Overproduction

Updated on January 06, 2009
P.M. asks from Bolingbrook, IL
7 answers

Hi mamma's, I have a 2 month old and I am overproducing milk. Does anyone have any suggestions? I wake up every night soaked in milk, my daughter sleeps with me and I like wearing PJ's that are easy access so I don't really wake up at night. I don't want to have to wear a bra to bed but I wake up and my daughter and I are absolutely soaked. I only feed her on one side at a time, and she is growing beautifully so I know she's getting enough just on one side, but when she is done eating my breasts are still very full of milk. My daughter just went through a growth spurt so she was eating a ton and now I am dealing with engorgement. My daughter also gets sprayed every time she eats, and then I have like 4 prongs of milk spraying all over the place. My entire house is completely covered in milk, I wear a bra with breast pads all day and go through a box every 2 weeks because they get so full of milk, and I go through like 10 burp rags a day just soaking them in milk. I have tried hand expressing a little first to make sure my daughter gets enough of the high fat milk, but I am going nuts! I have to change my shirt like 3 times a day. Sorry it's rambling trying to eat lunch and type this while my daughter is napping.

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K.F.

answers from Chicago on

I had the same problem shortly after my daughter was born. I was given this recommendation by the hospital's lactation consultants:
nurse on 1 side only-- for 2-3 feedings if possible & then switch breasts. That way, you are signaling to your body that the opposite side you're nursing on does not need more milk & your body will start slowing it down. It takes a good week or two to regulate, but it worked for me-- if you google @ overproduction, you will find a lot of helpful articles that have this & other suggestions. Just be careful if you pump-- it will cause your body to maintain &/or make more to keep up with the demand. I had a lot of other moms tell me I was lucky to have too much, but I didn't feel so lucky you I was in constant pain & leaking everywhere. I had so much milk that my baby girl would start to choke during feedings! It can be very frustrating, but just try to take one day at a time & know you are doing what's best for your baby:0 Good Luck!

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K.

answers from Chicago on

This is pretty typical I think... your milk supply (and breast size!) should "calm down" over the next month or two. In the mean time, pump if you're really engorged but otherwise I would just do my best to deal with it and not worry. If you think your baby isn't getting enough fatty milk, consider "block nursing" - this is where you'd nurse off the same side 2 times in a row or for a 4-hour chunk, then switch to the other side. I promise, it will all work itself out soon. Congrats on your girl! Sounds like you're doing great.

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J.H.

answers from Chicago on

I had this prblem with my son I started pumping and freezing excess milk and eventualy ended up with such an overabundance I started donating to Indiana Mothers Milk fondation. Theypasturize(?) the milk and give it to children in need:babies born early and moms milk isn't in, mom has health issues and can't nurse and such.

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Z.

answers from Chicago on

I'm in the same boat. My son was a preemie and couldn't even drink the milk I was producing for the first 2 mos. At one point I was pumping about 32 oz of milk at one time. I was tossing the milk down the drain a majority of the time and I was pumping only to keep from getting engorged. I slowly extended my pumping schedule and made sure that I wore a good bra. Eventually, the production decreased, but it took some time. Lactation consultants recommended taking sage extracts (it comes in a liquid bottle) which is what you use to dry up the supply, but I was too scared that it may completely dry me up. You can try this, I guess, until you are satisfied with what you are producing. Good luck!

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T.D.

answers from Chicago on

I also had the same problem. I loved nursing my baby, but I absolultely hated wearing a bra 24 hours a day. I found these GREAT sleep/nursing bras at Motherhood Maternity. They were made out of cotton, they felt like a t-shirt. They were totally stretchy and super comfortable. I am a plus-size, and they carried a size that fit me. You can wear them with or without nursing pads, they helped me with my leaking problem.

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J.G.

answers from Chicago on

Hi P.. I know that you've already received some great responses and advice. I just wanted to let you know that I understand how frustrating it is, but hang in there. The leaking will eventually get better. I didn't leak quite as much as you did, but I did leak a lot. I used to have to change bra pads every 2 hours or so and my bra and sheets would get soaked overnight. Now I can usually get through the day with only one set of bra pads. (my daughter just turned six months old).

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N.L.

answers from Chicago on

You are a lucky woman!! Start pumping a little after you feed her and freeze the milk. Just don't pump until empty cause then your body is going to think your baby is eating that much and start producing more and more. Your body will eventually come to an adjusted level of supply/demand. I always wore a bra with nursing pads the entire first year I was nursing.

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