EBF mommas with oversupply

ekscopp

So I have been battling an issue with too much milk since about day 5 when my milk came in. I have been working with lactation specialists to help with that and other breastfeeding issues but would love to hear how some of you other mommas are dealing with it. I know it's better than not having enough, but it comes with its own set of problems. For example, plugged ducts, being engorged for 3 days straight - what I just went through trying to get my body to regulate production, which obviously failed - LO choking at the breast, and what seems like endless amounts of spit up. I just feel bad bc LO can't comfort nurse and never falls asleep while nursing. I am currently back on the Sudafed and no more milk tea regime that I feel only helps for a few days then I have to start again. I am just nervous bc I go back to work in another 6 weeks and I don't know if I will be able to pump as much as I need to to be comfortable with how it is now. Any advice or tips of how you deal with these problems would be awesome! 

bkeep22

I'm in the same boat as you. One thing I do to help prevent LO from choking is pumping some beforehand if he isn't too unhappy yet, or if I know it's getting close to feeding time. 

ekscopp

I try my best not to bc that only makes more milk come in, but I had to before bc my boob was so hard even hand expressing wasn't making it soft enough for her to latch. 

dobes1020

LLL has a great article on oversupply and block feeding, which helped me even out my crazy supply. 

kaym6

I too struggle with this! How old is your baby? 

ekscopp

@kaym6 she will be 10 weeks on Monday. I even lost 2L of blood last week after complications from my d&c and the crazy amounts of milk were back in 3 days. Ugh

kmo8986

I did at the beginning and regulated it by feeding one breast per feeding.  If baby wants to eat within 2 hours offer the same breast again.  After 2 hours the other breast.  I did this for a few days and then was able to return to nursing both breasts each feeding.  If I was too engorged I put cool compresses on or expressed a small amount from the non-feeding breast.  Good luck!

kaym6

So sorry you're dealing with that, I hope recovery from your D&C is going well. I also did block feeding. My baby doesn't usually choke anymore but still will if I get overly engorged like in the morning. I tried laid back nursing, side lying position and didn't find either of the two to be overly helpful unfortunately though some people swear by laid back nursing if you haven't tried that! More times than not I would have to pump for a few minutes beforehand to relieve some. What helped me the most to help my baby not choke was to really pay attention to his swallowing and body language and try to pull him off the breast before he started choking to give him a break. He would get wide eyes and start gulping and I would take him off and allow some of the milk to go into a clean burp cloth or receiving blanket. I would do this over and over again until he could nurse comfortably. It sometimes took 5-10 times a nursing session which was so incredibly frustrating. Yes he would cry whenever I took him off but it was far less than when he was choking with milk coming out of his nose. Dealing with an oversupply for me personally was so hard and I am sure it sounds like a blessing to those who don't have enough and in its own way maybe it is but I think I cried more and was more frustrated trying to nurse with and oversupply and overactive letdown than I was during the very hard early days of breastfeeding. 

Sorry this turned into such a long post, I truly hope it gets better for you! I feel like my baby improves at dealing with it has he gets bigger he's almost 13 weeks. Hang in there! 

ekscopp

@kaym6 I am slowly getting better, but then of course LO has a cold so not too much rest for this momma! I pretty much always do laid back nursing and always do side lying at night. It helps a little with the choking. I can completely relate to the end of your response, it is beyond frustrating. The only thing I worry about with block feeding is plugged ducts and ignoring my lower producing side. I swear my right breast alone could feed triplets! I have tried only hand expressing that side a small amount to be comfortable and just feeding on my left for a few feeds, I guess kinda block feeding in a way, but didn't find it helped much it is so frustrating bc I don't feel comfortable feeding her anywhere but my house bc of the position I have to be in and all the puking with the burping. I'm hoping it will get better soon. 

Ameehan81592

Ugh tell me how you get to have the best hat much milk. I feel like I'm not under supplied but I could send use more. I can never pump and store because my breast become empty. Sorry I know it's also a struggle to be completely engorged because I've been there into and that's just as awful. But did you guys do anything to help build supply. I've done pumping and cookies but it didn't increase to the point where I can't pump and feed. It's frustrating cuz I need to leave LO with my mom tomorrow to visit a sick family member and I'm struggling to get enough for her to get at least 3 feedings tomorrow. And she's probably going to have to supplement wiTh formula

bkeep22

I know it's kind of a contradiction, but I haven't been able to get control of my supply, and he's 13 weeks now. So, I just try to make it easier for him...I feel bad when he starts choking and then let's go and then he gets sprayed all over his face  as a PP said, you can try alternating sides too. That helped me some..

Cricket99

I had a really big over supply when my milk first came in. I'm talking massive stretch marks on my boobs from the milk coming in so fast and so much (on day 2 none the less). I always only fed on one side per feeding and my LO has been growing like a weed and never seems hungry after just one side. I had a lot of problems within engorgement and plugged ducts at first, but it has been slowly regulating. If one of my breasts gets too uncomfortably full or I feel like I may get a plugged duct I pump 2 ounces off of it to relieve the pressure. I also play the "which side is fuller" game and will feed him twice in one side of necessary. I have one side that tends to be more productive so skipping a feeding on the other side doesn't make too much of a difference any more. It seems to finally be regulating though at 12 weeks. I hope it gets better for you mamas!

kaym6

@Cricket99 mine are also covered in huge stretch marks from when my milk came in! I got away with only a few ok my hips during pregnancy but my milk came in was a whole other story!! Haha now I prob have the only B cup in the world covered in stretch marks 

Cricket99

@kaym6 I only have stretch marks on my boobs! Not a single one through the whole pregnancy and boom! Two days later all the stretch marks. *smh*

SDaniels19

I'm going to start taking sunflower lecithin to help with plugged ducts. LO has only been wanting one side at some feedings, especially MOTN, and despite expressing afterwards I've gotten plugs last week and today that were really painful. Hoping it helps! 

fishee333

I've got stretch marks on my boobs too!

@SDaniels19 I take lecithin and it has been amazing at decreasing plugged ducts

katiedid0907

I have oversupply/OALD too. DS is 11 weeks today and nurses for maybe 5 to 10 minutes at a time every 2 hours-ish...even at night. I've wondered if his frequent wakings at night are related to him eating a lot and filling up very quickly and therefore needed to eat more frequently. So I guess my question is for those of you with this issue how are your babies sleeping?

chillmama1518

katiedid0907 said:

I have oversupply/OALD too. DS is 11 weeks today and nurses for maybe 5 to 10 minutes at a time every 2 hours-ish...even at night. I've wondered if his frequent wakings at night are related to him eating a lot and filling up very quickly and therefore needed to eat more frequently. So I guess my question is for those of you with this issue how are your babies sleeping?

My guy is 14 weeks old and we've struggled with oversupply and OALD since the beginning. He still eats every 2 hours during the day for 5-10 min (avg 7 min) but at about 10 weeks he started only getting up once at night (830 or 9 bedtime, up at 330 for quick feed, sleep til 7). As of the last week he's now skipped that 330 and slept through the night 4 times out of last 9 days. Surprisingly I didn't wake up engorged at all. I think my oversupply is FINALLY settling out but also I used to pump every morning and now I only do about 3 times per week when the side he doesn't feed on in the morning feels way too full. 

ekscopp

@katiedid0907 the problem could be that the baby is getting a lot of foremilk and not enough hindmilk.  The hindmilk has all the fat that holds baby over for a longer period. What my lactation consultants recommended was doing a breast 'milk shake' before feeds and that has helped us. I just massage and kinda knead my breast gently before she eats on that side to kind of mix the milk around. I have found it helps. Also decreasing your supply with allow your LO to get to more of the hindmilk snd sleep longer. 

katiedid0907

@babyA4242 thank you that gives me hope!
@ekscopp oh my gosh that makes so much sense! I can't believe I hadn't heard of that before. I have tried block feeding and that helped regulate my supply a little, but since I am going back to work next week I am hesitant to do anything to decrease my supply right now. I will definitely try the "milkshake" though. Thanks!

Mamabeagle

@Ameehan81592 not every woman can pump a ton, but when I wanted to get my supply up I pumped every two hours for two days. I then got engorged but kept the decent supply. Another option is to pump after every feeding or some feedings, telling your body to produce more. Again after a few days this should help. I'm at the point where I pump 4 times a day when my boobs are hard and get a bit more than I need for the day ( I almost EP).