Oversupply and miserable!

[gemsearle]

Hi Ladies - I'm new here and am really in need of some support and reassurance regarding my current oversupply issue. DS is 7 weeks today and I am currently block feeding, 3 feeds per breast then switching over. The poor boy coughs, gulps and splutters during feeds as my let down is so forceful and this seems to continue during a feed with subsequent let downs. He has explosive and often green poo as I know he is getting too much foremilk - IMO he isn't getting near emptying a boob until the 3rd feed on one side. He is obviously suffering with too high a volume of milk and too much lactose as he is so windy and fussy and I can hear his tummy gurgling after feeds. His weight gain has been 11lb a week so I know that nutritionally, things are ok. The block feeding isn't improving and sometimes I feel as if I am doing more harm than good. I have been drinking 1 cup of sage tea a day but will up this to 3 cups today to see if it makes any difference. Is there anyone out there who has been through similar? I need to know that there is an end to this - I don't want to give up!

How often are you feeding, on demand? If you are & you are trying all the other things to combat this (trying particular feeding positions, the block feeding & allowing initial forceful let-down milk to subside before continuing feeds) then it might be worth trying to space out feeds to gaps of 3-4hrs between feeds, ie from beginning of one feed to beginning of next feed, and restricting feed length to no more than 30mins. I say this as I had a similar experience with DS2 just recently & had to get advice from a lactation consultant as what I thought I was doing with feeding on demand wasn't working. Effectively DS2 was "overfeeding" or overdosing on foremilk but was also stimulating my supply as I was feeding so often (at least twice in each waking session) & for so long (at least 45mins). I didn't like this approach, esp as initially we had to wake him for the regular feeds, except at night-time, but he seemed much better on it, the greenish poo subsided & my supply seemed to regulate so back to longer feeds & using both sides. If you are having no joy with "self-help" see if you can find a local bf counsellor or lactation counsellor to support you. There are ultimately drugs that reduce supply but obviously these have to be used cautiously.

Thankyou so much, i have tried to space out feedings as you have suggested, but sometimes it is difficult as he seems so hungry after a couple of hours, possibly due to not getting enough calories in a feeding? I think I will see if I can gradually extend the time between feedings as it does make sense that the longer he goes, the longer he will feed for and the more hindmilk he will subsequently get. Fingers crossed!

This also just been happening with my DS2 who couldn't cope with the strong let initial down. I didn't space feedings any further apart but would take him off when he started choking, let the milk squirt away into a saucer, muslin, half drunk cup of tea...and once the let down settled down into a dribble I'd latch him back on again.
After a week or so my supply must have readjusted as I don't have such forceful let down anymore, or maybe he's just big enough to cope now. Good luck working something out.

gem, some mothers find they need to block feed by using each breast no more than 12-hourly ie every feed within that block of 12 hours is on one side before switching. You don't say the length of the gap between each breast's 'turn' but increased gaps are what reduces the supply.

I agree with you - sounds like oversupply ++++++

Hi gem, my DS is 8 weeks today so exact same age as yours. I've been battling with oversupply and forceful let down Luke you since the very beginning. I tried the same things as you and found they only marginally helped. Besides I found it annoying that my breasts were always full and painful and leaky.
The reason why I'm writing this post is because, in addition to all the things you mention, since last week I've dramatically reduced my sugar intake and I have seen a great improvement in oversupply although letdown remains very fast.
I'm not an expert and this may not be an "official" way of tackling the problem but it seems to be working for me so I thought I'd share it with you.

Hi Ladies - thanks for all the advice, we are now a couple of weeks on and things have finally greatly improved! We have normal poo and although DS is still a very windy boy, it doesn't seem to bother him. Letdown is still fast but he can cope alot better now. Hoorah!

gem! what was it that finally worked for you? please help! Im feeling desperate with the same thing, my poor dd (5weeks) just gives up with feeding and i have to put her to sleep because she is so upset...

You poor thing, I know how horrible and hard it is. I had to stick with the block feeding for at least a week, feeding from one boob for 6 hours before switching over. I was convinced it wasn't going to work but my body finally got the message! I also took 6 sage tablets a day but can't say for sure if they helped as I was block feeding at the same time, can't hurt to give them a go. Above all though, please be reassured that it does get better with time. I still have a really fast flow but my DS can cope so much better now and it isn't an issue. Try and stick with it and just take it one feed at a time. I didn't look any further forward than that. Here if you need to rant or offload, wishing you happier feeding soon x Oh, and try not to express any milk if you can help it, if you feel yourself getting engorged and incomfortable then warm compresses are better. If you feel at risk of blocked ducts and mastitis then just express the tiniest amount for comfort, the more you express the more milk you make x

I have had oversupply issues with both my sons. With my 1st I was advised to do every single feed fat on my back for 4 days, or longer if the issue persists. This was from a really experienced breast feeding specialist. It means the milk is going against gravity. I can't say it worked for me, my oversupply was bad and block feeding didn't really help either (12 hour blocks). It really only calmed down with my first at about 6 months when he went onto solid foods.

My 2nd son was diagnosed with a posterior tongue tie (all my feeding problems seemed the same as my 1st though which makes me think maybe he had one too). It was snipped at about 6 weeks old and really didn't seem to make much difference although my oversupply initially got worse, The breastfeeding specialist said she does see a number of women with tongue tie babies with oversupply, possibly due to the way the babies are stimulating the breast. My son is 3 months now and I have just this week started to feed on both breasts at one feed, so maybe the snip did make a difference after all, I don't know.

When I was 6 days postpartum and in tears at a post natal appointment because my engorgement had been so painful for 4 days I couldn't bend over, lift my arms or hold my toddler, the midwife said she would refer me to the infant feeding specialist at the hospital because she would have more knowledge. The infant feeding specialist called me at home, asked me if I had a computer and told me I could google 'breast milk over supply'! WTF! You can't make this stuff up.

I think people underestimate how distressing this problem is and fob you off like you are 'lucky' you have this problem because at least you can feed your baby. It is great my babies have gained weight so well but it is distressing to watch them distressed as they try to feed. It is also really embarrassing feeding in public when you don't now how far your milk might spray across a room, plus the wet patches when breast pads can't cope, and waking up drenched in the morning.

Hiya, I'm also really struggling with this - before I assumed she was hungry and colicky in the evenings, and just sat with her and fed her all night - this culminated in projectile vomit last night :( so I looked up the la leche league's thoughts on oversupply and all the symptoms fit - huge weight gain, arching back, hiccups, lots of trumping, forceful green poops, sore red bum etc. My boobs also leak a LOT and spray everywhere. I've gone straight to 12hr blocks because I wasnt even doing the two boobs per feed thing, I was giving her one over a2/3hr period.

She's been a lot better this evening, but I moved to The Night Boob and even after it had soaked through a breast padin my bra, and then another from being massaged, as soon as she had two little feeds less than a minute in length either side of a nappy change, we were back to gulping, choking and then apparently painful wind :(

Thinking it might be a good idea to go on the pill after all? Didnt want to in case it affected my milk supply...how ironic!

The block feeding worked for me but it took 7-8 weeks to see a real difference. When DD seemed overwhelmed I would wind and feed again - this seemed to help although I got from MIL because i wasn't handing DD right over it wasn't for a cuddle.

Try not to express at all. But perhaps try a dummy so that your DC might be silenced take to a bottle easier than mine.

bigbopeep my lactation consultant advised me that going on the pill is truly a last resort if block feeding does not work after at least 2 weeks. I think the danger is that it can reduce your milk supply irreversibly so come growth spurts etc, you won't be able to make more milk to meet your baby's needs. I would def seek the advice of a LC before you go down that route. Have you thought about taking sage tablets, there is alot of research to suggest they can reduce supply.

not tried sage tablets but will certainly give it a go, i only just figured out the extent of this problem really, its not something the midwives etc ever talked to me about, the focus was very much on convincing me i wouldnt undersupply!

soaked thru two breast pads during the night from The Day Boob, and still got a wet top, then massaged a load into a beer glass before plugging on the baby, now back to dripping into the beer glass as i type!

I just tasted some...well, I had to! Holy Moly that's sweet stuff - just like sugar water! Didn't expect that really.

Did you drink it from the beer glass?!

Yeah I did - only a teeny sip, not a swig or anything!

The 12hr blocks are working a TREAT! Yesterday we got zero evening grumps/madness, her poops are now teaspoons of mustard rather than green explosions and her sore bum has pretty much righted itself overnight. My boobs have adapted quickly aswell, yesterday morning my Superboob (which is the daytime boob) was busting, but this morning it just felt a bit full and I didn't need to take anything off before feeding her.

So indebted to the la leche league's site - everyone tried to tell me this was all 'normal'

Hooray!! So glad it is working itself out, I got so excited when the poo turned from green to yellow! Well done you

Bit late to this thread but in case it helps anyone else this is interesting: www.internationalbreastfeedingjournal.com/content/2/1/11

Hi, I'm new hear and been reading post. My baby is 6 months and I still have severe OS/OALD. I am blockfeeding using 12 hr blocks and seeing no reduction in supply. Baby is less gassy and more comfortable but I am painfully engorged also if indon't hand express at least 2 oz when I swap to the full side at the beginning of the block, my baby WON'T feed. Bo peep, did you express before the swap, if not how did your baby manage to feed on the full side? I have been blockfeeding on and off since day one and taking sage and peppermint and tried sudafed with no reduction! I have been doing 12 hr blocks for a week now! Advice badly needed!

ha, i have another thread now - like you i seem to be back to square one, my supply has just increased back to where it was apparently. i have massaged the boob and let as much leak out as it wants before putting the baby on, to get rid of the very worst, but that's all. worked for a while, but they caught up! now going to try no letting it leak, maybe some lilypadz too? i'm sure i'll be in for lots of crying and puking for a while but it will hopefully work soon....

i also have one boob thats worse than the other - will try longer blocks for the 'under'productive and shorter for the superboob....

Hunterj did you see the link I posted immediately above your post?