Ice Packs on my breasts?

[pinkbelle]

A lady at my work told me if I'm not going to breast feed that I should start putting ice packs on my boobs... has anyone ever heard of this and what does it do?

[ziggysgrl0724]

With my two sons I didnt breastfeed and all the hospital told me to do was wrap an ace bandage VERY tightly around my BB's and avoid letting hot water just hit them in the shower( I think)....I have never heard or tried ice or cabbage leaves but I am def. going to ask my dr. about it, because I am going to be bottlefeeding this one too.  But for me the ace bandage worked within a couple of days.

[JoyRenee]

Well the ice packs will help with engorgement and swelling and pain. But only if you do it every now and again. Packages of frozen peas work best because it sort of molds to your breast.

As for rubbing your nips raw before birth, that is not necessary and can damage your nips. Your breasts naturally produce oils to soften it up. No prep necessary. God gave you all the equipment.

[alaysha]

If you put ice packs on for like 15 minutes at a time they help to ease the soreness since they will be swollen but if you leave them on too long they dry up the milk.

[heatherlynn22]

i wonder why my doc told me to use ice packs now when i'm planning on breastfeeding....

[motherofan18month]

oh sorry misread the question....if you are not going to breast feed then ice packs will work to dry up the milk supply...in whatever you choose to do im sure you'll amke the decision that make syou happy and not everyone else......out of six kids i was the only one my mom breast fed and i was the one who had the most trouble while i was a baby some docs told her that it could have been that i couldn't digest the proteins in the brest milk and some docs didn't have a reason for my troubles, some babies really cant handle the amount of proteins in the breast milk and most of those children have ended up needing soy based formulas....so sometimes it either a win-win or a lose-lose situation........best of luck to you!

[motherofan18month]

no,no,no ice packs help dry up the milk....you are only supposed to do that if youre not gonna breast feed.......take warm baths or showers to keep the milk productive! i would have loved to breast feed but DS never would latch on so i was glad they sent me home with a bundle of formula just in case he wouldn't latch on!

[evthing4reason]

When my milk came in after i lost my baby at 19 weeks, all the Dr.'s and nurses reccommended that cabbage thing. but i opted for ice packs, i also did express a little out (we are talking just a few drops) as i was in major pain, i was gonna send dh out for cabbage the next day, but started to be able to moce without pain so opted not to, it just sound so weird.
I'm not sure if putting ice packs on now would help or not, i think you just have to deal with it after the baby comes. Breast feeding is a very personal choice, i'm not sure if i will when i fianll have a baby, but i hope you ar prepared for the people who will be very negative at you for the choice you made, i think people need to butt out and mind their own business when it comes to choice we make with our children.

[pmperez]

Ive been told by several women that have breatfed to rub your nipples with a towel or rag to tuffen them up maybe a month before you start, so they wont crack and bleed

[alaysha]

Its does the same thing as an ice pack. It stops swelling and helps to dry up your milk supply because it has some type of chemical in it. When you put the leaves on you want it to circle the boobs but don't have it go over the nipple. I can't remember who said it but someone said that it works better than ice because it helps to relieve the pain. I don't know if that is true or not. Apparently cabbage has natural healing effects that you can use it stop the swelling on anything even like a twisted ankle. Don't use cabbage if you are allergic to sulfa since it could cause you to have an allergic reaction. (or again so I heard). Also if you are trying to wean your baby it decreases the milk supply and makes the milk sour so that they won't want to drink it.

Also if you don't want to breastfeed invest in a tight sports bra. The tightness will keep your boobs from moving around with will help with some of the discomfort.

[Brown Eyed Gurl]

what does raw cabbage leaves do???

[melimeli]

if you aré NOT going to bf you put raw cabbage leaves on your boobies after birth.. I swear they even gave me some in the hospital with my last one... haha

you did say you ARE NOT going to bf right?

[alaysha]

Ice packs help with the swelling (which is going to happen about 3 days after giving birth) and it helps to dry up your milk supply. If you aren't planning to breastfeed then I don't see anything wrong with doing it (haven't heard anything harmful either) but if you are... DON'T do it since it can mess up your milk supply!

[heatherlynn22]

actually my ob told me ice packs work if you start leaking early. i started leaking at 13 weeks and it's helped slow down (not get rid of completely) the leaking so i don't loose too much of the colostrum. i haven't dried up and i'm still leaking a bit but not nearly as much as i was. he didn't say it was specifically if you're going to breastfeed just if you leak.

[MOM23ANGELS25F]

No!!! You don't want to put cold ice packs on your breasts... That will prevent milk from coming in.....My sister in law did that .. She was breastfeeding my nephew, and she put ice packs on her boobs, and her milk dried up......