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Home › Articles › Breastfeeding Basics › Too Much Milk

Too Much Milk

How to Avoid Engorgement

By Melissa Clark Vickers, IBCLC

Pages:  1  2  3  

Sometimes, even with hot compresses, there is so much tissue swelling that the milk still won't flow. If this happens, try using a cold compress for 10 minutes or so and then wait 20 minutes or so and try the heat again. A warm shower feels good on a full breast as well.

If the areola is so tight that Baby can't compress it, try gently hand-expressing just enough milk to soften the areola. Your baby will be the most effective pump once she can latch on correctly. It is OK to use a breast pump to remove some of the milk as well, but it is best to use a hospital-grade pump with intermittent suction on the lowest setting. Too much pressure on an engorged breast can actually cause tissue damage.

Engorgement is temporary and can usually be resolved fairly quickly – if not prevented in the first place! If it happens to you, get help and repeat to yourself, "This, too, shall pass!"


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Re: Too Much Milk by mary on 10/23/2008 01:14PM

I just pump the milk, and iI am trying to quit, but I get so full, and I have had mastitis three times already, so I'm scared of getting too full. How can I do it without getting infection again?

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