does the hurting ever stop??

Question

I pump my breast milk every 3 to 4 hours. But lately my boobs hurt so much after 2 hours and they fill up pretty quickly even though I pump for 30 minutes. And my let down REALLY hurts too :/ is there any way to stop it from hurting? I don't want to stop breastfeeding but I want the pain to stop... I've been breastfeeding for alittle over two months. Also when I do pump i only pump out 1 or 2 ounces so I'm not sure why it hurts so much when I don't have much in them... any suggestions?

Answer

Interestingly, I've been told and read that the amount you pump isn't necessarily indicative of how much you produce. Some women don't respond well to pumps and babies are more efficient at getting the milk out. So I'm thinking you might be producing more than what you can pump and that's why it hurts?

Answer

I still get pain sometimes with let down or when I get engorged and I've been breastfeeding for 6 months. First, I would talk to your ob about the possibility that you have thrush. It's a fungal infection that can cause sharp pain when it gets deep in the breast but you can take an oral medication to resolve the problem.
Second, do you have any hard spots on your breasts? If so, you might have clogged ducts which can prevent you from getting full drainage. For this problem, try massaging the hard spots in the direction of the nipple while baby is nursing or while you're pumping. If that doesn't work, talk to your ob. 
Third, try using a heating pad on your breasts before and possibly while pumping. I bought ones from Lansinoh that wrap around the flange. It can help with the let down and quantity. 
Fourth, does your pump have a massage mode? If so, try alternating between that and regular suction mode while pumping to better mimic the way baby nurses. I have a Spectra 2 and I start mine for 1 minute on massage then switch back to it for 1 minute after every 5 minutes of pumping. You should also try different levels of suction. 
Fifth, electronic pumps don't always work for all women. Some get a lot more from manual pumps. You can get one for about $30-$40 at Walmart.

I hope this helps!

Answer

Are you pumping on top of breastfeeding? In general the more your baby eats/you pump the more you'll produce. Pumping for 30 min is definitely going to make your body produce more. Is milk continually coming out? Because If you aren't trying to increase supply then you should stop when it's done. If you're over full but the pump only gets 1-2 oz maybe that pump isn't working well for you. Have you tried different size flanges? Or maybe try massaging your breasts and/or hand expressing before or after you pump? Are you pumping right after breastfeeding? Maybe spacing out the two activities could help?

Answer

Have you tried putting something on your nipples? I put nipple butter and they feel allot better. Now hes about to be 12 weeks and I don't really feel anything unless he sucks on my actual breast now that hurts.

does the hurting ever stop??

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