Breastfeeding/pumping Moms, I Need Your Help!

I too am wondering what type of pump you are using. If you're at the hospital, you should be able to request a hospital grade double electric one to use while you are there. I love the Medela Symphony pump (I used it for 4 months while my preemie was in the hospital)
To me it sounds like you are not emptying enough after pumping. Continue massaging while pumping - maybe try a warm compress just before pumping.

Hot showers with breast massage, and pump with a better pump, both sides at once. After pumping, you could use a cold compress on them, to ease the pain.

Good Luck.

Jessie

Your milk ducts are clogged and you need to fix it right away!!! Take a hot shower and use a wide tooth comb to massage the breasts from outside in (in towards the nibble). It'll hurt like a mother. Then get out and pump while breasts are hot. You need to get this resolved so it doesn't move into mastitis. I think you can take some ibuprofen too for the pain - check with doc/lactation consultant..

Why is it they aren't allowing you to nurse her in the Hospital? Most places will.

As for the pumping, pumping every 2 hours is good, massaging during pumping is good too - but you may want to try as hot as you can stand showers - then massage the breasts under the very warm water. It will help with allowing it to flow.

When you pump, make sure you are re-arranging the nipples in the cups every so often, ex: The nipples evenly in the middle, then moving so the nipple points up, down, either side. Also sometimes lean forward as well as recline when you pump - allows the pump to ATTEMPT to get different areas of the breast like a baby would.

When I did breastfeed and was engorged, I felt the same sensation. The only thing I really did was get a really good breast pump and knead out the "Marbles". I would basically massage ONLY the rock, not the entire breast, until the rock was clean. After a while of pumping, after I felt emptied, I would "Hand Pump" myself making sure I was completely empty. Basically as if milking a cow. Sorry, don't really know how else to describe it. But, this technique got any remainder breast milk out.

Just know though, a breast pump does not empty your breast like a baby would. So even though you may be pumping consistently, you're probably not getting everything out completely.

To ease the pain, I would take Motrin and make sure you pump regularly. I have heard of a trick where women have wrapped their breast with refridgerated cabbage leaves to ease the discomfort.

I hope this helps even just a little bit. I pray your daughter recovers well from her surgery.

Check with your Doctor to make sure you don't have Mastitis infection or clogged ducts.

Ask the Hospital/Nurses, about problem solving this.
They probably have this situation, a lot.
And they have Nurses/Lactation Specialists.

Also, ask the hospital if you can nurse her more? While you are there? Or go there to nurse her????

Try to stand in a warm shower, and while it is on you, hand express the milk out.
Sure, it will go down the drain.
But you need to get the engorgement better.

You can't pump if your breasts are hard.

But pump in order to keep your milk production going.

Is she in a childrens hospital? They might have lactation consultants and pumps for you to use. I only ask because I work at a childrens hospital and we have that - it's actually called the BEST team but is made up of lactation consultants. And we let moms use our pumps (I dont' know if they have to rent them) but we also have pumping rooms for staff and patients (moms). I don't know the anwer to your question though. Good luck and hope your little girl recovers quickly!

Ouch! So sorry to hear about your little one, I hope she recovers quickly.

By chance do you have mastitis? Also, are you using a professional grade pump or residential? If you're not using a hospital grade version, that would be my first suggestion. Also try warm compresses while you're pumping.

My favorite resource for bf help is kellymom.com She may have more insight. GL

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I went through the same thing when my baby was in the NICU and I had to pump. I used very warm, wet hand towels which I laid across both breasts for 15 min or so, then pumped. It works! Then you must pump at a minimum of every 2 hours to prevent it from recurring. Very time consuming but worth it. I'm not sure a warm shower would have the same affect. Give it a try and good luck!!

Eek! I don't miss that! It could be that your body isn't able to relax like it can while nursing. I used to have to read while pumping. Even if I was having a casual conversation with my husband it would distract me and the progress was over. Also, I would recommend getting a hands free pumping bra. They're really quite inexpensive and free up your hands which, in turn, aids in relaxing further. Definitely keep up with the massaging (though not enjoyable) and take hot showers/put heating pads on your breasts and just keep with it. It may take a while, but it will work. Once you are able to relax a bit more it makes all the difference. Good luck!

Sounds like you may have clogged milk ducts. You can get them even when exclusively breast feeding, so it may or may not be coincidental. Talk to your obgyn. I remember that putting warm washcloths over them and massaging them religiously worked, but it may be more difficult with several. I also felt like I was full of marbles when my milk supply first came in and my daughter couldn't keep up. Pumping is not as efficient as nursing, so pumping exclusively will probably naturally reduce your milk supply and alleviate some of the problem if this is the case. Just wondering why you can't nurse your daughter in the hospital, as it could be the best thing for your daughter's health and recovery if she can nurse.

You may have developed mestitis(sp?). It is very painful. You may need to get checked out. If I remember correctly, you may need treatment.

ok, before you go to extreme measures, try this, it always worked for me... go get the advent isis hand pump. its probably about $40. there is definitely a bit of a learning curve, and you do have a bit of a time situation, so go get started so you can learn how to do it. once you think you have it, you can pump first with your electric, i hope its a good one, if youre really full... then bring the isis into the shower, run the hot (comfortable hot) water on your boobs one at a time while you massage inward with one hand and pump at the same time with the other hand. if you can see the milk coming out of the ducts, you can even tell when each one is empty, just keep the handle down (not too hard! - please dont hurt yourself) when you have a good flow, and do this a few times till that duct is empty. then just turn the funnel of the pump on your boob, like as if your boob was a clock and you were turning it one or 2 hours later. repeat. it will take a little practice, but it always worked for me. and you should go now, mastitis is really awful, my friend got it a few times. best of luck to you, drink lots of water, you will def get through this. and congrats too :)

I'd definitely suggesting pumping both sides at the same time; pumps aren't as efficient at extracting milk as your baby is. Also, that may just be the natural progression of your milk coming in, completely. If your baby is only a couple weeks old, it's entirely possible your milk is still adjusting to your baby's suckle and her food needs. I was surprised, with #3 (after 45+ months of nursing) to find how long it took my milk to adjust to her needs, and how tender I was even until like 6 weeks postpartum. My breasts were achy, so it may not necessarily be due 100% to the switch to the pump. When my milk first came in with my first, my breasts were literally purple, hot to the touch, and LOOKED like someone had dumped marbles into my breasts! I couldn't handle touching them myself, so I had my husband work to extract a little milk before I pumped and before I fed. It was awkward, not at all sexual, but it helped a TON! It took a lot of the pressure and pain off the top, and I could let down for the pump and for my baby. Before that, it was just like it was all blocked up in there. Good luck; wishing your baby a speedy recovery!

Updated

I'd definitely suggesting pumping both sides at the same time; pumps aren't as efficient at extracting milk as your baby is. Also, that may just be the natural progression of your milk coming in, completely. If your baby is only a couple weeks old, it's entirely possible your milk is still adjusting to your baby's suckle and her food needs. I was surprised, with #3 (after 45+ months of nursing) to find how long it took my milk to adjust to her needs, and how tender I was even until like 6 weeks postpartum. My breasts were achy, so it may not necessarily be due 100% to the switch to the pump. When my milk first came in with my first, my breasts were literally purple, hot to the touch, and LOOKED like someone had dumped marbles into my breasts! I couldn't handle touching them myself, so I had my husband work to extract a little milk before I pumped and before I fed. It was awkward, not at all sexual, but it helped a TON! It took a lot of the pressure and pain off the top, and I could let down for the pump and for my baby. Before that, it was just like it was all blocked up in there. Good luck; wishing your baby a speedy recovery!

Have you tried taking a hot shower before pumping? I generally take a washcloth , wet it in hot running water and massage with that over the sink. The clogged duct usually relase for M. once I do hot massage this way and then pump or breastfeed. Maybe you need to do this few times.
Also try inserting cabbage leaves in your bra , somehow they help with engorgement.
Another thing my doc had mentioned was while pumping, turn the pump in different directions , so that it actually hits the clogged duct and drains it.

sounds like clogged ducts. my lactation consultant told me to take this herbal supplement 3 times a day: Lecithin.

Before you pump, take a shower and have the warm water spray directly on your breasts. Or put a warm pack on them right before you pump. Pump both sides at the same time every three hours.

Maybe don't pump until empty every time? then you wouldnt make quite as much milk so wouldnt get so engorged?

see if you can get a lactation consultant through the hospital to help you out.

hang in there mama.