A vicious cycle...

[BlueIrises]

I am a continual poster here as my problems with BF are never ending...my body doesn't seem to regulate my supply at all for the past 3 weeks it has been the same thing...

The past few Thursdays I've suffered from engorgement and plugged ducts and all the pain that goes with that in addition to the thrush and RS I've been treating...Friday I hit rock bottom and swear I am quitting BF b/c the pain is unbearable and my breasts are huge...Sat symptoms are same as Fri...Sun things start to get better and Monday I have nice small boobs (well back to my 38DD) and my ducts are clear...Tues my supply starts building again and my ducts start clogging b/c my son doesn't drink all that I'm producing and by Thursday the cycle repeats itself again...

Yesterday I felt great...I actually had two back to back nursing session w/zero pain and that was a first but then that was followed up by my usual discomfort when nursing...Today my breast are really full and my son just doesn't need all that I'm producing and my right breast is the one that is getting clogged this week (last week it was the left...the week before both)

Pumping the extra just makes things worse b/c I just produce even more and my LC told me to stop with the pumping...but what do I do...how do I get this cycle to stop and get my milk to even out.

I'm trying so hard to overcome all the pain that I suffered from 6w of thrush in addition to working through the Raynaud's Syndrome...how do I treat oversupply issues? It may sound selfish but I am not mentally able to even think about donation...I have to many issues to deal with feeding my own son and I just can't think about feeding anyone elses at this point.

I've read a little about cabbage leaves helping with engorgement but I don't know enough.

My son will be 8w this Thursday and I would love to be able to celebrate the day instead of crying and screaming in pain...

Any suggestions about how to get my supply under control?

[BlueIrises]

Anyone have suggestions?

[TurboClaudia]

i have followed much of your story and am wondering what you believe is working for you now...

can you also find a local in person support group for breastfeeding, i.e. LLL or a hospital based one? in person mom-to-mom support is worth more than a million online suggestions...

~claudia

[sophmama]

Have you tried herbs to treat oversupply? I know kellymom.com has a list - I remember sage being one, there are quite a few. I wonder if you can just mildly limit water intake and diminish your oversupply on fuller days and it would help a little. Are you wearing an underwire? Is your bra too snug? A well fitting bra should help keep your supply down but if your bra or your arms at night (while you sleep) are cutting off any ducts, you can get plugged ducts that way. How do the plugs develop? Do you wake up with them? Do they come on during the day?

Have you been to an LC about this?

[BlueIrises]

Claudia-Everyone in my real life that BF just keeps telling me it is okay to quit, LLL only meets once a month so I have to wait until the 2nd Tues of each month to seek them out and I really don't feel like my hospital is the way to go based on my experience delivering there and the classes I took there pre-birth...as what I believe is working for me, not much...just my devotion to doing it each day...I'm stubborn and I'm refusing to be beaten by this I guess

Sophmama-I read about sage but like the cabbage leaves was afraid to try it b/c I didn't know if I would dry up, but maybe I should try the herbs...I actually bought the cabbage just an hour ago and have a leave in my shirt...
I guess I could lessen my water intake, it is the only fluid I drink but I am so thirsty all the time...I drink a ton of water always have...I don't wear an underwire...sure wish I could b/c my boobs are at my knees...I was suspecting it was my bras even though I got fitted for them 4 weeks ago...so I stopped wearing all bras 3 days ago and I'm just wearing a shelf-less tank top...I'm still getting the BD...I've had to switch to back sleeping since my sons birth sometimes on my side but lately I'm trying to just stay on my back...the BD are forming during the day I believe unless they are starting really small overnight and then grow huge during the day...I've been seeing a LC but all my other problems have been our focus...

[sophmama]

A few articles that seem to directly address your challenges:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...-mastitis.html

http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/toomuchmilk.html

[micamama]

Mint and peppermint teas help dry me up. I don't know where I heard that before, but it does work for me. I don't do it to try and dry up, but if I'm drinking those teas for a cold, then my supply is inevitably diminished. Also, hopefully you are not drinking anything else that might boost your supply? Like Mother's Milk tea or Fennel?

The suggestions above sound good, too. I'm sending good thoughts your way. I don't want you to give up. It should be fairly regulated by 3 months (at least that's when mine tended to stop overcompensating) so don't give up hope completely. I also fought a lot of thrush and consequently, pain, with both of my little ones at first, so I am deeply sympathetic.

Oh, I just remembered another thing I used to do...I would just pump enough to get a let-down and then let it stream into a cup or something (not pump) to relieve the excess. It seemed to help my body get the message that it was too much milk!!

Keep us posted!

[BlueIrises]

Thanks for all the advice...I'm using cabbage leaves as we speak to help with the engorgement. I am going to get some Vit C tomorrow and look into Lecithin, I have no clue what that is

I'm also calling a BF Specialist that someone PMed me about...apparently there is a doctor nearby that specializes in BF medicine...YEAH...maybe I can finally move onto good BF...

[TurboClaudia]

the consistent plugged ducts also make me wonder if a physical therapist trained in ultrasound therapy for breasts might help. i recently heard one give a talk about this therapy and from her recountings, it really makes a difference for women who have repeated plugged ducts and mastitis or for some women with oversupply issues. since you seem near NYC, i'm sure there must be some relatively near by.

as for the support groups, have you also checked out the finding your tribe area here on MDC for any local mamas you could connect with? and as for LLL, the leaders are available via phone and sometimes in person (depending on their schedules and lives) for consults and to answer questions or offer support.

i really, really hope you find some comfort soon...

~claudia

[hellyaellen]

you can try hand expressing just enough to relieve engorgement instead of pumping. also hot showers and warm compresses might help.

[CathMac]

Originally Posted by micamama

Also, hopefully you are not drinking anything else that might boost your supply? Like Mother's Milk tea or Fennel?

Are you taking any B vitamins or Brewer's yeast? You don't happen to eat a lot of oatmeal (in any form) or steak do you? They have a reputation for boosting supply. But food as a supply booster is highly individualized. I remember reading a post from one woman that said beets and some other veggie worked for her.

I know there has been some discussion about diet as it relates to Thrush but can you think of one comfort food or type of food that you eat consistently that might be contributing to oversupply?

Take a look at any herbal or vitamin supplements you are taking and any favorite foods. Since protein and fat can be important to supply I would suspect anything high in both (Dairy, Peanut Butter, etc.)

Just a thought.

I'm rooting for you.
~Cath

[BlueIrises]

Cath-I haven't had oatmeal since I was PG and working. For breakfast I usually have a bowl of Fiber One mixed with Raisin Bran to cut down on the animal feed texture...other than that the only thing I eat consistenly is pasta...This week I have been focusing my diet on better choices so I'm eating salad w/grilled chicken and I bought the protien bars for a midday snack as per somones suggestion...

[bornbythesea]

What are you doing for thrush? My near constant plugged ducts went away completely when I treated thrush with diflucan. Just something to consider. I hope you are feeling better. Those plugged ducts hurt!

[gillibean]

My heart goes out to you. I really hope things improve. While I didn't have to deal with most of the same issues as you, I did have a major oversupply. What worked for me is to offer only one side at each feeding. I'll offer the second side only if the first side is *very* empty. If I offered both sides, I usually regretted it by the next day and spent the next couple of days dealing with engorgement. It took me a while to figure that out with DD1 because so many people say to make sure you offer both sides. I followed this same strategy with DS and DD2 and things were much better with them.

I also would express what I could just by applying pressure to the sides of my breasts, especially while soaking in the bath. Pumping was out, as was anything that stimulated my nipples. The other thing I did was to use a towel to catch the milk that would pour out of the side that wasn't being nurse-on. That way it would empty a bit without any more stimulation.

I'm not sure if any of that helped. Hopefully you can find out what works best for your body. Good luck.

[stockingup99]

Go braless to bed with your baby for as long as you can. I mean days. Bring a book, and rest. Hot showers to relieve engorgement. I don't think the cabbage changes your supply, just gives comfort.

Things should even out. Apply heat for comfort.

Hot Herbie, a pound of flaxseed sew into a bit of fabric. Microwave until hot, and apply to sore area.

Hang in there, your baby may be coming up on a growth spurt, making more milk for tomorrow.

Keep some cloth diapers or burpies handy, I remember leaking a whole lot out the other side in those early days. Tuck the clean cloth near the unused side to catch the waterfall.