Spraying letdown with baby constantly unlatching

[Rmar]

I have been trying to calm down an over supply for a couple of weeks now but it hasn't been getting any better. When DD starts feeding and I haven't already stimulated a letdown by hand expressing, she pulls off and cries while milk sprays all over her and anything near us in about 10 different directions. One breast is worse than the other. I find it hard to stimulate a letdown with just hand expressing and when I have a hungry baby who knows there is a breast right in front of her but can't have it, I end up giving up and putting her on. Even when I do have a letdown before hand, it continues to pour out so she has trouble latching on for the rest of the feed and she is constantly pulling off.

I have been not expressing with a pump, ice packs on my breasts, block feeding and trying to catch the let down in a towel (but she cries the whole time because she is hungry). Is there anything else I can be doing? Anyone else experienced this and how long did it take to get better?

Just feeling slightly annoyed because I have so much trouble feeding while out and at night time, the bed ends up soaked so I have to put a towel down before I can sleep again.

 

[MelanieAnn]

You could try herbs to tame the supply. Sage and rosemary are both lactation suppressors. Also the contraceptive pill works effectively.

Is this a situation where a nipple shield would help?

Sometimes it's a matter of anticipating when a feed is likely to be happening, and start the let down earlier, so when LO is hungry, the spraying has happened. Feeding really often helps enormously for oversupply, so long as you combine this with block feeding.

 

[CeriB]

^^ That shoulds like a good advice. Hope it all calms down soon.