Over supply and stopping expressing

[the100yearsofchristmas]

Hi.

I think I have a problem with over supply and/or fast let down and it had been causing my LO (14weeks) a few problems. I've managed to tame the feeding down a little by block feeding, which seems to have helped.

My question is regarding expressing. I've been expressing for the milk bank (as I had an abundance of milk which wasn't being used by my LO) and usually express between 200 and 280 ml from both breasts in total in one sitting, then managing to feed my LO straight after if she needs some and still have milk available! I'm wanting to stop the expressing. I've done over 5ltr of milk for the milk bank and now feel it's time to stop doing it for various reasons. What do I do about either cutting down the expressing or can I just stop? I'm slightly worried that by just stopping I'm going to have massively engorged boobs in the morning and this seems to make the let down even faster until I've expressed. Or do I express a smaller quantity bringing it down to none over the course of a few days and only expressing if and when my LO has a bottle of EBM from my partner? I have a couple of litres worth in the freezer still, so don't need to do it at the moment.

Many thanks in advance for your help and thanks for reading.

Sorry if you reply and I don't respond immediately, I am in the middle of a load of things, I will look back when I have a minute next :)

Glad to hear the BF MW has already got in contact and you have a plan set up to get help. Sometimes just knowing things are under way can help as you know what's going to happen.

Re. the block nursing -that sounds really sensible and also very baby led so well done you.

Thank you for the flowers and I'll send you a and a

So I went to the doctors this morning - BF group held at the surgery - to find the group wasn't on this week or next week. :( Had a few tears in my eyes before I remembered on the leaflet about the group there is a number to contact H (the lady I was recommended to speak to by the BF MW) so I rang her, she was with someone, but rang me back and then called in on me on her way home. :) I have met her a couple of times at the BF group, she always seemed very nice. She is an NCT counsellor or something like that as opposed to a HV. Anyway that's beside the point.

I spoke about everything that has been happening, got a tad upset saying how I was finding it hard. She looked in LO's mouth and could clearly see the TT. In fact she looked in her mouth before I explained everything as I had said about the TT on the phone. She said that my LO is obviously thriving at the moment, while the TT may be causing a few problems it's not a desperate worry just now, and to enjoy Christmas. She said to see her again when the next BF group is on and she will do a referral to the TT people then(or one of the HV can). The leaking milk around the mouth (which is what I thought of the over supply thing) the windy and that kind of thing is more than likely because of the TT. The lowered time for feeds is probably due to a few things, her age and being interested in things around her, feeding more efficiently so needing less time on the boob. The fussiness could be all the same, age and having had enough. She said not to worry about the time she feeds for, she will eat when hungry. I did give her 2oz yesterday in a bottle as she was refusing me but was obviously hungry. H said to try not to unless she's really really needing food as it won't help the latch etc if I give a lot of bottles. She said just to feed her as much or as little as she wants - no problems doing that, and just to watch the position as she is a bit bigger now where her head is may affect how well she feeds, hence why lying down is easier for her as she's in a better position(head more extended).

So I'll just wait till after the new year, H was quite happy that it wait till then. I'm a lot more happy about it now, now I have physically seen someone and spoken about it all. And I'll just keep on feeding, and stopping when she refuses and if she needs feeding shortly afterwards then I'll feed her again then. She may be a messy eater, but at least I know why now.

I think even if the TT thing isn't getting worse or the issues seem to be resolved I may get the TT cut as I don't want further problems later on (problems when weaning, speech problems etc) when it's not as easy to have it done then and requires a GA or something.

This thread was actually about me dropping the expressing and has ended up being about a different problem! WRT the expressing, I'm slowly lowering the minutes I pump for, but so far still feeling massively engorged in the morning before I pump and thought I was getting a blocked duct yesterday, but after a massage and a mini hand expression in the shower it seemed better. :)

Thanks again. I'll keep you posted on how it goes and what happens in the new year.

Glad you have been able to talk it through with someone, hope you can have gd relaxed xmas.
My lo has vfussy days and feeds less, I try to offer one side few times over 1-2hrs before swapping sides. She will refuse if not hungry. But has noticable shortened feeds and easier to feed lying down doesn't require winding which making my nights bit easier. When I stopped BF first one was bit abrupt due to vnasty tum bug at 9mths but then I got engorged later I took sage tablets it was supposed to help? But not sure if u can take them if still BF, you could try googling. Gd luck.

I'll just keep the expressing going for now, dropping it down and seeing how it goes, if I'm finding them to be too engorged after a lowered expression I will just do a bit of hand expressing until the point it's eased off and no more than that so I don't prolong the excess supply thing. Suppose it's better to have way too much than feel like you don't have enough. Thanks.

Hi 100,

You may remember me from the sept babies thread, I don't post often but I read a lot, mainly due to hectic first 3 months of lo!

I just wanted to post to offer my support with your current feeding issues. You have done so well, I have always admired how well you seemed to take to bfing and of course your amazing milk donation effort!

So I just wanted to send hugs as I can really relate to all the worry it has caused you.

Our lo has silent reflux and has had since about 3 weeks old (now 14 weeks), I'm still ebf with a minor formula glitch (4 bottles worth) at 6 weeks old as her fussy feeding had got so bad, it didn't fix the problem just made it worse so we have very very gradually made bf work for us.

My lo will never be a serene feeder, she still often pulls off and quite often cries so i never feed in public, but I just have to rely on the basics of pooing, weeing and gaining weight to know that she is getting enough food, we dont really have hunger cues either so its always been a guessing game! Gradually day by day I think she is getting ever so slightly better though so I take comfort from that, we at least don't have days full of screaming anymore!

Anyway, just wanted to say hope things are getting better for you and back to normal with the feeding and that you have enjoyed your first Christmas with lo. You are doing the best thing by following your instincts and getting it sorted, when things dont work like you think they should or how they used to it is really hard - i spend whole days actually more like weeks consumed with worry! We have had to push with doctors and hv's so many times and have had sooo much conflicting advice but we have somehow muddled through these 14 weeks and our lo could possibly be turning a corner - touch wood, fingers crossed etc etc!!

You will get there and enjoy feeding again, this'll just be a little bump in the road.

Sending Christmas love & hugs xxx

Hi Sarah,

Yes I remember you :) Thank you for your message and hugs.

Sorry to hear you haven't had an easy start to your feeding, and huge well done on sticking with the BF with everything that you have been through. Glad things seem to be getting better day by day for you. Yes I can understand having conflicting advice, that's tough. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

Things are a little easier with her feeding now, I think it's partly because I've relaxed a little bit so she will have obviously picked up on that. It's still not 100%, but compared to how it was when I was posting about it last week and the week before it feels a million times better (unless I'm mentally dealing with it better knowing what it is and that we can get it sorted), I am a bit more OK about the times when she is crying and really fussing.

Christmas was lovely, very busy, saw a lot of different family, glad to be home now and able to get back into routine.

xx

Great to hear you are feeling better! Sometimes I think it just takes us first time mummies a week or two to come to terms with another change/problem/new challenge! and there seems to have been a lot of them in the 14 weeks since she arrived!

Xx

That's very true about taking time to get see to something.

Got a referral done today to a TT clinic, I think it's at a different hospital to the one I originally thought, but that's good as it's actually only about 3 miles from us instead of 15 :) The lovely NCT lady who saw me (at home) before Christmas sorted it for me, although it's a HV who is actually putting the paperwork in, the NCT lady got her to do it. Not sure what the wait is, but I'll leave it a week or two before asking NCT lady about what the wait should be if I've heard nothing.

Things have mostly been a lot improved recently fortunately. This might be partly due to my relaxed way to feeding and a change in position for LO. But I'm still going to go and hopefully get it cut for prevention of future problems and to get it back 100% to how it was.

Ah good to hear you're making progress, hope the wait isn't too long, that's the most frustrating thing when you just want something sorted for your lo. We had to experience that with getting Lola referred to the paedeatric unit.

Glad feeding has been better for you in the meantime. What new position are you trying? I do wonder if I should work out a new one for Lola as she still pulls off so much but we perservere

100 - glad you've got your referral and that things are getting better. Long may it last!

Sarah, basically it's almost like her legs are hanging off me, she is that far over, it's all to do with getting her mouth properly lined up with my nipple, and as she is much bigger now she's a lot more off me on the bottom half than before.

And thanks again both :)

You try doing it with a 110cm 4y/o - all of her is off me!! Still nice to get a snuggle though

I'll bet it is :)

Ah I see, that sounds good. I have been trying that too actually and it does seem to work better. Amazing how big they are now!

Tongue tie clinic app tomorrow. They might not do it then but at least we're being seen quickly and will be one step closer. The secretary said they usually do in clinic till 15 weeks but they might do later on occasions. So I'll know in next 24 hours. Had painful nips last few days, she's not been latching v well. Fingers crossed for us.

And glad things a little easier for you too Sarah. Yep my LO looks really long now!

Hope you can get it sorted out 100 or the feeding gets easier again. My Lo has been feeding endlessly last couple of days but the last 24hrs she hasn't clamped/bitten me which is good as previous 48hrs she had quite abit.. oh the joys of breastfeeding always something to keep you on your toes!
Did you manage to reduce the amount you were expressing?

Thanks ssmile. Yeah the odd clamping down doesn't help matters, but that's been not very much.

I have stopped expressing. Only stopped last week, just kept dropping the expressing by 10 or 20 ml a day some days I did the same as the previous day day to not cut it too quickly. Funnily enough I felt engorged today to the point I'd need to express but LO fed which eased it enough. I reckon though I'd be able to express at least 100mls if I wanted to still! I just feel like there is plenty there still.

OH asked why I wasn't doing it anymore so I explained, he wants me to, in case he wants to feed as its there in the fridge, but hasn't mentioned anything since sunday so I've not bothered yet, there is plenty in the freezer, I'll get some out, if he feeds her then I'll express then. But I'm trying to not use that at the mo while probs not resolved. But on the other hand I'd like to be sure she'd take a bottle when I go get my hair cut - appointment yet to be booked. We shall get through the 'snip' and go from there.

My Lo refuses bottle from DH. We had been giving her one until she had her cold at 8wks, we stopped for a week as all ill then when we tried again she refused. Just like her big sis did! I've heard if babe has a dummy and used to rubber taste you more likely to succeed with bottle but we didn't. I'm not too worried as first babe went onto sippy cup at 7.5mths so I'm hoping for the same as I'd like to stop BF at 9mths. It takes a lot out of me physically and I'd like couple months to get 'me' back before I rtn to work. Glad you have managed to reduce your expressing I really can't be bothered to express this time around :) but I do wish this daytime hourly feeding would ease off!

Really hope your appt goes well tomorrow and hope it makes you feel better to be doing something about it.

We have just finished our 4th cranial osteopathy session, it has definitely helped to ease Lola's tension and has encouraged her development, feeding is still hard as she's started screaming and pulling off a lot again but I'm popping to a breastfeeding group tomorrow so hopefully they'll have some tips.

Thinking of you for tomorrow x

How did it go yesterday at the clinic 100?

Hi,

Well just a 'quick' post about yesterday's appointment. Had a nightmare getting to the hospital, ended up in tears as I was in the wrong place at the app time and had walked 3/4 mile to the place as there were no parking spots at the hosp and was in the wrong place anyway. Thankfully the lady at the place I had ended up in rang through to the dept and said I was on my way.

So I saw the lovely doc, who asked a few questions, not many, but offered to cut the tie, although he said LO was at the upper end of where he was happy to do it without anaesthetic he did it anyway. He gave her a few drops of some pain relief and was a quick cut, I didn't watch, I was quite interested in seeing it, but it's my baby and thought it might be a bit much. She went onto the breast straight away, and there was no pain for me, considering she was feeding on my more tender nipple, she wiggled her tongue around a bit afterwards, there was a tiny bit of bleeding, but she fed twice without a problem. She has fed really well since, seems to be a bit less gulpy with her feeding and her tongue movement now is quite something, can touch the roof of her mouth now! Yesterday evening she had a really bad evening when it came to bedtime, she sucks her thumb a lot and I think she was in a bit of discomfort and it probably felt weird for her sucking with a big movey tongue, so she was out of sorts for nearly 2 hours, lots of cuddling, rocking, singing, making faces etc etc didn't help bring her round from her sadness. In the end I ended up giving her some calpol which stopped the crying and she then settled down to sleep. I've had one instance of soreness on feeding, but other than that it's been all good. I think so far it's made a difference, time will tell for sure, but it's been done now.

The doc said to me well done for feeding so long, and he also said it was a significant tie, I wish I had looked at doing it sooner for her, her messy eating wasn't because she is a messy eater, but more than likely because of the tie. And could have stopped a few other things like evenings of windy discomfort for her, but we won't know. However if there is a number 2 and they have a tie I will be getting it done early on then, even if things look fine to begin with.

She seems right as reign again today, the discomfort must have gone now thankfully. She's been happily sucking her thumb again :) Although we had a very disturbed night, so she's a bit tired today, so lots of cuddles for us :)

Very pleased that you were able to get it sorted and hope Lo settles down with her new moving tongue. Fingers crossed for a more peaceful night for you both x

Thanks :) I hope so too. She went down with a bit of a fuss, but she's off now and hopefully I will get a decent chunk of sleep a bit later on. I should really be in bed now, just in case, but not quite tired for sleep yet. x