help!!!! my let down is destroying my relationship with my baby!

[New mama]

Ok, so a few weeks ago, I started doing some extra activities and my baby is 2 months old. I am exclusively breast feeding but I started expressing three bottles a week.

I have to much milk and a forceful let down and my baby hates me right now. What can I do to slow it down? I have started detaching her when let down happens but the general milk flow is still really fast.

 

[NoodleSnack]

Pumping can overstimulate some women. You could stop pumping and try blockfeeding to bring your supply down. If you really have to pump, and your breasts feel full before a feed, try doing it right before you feed her. Otherwise, it's just a waiting game. When she gets older, she will learn to deal with the letdown, take bigger mouthful so it won't be such a problem. I do know it's very hard when baby is struggling at the breast.

 

[irish_cob]

You could try unlatching her when you get the forceful let down, and let the milk spray into a muslin cloth or towel and hand express a bit to get the letdown over with, then reattach. It will get better, my baby struggled as a newborn but now she is nearly 5 months and we don't have a problem. I used to have far too much milk, my tops were always wet through even with breastpads and a really forceful letdown. Now that's settled down a lot and as my baby has got bigger she can take bigger mouthfuls too, plus my oversupply has settled down so I don't get a forceful letdown anymore. So it will all fall into place, it just takes a bit of time.

 

[Cyan]

My daughter used to choke at the start of every feed because the milk would be practically power hosing the back of her throat, poor thing. I used to let it spray into a cloth and hand express a little too but she would be so upset at having to wait when she was hungry that it didn't always work for us. When she could wait it was perfect though.

The other thing I tried was continually feeding from the same side for several feeds, swapping only when the unused side was just beginning to get too full. This seemed to solve to over-supply and the forceful letdown too.

She's 3.5 months now and to be honest I'd forgotten all about it. No problems at all anymore. Don't forget there's the 8(ish) week growth spurt so your baby might be increasing your supply in preparation for it. Don't worry, it'll resolve itself soon enough.

 

[angelandbump]

I find hand expressing before a feed, just until I feel let down starting helps. I let my milk spray until the letdown reduces then I let baby attach. There was a time I would get nearly an ounce out just holding a bottle to my nipple!

Good luck xx