Breastfeeding troubles, two week old

[Nobhobs]

I'm not seeing my midwife again until Monday and don't want to bother them on the weekend as it's not an emergency, but I'm having some troubles feeding the last two days.

Baby seems upset during feeds, and cries and pulls off the breast several times (always goes back on), often when he pulls off there's milk shooting out like a water pistol all over his face, really powerfully. Also whilst feeding from one breast the other leaks extremely heavily soaking through breast pads and bras. Google seems to suggest I might have an over active let down and this is what he's struggling with? He is always really upset after a feed and will cry and grunt for ages and is always full of wind and gets hiccups after every feed and it takes me ages to get him to settle.. which isn't making the nightfeeds any easier.

Can anyone give any advice?

If it is an overactive let down then the best thing to do in my experience of being a fire hydrant myself is to just pop baby off and wait for the let down to subside then relatch. Some people collect the extra milk in a sterile container but I could never be bothered and just aimed it at a muslin. Once the letdown has happened then baby should feed more happily.

If you’re leaky then I’d suggest a folded muslin on the other side too to catch the excess milk. Overactive let down and oversupply sometimes come together so you could seek help about managing supply too if you like but it’s still very early days so you don’t want to be limiting supply at this stage.

And don’t worry about bothering midwives at the weekend. They might be able to get some time with the feeding team

thebreastfeedingcompanion.com/project/overactive-letdown/

I found the advice above helpful. Reverse pressure softening to control the flow or expressing a little before hand helped and then supply gradually settled. Hope things gets sorted soon, I remember the frustration!

I’d express a little before latching if possible.

The other thing I used to do was breastfeed in a semi reclined position with a pillow.