oversupply and fast letdown - any magic solutions? Sage? Block feeding?

[minipie]

So DD2 is 6 weeks and for most of that time we've been struggling with oversupply and fast letdown. Poor girl gulps and gulps and swallows so much air that she is miserable .

I am feeding in a side lying or reclined position, this helps a little but not hugely. Also trying to catch the initial spray in a muslin but that makes DD cross and she just sucks harder when back on and gets another forceful letdown... I don't think I can keep doing this to her till 12 weeks or whenever supply regulates naturally, it's clearly making her so uncomfortable and frustrated. I'm on the verge of switching to bottles (if she'll take one...)

So, I'm wondering if anyone has managed to regulate their oversupply quickly?

Has anyone tried using sage for this, if so how much did you take and did it work - and how quickly?

I've also read about block feeding - I am already doing this to some extent in that DD only feeds every 3 hours (her choice) and only has one boob per feed but maybe I should ramp up to keeping the same boob for 6 or 9 hours? But then won't the unused boob drown DD when I do switch to it...?

Any help much appreciated. Thanks

[tiktok]

It's prob a good idea to up the block feeding. In the first couple of days you might need to gently hand express some milk of unused breast first. Then it should settle.

I have known some women get to the stage of six hrly blocks.

[minipie]

thanks tiktok - I was hoping you'd reply! So does block feeding work in your experience? I will give 6 hourly a go (it will give my sore left nipple a chance to heal too).

do you (or anyone) have any experience of sage tea...? I can find Internet pages saying it reduces supply in theory, but no personal stories of anyone using it.

Also Kellymom talks about "full drainage and block feeding" - ie express till empty then do block feeding - seems this may speed up the regulation process. Anyone tried it?

thanks

[MrsHathaway]

A friend managed her oversupply using nipple shields. They aren't normally recommended but they saved her bf r/ship with her DD.

tiktok is of course the expert but this might help too if only for the first feed in each block.

[minipie]

Thanks - I think I have some somewhere, I will dig out and see how DD2 reacts (never got dd1 to feed with them but all babies are different of course!)

[WittgensteinsBunny]

Watching with interest... Dd2 here is 4 weeks and we're having horrible crying / arching / colicky symptoms. Tonnes of wind and very liquid poos smelling of vinegar. I am tandem feeding too and have an epic supply at the moment and have just picked up on oversupply in my LLL book. I'm actually trying to get through to an LLL councillor as feel totally out of depth on this. And pretty low with the sleep deprivation and screamy baby.

Ps minipie, I think you were on the 10+ thread with me with dd1? Congrats on dd2

[tiktok]

'Treatment' for over-supply is based on the experience of breastfeeding helpers/supporters/counsellors etc plus an understanding of how bf works, rather than any empirical research, and yes, shields are sometimes tried (though they are a nuisance to use, and don't really support effective attachment, so IMO block feeding is the way to go...yes, in my experience it works).

Sometimes, tandem feeders (like you, Bunny) do indeed have over supply, and yes, an LLL should be able to talk through options with you, and they might include block feeding or even feeding the baby after the sibling (usually you feed the baby before, or them both together) for the present. Hope you get it sorted.

[Gemma94]

I started using nipple shields at about 4 months to help with bleeding nipples.thought it was going to be a temporary for that but it actually really helped with my oversupply & fast let down so I'm still using them at 11 months. Took a bit of getting used to, ds tried refusing them at one point but now he puts it on for me!
I was leaking everywhere, recurring mastitis, lo bringing milk up after every feed & feeding so often it was ridiculous. Kind of wish I had used them sooner. It slowed down my flow, he stopped being sick all the time, only had mastitis twice since then!
I know they're not supposed to be a long term thing but they've really worked for us.

[minipie]

ok I'm trying 6 hour blocks today, along with tincture of sage. Not scientific to try two things at once I know but hoping one or the other works.

Let's see... I'm about to switch to the unused boob (and it's my super producer right boob too) so am not looking forward to the next feed.

wittgenstein hello! yes I was. congratulations to you too (though may not feel like a joy right at the moment...!)

I've read about "full drainage and block feeding" where you pump yourself as dry as possible before starting block feeding - anyone tried it?

[helloelo]

I am not a BF consultant but I conquered over supply with my now 14wo DS so here is a list of things I tried when DS was 4 weeks:

• Block feeding, yes, yes, yes. I did 6 hours blocks (2 to 3 feeds) on one side, then switched. I didn't express the other side but released pressure by dunking nipple in warm water (I'm rubbish at other methods)
  

• Emptying out method, yes too. I had to do it 3 times at 6-7 days intervals. Expressed 150/180ml each side, was very pleased with cow like abilities myself.
  

I basically followed Kellymom.

(note: I used copious amount of Infacol and burped him religiously)

• Nipple shields, sometimes. I found it was easier on DS when he was getting really fed up but (massive BUT), it lead to blocked ducts and me having to express, which is counter productive.
  

• I got my hypothyroidism under control! Had to take medication but it helped with oversupply. It has to do with how prolactin reacts with the thyroid apparently (again, I'm not a GP but that's what I understood from the specialist chat)
  

• I got DS posterior hard to diagnose tongue tie snipped! He was not very efficient at transferring milk (thankfullyish milk was transferring itself very efficiently iyswim!) so it had the nipple shield effect of leaving me quite full and forceful
  

• it just got better by about week 8 I think, he got the hang of dealing with the letdown (latch and suck like crazy, unlatch quickly and let milk spay all over mom, relatch, profit without effort) and just started dribbling the excess over (all my clothes are ruined)
  

• oversupply got much better by week 11-12 (but that's what it's supposed to do anyway).
  

Good luck. I know it can get really hard and people are like "but you've got milk, it's fine" which is infuriating.

[helloelo]

sorry for the double post, I'm trigger happy!

[McBaby]

I have had ovetsupply and fast lay down with both dds.

Block feeding did work for us up to 6 hours a time for a few days!

Plus single sided feeding at all other times and avoiding oats which massively boost my supply.

I just have to be v careful when dropping feeds! As get v engorged and ended up with mastitis a few weeks ago.

[stargirl1701]

Oh, it's a total PITA. I had so much trouble with block feeding. I had to use soya lecithin supplements to extend the time as I just got blocked ducts as the hours passed. My right Breast did sort itself out with the block feeding. My left, at 8 months, is still engorged and leaking between feeds but I have simply got used to it. I wear white GAP t-shirts so the leaking is less obvious. The letdown on the right is no longer crazy and the left has reduced to 5/6 cm which is far, far better.

Dr JackNewman suggests it is a poor latch that generally causes it but I have not found anyone who can help with a latch that looks good, feels good and shows brilliant milk transfer but is still 'wrong'.

[minipie]

Thanks so much for further replies, great to hear tales of what has worked.

hello that's very interesting. DD had posterior tongue tie, it was snipped at 12 days and then re snipped at 4 ish weeks, guess that may have contributed to the problem. I also have mild hypothyroid - I am on meds but need to get my levels checked! (oh and I get through infacol like water)

mcbaby I realised two days ago I have been eating oat based cereals and hob nobs every day - now stopped!

stargirl funnily I don't really leak between feeds, or let down particularly readily. I only get the fierce spray when dd sucks or with a pump, and even then, the spray stops quite quickly if I unlatch (but then starts again as soon as I get dd back on, sigh). downside is that this means the "spray into a towel" thing doesn't really work for me. on the plus side i don't get through clothes so quickly... that must be a real pain. hope your left breast sorts soon.

[NoParking]

Have you tried Savoy cabbage to manage over supply? Helped me when block feeding to avoid mastitis on the other side. I also had to avoid hot baths / showers on my breasts as that always made over supply worse.

[WittgensteinsBunny]

So I spoke to a bf councillor yesterday afternoon who suggested feeding dd1 first to get rid of the excess milk and then to block feed dd2 for 3 hours. I get this is like the full drainage and block feeding but using the toddler in place of a breAst pump! Things improved massively yesterday. No screaming / colicky baby. We are now having to spend more time at home though as I'm feeding dd1 a lot more now and feeding 2 babies in public isn't somewhere I'm prepared to go! Hope you had a better night too minipie :)

[minipie]

Well the 6 hourly block feeding seems to have had an effect! My boobs feel softer and we have calmer feeding and a more relaxed baby generally. Still a bit gushy at the start of feeds but only right at the start and then it's ok. I'll revert to 3 hourly today as don't want to go too far.

We still have a rubbish latch a lot of the time though even when there is no fast flow (wonder if she has learned to clamp to stop the flow and is still doing that?) She can do a good latch sometimes, so I don't think it's TT or anything physical, more habit... hopefully will improve over time if she realises she's not getting drowned.

witt very glad things are working for you! Impressed you are feeding two o