Help me figure out what's going on...

[floiejo2]

My dd is 7 weeks old and all of the sudden we are having some major breastfeeding issues. I have very luckily never had any problems breastfeeding my first two. They both nursed immediately and wonderfully until 2 and 2.5. She has been a great nurser until now. She just had a growth spurt around 6 weeks and nursed constantly around the clock so maybe that's what caused this? I think I am having an over supply/forceful letdown issue from what I've read. She starts to nurse and as soon as I letdown (which is always painful and has been since my milk came in) she is gagging, choking, coughing, pulling off, and now it's to the point that she will then be mad and refuse to nurse and just cry when I try to latch her on. But of course she's hungry and is sucking like crazy on my neck, arm, her fist...She sucks in so much air and then gets super fussy and gassy.  I've tried to have her nurse uphill by trying different positions, that doesn't work, she just fusses and is highly distractable. I've been doing block feeding for the past few days but she still gets that letdown every time she nurses and gets mad. Every now and then I can get her to eat well when she's half asleep, either just waking up or just falling asleep, otherwise she's constantly fighting it. The only way I can sometimes nurse her during the day is standing up bouncing and rocking with a sound machine on. But she's still not really eating well and draining my breasts. I'm worried about my supply, what will happen if the breasts are never really emptied, will supply diminish? She can't be getting enough hind milk. I wonder if she is still gaining well? She had been gaining around 8oz a week. She sees the Dr next Monday. She sleeps pretty well, usually has a 4-6 hr stretch at night and nurses decently in the middle of the night. We bed share and side lie nurse all night. Does this sound like an over supply? Or maybe just an overactive letdown? I'm getting soo frustrated. I cry whenever we try...it's just a constant battle and so difficult to get her fed and full. I have two older dds and ever since this started I feel like I'm ignoring them because I'm spending so much time trying to feed dd3. Please help me!!

[motherhendoula]

Well a sure sign that its oversupply would be whats going on in her diaper....if you are seeing green 'frothy' poop  - i think you are facing an oversupply issue - which block feeding ...for a few weeks...should resolve.

if diaper looks like normal - worst nacho cheese dip ever - sort of thing....perhaps she is annoyed by the forceful let down.  You mentioned you tried leaning back to nurse and it made no difference, have you tried hand expressing at all?

this is a good video... http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/HandExpression.html

hand expression BEFORE you nurse her - since you seem to have plenty you dont even have to worry about collecting it - just reducing the amount - if you can get the first forceful let down out this way, she may have a better experience at the breast.

Also you mentioned she nurses well lying down and when sleepy - can you try that during the day as well? 

It would be a shame to wake her since shes doing so well there - but maybe waking her can get her to eat to the point where she has drained the breast. 

good luck

[floiejo2]

Thanks for the info! She has had pretty green poops lately, I'm not sure I'd call them frothy, but there's almost no lumpy hindmilk looking globs. I didn't know that. I have been hand expressing right after the first big letdown and then resuming feeding her, but I think i need to catch it even earlier cause if she starts getting the letdown, then she refuses to nurse again. Poor thing! She just tries so hard to keep swallowing but can't keep up. I have also tried laying down with her in the day to nurse, it finally worked yesterday afternoon, she was tired enough to just nurse and fall asleep, most of the time she's too distracted by things. Of course we're starting into that stage at the same time as this is going on, not a good combo. I've been block feeding for three days now and I think it's helping some. I'm just hoping I'm not decreasing my supply if not necessary. Thanks again, keep the info coming! :)