgement overrode the discomfort from let down so that I didn't really notice it. Some women never "feel" a let down even though it is happening. Talk to someone (LLL or lactation consultant) and have them observe you nursing to help calm your anxieties. They can point out other signs of your baby's intake (swallowing, diapers, acting hungry before and content after a feeding, etc). This is the most common concern nursing mothers have and a huge reason for unnecessary supplementing. So while it sounds like you are doing great (pumping 4 oz is a lot!), I think you would benefit from some in-person evaluation and reassurance. Your body will soon figure things out and learn to balance the milk production. I agree that continuing to pump will only lead to overproduction and prolong engorgement problems. If possible try to keep to exclusive nursing (baby to breast only, no pump, no bottles) for at least the first few weeks to solidly establish breastfeeding and milk production. You are doing great, keep it up, it only gets easier! Best wishes to you and your baby.

Honestly. The ONLY thing that worked for me was Standard Process' Mammary PMG. Within hours, I was fine. It works to BALANCE, so if you have too much, then it will calm it down. If you don't have enough, it will increase production like nothing I have ever seen. You should be able to find it on Amazon and do one day shipping. I think I took 6 of them and it was nearly instant relief.

That sounds normal to me, but belive me, it will get better. Keep nursing, pump if you need to (but it really isn't necessary) and your body will adjust.

J.

Honey, if you are pumping 4 ounces, trust me, you are letting down. A letdown is just the milk coming out of the breast. You don't need to feel it for it to be happening. Notice if your baby does frequent swallowing. That is a sign of a letdown happening when baby is on breast. Is your baby having 4-5 wets a day and 3 or more messy diapers? If so, rest easy, your baby is getting plenty. If you're really unsure, have the baby's weight checked at the doctor's office tomorrow. You could see an LC to have the baby weighed before and after a feeding, to see exactly how much baby is getting at breast.
What you are experiencing is engorgement. Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) will help with the swelling. If the dr wrote a prescription for it, don't add on to that. You can use cold compresses for 15-20 minutes after feeds to bring down swelling. Cabbage leaves laid on the breast for an hour or so realy helps with the full feeling. After an hour, throw the leaf away and wait an hour before putting another one on. When the milk comes in you have increased blood, fluid, and lymph system all gathering at the breast to get the nursing off to a good start. The ibuprofen, cabbage, and cold compresses help. Nurse every 2-3 hours to get the fullness down too. You should feel much better by tomorrow. Congratulations, S.

OK, this will sound very very strange, but I swear it will help with the pain. Line your bra with cold cabbage leafs. Yup cabbage. Put one leaf in each side. Don't know why it works, and the first time it was recommend to me I thought I'd about die laughing, but I tried it out of desperation and amazingly it helped.

ETA: Make sure the cabbage is COLD. Keep it in the fridge.

I NEVER felt the let down--just because you don't feel it doesn't mean it's not happening. Sensations come and go as your body adjusts and changes and don't reliably reflect what's going on. The only way to know for SURE that baby is getting enough milk is to count the wet diapers, if fluids coming out you know it's going in.

I'll pass on the BEST advice I got-- watch the baby NOT the clock and count the wet diapers if your concerned.

And I second La Leche League-- you can find the group near you at : http://www.llli.org/webus.html

Good for you for breastfeeding, Jennifer! May I make some suggestions for your discomfort. First, it is a very short-term condition. Second, some women never "feel" a letdown. Third, a newborn should be nursing more than every three hours most of the time. Fourth, the current thinking is that you should empty one breast at each feeding then put the baby on the other breast if he's still hungry or fussy. Otherwise, start with that one next feeding. Fifth, your comfort measures sound great. The only thing I see that you haven't tried may sound weird but it works. Put cabbage leaves inside your bra for engorgement. Sixth, you can massage the milk down toward the nipple gently. If you go on www.llli.org, look in the Resources then the Answers section. It's called the Marmette Technique.

You judge whether your baby's getting enough by lots of wet and poop diapers and consistent weight gain. Sounds like you have plenty of milk! Hang in there. Put the baby to your breast often around the clock and this will resolve itself very soon.

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If you feel the latch isn't good or that your baby isn't eating enough - contact a local Le Leche League Leader for a meetup schedule or one on one help... you can also google IBCLCs and CLCs in your area - many of whom may be free or very cheap and if the ones you call or not, they may know of programs who may offer them for free. You can also call the hospital in which you delivered to make an appt with the Lactation Specialists there.

From what you are posting about, it sounds normal. I don't recall feeling a let down for at least a full week after milk came in - tho I hope you were breastfeeding with the colostrum while waiting for the *milk* to come in.

I believe "let down" did not come until much later for me, after the engorgement went down. And it was not a "tingly" sensations at all, it felt like a major cramp from my neck into my shoulder into my breast. But I would still call a La Leche or your hospital's nursing consultant since my nursing days are long ago.

Have you tried cold compresses?

You nailed it..you're engorged. But that does not mean with just milk. Every gland and blood vessel in your breasts are full of blood and fluid doing what they are supposed to be doing now..so painful and awful...

This will pass, another day or two. Promise.

Congratulations on a new baby and nursing! Hang in there!

I never have felt a "let down" sensation and I've been nursing now for almost 17 months. I wouldn't be concerned about not "feeling it" as long as you know milk is coming out! If you can pump 4 ounces, and your baby is this young, you just have PLENTY of milk! :)

It won't last for long...after a few days, you won't be as engorged. But until your baby gets a little bigger and your body figures it out, you can look forward to a little pain, lots of leaking, etc...oh, the joys! :) I'd say you have a GREAT start, and I'd be happy about it!

(Also, I agree that you should quit pumping. Those who have suggested it are right...that's why you have too much milk. It's a supply and demand system...how much your baby nurses tells your body how much milk it needs to make. If you are nursing your baby PLUS pumping, at this stage, you're telling your body to make more milk than it needs.)

Congratulations!

Congrats on your baby! I encourage you to go to www.kellymom.com for breastfeeding information. This site is wonderful and covers many issues that moms face. La Leche League is another place to start but I know some women get turned off by them. I've found nothing but excellent support through LLL and encourage you to find a local support leader in your area.

I've nursed all 4 of my children and am still nursing my youngest. I will tell you that those first days can be very exhausting. Especially when your milk finally comes in. You will be engorged for a few days until your body adjusts to what your baby is drinking. Breastfeeding is supply and demand so what ever your baby drinks or you pump out, your body will make more. I made the mistake with my first of pumping every time I was engorged and I was engorged for days. As for pumping, don't get discouraged by what you're pumping...your baby is the master at getting the milk from your breast! You might not feel the let down sensation when your milk comes in either. As long as your baby is having wet and poopy diapers then s/he is eating enough.

When my babies were newborn I nursed on demand every 3-4 hours(every 2 hours with my son) to establish my supply and insure that baby was getting enough milk. Right now your focus should be to rest and nurse your baby on demand. One suggestion is to let baby suckle at the breast until it's drained...don't time feedings and do 10 minutes on one side and 10 minutes on the other. One reason for this is to allow baby to get the hind milk(high calorie milk) with each feeding. I've exclusively breastfed all my kiddos until 1 year and then nursed until they self weaned. Have faith in your body and find some local support. Congrats again, momma!

I wouldn't recommend the use of cabbage leaves as they will dry up your supply if you're not careful.

If you have questions or need help finding local support please let me know.

Peace,
J.

This is pretty normal in the beginning. Pretty soon your body will adjust to your baby's demands. She's getting plenty of milk. You can't pump near as much as baby can. I've experienced this with all five of my kids. Hang in there, it should clear up. I used moist heat and put warm wet wash cloths on me in a hot shower.

be sure your little one is latched on properly. watch how he/she eats...you should see a wide open mouth with sucking, a pause, then more sucking. sometimes we thinki baby is latched on, but she/he is only getting the excess that is easily coming out when they suck just on the nipple. you've gotten tons of other good advice! it sounds like you have plenty of milk, so don't worry about that.

Hang in there!!! :) This is very normal. Baby is getting plenty, newborns don't eat a ton, and pumping vs. breastfeeding can give different amounts.

The best advise to get engorgement to go away is to breastfeed. I'd try every 2 hours. Every three is long for a BF baby, human milk is digested faster then formula. It takes a while for the supply/demand to get figured out. Just keep doing what you're doing and it will get better!

Best wishes!