Engorgement, You, and What to Do

You get home with your baby, everything is going really well. Your baby is latching, and nursing, and happy. And then it happens.

You look like the star of Buxom Beauties 4. Where exactly are the triplets you are supposed to be feeding!? Milk is everywhere. Your baby is sputtering and choking if they are able to latch at all. It is possible that your nipples may sort of disappear into the mass that is your breast tissues, and for the baby, this is a bit like trying to fit a bowling ball into their mouth.

What I am describing is called “engorgement” and though it is common in the early days of lactation. Usually starting the day you get home or the day after. You know, when all your hospital help disappears. Latching a baby on an engorged breast can be difficult, painful, and complicated, so it is a good idea to soften that breast with hand expression or pumping first.

It may beĀ  It is possible that you may not even be able to pump to relieve some of that pressure because of all the fluid compressing your milk ducts. If this happens, contact your IBCLC for help, the milk must be removed from the breast to avoid clogged ducts, mastitis and drying up.

For most women, this feeling of being constantly over full is over in a few days/weeks. However, sometimes supply doesn’t really ever regulate downwards. In this case, you may have an oversupply.