Breast Discomfort in Bottle-Feeding Mothers

• Your breasts will make milk for several days even though you chose not to breastfeed. Breastmilk comes in on day 2 or 3 and swollen breasts can be painful for a few days. Here is what to do:
  • Ibuprofen. Take 400 mg of ibuprofen 3 times per day to reduce pain and swelling.There's no special prescription medicine for this.
  • Ice. Apply a cold pack or ice bag wrapped in a wet cloth to your breasts for 20 minutes as often as needed. This will reduce milk production. Do not apply heat because it will increase milk production.
  • Pumping. For moderate pain, hand express or pump off a little breastmilk to reduce your pain. While pumping breastmilk can increase milk production, doing this to take the edge off your discomfort is not detrimental.
  • Bra. Wear a supportive bra (e.g., sports bra) 24 hours a day.
  • Binding. Binding the breasts by wearing a tight bra or elastic wrap is no longer recommended. It can increase the risk of breast infections (mastitis).