OALD / oversupply / imbalance? Causing sickness and green poo :-(

[hinkybinky]

I had been feeding from alternate sides (one breast per feed) but around 3 weeks ago started offering second breast. A few days later I noticed LO poo was consistently green and mucousy. He has also been regurgitating quite a lot of milk after a feed. So I've gone back to single side feeding... but I seem to have developed an oversupply in the meantime. LO is now choking when I letdown, and even when feeding just from one breast he brings up milk for the next hour or so, despite my best attempts at winding.

Yesterday when I woke up I pumped about 12oz (2 breasts) - as an experiment I bottle fed him ebm yesterday giving 5oz at a time and he had no sickness and better consistency of poo, although still greenish. So it seems to me he is just taking too much from the breast, not knowing when to stop?

This morning I pumped off 3oz of foremilk before latching him on, but he kept wanting to be put back on the breast. I kept putting him back on the same empty side. He has obviously still taken too much as he's been bringing up milk again.

He has gone from 50th percentile at 6 weeks to 25th percentile at 10 weeks. GP didn't seem concerned but I don't think he's put on any weight in last 2 weeks (just from weighing him at home on mechanical scales so not terribly accurate). Not sure whether to take him tomorrow to get weighed or wait a bit longer.

His latch has also gone to pot, presumably because of the fast flow or letdown, he will not open his mouth wide but just perches on the end.

I really want to carry on bf, but it's just horrible seeing him choke, bring up his milk, and the supposedly unhealthy poo as well. Makes me feel like I'm not really giving him the best start at all! If I had to exclusively express to control what he takes, then I'm not sure how I would manage with that (for a start I'd need to upgrade my manual pump...).

I just wonder if anyone has any advice. I've enjoyed bf until now but this is beginning to get me down.

 

[Tacey]

I'd be really careful about how much you express. The more you pump, the more milk you'll be making. It's ok to had express a little to take a bit of pressure before latching, but if you're pumping considerable amounts, the oversupply will just get worse.

Why did you switch to offering both sides? Did he fuss after 'emptying' the first? Maybe have a go at block feeding until your supply calms down a bit, and ditch the pump until things are more regulated (or if you need to keep up a stash of milk, maybe try only pumping for a set time)

Hope it improves soon!

Edit: Just noticed you said you're feeding just from one side now. It will take time before your supply regulates. Give it a week or so and I'm sure it will be improving.

 

[Luzelle]

I had an awful problem with oversupply right from when my milk came in. I started pumping to help my baby latch and not have that green poo and gas, and that is where I went wrong. I had to pump out about 13 oz before feeding in the end!!!!!!!!! The more I pumped the more my body made. We also experimented with the bottle and wanted to give up, when I started block feeding. At this point I was shattered, tired, exhausted... and this was my last attempt. I became horribly engorged for five days, and then my body got the message. In this five days my baby had lots and lots of gas, erupting vomits, choking and spluttering and of course loads of explosive green poo. This week his poo is nice and yellow again. I still have too much milk, so I let him suck until my letdown occurs and then I let the spray go into a towelling nappy and he just has to wait a bit and cry if he must.
The thing about the pumping is that it gets so exhausting, combined with breastfeeding. You have to anticipate when your baby wakes up so your breasts will be soft enough, if you pump too early they will once again become too full. This means that you have to do this in the middle of the night as well!! And sterilizing the equipment etc etc. Don't do it to yourself, I didn't know any better.
Google block feeding and try it. You can also brew some strong sage tea and drink that as well. Sorry I don't have a link to block feeding, the article my midwife gave me came from some breastfeeding journal on the internet.
Good luck. I know its not nice to watch your baby struggle with feeding, and sore to have him 'perch' on the end. Rather let the excess milk drain naturally than pump it out. PM me if you have questions.

 

[sept2010]

I agree block feeding helped me too with oversupply.. Definately try it!! Kellymom has great articles on oversupply !! X

 

[lynnikins]

I had an awful problem with oversupply right from when my milk came in. I started pumping to help my baby latch and not have that green poo and gas, and that is where I went wrong. I had to pump out about 13 oz before feeding in the end!!!!!!!!! The more I pumped the more my body made. We also experimented with the bottle and wanted to give up, when I started block feeding. At this point I was shattered, tired, exhausted... and this was my last attempt. I became horribly engorged for five days, and then my body got the message. In this five days my baby had lots and lots of gas, erupting vomits, choking and spluttering and of course loads of explosive green poo. This week his poo is nice and yellow again. I still have too much milk, so I let him suck until my letdown occurs and then I let the spray go into a towelling nappy and he just has to wait a bit and cry if he must.
The thing about the pumping is that it gets so exhausting, combined with breastfeeding. You have to anticipate when your baby wakes up so your breasts will be soft enough, if you pump too early they will once again become too full. This means that you have to do this in the middle of the night as well!! And sterilizing the equipment etc etc. Don't do it to yourself, I didn't know any better.
Google block feeding and try it. You can also brew some strong sage tea and drink that as well. Sorry I don't have a link to block feeding, the article my midwife gave me came from some breastfeeding journal on the internet.
Good luck. I know its not nice to watch your baby struggle with feeding, and sore to have him 'perch' on the end. Rather let the excess milk drain naturally than pump it out. PM me if you have questions.

if you can hunni id catch that spray into a bottle or cup then freeze it in a milk bag for later use

 

[hinkybinky]

Sorry, I didn't get on yesterday after an exhausting day! Thank you for your advice, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply

Am feeling a bit better today, more perspective... This morning I have not pumped, just let him take what he wanted from one side, I will feed again on that side as I know he has not emptied the breast but just got full from the foremilk. He's brought some of it up already but I am just resigned to that now.

So I will try to resist the pump for a week or so and just let him take what he needs, and do the block feeding. Thank you again, fingers crossed we get some improvement

 

[Luzelle]

Good luck and I hope things get better real soon.

 

[hinkybinky]

Thank you all for your advice! I have avoided expressing (except for one feed a day that LO takes in a bottle from OH) and have stuck with the block feeding and... 2 lovely big seedy yellow poos today!

My breasts are much less engorged, only first thing in the morning, and LO is only choking on the 2 morning feeds now, which I'm trying to anticipate and take him off.

Without your wisdom I'd probably be expressing more and more foremilk, so you have saved me getting into a vicious cycle!

Hoping this is problem solved, thank you again xxx

 

[Cassiesam]

So glad things have improved x

 

[summer rain]

Great news! xx

 

[2016]

Glad things have got better for you. I was going to say I also found using a cool gel pack (or covered ice pack) on my bewbs when engorged really helped make them feel better and reduced the supply a bit.

 

[hinkybinky]

Oooh, great tip, thank you! Another lovely big yellow poo this morning. Never thought I'd be so happy about the colour and consistency of nappy contents! Am going to weigh next week so will update here. Hopefully might help someone else too