How do I reduce the velocity of my milk flow?

[TheStorySoFar]

I'm BF my 12 wo DS & it's becoming more & more difficult. I am querying reflux, but also wondering if it's just the speed & force of my milk. How do I decrease this to see if there's any improvement in him? He's getting windier, throwing up lots & an unhappy feeder. This is all getting worse..

[Jenny70]

A couple of suggestions - you can hand express some of the milk before he's due a feed - just enough to soften the breast and make the initial "gush" less.

Or you can feed in a different position to lessen the flowrate - think of trying to make the milk go "uphill". If you're feeding in classic lap position, try using pillows and moving yourself to be leaning backwards, so baby is almost lying on top of boob, then flowrate is less and any gush of letdown is easier to dribble out than choke baby.

Also football hold (baby under your arm like football!) can be modified to have baby almost sitting up so again milk doesn't gush down their throat if letdown is too fast.

good luck

[TheStorySoFar]

Thx Jenny. Will give those a go.

[StretchyCat]

I have the same issue my ds is almost 12 weeks and the let down seems to have got worse over the past weeks. I'm using a couple of sheets of kitchen role to catch the really fast let down but it's still difficult and he coughs a lot and screams mid feed which is upsetting. Also I think it's giving him bad wind which keeps him awake in the early hours.

Hopefully it will improve as they get used to the fasted flow. Fingers crossed!