Breast feeding - Over supply / fast let down

[LDH17]

Has anyone dealt with an over supply and/or fast let down when breast feeding?
I'm not 100% sure if I have both of these. Ds2 is nearly 6 weeks.
He's feeding well but often when he first goes on he seems to be gulping quickly and then coming off the breast coughing and spluttering with milk coming out his mouth. He's then on and off a bit before settling into feeding.
He is sick a lot after feeds, although is putting on weight really well so still obviously getting plenty.
He is quite gassy and can be quite unsettled/fussy a lot of the time.
I originally thought he might have a bit of reflux and colic, but after reading up on it I think it may be that I have a fast let down which is causing the gassiness/fussing and sickness.

Any tips on how you dealt with this, did it die down on its own?

FYI we have been giving him colief drops and I have cut down on dairy as I though this may a possible cause to him being sick/unsettled, he's seems a bit better but don't know if it's because of either of those??

[Believeitornot]

I thought I had fast let down but it was actually tongue tie. I tried the classic things of taking dd off just after I started and catching the spray (it did speed out!) and only using one side per feed etc but she was diagnosed with a severe tongue tie and once that was resolved it got better.

[ConjugalHoliday]

I had this problem too. It does get better as your baby grows and learns to deal with it.

I found feeding slightly laying back so baby had to work against gravity helped. Also, feeding laying on our sides so any extra could just dribble out the other side of her mouth.

I noticed that she used to adjust her latch, as in she would pull back on my nipple at the beginning of feeds before settling back into a proper latch once the milk deluge had stopped. She seemed to figure out how to deal with it eventually. My oversupply settled at around 4 months. Good luck!

[littletwofeet]

Could be tt as pp suggests. This can cause wind/sickness as a poor latch can mean lots of air is taken in. Could also be other latch issues.

Google biological nursing or laid back nursing as those positions can help.

You can do block feeding to correct an oversupply. I’m not sure I would try this without seeing a good lactation consultant first just to check for tounge tie, latch and other issues.
kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/fast-letdown/

If you can, I would try and see a good LC, they can check for tt and do a full assessment, often the smallest of adjustments can make a massive difference and make feeding much easier.

[minipie]

Yes! I had this plus tongue tie. TT snipped which helped but fast let down still caused choking and wind due to gulping.

What really really helped was feeding side lying. It slowed the flow down enough for DD to cope. Also occasionally I would hand express a little before a feed if boobs were very full.

[lovelyleftrubbishright]

Yes, my daughter would get really frustrated when she just wanted to suckle to sleep and my boobs would just spurt more milk at her. I think a combo of her getting older so more able to cope and me feeding on the same boob for two feeds in a row to let her have some comfort feeding time helped. I can't remember when it got better but it didn't go on for long. 10 weeks maybe?

There's some good info here: kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/fast-letdown/

[FleurWeasley]

I had this! It was tongue tie, had it snipped at 12 weeks (after six weeks of this sort of nonsense) and it fixed overnight xxx

[cannotmakemymindup]

If it isn't tongue tie as other pp have suggested and does turn out to be fast let down, recommend expressing - hand pump to help ease the let down. Just enough to take the first quick bit, then pop baby on. It is what I had to do until my supply was a bit calmer. Also used to express other boob whilst baby was feeding to.

[Nyancat]

I ended up using nipple shields for a bit which helped a bit with the fast letdown issue. Or alternatively started feeding then when I felt let down took baby off and let the crazy spray soak into a muslin til it calmed down then put baby back on again. It did settle down after about 10 weeks for me.

[villainousbroodmare]

Yes, I had both oversupply and fast letdown. Green explosive nappies and lots of screamy colicky nights. I found it hard to get help as all online and lactation consultant advice suggested there is no such thing as excessive bf but in our case there absolutely was.
It started to resolve within 24hrs of getting onto an old fashioned 4 hrly feeding schedule with a dummy to soothe in between, and some judicious pumping and dumping.
I really wish that the first 6 weeks of DS's life hadn't been such a misery but the transformation for both of us was extraordinary. I'd suggest you try what we did - feed at 6, 10, 2, 6, 10, 2 or whatever suits you, for 48 hrs and see what happens.

[cannotmakemymindup]

You don't have to pump and dump, you can also use save milk - fridge or freezer and baby can have expressed milk from partner, friend etc, (whilst you have a shower, eat, brush hair).
Frozen milk can be used for food with weaning - many months away.

[LDH17]

Thanks everyone.
I don't think it's tongue tie. Had seen a feeding specialist at the hospital and she didn't diagnose one. And I think latch is fine as again the specialist said he was latched well, once he's on properly it feels good, he's happy and getting plenty of milk, no signs of him not being latched well. It's just when he's fussing at the start he then swallows air.

Can't really do laid back feeding as let's just say I have rather large breasts that don't really fall in the right position when lying back to be able to feed baby well! But I will try the side lying may have more success.

I think a lot of it is to do with him wanting to comfort suck and getting milk when he doesn't want it!! Prob why he's putting so much weight on!
I have read about block feeding and was going to try it, but hv is coming on Monday for 6 wk check so was going to ask her about it then.

He does feed a lot, like constantly on and off for hours until he goes to sleep, no pattern of every 2/3 hours or anything like that! But like I said I think a lot of it is comfort not feeding. Have tried dummy but he won't really take it but will keep trying him.

[Tableauz]

Fast let down, oversupply and big boobs here!

I never fed lying down but reclined at 45 degree angle and that really helped. Also expressed (and donated to milk bank) to reduce pressure so when lo fed it wasn't squirting and they didn't gulp air in.

Good luck!

[villainousbroodmare]

Of course you're right cannot, I did freeze quite a lot too and was mixing it into weaning food for months #dairycow

[GrouchyKiwi]

If you find laid back feeding difficult you could try having your baby in a more upright position. I used to put my babies on one knee like they were riding a horse. It's a bit awkward at first but it helped the milk go down instead of making them feel like they were choking.

As others have said, babies learn to cope with it as they get older and your supply will probably adjust. For me the forceful letdown took longer to settle but it did eventually.

Look for advice on //www.kellymom.com, from La Leche League, and from Dr Jack Newman if you're on Facebook.

[cannotmakemymindup]

villainous definitely remember that feeling to plus about a year later finding the odd milk bag frozen hidden behind icecream or something!

[LDH17]

Thanks for the advice everyone.
Will try some different feeding positions.
I have been expressing a little at the start of feeds which seems to have helped a little. And I have frozen a few bags already
I always had lots of milk with ds1 too as used to express more, but not the forceful let down so that's a new challenge. Think at one point I had 4 litres in the freezer!!
Kellymom is a good source of info thanks.

Funny once you have had one you think you have been through all the challenges and next time will be a breeze, not the case!

[LDH17]

Thanks for the advice everyone.
Will try some different feeding positions.
I have been expressing a little at the start of feeds which seems to have helped a little. And I have frozen a few bags already
I always had lots of milk with ds1 too as used to express more, but not the forceful let down so that's a new challenge. Think at one point I had 4 litres in the freezer!!
Kellymom is a good source of info thanks.

Funny once you have had one you think you have been through all the challenges and next time will be a breeze, not the case!

[LDH17]

Thanks for the advice everyone.
Will try some different feeding positions.
I have been expressing a little at the start of feeds which seems to have helped a little. And I have frozen a few bags already
I always had lots of milk with ds1 too as used to express more, but not the forceful let down so that's a new challenge. Think at one point I had 4 litres in the freezer!!
Kellymom is a good source of info thanks.

Funny once you have had one you think you have been through all the challenges and next time will be a breeze, not the case!

[LDH17]

Thanks for the advice everyone.
Will try some different feeding positions.
I have been expressing a little at the start of feeds which seems to have helped a little. And I have frozen a few bags already
I always had lots of milk with ds1 too as used to express more, but not the forceful let down so that's a new challenge. Think at one point I had 4 litres in the freezer!!
Kellymom is a good source of info thanks.

Funny once you have had one you think you have been through all the challenges and next time will be a breeze, not the case!

[Nousername2015]

Same issue here OP. Not sure it is tt for us as weight gain is good, nappies are fine and I'm not in any pain when feeding.
I'm not sure what to do, lying down doesn't work for us (also larger chested!) But have sterilised pump this morning to try that. Baby is 3 weeks old and has started only taking a side for a few minutes before refusing to go back on which is now stressing me out!

[minipie]

Try not to express toooo much as can increase supply. Just enough to take off the initial spurt iyswim.

Feeding off same breast for two feeds in a row can also work, though be cautious as this can reduce supply a little.

[LDH17]

Nousername15 yes I have tried lying down too and didn't really work well!
A larger chest doesn't seem to allow for a lot of positions!

He seems a little better today after expressing a little before feed.
Still being sick but same as you he's piling on the weight so don't know if that's a big issue, and he doesn't seem upset when he is. Just means a lot of clothes changes for both of us!!

I haven't been expressing too much no pp, just a little. Which I was having to do anyway to give him the colief as it has to be mixed with milk and given before feed.

[Loops81]

Yes I have this problem. It was peak miserable about 9 weeks but we got through somehow. Laid-back feeding and catching the spray help. We also got prescribed ranitidine because she has silent reflux, which doesn’t help matters! DD is 4 months old now and, while things are definitely better (she can handle the flow most of the time and we are both more relaxed about feeding), supply is still up and down - if she has a growth spurt it’s back to square one. Makes it tricky to feed when out and about.

[minipie]

Side lying feeding only worked for me after the tongue tie had been snipped as DD couldn't hang on well enough before that. So I do wonder if there is a tie. Has your baby been checked for TT (and who by... )

I never got on with laid back feeding though even after TT snip.

[minipie]

Oh and silly question but do you have the fire hose jet spray effect?

In other words if your baby comes off the boob just after let down, does your milk spray the room...?