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Breastfeeding during this formula shortage has been a blessing for my daughter and I, but it hasn’t always been a walk in the park. Early into my breastfeeding journey, I faced a lot of obstacles. I became severely engorged and could neither pump nor nurse because I was in so much pain. My breasts had become hard, and my nipple had flattened due to the amount of pressure caused by the excess milk. I remember crying trying to express the smallest amount of milk. It took some trial and error, but I did eventually find ways to fight off the engorgement which I’m hoping will also help others.
Taking a hot shower. Allowing the warm water to hit my breasts did wonders. Between the heat and the massaging pressure from the water, I was able to break up the milk.
Using a warm compress. A simple warm rag can do wonders for engorgement. Just lay it over your breast before pumping/nursing to help get the milk flowing. You can also find warmers designed for the breast. I’d slip these into my nursing bra while pumping or before a nursing session.
Hand expressing. I don’t know why this is so taboo. Any time I spoke to a lactation specialist, they’d almost whisper this suggestion into the phone. This was the only way I could get milk out of my breasts when battling severe engorgement. Suction from a pump or even nursing was just too painful. Definitely hand express in the shower and while doing your warm compresses.
Lactation massager. This looks like something else when you take it out of the packaging, but boy does it work! I use this massager because it also has a warming feature to really help express that milk.
The magical Haakaa. This $13 beauty helps so much. Attach it to the breast while hand expressing to save your precious milk. If you’re only struggling with engorgement on one side, attach it to that breast while you nurse/pump on the other. This was an absolute life saver. I don’t know if I could’ve made it through my engorgement phases without it!
Bottom line: engorgement is uncomfortable and can definitely become painful. Try to avoid it by pumping/nursing regularly and using these methods the moment you feel a tightness in your breast to prevent it from worsening. Happy nursing/pumping!
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