Hi, I'm really hoping someone can help.
My DS1 is 8 weeks old and exclusively breastfed. I seem to have a good milk supply, to the point that I have very engorged leaking, lumpy/shelved breasts around 4am/5am. For the last week he has been sleeping from 10pm-5am, which I am certainly not complaining about but he feeds every two hours or less by day so my breasts are agony when I wake up. Recently I've been expressing from one breast around 5am while he feeds on the other. I give him the 60-100ml in a bottle at night to help give him a good feed when I have less milk myself, or I save it in the fridge incase my DH needs it at the weekend.
Anyway, just after DS was born and my milk first came in I had a horrible time with it on day 3. I feel panicky, had racing thoughts and was extremely irritable. I've had anxiety on and off my whole life so worry about it rearing it's head again, but thankfully the feeling only lasted a day or two and then I was more myself again. But last night I started to feel the same overwhelming feeling again. Like there was too much going on around me (DH playing with dog, TV on, baby stirring in crib etc) I didn't say anything but the feeling lasted about 45 minutes and I breathed through it whilst feeding, but it was really unpleasant. We went to bed and I still felt really wired and edgy, it was exactly like when my milk came in. I woke up at 4.45am in a pool of milk and my breasts were GIGANTIC, hot and leaking. They were exactly as they were when my milk first came in. I didn't wear a bra last night which I normally do, don't know if that has made any difference. I had to sit and express some off and now my DS is feeding which is a big relief but I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience around this time?
I thought my milk would've settled by now, I always express just once at 5am but I'm wondering if it's because I went 4 hours in the middle of the day today without feeding while my DH had him (I was working). I've done this a few times already and have been fine but I suppose it does upset the balance? I've been taking the supplement Lecithin 4x a day for the last week and a half and have found it really helps with the clogged ducts and has actually left me feeling calmer too.
Has anyone experienced anything similar? I don't want that milk coming in feeling again if I can avoid it, it's horrible! Or any tips for the balance of a nighttime of no feeding and lots of feeding by day?
TIA xxx