Paloma Faith puts cabbages on her nipples as she reveals breastfeeding agony three days after giving birth
PALOMA Faith has revealed her boobs are in agony three days after giving birth to her daughter.
The popstar is in extreme pain after being diagnosed with acute engorgement - a condition that makes the breasts feel heavy, hard and sensitive.
She explained that she has "too much milk and the baby isn’t big or strong enough to drain it".
Paloma opted for home remedies to help ease the discomfort and is placing cold cabbage leaves over her swollen breasts.
This is a common remedy that helps to reduce the symptoms due to the vegetable's anti-inflammatory properties.
The singer, 39, welcomed her second baby with partner Leyman Lahcine on Sunday.
The star told her fans that her "boobs are rock hard" and that she was feeling "swollen and exhausted".
The Upside Down singer shared a snap of her breasts with the cabbage leaves under her bra.
Alongside the photo, she wrote: "Post partum diary Day 3 and my milk has come in..... I’ve been diagnosed with acute engorgement. This means I have too much milk and the baby isn’t big or strong enough to drain it and get it out. It’s painful.
"The boobs are rock hard. I’m trying massage while feeding, it hurts so much like a deep tissue massage and not much is helping.
What is acute engorgement?
- Acute engorgement is when your breasts get too full of milk. They may feel hard, tight, painful and warm.
- Engorgement can happen in the early days when you and your baby are still getting used to breastfeeding.
- It can take a few days for your milk supply to match your baby's needs.
- Engorgement can also happen when your baby is older and not feeding so frequently, perhaps when they start having solid foods.
You may find it helps to:
- Express a little breast milk by hand.
- Wear a well-fitting breastfeeding bra that doesn't restrict your breasts.
- Put warm flannels on your breasts just before hand expressing if they're leaking.
- Apply chilled cabbage leaves to your breasts after feeding or expressing to reduce the pain and swelling.
- Take some paracetamol or ibuprofen at the recommended dose to ease the pain (these are safe to take while you're breastfeeding).
"Hot showers/massage/hand expressing and poor baby is really over it with the exhausting hard work she needs to do to get the milk out of all those swollen blocked ducts. I’ve been told it should settle.
"Let’s hope I don’t end up in a and e with it before that! This is some next level pain! Mum life is REALLLLLLL."
Paloma welcomed her adorable daughter via c-section on Sunday evening, she revealed the happy news alongside two pictures; one of her lying in the operating theatre and the other of her newborn's feet.
She wrote alongside the sweet snaps: "Pregnancy diary: Well I’m not pregnant anymore!
"I had a planned c section yesterday I’m in a lot of pain and didn’t sleep last night but it’s worth it to see and meet the new little cherub I have infront of me.
"It’s been about 30 hours and already I’m Exhausted, sore and my nipples are on fire with a baby piranha that wants to kill me on them every few hours but I am of course elated!"
She continued in her tweets: "This baby couldn’t be more loved or wanted if she tried (yes I have two gals).
"I’m now going through the constant worry of bottle vs breast, last time I breast fed exclusively and I think it was too hard!
"I don’t know if I wana put myself through that this time..... but I’m trying anyway. And my nipples are on fire. Lost a litre of blood and I’m in so much pain despite the pain killers. The joys!"
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Paloma revealed she was pregnant with her second child back in September after six rounds of IVF with her partner Leyman.
The couple already have a three-year-old daughter together.