Is it possible that I am simply producing too much milk?

[twinkle5]

I am breastfeeding my 7 week old baby, and think I have way too much milk. He sleeps 6 hours at night and by the time he wakes I am always swimming in milk. He then only takes one side before going back to sleep- 3 hours later at his next feed, the side he didn't feed from is literally spraying milk across the room!

At the moment the night feed and early morning feed are very difficult, my baby finds it hard to cope with the harsh let-down! It is hard for him to latch which makes it painful for me. I have tried expressing a little off which does make that feed easier, but it certainly hasn't solved the overall problem.

Does anyone know what I can do to calm my supply down?!

Ooh will try and keep this bumped for you - I know there is another poster who had this problem...

I assume his weight gain is good, and everything is fine?

If so, yes, there are things you can do to reduce your supply - I'm pretty sure the fix is to feed on one side only for 4 hours (or so?) at a time - so keep offering the same side, then change to the other.

how about doing a shorter feed on both sides first thing in the morning - so that both get emptied a bit - and then revert to alternate sides for the rest of the day.

Your supply will calm down over the next few weeks as your body gets used to what is needed.

I think this is very common for the first few weeks, and sometimes longer. I remember being absolutely awash with milk for several months. Your supply will settle down to match your baby's needs, and he will get more proficient at latching on. Lucky you to have a plentiful supply, and lucky baby to have such a bountiful mama!

weight gain is more than fine- he has gone from 2nd to 50th centile in 7 weeks- he obviously wasn't meant to be small!

I have tried letting him have a shorter feed off both sides, however i read that this stops him getting the hind milk and therefore doesn't go back to sleep for long as he isn't really full...

I do feed off one side for 4 hours and then switch- this was advised by nct counsellor. It doesn't seem to help at night thought as we have gone so long without a feed.

muminbrum, I know it is a relatively nice problem to have, better than worrying that i am not producing enough

twinkle, this is v familiar! If you do nothing things will calm down naturally in time. Has he started sleeping longer at night fairly recently? I found that it took a few days for my body to adjust to not needing so much milk at night each time my ds went longer/dropped a feed.

Re: fast letdown, I expressed into a muslin before feeds as you are doing and that seemed to usually be enough but I had loads of latch problems and needed help for that. Have you seen a bf counsellor to check your latch and get advice?

Feeding from just the same side for 6 hours can help with oversupply apparently but I've not tried it myself.

I guess you need to work out which is more uncomfortable - one overful boob or a baby that doesn't sleep quite as long in the morning.

I think I would choose the second option - but only you can tell because you are the only one on the inside.

Trust your instincts - do what feels best for you.

bookthief, i have seen a bf counsellor, the latch is good but not without a battle! he fusses on and off the breast for the first 5-10 mins of a feed before he eventually settles into a nice calm feed. poor little chap usually ends up with milk in his eyes, hair, up his nose and soaked sleeves

bumping as i spotted mears!

don't know how to reduce supply but have you thought about donating milk? I did that with DS2 has I produced loads and he wouldn't take it from a bottle

Would echo the advice of feeding on one breast but increase it to 6 hours. The over supply will eventually sort itself out - 7 weeks is still early in your breastfeeding career

If you get too uncomfortable you could express some milk off and freeze it for future use. Also if your breast is really full express some off before feeding. Hand expressing is really easy and faster than using a pump in this situation.

It all takes a bit of time but will settle.

i will try 6 hours on one side and express if too uncomfortable. should i just express a tiny amount so as not to create demand where there isn't demand IYKWIM? I have a freezer full of ebm, maybe i should be donating, how does one go about this?
As for hand expressing, i dont even need to make contact with the boob- it just spays out by itself for a few minutes

I can sympathise - I had the same for what seemed like an eternity - none of this subtle feeding in public lark - I had a muslin stuffed down the non-feeding side, and another tucked under the feeding side -my poor DS nearly always got a faceful!!

If I woke in the night in agony with full boobs, I used to express a little down the sink (I know, such a waste!) so it was easier for him to latch on.

It did settle down, but I always felt there was more than enough to go round!

It sounds like you are doing exactly what i did - try feedng him from one side, then changing him to wake him up again, and offer him some from the other side - it might seem mean, but I'm sure that's how we did it with DS.

I donated milk to a neonatal unit near me. I was supplied with bottles and the midwife came and collected the frozen EBM.

A list of hospitals which collect milk is here

Well worth doing.