Am I supposed to be spraying milk?!

[Whatsthatspookynoise]

My baby is 5 weeks and often chokes when I'm breastfeeding and pulls away, even though I'm pretty sure his latch is ok. Anyway, when he pulls away from my left boob, it literally SPRAYS milk for about 4-5 seconds. A very thin but continuous stream. It doesn't even seem to come from the very middle of the nipple, but more at the edge.
Is this supposed to happen?

[ShagMeRiggins]

It’s not unusual at all and in moments of whimsy can be used amusingly.

Congratulations on your newborn.

[YenniferOfVengeberg]

Same here, it's a fast let down, you can try and express a bit off first or try laid back/side nursing

[Willow4987]

This happened to me, it was when my let down happened and was a bit quick for him

[over501]

Sounds normal. Your supply should start to regulate pretty soon and you'll find it happens less frequently.

[Reginabambina]

I used to spray across the room in the early days. My husbands face when I accidentally got him as he walked across the other end of the room was priceless.

[Puppywithattitude]

Yes.
You have a number of milk ducts all over the nipple, it doesn't just come from one in the middle.
All normal, I also used to spray everywhere after a bath, it's one of those unexpected things people don't tell you but it's good to know.

[funmummy48]

I was a gusher too. DH & I found it hilarious 😂

[StormCiara]

Ah, very normal! Your body is clearly very enthusiastic about it’s new job it can be a bit inconvenient but it’s a good thing really, having so much of what your baby needs. congratulations on your newborn.

[DesLynamsMoustache]

Wait till you get a blocked duct and it clears. DD pulled off and my boob was just spraying with several jets for about 15 seconds as I frantically cast around for a muslin!

[ShagMeRiggins]

You know those kitchen taps that have dual function—stream and spray? Yeah, that was me when breastfeeding. Awesome.

[LucaFritz]

If DS is feeding from one boob my other one decides to start gushing just in case😂 or better yet when he cries both start gushing which is fun when you have both hands full with a nappy change...
Just enjoy having a good supply

[Whatsthatspookynoise]

I feel so much better seeing you guys have had the same thing! It never happened with my first child so it scared me a bit. I also didn't know milk came from anywhere other than the middle of the nipple haha.

[dayowl]

It always used to happen to me, my eldest DC’s found it hilarious😂

[ShipshapeShore]

I tried on a nursing bra in Debenham once. As I took it off I sprayed everywhere - good job the bra fit because I sort of had to buy it then!!

[Lelophants]

What I do is move to the side whilst it sprays and let it go on a muslin, then latch baby back on. Keeping expressing will continue milk production. My ds used to cry. Now he's learned to open his mouth and catch it

[Lelophants]

Also side feeding means they can let it leak out so less going in their mouth.

[LouH1981]

This happened to me with both of mine. My lactation nurse got all excited and said it was great to have so much milk but there are things you can do. My DS was choking away on the first watery milk and getting too tired to drink the creamy milk resulting in green poos.
So I used to either 1) catch the first squirty boy in a muslin or a haaka
2) express a bit first to reduce the flow and make sure she’d get the fatty part
3) Feed in either a rugby ball hold, koala hold or cross cradle but with her more on top of your chest so that the milk has to work against gravity
4) gently place hand on breast to try to slow down the flow (I was advised do this by the lactation nurse but have since read it can cause a blocked duct so you might want to double check)
It does slow down eventually and your body will only produce what it needs to. I think mine regulated by about week 7/8 but still has the odd moment at 14 weeks if she has slept that bit longer.

[Verbena87]

When mine got a bit bigger he’d pull off and shake his head in the spray with his mouth open so it went in his mouth and also all over his face, giggling like an imp. He is still equal parts hilarious and exasperating at 2.

[LifeIsAnArt]

@LouH1981 oh I didn't know that green poos could be the result of not taking in enough hind milk? My baby is 6 wks old and has had several green poos over the course of the past couple of weeks... He's been choking on milk at almost every feed because of a fast let down

[Snaleandthewhail]

You know when coffee shops have dividers between tables to give you privacy but they have gaps?

Yeah, well, spraying next door’s table through the barrier is bad form ;)

[LouH1981]

@LifeIsAnArt yes, apparently it’s a result of the milk not having enough fat in it and as a result it is digested too quickly. This was part of the reason I was told to express a bit off at first because it meant she had more chance of reaching the fatty parts of the milk. Obviously they need the water part too but I was told if I just expressed a little it would relieve the pressure to make it manageable.
It took about a week for her poos to go back to yellow doing everything they suggested xx