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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

How can I stop milk from spraying when feeding?

6 replies

Photoloco · 24/04/2008 21:39

I happily bf my ds of 8 weeks (my first), but am struggling a bit with the sheer volume of milk being produced! When he feeds, it comes out at such a rate that he doesn't manage to swallow a lot of it (he hardly needs to suck, it just comes at him), and it sprays out in all directions. It's not so bad at home, but a bit embarrassing when I'm out - a fountain of milk just missed a friend's coffee today before I could cover my breast and contain it. I also find that even with a new breastpad put in just before the feed, the non-feeding side leaks so much that the pad is saturated and my top gets wet before the end.

I'm currently using a teatowel tucked into my bra underneath to contain the overflow, with the other end of it around the top to catch the explosions. All a bit undignified!

I thought that by now my supply would have regulated a bit more so I wasn't producing so much, and the high pressure would have relented somewhat.

He is currently feeding every 3 hours or so during the day, and once or twice in the night after his last feed at 11-ish.

Any advice welcome!

OP posts:
peggotty · 24/04/2008 21:47

Is he coping ok with the volume/fast letdown of your milk i.e it doesn't upset him? If not, then you'll probably find that is will settle down in a few more weeks, 8 weeks isn't all that long in the scheme of things for bf-ing. i had a problem with oversupply and fast letdown that was causing problems for my ds and me, one of them was spraying milk! Now at 14 weeks, I don't spray or even leak milk much and don't have to use breast pads at all.

StealthPolarBear · 24/04/2008 21:50

I had to use a muslin and change pads after every feed. I think it's just one of those things, sorry. Maybe have a muslin handy to stop it (I used to get upset at the waste too )
Pretty soon everything in your house will have a small splatter pattern of milk drops on it - I only cleaned the one ff the laptop the other day - it had been there for months

themoon66 · 24/04/2008 21:53

Gosh i remember resorting to half a disposable nappy down each bra cup

I recall it settled down at about 10 or 12 weeks.

Photoloco · 24/04/2008 21:56

Peggotty - he doesn't get upset, although sometimes he does just stop trying and look at me with such a disgusted expression on his face - I don't blame him, I'd hate to have a load of milk squirted in my face too! Good to hear it's stopped for you by 14 weeks, perhaps there's hope for me too - no breastpads is a distant dream. I bought washable ones, but they don't have anywhere near the absorbancy, so am spending a fortune on Johnson's instead.

SPB - I so know what you mean, and now I'm getting paranoid that the house smells of sour milk too, it's been sprayed into so many odd corners which is where it will remain!

How long does it tend to take for the milk supply to get more regulated to the baby's needs?

OP posts:
Photoloco · 24/04/2008 21:59

Themoon66 - x-post - 10 or 12 weeks not too long to wait, I suppose - here's hoping! I use teatowels not nappies as I bought loads from ikea and used instead of muslins (19p each!), but it doesn't work so well when out and about. Have found pantyliners quite good though .

OP posts:
peggotty · 24/04/2008 22:04

Lol at 'disgusted expression'!! I think you'll be fine when he's about 3 months. I don't get the engorged feeling any more either and my boobs feel a lot more comfortable generally. All this suggests to me that my supply has settled down and is 'established'.

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