Help, oversupply and 2 week old chokes on breast

[lily28]

I know most women are concerned with not having enough milk but I think I have the opposite problem, I have enough for 4 babies. I have too much milk and my 2 week old boy is frustrated, he chokes, coughs, pulls away from the breast all the time etc. He is getting fussy, colicky and has lots of burps, farts etc... He seems satisfied only after a meal on an "empty" boob with fatty hinde milk. But it takes several feeds to reach that point.
I feel his frustration and I don't know how to help him.

I read some people are expressing the excess milk before a feed, but when I did that my milk just came even more and had engorged boobs.

What to do???

 

[I Love Lucy]

Try block feeding where you offer one breast for 2 hours and then for the next 2 hours you offer the next breast. Since your breasts aren't being emptied as often it should signal your body to produce less milk. If you are uncomfortable on the other side that isn't being nursed on, hand express or pump for a few minutes to relieve some of the discomfort. You don't want to pump too much or you will signal your body to produce even more milk.

This is what my LC advised me to do when I told her I thought I might have an oversupply issue.

 

[Meilihua]

That happened to me at about 2 weeks but it just sorted itself out. Your body is just trying to figure out how much milk it needs. Just express a little by hand before you feed him and it should stop it coming out so fast. That's what I did anyway. And I only fed him from one breast at a time. You might end up with leaky boobs for a few days but it will sort itself out.

 

[Katerpillar]

My milk supply is only just regulating itself now - 11 weeks in

My LO also used to cough, splutter, pull away etc and i know how awful it is seeing them so frustrated! The only advice I can give is same as PP - feed off one breast at at time - but I would say do this for a certain amount of feeds rather than a certain amount of hours. I did 4 hours each side. And then just wait it out. Your body will soon know to sort it out.

 

[lily28]

Thank you for the advice ladies!

I actually do the block thing (3-4 blocks) or else I never get empty boobs. I do that the last 3 days, hope I see some improvement.

I started him on Simethicone to help with painful gas today, we didn't get any rest last night as he was wailing...
And I babywear constantly to soothe him, it seems to help him get some sleep.

 

[Bluesea]

you might also have overactive letdown which may be why he is pulling off. if you can feel your letdown (tingly feeling), pull LO off and catch the spray into a burping cloth, then put LO back on the breast. This is what I had to do the 1st 2-months in addition to block feeding. By the 3rd month, I was regulated! Hope it gets better for you...

ETA: if he gets fussy when you pull him off, you can offer your finger (nail down) for him to suck on... worked for me.

 

[lily28]

^ Thanks it is a good idea to let some milk drip when it's too much
I appreciate the advice and the stories, I feel i'm not alone

 

[rose.]

It will get better, LO will learn to cope with the supply, I have the same issue - for the first few weeks I was soaking through 3 breast pads in each cup in about an hour!! My lO used to choke and pull off, but now he just pulls off if it gets too much without choking. At night he can cope with the flow as he is relaxed and hungry and just gulps it down but in the day if he's distracted or not as hungry he does let go and it sprays him all In the face! I just make sure I keep a muslin handy at all times to letdown in to once he's pulled off, once the boob stops squirting (I don't even have to be touching it and it pours out!!) I put him back on and he's happy to carry on. He does get quite a lot of wind though so I make sure I wind him for a long time after Each feed!

 

[rose.]

Have you tried winding him lyingon his front across your lap? I find that this works fantastically well! Alfie is hard to wind it can take 15 minutes to even get one burp, but that position seems to work well

 

[lily28]

It will get better, LO will learn to cope with the supply, I have the same issue - for the first few weeks I was soaking through 3 breast pads in each cup in about an hour!! My lO used to choke and pull off, but now he just pulls off if it gets too much without choking. At night he can cope with the flow as he is relaxed and hungry and just gulps it down but in the day if he's distracted or not as hungry he does let go and it sprays him all In the face! I just make sure I keep a muslin handy at all times to letdown in to once he's pulled off, once the boob stops squirting (I don't even have to be touching it and it pours out!!) I put him back on and he's happy to carry on. He does get quite a lot of wind though so I make sure I wind him for a long time after Each feed!

Same here, nights are a lot easier as he is relaxed and sleepy.

I BF him lying on the side, his head on a towel to catch the milk and spit ups. First week we would just change sheets every day now I know better.

Have you tried winding him lyingon his front across your lap? I find that this works fantastically well! Alfie is hard to wind it can take 15 minutes to even get one burp, but that position seems to work well

Yes I tried it, and all positions were gravity works against the flow, but he still chokes. It doesn't help that he sucks like a maniac.
Ah well he has to learn I guess...

Simethicone helped a lot with the painful gas, he didn't cry once because of tummy aches/colics the last 24h.

 

[aliss]

Time, aside from the great advice above. I *still* have this but as time goes on, the baby learns how to deal with it.

 

[dan-o]

I oversupplied with both boys for the first 2+ weeks, then it sorted itself out to just occasional oversupply. Things settled down even more after 6-8 weeks with Sid and also noticed I no longer needed breast pads after that either (hooray lol)