Excessive or habitual pumping can lead to overproduction of milk and prolonged engorgement. While the baby's nursing, gently massage the breast he's on. This encourages milk to flow and will help relieve some of the tightness and discomfort. To soothe the pain and help relieve swelling, apply cold packs to the breast for a short period after nursing. Crushed ice in a plastic bag works well.
Some women find relief by applying fresh green cabbage leaves to their breasts.
Strip the main vein from two larger, outer leaves and cut a hole in each one for your nipple. Rinse and dry them before laying them on your breasts. Don't apply direct heat, such as warm washcloths, heating pads, or hot water bottles, to your engorged breasts unless it's to soften the areola and help your milk let-down. Rather than alleviate the pain, this may aggravate the condition. Fortunately, engorgement passes pretty quickly.