having a hard time...

Fair warning this is long but I really need help...

So today I noticed that my milk is coming in and it seems like its coming in full force. My breasts are starting to get hard and hurt.. and it happened within a hr. I felt fine then it was like bam my bra was uncomfortable and my breasts were tender and leaking alot. My son cluster fed like crazy yesterday and then today didn't want anything to do with me. Would eat small amounts here and there and would get annoyed when id offer and try to get him to eat every 2-3 hrs like the hospital suggested.

Finally about 3 hrs ago he wanted to eat... and boy did he eat. He ate off my right(which is the one that is the most uncomfortable) for 40 minutes and gave my breast the relief it needed(not like it lasted long tho...) and then within a hr he wanted the left and ate off that for 30 minutes and is now sleeping like a rock...

Now my problems get worse... so not only am I having troubles getting used to all this breast change but to top it off the cramping that I usually get after feeding feels like its been multiplied by 10! Its brought me to tears a couple times since he ate. The hospital gave me Motrin but truthfully its not helping this time around. What else can I do to ease the pain?? I'm a FTM and this is all still so strange to me. My little guy is only 3 days old so I'm still VERY new to this.

The cramps are normal when you first start to breast feed. I had the same problem when i tried with my last baby. Cramps were horrible and hurt so darn bad.

It makes your uterus contract a lot and makes it go back to normal size. In the long run you end up losing weight by doing it and helps your little one as well!  

It can last up to a week or so with the cramps.

Quoting Sami Nunez:" Fair warning this is long but I really need help... So today I noticed that my milk is coming in and ... [snip!] ... the pain?? I'm a FTM and this is all still so strange to me. My little guy is only 3 days old so I'm still VERY new to this."

Let me tell you something, those first few days are excruciating when your milk comes in. I was in SO much pain... In fact, my breasts hurt way more than my vagina did and I ripped but didn't take pain pills even, lol. Just remember IT GETS BETTER! Every day should be a bit easier than the last.

you're probably just engorged, you could hand express or pump some out to relief the pressure, or take a warm shower, but the warm shower is going to stimulate the glands too... best bet would be to pump some milk and freeze it to relieve some of the pressure

This is going to sound crazy but a midwife told me to take a cold cabbage leaf and stick down your bra. It is suppose to ease the pain.

Oh man I'm sorry that your having a hard time. I was sent home with a Rx for percoset that last over a week, so that was all I really needed.

Try taking a hot shower to help your boobs, and maybe use a heating pad for the cramps.

Quoting K2mom:" This is going to sound crazy but a midwife told me to take a cold cabbage leaf and stick down your bra. It is suppose to ease the pain."

i've heard that cabbage leaves are what you use to dry up.... but i could be wrong

I pumped... A LOT! When I didn't have my pump, I used my hands to express it. It worked wonders.   Also, if you get lumps in your breasts, massage them while pumping. Hot showers/compresses also helped me. Good luck, and know that it does get better!

For the cramps I would recomend a heating pad just like for period cramps. That is what I did and it helped a bit.

Quoting K2mom:" This is going to sound crazy but a midwife told me to take a cold cabbage leaf and stick down your bra. It is suppose to ease the pain."

Ha.. I did this...worked like a charm. 

These first breastfeeding days will be the hardest with the cramping, and the baby is literally going to be attached to your boob almost constantly, which is good - it helps you get a milk supply in. The more you feed, the more your milk will come in and the more relief you are going to get and the faster your milk supply/baby will 'even out' and will be more comfortable. The cramps are your uterus contracting, which is normal. I'd try maybe a shower/bath for the cramps and the boobhurt.