Oversupply? Choking.. :(

[Weebles]

I'm so upset, I don't really know what to do. My DD is 5 weeks old today and lately it seems she chokes almost every time she nurses. It's really scary, she makes this horrible gasping sound and I think she stops breathing for a few seconds. I have to unlatch her and pat her back and then she coughs.. I feel awful. I spoke to a nurse who really wasn't very helpful at all today.. I already googled.. I've started nursing one side only for each feeding days ago but that hasn't helped. I can't feel my milk let down so I don't know when to have her stop for a few moments. I'm really worried that she will just keep on choking.

 

[thexfadingpat]

Have you tried hand expressing until you get a letdown first, then putting her to the breast?
With my first I had to do that because my letdown was very forceful at the beginning. Also nursing in a laidback position (reclining back with her almost laying on top of your chest) can help.

 

[kajastarlight]

My last baby chocked on my forceful letdown too. Laid back nursing really helped. My current LO just chugs it down lol

 

[Weebles]

If what you mean by laid back nursing is laying down with her laying on top of me, I just can't figure that position out, seems she can't breathe too well. Maybe it's because DD is still just too tiny. (She's a preemie) I did try a football hold with her more sitting instead of prone which sort of helped.. She started to cough so I unlatched her but that's a lot better than choking.. I hope she outgrows it as she gets bigger, it really is frightening.

 

[Rachel320]

I had the same issue and would simply express for a minute before I latched baby on. It's annoying I know but she will get better at handling the let down as she gets older. My LO is 4 months old and I'm having more breastfeeding issue and just now so I feel your pain! Honestly, how do wild animals do this so naturally!?

 

[kajastarlight]

The "laid back" position I use is more like reclining and I let my boob kinda fall to the side a bit then latch her on while she is laying against my side kinda on her side too. Sorry if that was clear as mud... But try many different ways even if it's something that is not in the commonly suggested holds.

 

[OilyMamma]

Both my kiddos choked on my forceful let down. Try hand expressing some milk or using a small manual pump for a minute before latching. If you get the milk flowing first and wait for it to stop squirting your LO should do better with it. They seem to handle it better as they get older and the milk regulates better

 

[Weebles]

She really did stop doing this as much as she got a bit older. She starts to cough now and sometimes she will unlatch on her own, cough a bit, and then relatch. Other times she will cough and I have to unlatch her myself. But she's not choking ever time I nurse her now which is a huge relief. I hope in another couple weeks she won't even have to cough.