Tell me about your boobs…
Okay. So, remember when I posted that AndyZ was eating every hour on the hour at night? I assumed it was a growth spurt or something. Either way – it tore up my boobs. For several days last week, I cried throughout each feeding. I even resorted to giving bottles once a night for a few days and that broke my heart. But I felt if I didn’t put more hours between feedings, I would never heal.
Well, I’ve healed a bit. I’m to the point now where the first minute hurts HORRIBLY, but then the rest of the feeding time goes fine. I’m coating my boobs with lansinoh (the miracle cream) which helps, but I don’t seem to be healing 100%.
Here’s my question: If I got a whole day without nursing in order to let my boobs heal, will it screw up my milk supply irreparably? I’m asking for 2 reasons. 1) Because my boobs hurt and I want them to get better and 2) I may have to go on a business trip that keeps me away from AndyZ for about 16 hours or so.
Also – assume I can’t pump. Because I can’t. I won’t go into the gory details as to why or how I know that – but just accept it. Pumping is not an option.
Can I give my boobs a break for a day and still nurse on a normal schedule afterwards? I would love to hear if any of you have taken a break from nursing for extended periods of time and still been able to go back. Give me your stories! My boobs need encouragement!
I can’t pretend to comment on this with any level of expertise, but for the love of god, I think they deserve a break. They are sustaining a human, aren’t they? I would hope that nature would not be such a youknowwhat as to not allow a one day break. (Hope someone who KNOWS comments.)
Hey girl… This is Jen from Nashville Marathon a few years back. I just stopped by and read this…
5 years ago I breastfed… but I think you will be fine with one day break. The body will naturally try producing more. I had a clogged duct and it still worked when it was healed.
Would I give it more than a 24 hour break, probably not. Keep using the cream and take a day off!
My experience was that a day off would hurt worse than continuing to nurse, from engorgement. But it certainly won’t kill your supply. Maybe try stuffing the kid/emptying the boobs right before you go and packing a lot of bra pads?
Your milk supply is well established so you should be fine going a long time between feedings however you will be engorged and that might just as painful as breast feeding. This is a weird thing to say but have you er tried massaging your chest in the shower? That has worked for me when my chest gets sore from bfing. It sounds horrible to even touch them at this point but under hot water it seems to magically start the healing process for me anyway… I would say make the wee tot wait as long he can between feedings even if he is giving you heck. The longer you go the more recovery time the boobs will have to get better. I hope you start feeling better QUICKLY!
I was going to say the same thing about engorgement and leaking. I went over 12 hours once and soaked my shirt (so I would take an extra one or two, plus bras) and it was killing me. At that point, pumping (with an electric pump, screw the manual ones) did work, because I just had to get rid of the excess and pain!
Hope you find an even keel soon.
I don’t think engorgement will be a problem. I have rarely (if ever) leaked even when I’ve gone 6+ hours between feedings. I just dont’ produce and excess. Now, I expect to get full and possibly a little pained, but I don’t think it will be engorgement.
BUT – I will allow all of you all to mock me mercilessly if I’m wrong.
Can’t say that I can talk from experience but i agree with Elizabeth
I recently had to wean my 4 month old because of a similar situation. I breastfed my first for a year without any problems. With my second, it went fine at first and then suddenly it was painful – I won’t go into the details (not an infection or blocked duct), but I couldn’t feed her without crying, etc. It was really bad. I couldn’t pump either because of the pain.
I was going to take a break for a few days to see if it would get better, but I didn’t heal very quickly and decided to wean her. With the sudden weaning I had engorgement after a day or so and it was very painful and exhausting. I produce very easily so I would leak too, etc.
Just do what you need to do. It was hard to give my youngest a bottle at first, but now it is no big thing. Good luck.
When I breastfed (3 years ago) if I didn’t pump or nurse, my milk decreased. When the boy started eating foods at 6 months, milk was gone by 7 months because he was interested in FOOD. Forget the boobies!
Are you keeping a leaf of cabbage in your bra? I don’t know why, but it does help with the hot feeling and soreness.
If he’s looking for MORE milk out of you (if that’s why he’s trying to drink you every hour), try drinking Mother’s Milk herbal tea.
Maybe try calling your local WIC office or a lactation specialist?
Good luck to you. Whatever you end up doing – don’t forget to take care of yourself FIRST so you can continue to take care of baby and family.
I was unable to even consider BF for medical reasons so I am baffled at the agony you all go through. I’m sure it would have been harder to give it up if I had become attached. I do have friends that can’t pump or feed during the day. They use cabbage leaves in their bras to prevent the painful engorgement and still keep up the every 2-3 hour night feedings just fine.
I ironically read this blog (and others) while pumping! Anyway, agree with all above – you are established so you will be fine. Hot compresses worked for me when I was in tears in the beginning. I would also suggest lots of extra water after the day off.
There is a “recipe” for an AWESOME cream on kellymoms.com that you need to have called in by your MD to a compounding pharmacy (not sure how common those are in Huntsville, but…) that is so AWESOME I can’t say enough how AWESOME it is. Works for any boobie type ailments, including thrush and infections, but also just general beaten-upness. Check it yourself as an alternative to the lansinoh if you need one.
As for the 24 hours, I think your supply will be fine. If you haven’t ever leaked (and lucky you, I have been known to spontaneously shoot milk across the room) you may still have discomfort from engorgement. I agree 100% with the advice of cabbage leaves in your bra, but I say make sure they are nice and cold and crisp. When they wilt, it means its time to change them out for new ones.
I haven’t a clue. I’m just here to offer sympathy.
I breasfted the big lebowski for almost 5 months and it did happen once or twice that I had to take a day off (for various reasons)…I didn’t get engorged…but I did notice that my supply suffered a *bit*…not a ton…but a little…it was fine with an extra feeding the next day and I had to kinda remain “on top of it” for a couple of days after that (like feeding on more of a schedule than on demand)…but it was seriously fine within a couple of days. You shouldn’t have a problem…not if things are going reasonably well at this point for you.
just my 1.5 cents
I’d say it totally depends on your boobs. 16 hours would have had me practically firehosing milk around with Grommet, but I had an oversupply issue. This time round with Biscuit the girls’d be full, hard and possibly a bit painful, but it wouldn’t be nearly as bad.
It would also, by the way, depend on what I ate and how much liquid I drank during those 16 hours. My supply is easily affected by such things, especially the latter. Maybe hold off on large bottles of water that day?
I nursed both of my children for over a year each, but I too produced “just enough” milk, never an overabundant supply. I pumped while at work but it was always a struggle and worry to make sure there was enough to feed my kids the next day. (I can’t think why I was so opposed to supplementing with formula!)
One day I forgot my pump at home but didn’t think it would be a problem as I didn’t produce much and my son had started solids so this wasn’t his only sustenance.
By the time I got home 8 or 9 hours later, I was in agony. I felt like my rock-hard breasts could break through a brick wall. I can’t even describe the enormous relief I felt when I dashed into the house and started to nurse – I actually cried from the relief!
You very well might not have that problem, but if your boobs start feeling tight, I would suggest going into a bathroom and trying to express some milk manually. Even a little can make you feel better.
But I wouldn’t worry about keeping up your supply. One day shouldn’t make a difference.
I have no idea what will happen. I would think that you would be OK taking a short break, but I would worry about engorgement for that long. Could you call a lactation consultant at your hospital? I also think the warm compresses/hot showers do help with the pain. Best of luck & keep us posted. I may be facing a similar problem in a few weeks!
Oh sister, I’m so sorry! But I hate to say that my supply was very regulated and very non-abundant and I would be incredibly engorged after 10 hours. Painfully engorged. Leaking all over the place engorged. But we’re all different, maybe you’ll be ok! My supply wasn’t an issue (fenugreek may help, too if your supply drops).
Ow. Engorgement stories make my boobs hurt
No experience of course, just expressing sympathy and wishing you good luck!
I know it sounds totally strange, but try putting cabbage leaves in your bra until they wilt and then replace them. I promise it will help with any pain during your day away.
I think your supply will be fine but you will huuuuuuuuuuurt and feel like exploding milk. And heaven forbid you see another baby – you might just start sprayin’. Or maybe that was just me.
I had horrific booby pain and my midwife prescribed a magical ointment called “All Purpose Nipple Ointment.” It’s the best thing ever and could probably regrow a limb if needed. Find someone that will get you some. Ten million times better than anything else I ever used. I even got refills so I could pass extra bottles out to friends.
I have zero experience as I wasn’t able to breast feed – I know that people think engorgement might be an issue, but would it be possible to just express the milk yourself somehow using massage or something?
Good luck!
Also, I have an award for you over at my blog.
My daughter-in-law nurses from just one breast at each feeding, which gives the other one twice as long to recover between feedings. I think that is genius and wish I had thought of it years ago when I was breastfeeding.
Good luck with the 16-hour break. Engorgement hurts.
Becky’s nurse on one side per feeding suggestion is great– and you can implement it now. This strategy might also help your body adjust so your 16 hour strike will be less abrupt. It might help your boobs get on board with your plan. Even so, I think you’ll be pretty likely to be engorged by 16 hours– that’s a lot more missed feedings than a 6 hour strike. Boobs don’t have their own brains, they’re such boobs!
I do know that several of my friends who breastfeed are away from their child for long periods and everything seems fine and dandy when they get back. It seems like it may be different for every person…..good luck!
Yes you can. I had to while I was nursing because I was sick. I took off two days. It helps to express milk in a warm shower. It keeps you from engorgement and keeps your body making milk. Your body should build it back up to normal after a day or two of normal nursing.
I can speak authoritatively on this subject! I would say nurse as close to empty as you can right before you leave. Then right when you get back — even if he’s sleeping, I would wake him up. Then, just to be sure your supply won’t be affected, I would plan to feed him multiple times the next 24 hours. You know on kellymom when they talk about a “nursing vacation?” It just means take the baby to bed and nurse as often as you can.
Also, the pain. If you have had pain-free nursing for months and suddenly get horrible, clench-your-fists-oh-my-god-it-hurts pain, it sounds like thrush. You can have it with no symptoms in you or the baby outside of the horrible pain. I had it twice this time around and it’s the worst pain imaginable. I used Gentian Violet (they sell it in the pharmacy at Walmart even!) twice a day for three days and it was gone. It will turn AndyZ’s lips purple, which makes for awesome photos, but it should clear it up in a few days. Worth a try.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this (as I haven’t read through all the posts) but you may have a yeast infection. I had one with both of my children and the first minute of latching on felt like a million needles sticking into my (ahem) nipples. I honestly wanted to (ahem) throw my children off of me. I was also using Lansinoh and come to find out that helped create the yeast. Warm, moist envionment. Worth talking to your doctor about.
I’ve used a car adapter with my electric pump in my van. I sit in the back where the windows are tinted.