"Milk Waster"

[StarGazerRose]

FTM ... i'm still learning the most efficient way for us. Baby Girl is 2 months old.
I nurse her when I'm home, and Hubby gives her bottles of pumped milk while I'm at work.

When I feed her, she seems to be getting plenty, but she soaks a burp rag with milk that pours out the sides of her mouth. It concerns me that so much is being lost... I end up with milk covered hands, her and her outfit are soaked, and I always have to keep an extra rag to wipe her face too.

I believe her latch is good, I check her position and she seems to be on well. Sometimes i feel a painful pinch when she latches... I try to adjust her but she's going to town and the pain eventually goes away (i'm guessing that is probably my "let down")

Is any one else's baby a milk waster? What did you do or find that helped?

 

[ClairAye]

This was my daughter, the midwife said I just had a lot of milk and a really good flow of it. It stopped happening around 3 months as she got bigger.

 

[StarGazerRose]

Thanks Clair.
I hope we find an efficient way to continue. I watched a few more videos... might see if i can take something with me.

 

[IchigoMewMew]

Have you had her checked for tongue tie? DD used to leak out of her mouth before hers was cut, it also stopped the pain I was experiencing

 

[noon_child]

Does she do the same with bottles? If not, then it's probably that you have a fast flow of milk and she may be letting it out of the sides in order to be able to deal with it better and not get overwhelmed. You could try a laid back/reclined feeding position (you lying back at 45 degrees or so, so that when LO is attached the milk has to flow against gravity to get in to her mouth). It can sometimes be tricky to get comfy at first so if you have breastfeeding help/support you could ask them to help you get started with it. Great thing about it is that it also helps babies who struggle to get a deep latch - so its a bit of a 2-for-1!!

 

[StarGazerRose]

She does do the same thing with bottles, just not as much. My husband seems to be able to get her to drink her bottles with little to no spilled milk. I have yet to figure that out, cause when I feed it to her she spills more than she drinks still.

I've thought about the tongue tie, but I'm not sure if that is the issue or not. I can ask the pediatrician at her next appointment.

I've tried leaning back, but she likes being in the position we're in... I even have to keep adjusting her to a better aligned position and she turns back.

I tried a few tricks to help get her a deeper latch, and it's helped some, but only if she doesn't decide that its too deep, and pulls back some.

 

[noon_child]

Babies who struggle to drink from bottles as well as the breast may have a tongue tie. If she does have a tie it will make dealing with fast flow of milk even harder. It definitely sound like she is trying to pull away from too much milk, or at least milk she can't deal with (if she can't move her tongue properly swallowing could be difficult for her). If she has a tongue tie she may also find it hard to extract any milk from you unless it is actually pouring in to her mouth due to let down. This could lead to weight loss later on when you milk supply stabilises and let downs aren't as fierce.

Can you get her to suck on your finger? Does it feel like her tongue is cupping the underside of your finger as she sucks or does she pull it back and use her lips/gums to suck?

 

[Canadianmom]

I’d say it’s most likely that both the bottles and your breast are too fast-

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

Call an LC or la leche league to ask them to watch her nurse and address the issue. LLL is free. An LC isnt.