I have not been reading anything on the lactnet lately because I just did not have the time. Now I'm back, and I find a message on engorgement. Over the years I keep being surprised about the problems engorgement seems to give. To me it has been very easy for years. I found it out with my third baby 13 years ago. Engorgement is very easy to prevent. Have the baby take the breast within the first hour afther birth, and from than on whenever the baby is not in a deep sleep. The mother is the one who can keep an eye on het infant and the minute he is moving, making sounds, or it is otherwise obvious that he is no longer in a deep sleep, make the mother put her baby to the breast. This is described in literature, it is called frequent feeding, but nowhere is stated how frequent. This depends on the baby of course, but it is not unusualy that a newborn takes the breast every hour from birth onwards. This might mean the baby is drinking a little every hour the first day and will strech his feedings from than on. With frequent feedings there will be no engorgement that is worth worying about and if there is, start pumping with a good electric breastpump and pump untill the breast are 'empty'. The problem will be solved this way. If the engorgement comes back, which will not happen often, pump again. It is important to be in time with pumping. Do not let it go too far, because the pressure in the breasts will be too great and emptying will be difficult than. I have no mothers with breasts like rocks anymore, no pain or fever. I never use any compresses whatsoever, nor cabage leafs, you just have to be in time and most of the time the baby will be able to empty the breasts as it should be. No wonder I have no jaundiced baby's anymore, and 'my' baby's start growing from the start. Riordan and Auerbach make a difference between full breasts and engorgement, how right they are. All you need is a baby drinking frequently which in most cases means more that every three hours the first two or three days, or a breastpump. Give it a try and you will see there is no truth in the statement that all baby's lose weight the first days. Breastfeeding baby's can start growing from the start. Siemian Berghuijs, IBCLC The Netherlands