To many mothers who are struggling to build up a milk supply, having too much sounds like a dream. But those who experience oversupply will tell you it causes just as many frustrations & difficulties as not having enough !
So those of you who have experienced this - how did you feel when you were struggling to deal with it. What tips would you have for other moms experiencing this problem?
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Thanks Christine for making this a separate topic on its own. I was hoping other moms who are having the same problem would write in..!
I took this from KellyMom:
Does your baby do any of these things?
* Gag, choke, strangle, gulp, gasp, cough while nursing as though the milk is coming too fast
* Pull off the breast often while nursing
* Clamp down on the nipple at let-down to slow the flow of milk
* Make a clicking sound when nursing
* Spit up very often and/or tend to be very gassy
* Periodically refuse to nurse
* Dislike comfort nursing in general
It is a yes to all of them! And when he does want to comfort nurse and does not get it - he throws a fit and rejects my breast.
I sometimes feel really bad as I am the only place my son can get his daily food. I feel that breastfeeding is a stressful time for both me and him. I can literally imagine myself as if going into battlefield whenever it is time for him to feed. Not to mention that feeding discreetly is something I can only dream of as he makes loads of noises and he needs to come off the breast very frequently. I have tried all remedies (Except taking sage tea..) and even had a bad case of blocked ducts and all the symptoms that came with it! I would breastfeed him more often so that the milk does not accumulate too much, lie down when breastfeeding him (this is quite a challenge, really and very uncomfortable.. for me and for him), there was once I expressed a scheduled feed so that I could feed him through a bottle which he took but he wouldn't feed from my breast after! A letdown is almost painful and occurs in both breasts at the same time - and when that happens my son will either chomp down on my nipple or totally let go of the nipple sometimes taking my nipple with him and that hurts! Milk will spray everywhere especially when I am not quick enough to cover up with a towel to catch the milk. I have read that we should only let baby feed from one breast for at least 2 feedings so that hte other doesnt make more - but the breast he's feeding from ends up increasing in production! The list goes on and on...
He is now 2 weeks short of 4 months, and I still have this problem of oversupply and an overactive let down. There was a couple of days about 3 weeks ago when my son decided to not feed much (i.e. only 2-3 times in the daytime) and that helped slow down the milk a bit..
This is not a complaint, but this is just to share with other moms that oversupply CAN be a major problem! As much as I sympathise with moms who have an undersupply of milk, having an oversupply is really, really no fun either.. it's on the other extreme..
All said and done, I am grateful to still be able to breastfeed my son albeit these challenges..
Recently my baby started to hv almost all the symptoms mentioned by rayhana when he was 4 weeks old.
My baby would cry in the middle of feed, choke, gulp and ended up with a lot of gas in his tummy. then he would unlatch frequently and cry, feel uncomfortable with the gas and cry even more. and yes, he would make all these funny noises like rayhana said! it sometimes take me 1-1.5 hours to feed him. it was a struggle for both of us when it comes to feeding time and i became so tense and worried each time. i didnt know why he was crying and everyone around me thought i dont hv enough milk for him!
after seeing Christine last week and figured out my fast flow issue, i've learned a few new nursing positions which seem to slowly help. letting him sit up straight while feeding, and i'll lean back more so the flow is against gravity, and even nursing him while he lie on his tummy against mine. even then he would choke and gulp. but it's been a week now and i think he's also starting to get more used to the fast flow and perhaps the flow is starting to slow down a little. now he would still pull out frequently but will resume without crying as much. i have to bulp him more frequently and rub his tummy to get the gas out. it would take forever to get him to burp! so it still takes me about an hour or more to feed him.
i have a few challenges i'm still facing:
i) feeding from one breast
i'm feeding him from one breast at each feed to slow down the supply. but in the last few days it seems like he still wanna take from the other breast after the first one but only for less than 5 minutes. am wondering how long should i breastfeed him from one breast? would my supply drop so much that it wont be enough for him?
2) taking the bottle
i'm trying to re-introduce him to bottle as i will be going back to work soon in 3 weeks. he was bottle fed (expressed milk) by the confinement lady in his first month during the night feeds (3 feeds). but since then, he has been fed on the breast for 3 weeks now. now he refuse to take the bottle. he would try to suckle really fast and would choke and gasp like he would on my breast and after 1/2 oz he would unlatch and cry. am not sure if he refuse the bottle or it's the flow problem again. does anyone have similar experience?
iii) burping the baby
my baby takes very long to burp especially during the night feeds. sometimes he doesnt burp even after 20 mins but he would be very uncomfortable when i put him down to sleep. i would lay him on his side to sleep at nite or on his tummy (during the day) so he wont be as uncomfortble. does anyone have any suggestions?
Esther
Hi Esther,
Gosh, I didn't come back to this post until now!
Do not fret however, as when your little one hits about 4/5 months, your flow will normalise... that's what I've read so far in forums for moms who have OALD (overactive letdown)!
Your baby should be getting enough on one breast, however if he is not, he will want more.. so just offer the other breast. From my experience, I never timed my son. I just let him suck till his heart's content. But of course in the initial months it was stressful! I did use a towel to absorb the milk from let down and then only relatch him which helped a bit.
As we have/had OALD, breastfeeding on one breast is usually sufficient as OALD-'sufferers' have lots of milk! The reason you let your little one feed from one breast is so that the other breast does not make more than your little one needs.. it's like 'tricking' it into making less, if that makes sense, as breastfeeding is all about demand and supply..
After a couple of feeds or so on one breast, then proceed to feed on the next. Or you could feed alternately for alternate feeds.
Better still, if you have an overabundance of milk, then just express it and freeze it since you will be going back to work. I have read somewhere, and have also been told that it's best to start expressing and freezing at least 2 weeks before you are due back at work so that there will be enough supply for your little one.
About the bottle feeding, is it you feeding him or someone else? If you are bottle feeding him, perhaps you could get someone else to do it and see if it works? Sometimes babies are smart and wants mummy's breast if she's around! Sometimes, it also helps that you are not in the same room...
As with burping.. I read in a pregnancy/birth book that the key to 'successful' burping is to make sure that there is pressure on the tummy, and firm strokes down the back to get the air out...
Hope that helps...
Hi, I just found this useful blog and felt just want to join in the chat. I'm having my fourth baby for about one months plus now. I am not very sure 'bout OALD, but from my past experiences, whenever I felt like having 'loads' of milk, i would just express it and freeze it so as to keep stock when I've to start to work. And I was and am grateful for it cause my baby could feed more on mine. My previous baby benefited from this for about a year means he was fed on breastmilk fully for about a year. Only that I had to find more time to manage it..
Breastfeeding does have its challenges, but it will give you the sweet memoirs for you and you baby...it sure does (definitely not the sore nipples case, though)
I too have a very fast flow of milk. my son is now 5 months old and still gulps at every feed. He often does not like to feed with me sitting up so we actually found it best with both of us lying down. He is more comfortable like that and although he still gulps a bit, he drinks without pulling off and not creating much wind. he actually falls asleep most of the time...
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