So what exactly qualifies as overactive letdown?

[zazenist]

Hi mamas:

I have oversupply issies and am trying to get some related problems fixed... My LO often gulps and sputters at the breast, but I tried popping her off when I feel the letdown and didn't see anything spectacular. The milk was dribbling out, but nothing like a lot of OALD descriptions where the milk shoots halfway across the room! Does this sound like OALD? Just curious.

[Beauchamp]

nak I have a strong letdown (I think) Mine will shoot out in a solid stream of a few inches long (enough to easily spray DD in the face if she unlatches) when I am very full, like first thing in the morning. After 5 mo of BFing, this still happens, so I think I am "overactive", although I don't like that term because it's just what's normal for me. DD does have to focus and swallow really well when the milk lets down.

I thought it was oversupply that would regulate over time, but it's just my body's way.

[Bokonon]

You don't have to see it shooting out for it to be too forceful for baby to handle comfortably.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

[Diyan]

If the baby is having trouble handling it, then it's worth fixing, whether or not it sprays out when baby unlatches. What are you doing to resolve your over-supply? Are you using block feeding?

[ewe+lamb]

In this instance you may feel that your supply isn't that forceful and it doesn't sound like an extreme case, however, for your little baby it's different. Here I would look at her suck whilst in a non-let down breastfeeding time, look at the way she sucks, it should basically be suck suck suck swallow and a breath. Sometimes it can just take a little while for baby to grow that bit bigger to cope with a more forceful supply or we need to actually work at things, what are the nappies like? what colour etc? does baby suffer from gas lower down in the intestine? - not just burps?

[zazenist]

Thanks for all the input. I've been block feeding for going on a couple weeks now (have also had oversupply/engorgement issues)... DD is extremely gassy (both ends), we've been trying to get to the bottom of her green, explosive poops (I have another thread on that issue), and she's very fussy - at times screaming inconsolaby for a few hours at a time. I've been nursing her while lying on my back and her on my chest, stopping nursing to burp her, nursing on demand as often as she wants... So far nothing seems to be solving the problem of the gas and fussiness yet. I'm on day 4 of a dairy elimination, so it's too soon to tell about that.

I'm just trying to identify and address all possible causes of DD's misery... She doesn't seem to mind nursing, though - in fact, she's a big time comfort nurser, so I guess if OALD is an issue, it's not spoiling her feeding experience at this point - so I don't know if you could say she's having trouble handling it or not. During the bulk of the feed, she does a suck-suck-suck-swallow kind of rhythm - you can see that little pause in her chin. She's got a great latch, never had any issues with that. She's gaining weight fine, even a little fast maybe - she was 7 lb 4 oz at birth and 10 lb 5 oz at 5 weeks. She's long, though, so she's not really looking that chunky - does seem like rapid weight gain to me, though... at this rate she'll double her birth weight in under 3 months.

[Diyan]

The gas and green poo can be caused by oversupply. When your breast is fuller, the cream comes out slower, so the milk your baby gets is lower-fat (foremilk). As your breast empties, the cream flows more easily, so the milk gradually becomes higher-fat (hindmilk). But if you have oversupply, baby's stomach can fill up while your breast is still full and the fat isn't flowing well yet. So baby is getting too much sugar and not enough fat, which can cause the digestive problems you described.

(Intolerance to cow milk protein can also cause green poo and digestive discomfort, but I would be more inclined to suspect that if you weren't having oversupply or if baby had other symptoms of food allergies, like a rash around her bottom or on her face. But it won't hurt you to take dairy out of your diet)

Until you've gotten your supply adjusted, you might want to pump before offering her a full breast. The block feeding will keep one side full longer while you feed her from the other side, so the full breast is telling your body to produce less milk. But when you switch sides, if you pump a few ounces from the full breast before offering it to her, she's less likely to get full before she gets to the hindmillk.

[brightonwoman]

Originally Posted by zazenist

DD is extremely gassy (both ends), we've been trying to get to the bottom of her green, explosive poops (I have another thread on that issue), and she's very fussy - at times screaming inconsolaby for a few hours at a time. I've been nursing her while lying on my back and her on my chest, stopping nursing to burp her, nursing on demand as often as she wants... So far nothing seems to be solving the problem of the gas and fussiness yet. I'm on day 4 of a dairy elimination, so it's too soon to tell about that.

My last DS had the bad gas which made him really fussy, and he was greatly helped by gripe water--it's a fennel tincture (fennel helps with gas). I have a fast letdown and my kiddos can't seem to avoid swallowing air untol they are several months old, but the gripe water is a lifesaver!!
Remember this too shall pass--she'll get older and be able to keep up with your supply (and/or your supply will ease up) and in a few months you'll probably hardly even remember what a struggle this was.

[ewe+lamb]

Breast compression can help with getting the hindmilk out and into the baby it's a great skill to learn for oversupply and for undersupply, the creamy thick milk will help with the gassiness and reduce green nappies IF it's not an allergy issue. See www.drjacknewman.com and click on videos for breast compression if you need to see how it actually works.

[brightonwoman]

Originally Posted by ewe+lamb

Breast compression can help with getting the hindmilk out and into the baby it's a great skill to learn for oversupply and for undersupply, the creamy thick milk will help with the gassiness and reduce green nappies IF it's not an allergy issue. See www.drjacknewman.com and click on videos for breast compression if you need to see how it actually works.

Thank you for that link!!! There's a ton of good stuff on that site!!