Too much milk and forceful letdown
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| Hi everyone, i have a 5 week old baby with no tongue tie issues but i have had to use a nipple shield so far because i have inverted nipples. I also have a very active letdown and too much milk (it seems) as baby is choking, gagging, pushing away and crying durinf feedings. I am meeting a lactation consultant next week but can anyone who had a similar issue suggest some things that worked for them? I am already so exhausted and finding this issue super stressful because he does not seem to be eating well. |
Anonymous
| Agh sorry it is stressful! The best thing that helpful me was to try to express a little milk before putting him on. This can be stressful if baby is hungry so you have to be a bit on top of it but I would just hand express into my haaka until the milk was less intense and then latch baby. That way they aren’t getting that forceful let down. It helped reduce gas in the baby as well. Totally hear you on how stressful it is using a nipple shield, having to get your let down going first etc etc ugh so many things. It should hopefully get better as time goes on - good luck! |
Anonymous
| To be clear haaka wasn’t attached, just was a vessel to hand express the milk in. You could use a pump or hand pump too but that always seemed like wayyy to much work to me? I would just do some quick hand expression and when the milk wasn’t spraying out so fast then pop him on |
Anonymous
| You could also try a lying down position so gravity isn't assisting with the flow of milk. Definitely try a LC, though. |
Anonymous
| Laid back breastfeeding... have baby on you rather than him on his back. He can control the flow better. |
Anonymous
|
Same. I would just express some of the milk into a cup or bottle. Then re-latch. The other thing I would do is sometimes just pump milk first because I had an oversupply and it was normalizing the first 12 weeks so I didn’t want to do a cabbage leaf and lose supply/risk not meeting demand.
So I would pump a few oz, then allow her to nurse. Congrats! You got this mama. 
|
Anonymous
| Try pumping and use bottles. like rent a pump at Preston or where hospital can refer you |
Anonymous
PP, forgot about this, that also helped 5 weeks in. |
Anonymous
| Something I did was to pull baby off when my milk let down, give it a minute, and then re-latch. It didn’t last forever - once he was bigger it was easier for him to handle the bigger letdown. |
Anonymous
| Thanks everyone for replies. I tried the laying back thing and it seemed to help a bit! I am trying to wean off the shield at the same time so there are lots of logistical issues at play. I do have a haakaa, i am just terrified of pumping and increasing supply even more. Good to know that it worked for some of you so i will try that. Baby gets super pissed when i pull him off during letdown but will keep working on it. Thanks again, i feel less desperate.. |
Anonymous
Yes this. And you are right OP, do NOT pump, yes it will/could make things worse. Take advantage of your powerful letdown though! I had the same scenario as you and it worked out just as PP says. But I wised up when I had my second and third baby. I got the Milkies milk savers and when I nursed, I would stick one in the non-nursing side. I would collect 1-2 ounces of milk Just from the non nursing side letdown, from each session. I swear I had a freezer full of saved breastmilk and never touched a pump. Granted, it is all the more watery foremilk, but totally fine for an occasional bottle. . |
Anonymous
| Never had this issue, but I've read you can pinch the breast while latching to slow down the milk. Similar to the "breast sandwich" when you're making a soft space for baby to latch |