My newborn son is 17 days old. I took him to the MD today due to inconsolable crying last night (from 11 PM to 5 AM). He has hard, engorged breast buds from the hormones in my breast milk. The MD thinks that this contributed to his crying. I asked if I should stop breastfeeding and put him on formula instead. He didn't think it was necessary. Have any other Moms had this problem and did it cause you to stop breastfeeding (knowing that it was due to your hormones)?
Yes. My daughter Had trouble with hormones. Her pediatrician said the hormones were from birth and womb and it would be better in 3 weeks. It was more like 4 and a half if I remember correctly.
It has less to do with your breastmilk and more with the hormones they were exposed to in utero and during birth as well as their own hormonal system kicking in. After birth when they are no longer exposed to the mother's estrogen, the falling estrogen levels stimulate pituitary activity. The pituitary releases prolactin, the same hormone that helps you produce milk, which results in the swelling on the baby's breast and occasionally you will even see some milk.
So.... this has nothing (or very little) to do with the hormones in your milk and is a normal physiological response that can also be observed in formula fed babies. It should not keep you from breastfeeding and usually resolves by itself within a few weeks.
Btw, you should not attempt to squeeze his breast to somehow relieve the pain... it can result in trauma and infection...best to leave it alone and just wait it out.
ALL the stuff from your hormones aren't from breast feeding, in fact, a large majority of it comes from when he was in your belly. I have had a newborn with linea nigra, a newborn get pimples, a newborn get enlarged breasts, vaginal discharge, and more symptoms... from me. It ALL goes away is NEVER a reason to stop breast feeding. It is totally normal. Just swaddle him, feed him, love him. The stage will most certainly pass and stopping breastfeeding is not going to make the symptoms go away faster, so continue to breastfeed.
My son's looked like you describe, but they didn't seem to hurt him.
Either way, it should resolve itself. no need to stop nursing because of this... Honestly, I hate to disagree with a doctor, but I'm pretty sure this is from the surge of estrogen at the end of pregnancy/delivery and his body adjusting to being without that. (Little girls can also have vaginal bleeding and discharge as newborns for the same reason).
If they are red and tender though, take him back to the doctor because it could be an infection.
HTH
T.
Found this on a site: It's called "breast enlargment"
Mom's hormones can also cause enlargement of her newborn's breasts. This is true even if the newborn is a boy. It is perfectly normal and will gradually go away after a few months. The only time you need to worry about newborn breast swelling is if a breast is red and tender. A swollen, red, tender breast in an irritable. feverish newborn is a sign of a serious infection and needs urgent medical attention.
My son had that at about the same age. I continued nursing and it passed very quickly.
I agree with Mommy B, many of my newborns had issues due to my hormones. I am under the impression that it was from pregnancy, and it does wear out of their system.
This happened to my daughter and I didn't stop breastfeeding, her doctor didn't suggest it either, she nursed until she was 13.5 months.
I wonder if a heating pad may help the little guy out for pain...on low of course....it always helps me with pain...and maybe good for soothing.
