Breastfeeding help - engorgement and letdown

[countthestars]

DS is 6 weeks old. My left breast seems "normal" from what I remember with DD - starts to feel a little full after a couple of hours but never bursting or painful. My right breast is still engorged and only feels right after I pump to empty. DS eats from it but struggles from the fullness and pops off choking while I spray into a burp cloth. After he is done eating I still feel very full.

He is eating every 1.5 to 3 hours around the clock, sometimes one side and sometimes both. I have tried pumping just an ounce or so and it helps but I have to do it multiple times per day to relieve the fullness. Should I stop that? Cold compresses? Block feeding (but then won't my left breast get too full?)

I feel like a rookie.

[AmyRI]

Definitely stop pumping. Do whatever feels good when you're in pain - cold compresses, motrin, etc. It sounds like supply on the left is regulated, but on the right is still too high - I would give it a few days of no pumping to see if that helps. If it doesn't, start doing 2 feeds on the left then 1 feed on the right. Righty will be very painful for a few days, but it should help get the message across to make less milk and then the engorgement should decrease.

If you're feeding on the left and then offer the right, skip the right side on the next feeding. The goal is to get long stretches of unused time on the right to decrease supply.

[longtimenopost]

I would go down to one boob per feed. Definitely have a burp cloth or pads ready to catch leakage from the other side until your supply regulates. Also be prepared for some green stool as baby may get mostly foremilk for a day or so while you fight the engorgement.

[ladygrey]

We are boob twins countthestars! I've always referred to my right side as the "superboob" - always feels fuller, only drains fully from the pump and not the baby, etc. The other morning I pumped 8oz out of that side in just one sitting, which sounds like a bragplaint, but is so uncomfortable.

I don't have much advice, but wanted to commiserate, and will definitely be trying some of the tricks posted here.