Lactation Consultant or Breastfeeding Pros Need Some Advise......

E-mail my lactation consultant. She doesn't charge very much and every time I needed something, it worked. We met her when she worked in Dr. Sears' office almost 10 years ago and has helped me with 3 of my 4 babies.

____@____.com

She can Skype or phone consults if you are a great distance.

Seriously, e-mail her!

Just a thought for the overactive let down - will he unlatch for the gush of the let down (and do that into a towel or receiving blanket) and put him back on for the nursing? A friend of mine successfully continued to nurse her infant with this technique. As he got bigger, she didn't have to take him off for the let down anymore.

When you feel the let down and you know your baby is gulping too fast or having a problem, why not let the "extra" milk flow into a cloth? Once you stop spraying (if that is the case) or dripping so much, then re latch him? Personally, I would not abandon one breast over the other. I would continue to nurse on both sides. And since your baby is just about 1 month old, your body is still working to meet his needs which means in the beginning your body will make a lot of milk until his needs are well established. You haven't even gotten through some heavy growth spurts, you don't want to jeopardize your supply for those, right? Your body will make what your baby takes and in a few months you won't be having over supply issues.

And, I would definitely get help from a lactation consultant who is IBCLC certified.

It does sound like you're really just block feeding, just on a longer cycle. If your body needs that to regulate your supply, then it's working for you. I just would try backing off that schedule after a couple of weeks, just to make sure you don't wind up lopsided, and if you still need it, keep trying periodically just so you don't inadvertently shoot yourself in the foot.

You're doing great! Happy nursing!

I had a very similar problem where my milk letdown would happen and was so forceful that my babies would be coughing and gagging and sputtering, and then would spit up half their meal because they were getting too much too quick.
So what I had to do was once the letdown started (and there was no question when it started, the pins and needles were unbelievable), I would take the baby off my breast and let the forceful part of the letdown spray into a cloth diaper that I would then use for them burping later (cloth diapers make great absorbant spit up rags). Yes, I did a lot of laundry for sure.
And yes, the baby was really upset when I pulled them off the breast during letdown. But one minute of screaming was a lot better than hours of unhappy gassy tummies. Eventually my boobs would mellow out after a few months of nursing each time and the letdown wouldn't be so crazy.

Have you tried using a nipple shield? I had a huge milk supply with an overactive let down as well. My lactation nurse said my son was "intimidated by my copious amounts of milk." :) anyways, i found that using the shield made it easier for my son to drink when he was ready without being sprayed in the face. (sorry if that was tmi). good luck!

My letdown was so forceful with my first, that she ended up gulping a lot of air... and if I didn't pull her off after a minute or two to burp her, she would spew all over..... and it was quite a projectile spew!

That did help, but she would still occasionally spew it back up if I didn't get her burped shortly after I started...... and this would be a very messy spew, since she was spitting it up while she was still at my breast!

I had a heavy side that at times my 2 dd's didn't like in the beginning and then later strongly preferred. It sounds like you are doing the right thing although I can imagine how uncomfortable that would be during the day and I think it wouldn't hurt to pump the heavy side during the day. When they had a hard time with the heavy side I would do similar to you...sometimes pump first, sometimes just towel that leaky side while nursing the slow side, and doing my best to keep giving that side to her too. Eventually the strong side got the hint and didn't produce as much and the little one got more comfortable with that side, too. My strong side never did get weak though and stayed the strong side throughout nursing. Later when my 2 didn't like the slow side I would give them the strong side first and often be successful putting them on the slow side mid-feed. If I waited until they were done with the strong side then they wouldn't be hungry enough for the other side so I would just go back to finish the strong side after I got them to do the weak side as long as possible. At night is when I would be the most successful at giving the slow side much like your fast side! For both of my gals their preferences changed and I was able to eventually even out the feedings on both sides but I wonder how much of that was because I was trying so hard to keep the supply on the slow side. I also pumped that side occasionally because I was scared I would lose it...and fearful of how lopsided I would be for who knows how long :). Both of them were exclusively on breast milk until they ate food around 6mo and continued nursing until toddler years so I am glad they got around to both sides eventually. Sounds like you are doing a great jog Momma - listening to your little one and doing reasonable things to keep going. Perhaps an expert could give just a little more advise and/or peace of mind. I had a friend who got lots of great council over the phone with a La Leche member in her area - it might be worth a try. Oh - and as far as stress...it sounds like you have tried this but if you have a chance during the day to nurse in a quiet alone, relaxing place, laying down - that might help! Good luck!

It sounds to me like a good plan. I would probably do one pump on the strong side mid-day. Not pumping to empty, but just to comfort, to make sure you don't lose your supply on that side. And keep track of how you feel, and if you feel like your supply on the right side is becoming less, go to feeding on one side per feeding, instead of block feedings.

What worked best for me was to use a hand pump to get through the 1st letdown just before the baby latched, so that he missed the first letdown, which was the most forceful. And then I switched sides every feeding. The trick to keep this from backfiring is to only pump 5-10 times (handpump) or a minute or so (electric pump). You just want to get through that letdown, you don't want to pump a full bottle of milk before the baby feeds. If you've pumped more than an ounce or two, you've pumped too long before putting the baby on. I did this until about 3 months, and by then the baby was big enough to handle it, and my supply was a bit more evened out.

And all that milk I pumped and froze really came in handy later! I used it to make baby oatmeal cereal, etc. It's not terrific to use as an entire bottle for feeding, because it's all foremilk, and no hindmilk, but to make cereal or to top off a bottle that is a little short, it's fine.

I suggest you pump the right side during the day to ensure you are not having issues during the day, honestly, there is nothing wrong with an "oversupply" so long as you can store it. If you are lucky enough to have a "problem" with too much milk find out if you can donate to a milk bank and keep the milk flowing! I think if you only feed from one you are looking to have engourgement issues if you do not empty both.

I had this issue with all of mine...my first two I stoped very early cause I just didn't know what to do...with my last I learned that bottles just needed to happen the first 2.5 months. I would pump and have my hubby feed when he was home to give my sweet little girl a break until we could adjust and she could become a stronger feeder. By three months she was on breasts alone.

I found the key was waiting until she was a strong healthy active feeder!

I nursed both of my boys, the youngest until he was two.
I'd just make em take the boob I gave him.
I was the captain of the ship.
Babies are gassy, all of them. Some worse than others. Burp em.