Milk coming out fast and overwhelming DD - sorry, long

[Gem13]

Breasfed DS for 13 months without any problems and as he was only 18 months when DD was born 7 weeks ago I thought I was sorted.

But... it seems like my milk is coming out too fast for her and she gets a kind of panicky look in her eyes as she tries to gulp it down. She breaks off when she can't take it anymore and then it goes everywhere. She goes back on when she's managed to recover but will only have one breast at a time so she is feeding every couple of hours. In that time she is only content if she's being held.

She has had a cold for ages now (3 going on 4 weeks) and is a bit sniffly which isn't helping. I've propped her cot up, done the shower and nasal drops so that could be a contributory factor. She suffers a bit with wind too sometimes but is a good burper!

I have an active toddler to look after too and it feels unfair on him (and me!)to be so tied up (and tired) with her.

Despite her cold she is leaping up the centiles; born on the 75th, dropped to the 50th and now nearing the 91st.

So... I think the problem is that I am producing too much milk and she is therefore getting enough by feeding from only one side but not enough to really fill her up or last her for longer. She sleeps well at night (I tend to feed her through the early evening) but not during the day. How do I slow things down and ensure she feeds from both to go longer between feeds?

Sorry for the ramble - I think there must be a solution but haven't figured it out yet.

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Thanks for the solidarity twiglett. She does cough and splutter when she breaks off and then I add insult to injury by showering her in milk. We're then both covered, she's either coughing or yelling and I'm trying to mop us both up. Not the calm and confident feeding I was hoping we'd be at by now.

Sounds very like both my two at that age, love. Commiserations.xxx

have you tried expressing a bit off by hand first to relieve the pressure?

Have you tried 'feeding uphill'?Instead of being fairly upright you lean or lie back so that the milk goes upwards into the baby's mouth, rather than downwards. Gravity is supposed to help slow the flow down a bit that way.

Not that I've been in your situation - quite the contrary! - but I read it on Mumsnet

Had this with DS, he seemed to chock on all the milk!! Tried the uphill thing - as a brest feeding counsellor suggested it - very odd and a bit of a tricky position, as you have hold the babies head so that it does just lie on your boob and suffocate because it can't breathe through its nose!!.

In the end just gave up and in time he gained pace with my production or my body slowed down.

Good luck with it, it does sound like your DD is flourishing so you must be doing well already

Most effective 'treatment' for this is to feed rotuinely on one side only, sticking to the same side for 6-7 hours (relieving the unused side if you have to, by hand, only enough to keep you comfortable). In 2 days or so this will reduce your supply enough to keep you both happier - no solution to your impossible request for a baby who sleeps long hours in the day as well as the night at 7 weeks, though : )

Had this problem with DS. Found lying down to feed pretty helpful, also catching milk in cloth when he pulled off with it spraying everywhere. It'll settle in time, meantime just hang in there.

hugs gem - had this too and it's a bit of a grind isn't it? ds kept choking and then looking at me as if it was all my fault....it did pass quite quickly - at about 12 weeks as I recall

Thanks for the advice and support. I need to be better prepared to catch the milk with muslin squares and leaning back sounds like a good idea as does expressing that first bit.

DH keeps reminding me that it wasn't great with DS at first either but I think I've forgotten that and my memory of feeding him as a baby is actually when he was several months old.

TBH I think I'd forgotten how hard these first weeks can be!
Thanks again.