Overactive letdown (Was: So confused! Oversupply, or what?)

To continue...

It seems I have "flat nipples", which I take to mean they don't stretch
the usual amount when DS nurses. They are normally about 1/8 inch tall
and get barely over 1/4 inch (5cm) tall when he nurses. So for him a
good latch involves (requires) real work: it takes a lot of suction to
get the nipple into a shape that is comfortable for him.

I mentioned squirting a stream. That does not last long, but more often
than not (as in almost constantly) I drip at a rapid rate. Everything
around me gets wet. Nursing pads are usually saturated and leak within
an hour of putting them on.

How I coped last night: I pumped a bare ounce, and offered it to DS in
a syringe. He took about 10 ml (not even 1/4 ounce) then fell into deep
sleep. At last! I put him to bed beside me (I usually put him in his
crib at the foot of the bed), and he slept a solid 4 hours. He woke up
properly refreshed and hungry and after a diaper change etc. he latched
on well, nursed very efficiently for 20 minutes, burped, and went back
to a deep sleep. Whew! That's more like it.

Searching the mkb archives on Google, I am relieved to learn that my
supply should settle down soon to match DS's demand. In the meantime I
will be extra vigilant about lapping vs latching.

All things considered, DS is coping really well with my letdown; so far
he hasn't choked, gagged, or spluttered. When well latched on at first
he does have to swallow after every single suck. He handles this with
amazing grace, inhaling on one suck and exhaling on the next, swallowing
in between.

Pologirl

How I coped last night: I pumped a bare ounce, and offered it to DS in
a syringe. He took about 10 ml (not even 1/4 ounce) then fell into deep
sleep. At last!

Glad to hear you found a solution! I had the same problem (not flat
nipples, but just a MASSIVE amount of milk at let-down)

One thing I tried that works wonders: I pump as much as I can right
before bedtime and then let her nurse on the hindmilk on BOTH breasts.
She sleeps longer and deeper, as her body is busy digesting the fatty
milk.

Good luck to you and your baby!

If your leaking a lot on the other breast during a feed, you could try using
a breast shell to collect the milk. Holds more than a breast pad, and you
can save/freeze the collected milk.

Jacqui

"pologirl" wrote in message
om...
To continue...

It seems I have "flat nipples", which I take to mean they don't stretch
the usual amount when DS nurses. They are normally about 1/8 inch tall
and get barely over 1/4 inch (5cm) tall when he nurses. So for him a
good latch involves (requires) real work: it takes a lot of suction to
get the nipple into a shape that is comfortable for him.

I mentioned squirting a stream. That does not last long, but more often
than not (as in almost constantly) I drip at a rapid rate. Everything
around me gets wet. Nursing pads are usually saturated and leak within
an hour of putting them on.

How I coped last night: I pumped a bare ounce, and offered it to DS in
a syringe. He took about 10 ml (not even 1/4 ounce) then fell into deep
sleep. At last! I put him to bed beside me (I usually put him in his
crib at the foot of the bed), and he slept a solid 4 hours. He woke up
properly refreshed and hungry and after a diaper change etc. he latched
on well, nursed very efficiently for 20 minutes, burped, and went back
to a deep sleep. Whew! That's more like it.

Searching the mkb archives on Google, I am relieved to learn that my
supply should settle down soon to match DS's demand. In the meantime I
will be extra vigilant about lapping vs latching.

All things considered, DS is coping really well with my letdown; so far
he hasn't choked, gagged, or spluttered. When well latched on at first
he does have to swallow after every single suck. He handles this with
amazing grace, inhaling on one suck and exhaling on the next, swallowing
in between.

Pologirl