Breastfeeding over supply- advice please!

[newmachar]

I have too much milk in one of my breasts, and so using a pump as recommended by midwives before DS (four weeks old) latches on. If I don’t do this he splutters and chokes on the milk. This is taking so long to do before DS can latch on, 10 minutes or more of expressing between 3-5oz, and DS becomes upset and irritable in this time. It’s really hard to wake and do a feed in the night without DH support for this reason. Baby still getting plenty of milk despite expressing this much, always milky after, can hear him swallowing and is gaining weight really well ( a pound in 7 days this week!)

If I continue to pump will I always make that much milk? I don’t want to let it get blocked by using the other breast more (and maybe creating the same problem on the other side), as I’ve already had mastitis once earlier on and it HURT.

Not sure what to do, I often think I’m ready for baby and then the poor little thing gets covered in milk 😳

You are doing a fab job - bf and great weight gain despite the challenge of over supply. I've had this too and it is v hard at first. Best thing to do would be call one of the bf helplines in the morning. They might suggest blockfeeding (one side only for a certain period of time each day) to try to reduce the supply. I had the same problem - they suggested this and I worked on bf counsellors advice. By around 9 weeeks iirc the oversupply had calmed down! You need to do it on advice though as it reduces supply so you don't want to overdo it

I'm not an expert but that sounds like poor advice from your midwife as surely pumping before a feed is just telling your body to make even more milk? Do you find that the oversupply calms a few seconds after letdown? If so, I latch on baby and then when my letdown starts (and baby comes off as he drowns in milk!), I let the milk flow (it races out!) into a muslin that I keep handy. Once it stops spraying I latch my baby back on again. Would that help? I'd definitely try to get to a breastfeeding group or call a helpline if you can.

I agree that pumping is NOT good advice. That is only "telling" your breast to make more milk. I had this issue with both of my kids. I would take a quick shower a couple of times a day and express some milk by hand (the warm water helps), just to the point where my breast wasn't chock full. I would also express by hand into a towel many times during the day, whenever a had a minute. I would also not nurse as much on the over-full side, so it wouldn't be over-stimulated and produce more and more milk. If done like this your breasts should soon level off and it won't be a problem anymore.

Also, expressing by hand in the shower with the warm water can help prevent mastitis. I had mastitis once, too, and it was no fun at all.

Have a look at the Kellymom website, great advice there. But expressing will be making the problem worse. Block feeding works but I think it might be a bit too early if your supply isn't settled.

I'm still dealing with this too at 4 weeks. It's not uncommon in the early weeks. I'd second the suggestion to stop pumping and try unlatching instead when letdown happens, then put baby back on when the flow stops.

3-5 oz is a lot to express, no wonder you have an oversupply! You’re making twice as much milk as you need.

I had oversupply initially. I agree with pp- just hand express enough to soften the breast so he can latch easier.