Oversupply - how much is too much?

[inky]

Hi, I expressed one boob for 25 minutes and got 130mls output - I could've kept going but for sensitive nipples. Is that considered oversupply or is just cause I didn't feed from that side for 12 hours? I know this is a long time but I was following advice on dealing with oversupply as a factor in her bowel wind, constipation, foamy poo.

I've been BF since day one and I'm trying really hard but when does it get easier..?! Think i'll go to a rant thread to vent now.. hahah (laugh or cry?)

inky

[AliBaby]

It sounds normal hun. From my experience it takes a good 6-8 weeks for the supply to regulate and even then it can change when bubs wants to feed more or less.

Its good you are getting that extra EBM. Store it away in the freezer like gold!

Bubs will regulate it to what it wants and needs xo

[inky]

Hey Ali,

From my experience it takes a good 6-8 weeks for the supply to regulate and even then it can change when bubs wants to feed more or less.

DD is only a newborn.. I just have no idea about these things. There's a good post on oversupply I found on this thread https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...ce-please.html.
Thank you to the special ladies out there sharing their experiences

Store it away in the freezer like gold!

That's what I thought initially and was getting carried away and kinda proud of myself like all the milk was some kind of achievement. weird i know.

Bubs will regulate it to what it wants and needs

..but aren't I interfering with the natural regulation by stimulating more milk production through expressing. I could probably express twice in a 15 hour period though definitely less is expressed in the second go.

[AliBaby]

Its good to have some milk in the freezer in case you have to be away from bubs or if you just need some sleep and need your DP to feed him. Maybe try not to express too much though as you are right, it will increase the supply.

I found initially I had ALOT of milk. I would only need to feed bub of one side so that I could drain that breast and then I would put her on for a couple of minutes on the other side. then the next feed I would feed off the side that only had a couple of minutes feed last time. It just kind of worked for me. So each breast would be properly drained every 6 hours or so IYKWIM

Its so confusing. I rang the ABA a couple of times. They were very helpful.

Also dont worry about having no idea. I had no idea either and everyone and their babies are different. Its such a learning curve - "on the job training" and both mummy and baby are new to the whole thing

[MantaRay]

Inky, you are doing a great job. The first weeks really are hard work and confusing. There is no time limit on when it gets better, but for many mums supply starts to settle down at about the 6 - 8 week mark - which means you are nearly there!

It would be helpful to know a bit more about the wind problems your DD has - what signs does she have, and what medical advice you have received. Also, what signs of oversupply do you have - what are poos like, is your flow fast at the start of a feed, what have weight gains been like? The amount you got from expressing really doesn't say very much about your supply.

I would say that 12 hours without feeding from one side is a very long time, especially in the first 2 months. This could put you at risk of mastitis, and there is also a chance this could reduce your supply too much. It sounds like you might have told to block feed - that is to feed two or more times in a row from the same side. This can be a useful strategy for oversupply in some mums, but even when doing this, each breast should really be fed from or expressed more often than 12 hours. Do you have any lumps or painful spots on the breast now?

With more information I can give you some suggestions for the issues you are having. You are doing so well already so hopefully a few tips will make life easier for you. All the best.

[Peg]

it will get easier but it generally takes a good 6-8 weeks for everything to pan out

With regard to production, the more you express, the more you'll produce. If you want production to slow down, you probably should let bub drink what she needs and 'try' not to take any extra out. (i know thats hard because full boobs are uncomfortable) In saying that though, it is good to get a stash going in the freezer while you have a lot of milk available too.

So you just have to be prepared that the more you express, the more you'll make. To slow production down, you need to express less.

[inky]

Hi Manta, I've been monitoring my BM supply for a day or so & reduced expressing to once daily to balance engorged breasts & oversupply. I honestly don't know if I've got oversupply, which is why I wondered about the quantity I expressed. I've quit block feeding which obviously doesn't work for me right now. I"m large breasted, does that contribute oversupply? They sure make feeding more challenging. To avoid swelling and lumps I need to express once a day.

I don't know if I flow fast at the start of feeding, but DD is a gulper, it sounds like she's trying to keep up. She needs a weigh so couldn't tell you that, but looks and feels heavier than the last weigh in.

On the wind, DD has lots of tummy grumbles, groaning & thrashing about but thankfully passing lots of gas. She has constipation for a day, then explosions for a days including a bit of foam - the ECHN said this was lactose buildup from constipation. She hasn't pooed for 3 days so her gas is getting a bit smelly now. ECHN says this is all normal & DD can be constipated up to 2 weeks ! Following forums suggestions I tried her on Infant's Friend, DD spat it out. She's been on Gripe Water for 24 hours, no poo poo.

Do I have oversupply and if so am I causing DD's wind & constipation?
Thanks for your thoughts

Thanks Peg, bring on 6-8 weeks, not long now.. yippee

[Kirley64]

My best friend just had her second baby and with both of them they have seemed to be really spewy and have alot of wind pains.....
with her first she didnt' really know much better but with her second she's done some research....
She has a really fast flow, so she attaches bub to get milk going; then takes her off and 'lets down' for a bit.... then puts bub back on and she gets the fuller milk at the end.
her bub also did the gulping thing (hence the fast flow) to start with; and so she found that this reduced wind pain (although its still there somewhat but alot better than it was); and she seemed more content with her feeds.
Just google it; thats all my friend did and she found lots of info. Somehow i dont think its good for a baby to be constipated for even three days i know how painful it is for me being a pregnant adult let alone a tiny baby.
How bubs poo also can tell you alot about your milk i.e if they have a lactose intolerance (from when you drink cows milk) or even an allergy to something like eggs....

all the best xxx

[Arcadia]

Hi inky,

The best advice I was given, is that your baby has a relationship to your boobs and milk that really doesn't involve you. All you need to do is offer the breast whenever they seem interested. My DD fed 2 hourly for a long time (and sometimes more often!) If you want to have a store of milk in the freezer, then express once a day, but otherwise, I would ditch the expressing and just feed bub from the breast (unless you have nipple issues, do you?). Expressing will just stimulate more milk. Bub should be able to regulate their needs by now, and remember your boobs are about 2-3 days behind...so it may be uncomfortable for a few days after you stop expressing.

Big boobs can be so unwieldy can't they? Size actually has nothing to do with supply, but you can get good bras and some pillows when feeding to help. There is also this product on the ABA website called the Booby booster, which can help position your breast in place for each feed (I would have loved one of those!) Oh and the size should settle once the supply settles a bit (12 weeks for me).

In terms of poo, I think just about anything is normal really. Many babies poo green or yellow poo, some poo all the time and some go days. I think too much emphasis is placed on the poo of newborns...they are still getting used to having a digestive system! Frothy poo can indicate too much foremilk, so you could express off the start of a feed (say 30 mls) and then put bub on?

My DD always had green poo, was a real screamer in the evening and put on LOADS of weight (i.e. she was off the charts). Looking back I had oversupply, and probably fed her too much...but I had NO IDEA what I was doing and just put a boob in her mouth every time she looked my way

The result - she grew out of it, as all babies do. You're doing a great job! Just follow your baby's cues and try and ensure there is weight gain...and the rest will fall into place.

Enjoy this time if you can. You will never be a new mum again, and many of us would love to be in your place and have our time over again.

[inky]

I would ditch the expressing and just feed bub from the breast (unless you have nipple issues, do you?). ....and remember your boobs are about 2-3 days behind...so it may be uncomfortable for a few days after you stop expressing.

Hi Arcadia, no more nipple issues TG. But you're right, as baby has started a feeding pattern of sorts. I'm nervous about having no BM stocks as early on I had v. painful nipples and I felt helpless without back up BM on hand. I'll take what you've said on board & have a ponder on this one... what you say makes sense. Maybe a short express as I'll have to watch the engorgement. This might balance out the potential foremilk issue too.

Praise be the Booby Booster allelujah I'm definitely getting one.

I had NO IDEA what I was doing and just put a boob in her mouth every time she looked my way

Lol

Thank you !
inky

[inky]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"] takes her off and 'lets down' for a bit.... then puts bub back on and she gets the fuller milk at the end.

Hi Kirley, do you mean your friend expresses for a bit? I can let down whenever but particularly from one side when baby is feeding from the other. DD would have a fit if I pulled her off mid feed!

Googling for info is ok but confusing. It led me to block feeding which didn't work. I've found talking on the forums much more helpful and interactive

I'm feeling for DD being uncomfortable and constipated. MIL gave DH a bottle of prune juice for me to drink to help the bubs poo. Does this method of indirect laxative effect work I wonder..? Ew I can't stand prune juice *shudder*

[Shades]

As far as I know it's very unusual for exclusively BFed babies to get constipated... they can poo less but that's because more of the BM is utilised and so there's less waste to get rid of - but it's not constipation really... what led you to thinking it's constipation?

(I would be avoiding the prune juice like the plague btw)

[Kirley64]

Hi Kirley, do you mean your friend expresses for a bit? I can let down whenever but particularly from one side when baby is feeding from the other. DD would have a fit if I pulled her off mid feed!

Googling for info is ok but confusing. It led me to block feeding which didn't work. I've found talking on the forums much more helpful and interactive

I'm feeling for DD being uncomfortable and constipated. MIL gave DH a bottle of prune juice for me to drink to help the bubs poo. Does this method of indirect laxative effect work I wonder..? Ew I can't stand prune juice *shudder*

no she doesn't really express as such. she just lets down into a towel or cloth. I think she literally puts bub on for like two seconds just to get started then pulls her off.. but i'm not sure of details because i've never actually sat and watched her closely.

Colic in the Breastfed Baby
Not the best website but there is a little info about rapid let down.... I think she also did the lying down while feeding for a while too when she was at home.

[inky]

Hi Shades, DD didn't have a poo for three days. Then had one big (mustard colour slightly foamy) explosion this morning and nothing since. ECHN says this is very common and bubs is putting on weight nicely. I hate seeing her bloated & in discomfort. She strains & arches her back bearing down.

I don't think it's fast let down as I have no spray, however I do feel let down on the other breast while feeding her. Still don't know if I have oversupply, but I've reduced expressing so I'll see how my breasts settle over the next few days..

[Acacia]

Hi inky,

It sounds like you are doing a wonderful job feeding your little bubba, congratulations! You've received some really great advice here too.

WRT your DD's poos - constipation is not defined by how often your baby does a poo, but what the consistency is like. So if she's not going for three days, but then does a really mustardy liquidy/foamy poo (which is completely normal poo for BF babies, BTW) then she is not constipated. Your BM is so expertly tailored to what your DD needs that there is very little waste and sometimes babies don't need to evacuate their waste as often when they are using up so much of your goodness!

WRT to her straining and being bloated and in some discomfort, this is really quite normal for many babies too, and does not necessarily that they are constipated or that anything is wrong. Babies have such tiny bodies and their little digestive systems are only just learning to work properly when they are newborns, and often this includes learning and being able to use their bowels properly. Many babies do have to learn how to let the muscles relax and the ones that need to tense to eliminate poos and wind. My DD went through this for a number of months - she was often very distressed with poo and wind, but she was growing and putting on weight like a trooper and was generally very well otherwise, and as she got older - as Arcadia said - she outgrew it and coped with my large volume of milk and how she digested it much better.

I've been through pretty full-on oversupply also and it's really hard because you want to be able to make things better and more comfortable for your baby but sometimes it's just simply a matter of riding things out. Your body will start to settle down in it's milk production as your body respond to the supply and demand process alone and the hormones settle (It took 4 months for me, but is usually less than this as others have said - 6-8 weeks), and as your DD gets older she will digest BM with much less stress and strain.

At this stage, the extra stimulation you are giving by expressing will mean that you are continuing the cycle of being oversupplied. If you stopped expressing altogether for a little while you might find that your body makes less and starts to match what your DD needs a more little closely over the next little while, and you might find she gets more fatty, rich milk which she can access when she really drains a breast well which can help the digestion process. Could you try not expressing at all for a little bit? - give it a few days for your breasts to react to the change in demand/stimulation. You will find that you'll feel quite full, but your breasts will quickly adapt, and provided that your DD is feeding regularly and draining lots of milk from both sides, you shouldn't end up with any problems from engorgement.

Perhaps when your body is working better with the supply and demand of your baby's needs and settled into making just the right amount you might find that you can start expressing again to build up a supply of EBM if you need to. I did this after my oversupply stopped properly at 4 months. You can always build supply up with the stimulation, but it's very hard to allow supply to drop without stopping additional stimulation.

I definitely understand where you're at, and I hope the info is useful (sorry it's so long!). It's hard when you're worried about engorgement, worried about how your baby is doing when they seem in discomfort, but remember that you're learning about your body and your baby, your baby is learning about her body and her relationship with your breasts, and the most important thing is that you are doing a wonderful job feeding her with your precious BM, and she is GROWING! So you're doing brilliantly

Oh, and P.S. - it's very normal to feel letdown in your other breast when feeding in the early days. For many women this disappears over time - I never feel any letdown at all from either breast when feeding my DD now, but I know it's there from hearing her gulping away!

[inky]

Thanks Acacia and everyone for your info and caring advice.

I just got back from a much needed long weekend away during which time I reduced my expressing.. to give your advice a go. It seems to be working and my breasts are gradually settling down much more than the early early days.

I'm nervous about venturing out into the world relying solely on booby for feeding and not having the back up bottle, I'm guessing I'll get over it! I'll google the best mothers rooms in Sydney as a start hey..

DD is up and down with wind, constipation & the runs. Had a minor freak out when I saw blood spotting in a nappy but was assured it's all normal.

Thanks again
inky x

[Kirley64]

DD is up and down with wind, constipation & the runs. Had a minor freak out when I saw blood spotting in a nappy but was assured it's all normal.

Thanks again
inky x

Just keep an eye on what you eat and when the blood spotting occurs... cuz it can also be an allergy to food such as cows milk or egg protein.