So confused! Oversupply, or what?
 

DS is a few days old and my milk has come in. Both breasts are soon
engorged after each feeding and leak more often than not (usual triggers:
baby feeding at other breast, baby crying, looking at baby, etc.). DS
was 1 oz over his birth weight at day 4, so he is feeding well. And he
is voracious. Starting off, he literally vacuums the milk out of the
breast (as opposed to massaging it out); this is incredibly painful.

The problem is, DS almost never lets go, and sometimes when I force him
off I find the nipple is essentially dry despite being in his mouth,
and the milk is all gone from the breast.

DS feeds on demand, usually every 2-4 hours, and takes 30 to 60 minutes
to finish one to two breastfuls.

So is this an oversupply problem, or an undersupply problem despite the
apparent symptoms of oversupply? And how to make it better, so I don't
want to scream when DS gets latched on? He seems to latch on correctly
....he is small.

Pologirl

So confused! Oversupply, or what?
 

pologirl wrote:
So is this an oversupply problem, or an undersupply problem despite
the apparent symptoms of oversupply?

Neither one - sounds normal to me! Apart from making sure your latch is
good, the only other advice I have is to switch sides more frequently. I
think I could only tolerate about 30 minutes per side at the most at that
point. I remember one night when Caterpillar nursed for 4 hours straight,
and I switched sides 19 times.

Phoebe :)
--
yahoo address is unread; substitute mailbolt

So confused! Oversupply, or what?
 

pologirl wrote:

So is this an oversupply problem, or an undersupply problem despite
the apparent symptoms of oversupply? And how to make it better, so I
don't want to scream when DS gets latched on? He seems to latch on
correctly ...he is small.

Actually it doesn't sound like a problem at all. It sounds completely
normal. Your supply will even out eventually and you won't be so engorged.
You can use lanolin on your nipples if they are sore. You don't have to
wash it off. If it hurts only on the initial latch it is probably just
ordinary initial sensitivity and should go away in 2-3 weeks. If it hurts
for the entire nursing session you might have a latch problem. The
voracious part is normal too. They really nurse frequently and for a long
time in the beginning. Hang in there. Hope you have someone to take care
of you for awhile!

Congrats on the baby :-)


--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (4) and Luke (2)

So confused! Oversupply, or what?
 

So is this an oversupply problem, or an undersupply problem despite the
apparent symptoms of oversupply? And how to make it better, so I don't
want to scream when DS gets latched on? He seems to latch on correctly

Neither, as others have said; everything you describe is perfectly normal.

The pain you are struggling with could be (1) just your breasts adjusting to
this new demand, in which case it will get better within a few weeks; (2) an
indication of some subtle problem with your baby's latch, in which case you
need to do some research, possibly with the help of a good lactation
consultant, to figure out what the problem is and fix it, at which point the
pain will get better; or (3) an indication that your nipples are a bit flatter
than is ideal, or some other issue that is kind of a combination of (1) and
(2).

I suspect you're dealing with (1), which is good news; it'll go away by itself
and relatively soon. :-) But I mention the other possibilities in case I can
save you some of what I went through.

I had the flat nipple thing. Although DS seemed to latch on fine (after the
first week or so) and gained weight easily, I had serious pain -- and not just
during feedings, but between them as well -- because, basically, the skin of my
nipples was being stretched out rather too quickly, which ultimately caused the
skin to crack and tear, and once the crack was there (with the nipples still
being subjected to the stretching, frequently and for long periods of time) it
was very difficult to heal.

Eventually I did heal. Meanwhile, I dealt with the pain by taking ibuprofen
and using hydrogel discs on my nipples. The discs (then called Maternimates,
now known as Ameda ComfortGel and available from various vendors of
breastfeeding-related products; there is also a similar product called Soothies
that's available in drugstores) worked MUCH better for me than Lansinoh. I
recommend trying them; they'll help even if what you're experiencing is "just"
normal initial-six-weeks-getting-used-to-it soreness.

Congrats on the birth of your son, and welcome to the group!
Holly
Mom to Camden, 3yo
EDD #2 6/8/04

So confused! Oversupply, or what?
 

pologirl wrote:
[...] Starting off, he literally vacuums the milk out of the
breast (as opposed to massaging it out); this is incredibly painful.

Yeah, initially, it's painful. But, that went
away after a few weeks.

DS feeds on demand, usually every 2-4 hours, and takes 30 to 60 minutes
to finish one to two breastfuls.

I did 15 minutes per breast, switching as necessary.
I usually nursed 45 minutes, had a 15-minute break,
back to the chair. DH took a lot of pictures of me
glazed over in the glider, just nursing, nursing,
nursing...

So is this an oversupply problem, or an undersupply problem despite the
apparent symptoms of oversupply? And how to make it better, so I don't
want to scream when DS gets latched on? He seems to latch on correctly
...he is small.

It's normal. The latch pain will get better in
time. Engorgement will go away. You're doing a
great job!

-- Anita --
--
SUCCESS FOUR FLIGHTS THURSDAY MORNING ALL AGAINST
TWENTY ONE MILE WIND STARTED FROM LEVEL WITH ENGINE
POWER ALONE AVERAGE SPEED THROUGH AIR THIRTY ONE
MILES LONGEST 57 SECONDS INFORM PRESS HOME CHRISTMAS.

So confused! Oversupply, or what?
 

pologirl wrote:

DS feeds on demand, usually every 2-4 hours, and takes 30 to 60
minutes to finish one to two breastfuls.


Aside from what everyone else has said, I'd just like to point out that
there's no such thing as a "breastful" and that breasts never empty.


--
tristyn
www.tristyn.net

So confused! Oversupply, or what?
 

So confused! Oversupply, or what?
 

So confused! Oversupply, or what?
 

"pologirl" wrote in message
om...
(pologirl) wrote:
The problem is, DS almost never lets go [...]

After the initial latching on, the pain has gotten better. And DS has
started to let go when the breast is "empty". My LC gave me sample
hydrogel pads (Smoothies), which feel very nice, but my leaking is too
much for them! Which brings me to today's problem.

I leak almost constantly, and now my letdown is so strong that it can
squirt in a continuous stream when I open my clothing. DS has today
learned the habit of "noshing"; he slurps up the easy letdown milk
and has not latched on *at all*. Once my flow slows to the point of
requiring work from him, he comes off the breast and cries! He will
not latch on. Diaper output today has been *way* down and now it is
late at night and he is hungry and crying, and all of us are growing
exhausted.

How do I fix this?

Pologirl

Before feeding him, let the milk spray out on its own for a few moments,
then offer him the breast once the flow has slowed. That way he doesnt get
too used to just lapping up the milk.
Thisphase will pass and your supply will eventually become more normal.

So confused! Oversupply, or what?
 

My LC gave me sample
hydrogel pads (Smoothies), which feel very nice, but my leaking is too
much for them!

Get some of the Ameda ComfortGel ones. They absorb a bit better. I don't know
if they still come in two sizes, but I used the small ones, with a nursing pad
on top. When I used larger discs, the milk would all flow out around the edges
and I'd have rings on my shirt. :-P If the discs don't come in a smaller size,
you can cut them down with regular scissors.

Which brings me to today's problem.

I leak almost constantly, and now my letdown is so strong that it can
squirt in a continuous stream when I open my clothing. DS has today
learned the habit of "noshing"; he slurps up the easy letdown milk
and has not latched on *at all*. Once my flow slows to the point of
requiring work from him, he comes off the breast and cries! He will
not latch on. Diaper output today has been *way* down and now it is
late at night and he is hungry and crying, and all of us are growing
exhausted.

Hm. Well, I suspect that this is a case where persistence and
bloody-mindedness on your part is called for. Insist on a good latch, and when
he pulls off and fusses, just keep trying again until he gives in and nurses.
(This behavior is actually not all that unusual, though it's typically slightly
older babies who do it. Most will eventually settle down to eat if you just
keep offering.)

You might do some reading on "overactive letdown". Basically, there are a few
techniques you can try to cut down on the spraying. (Most commonly, nurse on
one side only for several hours, then switch for the next several hours; and
nurse in a reclined position with baby on top of you so that the milk has to
flow against gravity.) Usually the issue is that a newborn can't keep up with
it, not that he gets too lazy to nurse once the initial letdown is over,
though!

Holly
Mom to Camden, 3yo
EDD #2 6/8/04