Overactive letdown and colic

[Hannouck]

I've been breastfeeding for 10 days now and it has been going rather well. She has gained all her birth weight back already!

But since a couple of days she's been having colicky behaviour. Loads of gas, hiccups, spitting up, seems uncomfortable, hard to settle her down etc.

I have an overactive letdown and oversupply of milk which I think might give her these colics.

We are going to try to pump my milk and see if bottles works better for her.

I guess my question is: has anyone gone through the same issue? Was it solve with bottle feed them?

I pumped a bit out first before feed which helped slow it down and then fed baby whilst lying back so gravity helped stop it firing down her throat and she had more control :) worked everytime except first feed in morning.

Also i wanted go to bottle this early unless you dont mind not feeding from breast, they can prefer bottle as its easier and less effort and then refuse breast altogether.

would you feel comfortable to try laid back breastfeeding? or breastfeeding while lying on your side? Both give the baby a little more control over the milk flow.

It sounds like the colic symptoms are fairly standard for a baby that teeny. it does improve but it's hard going in the early days. I think it would be unusual for a newborn not to have those symptoms. so you may want to look at it more from the point of view that it's normal and will pass, and it's not necessarily down to a problem with how she's feeding.

You may find bottles work better, but they may cause other problems and/or make the colic worse:

• Pumping to bottle feed is (usually) harder than just breastfeeding as it takes longer and requires more washing etc
• The baby may develop a preference for the bottle and then you are kind of stuck with bottlefeeding when you may want to return to feeding directly from your breast
• you may worsen the oversupply by pumping (I did!)

Things you may want to try

• 'wonky winding' - Lyndsey Hookway (instagram) has a good post about this. Basically it's where you hold the baby off to the side to wind, so the air all can get out of their stomach
• laid back or lying down breastfeeding
• Feeding until you get the letdown, then breaking the seal with your little finger and letting the let down out into a towel before allowing her to latch back on

also congratulations on your new baby ❤️

Thank you so much everyone!

I do breastfeed her in a lay down position and it’s true that gravity helps a lot! The midwife recommended me upright position and she instantly chocked that way…

I will try hand pumping a bit out before feeding her, it’s a good idea!

As for the pumping I’m still in between two minds… It is indeed much more work than breastfeeding but at the same time my husband could help a bit more. I’ll think about it!

Give the NCT infant feeding line a ring (it’s open over the bank holiday) they have qualified breastfeeding councillors who can talk through what’s happening with you.

pumping could make your over supply worse. Breast milk works on supply and demand. At the moment baby is telling your body what to make and you’re adjusting. If you take baby out and just pump you loose baby’s demand.

while bottles do mean dad can feed, there’s a million other things he can do to help.

your husband being able to help more is potentially fairly short lived if he's currently on paternity leave then going back to work. If you can just sit and snuggle and feed, DH can pick up basically everything else. 😊

how are you doing today?

If your let down also happens on the side you're not feeding from you can collect that in milk collectors and use it for the odd bottle with dad - no need to pump. I would try and see an IBCLC lactation consultant if you can, or ask your health visitor what support is free and local.

Otherwise try hand expressing before a feed / look up reverse pressure softening. Good luck!