We recently received a plea for help from a mum that was having
a tough time breastfeeding and managing over supply / fast
letdown.
Maybe this sounds familiar? She wrote "I have a 3 month
baby who is fully breastfeeding. But she only feeds from one
side so I bought a pump to empty the other. I've been doing that
for quite a while now, I pump every 4 hours. At the moment I am
getting 120 mls each side. But ever since that increase in milk
supply every time I breastfeed my baby she gets upset because the
flow is way too much and she chokes and ends up getting very upset.
So now I have to pump my breasts every time before feeding until
the flow slows down, but in turn my breasts make more and more
milk. I need to slow my flow down a bit....but it just seems to be
a cycle of pumping then feeding."
We asked our Lactation Consultant Barbara (IBCLC) to help
answer this.
Barbara suggests:
One strategy that works for some mums is to do a full drainage
(pumping) then block feeding method. Caroline van Veldhuisen-Staas
from the Netherlands as developed this remedy.
- Do a total expression of both your breasts taking off as much
as you can.
- Then put baby on both breasts to feed from the soft
breasts. Baby will enjoy the slower milk flow & high fat
content.
- Over the next 3 hours feed baby from the same breast whenever
she wants to feed within that 3 hours.
- Then change breasts and feed baby from the other breast
whenever she wants to feed over the next 3 hours.
The time blocks can be increased to 4, 6, 8 or even 12 hours.
Occasional repeat drainage maybe necessary but intervals between
pumping will gradually increase as the symptoms lessen.
Only if engorgment is becoming severe again should another full
drainage be carried out.
You will need to check your breasts for blocked ducts and
prevent mastitis by massaging away any lumps if they develop.
We advise that ideally you carry this out with the support and
guidance of a lactation consultant.