Engorgment - My New Experience of Breastfeeding

by Sandy
(Meridian, MS, US)

I was a new mom.

This was my first son, and he was so beautiful. I knew all along I wanted to nurse. I was scared at first, be he was artful at latching on, and I was so thankful for that.

Of course, I worried at first whether he was getting enough milk. After he started getting loaded up diapers, I knew he was getting plenty. Well, the first few days before leaving the hospital, everything was going just fine. We left to go home and settled in. I'd sit around the house and nurse on demand. It actually wasn't that bad.

I thought it was a breeze.

Then, one night as I was entering the shower I felt so heavy. I knew this wasn't normal. I went over to the mirror and I almost fell out. I had never seen myself in this form before!

I felt like milk cow! I didn't realize the milk had not yet "let down" as they say. I was so engorged. It was very uncomfortable. I thought I would explode in a few minutes if they didn't stop swelling.

They were warm to the touch and you could tell they were at capacity. I panicked. I immediately phone my doctor who probably chuckled to himself under his breath, "Another new mom...” I asked him was this normal? He instructed me to go on and take a nice hot shower and this should help release some of the pressure from the milk. Then he told me to let the baby nurse as often as possible.

Well, I believe I overfed my son, because he seemed to be eating every two minutes! I was determined to get some relief. Fortunately, after a few hours of nursing and being patient, the excess milk pressure reduced. I finally felt somewhat normal again.

This was a totally frightening experience because no one had told me that this would happen so quickly and so dramatically! Now I tell new mothers about what to expect while nursing. I sure don't want anyone to be shocked about your body's changes like I was.

I thought I would be in a triple D forever!

Thank goodness our bodies are made to adjust!