Sometimes, women can have too much breast milk. Their bodies produce more than their baby demands and the result is an oversupply that can cause symptoms in both the mother and the baby.
It is possible that you have this condition if you experience some of all of the following symptoms:
*Breast fullness between feedings
*An especially strong sensation of milk letdown
*Multiple milk letdowns between feedings
*Lots of leaking of breast milk between feedings
*Mastitis and/or plugged ducts
In addition to your symptoms, your baby may show some or all of these symptoms as well:
*Gulps, chokes or sputters during feedings
*Has a shocked or frightened facial expression during feedings
*Pulls head back or tries to stay latched to the tip of the nipple to slow the flow of milk
*Arches during feedings
*Has excessive gassiness
*Displays excessive fussiness
*Produces green stools (as opposed to yellowish-brown)
*Produces mucus in the stool and occasionally small amounts of blood in the stool Produces explosive stools
*Experiences reflux
*Gains weight too rapidly because of taking in so much milk, or gains weight too slowly because breastfeeding is uncomfortable so the baby avoids it
*Requires feedings of short duration even though the baby gains weight in leaps and bounds
*Requires very, very frequent breastfeeding because oversupply inhibits the baby’s ability to obtain the higher-fat milk that comes toward the end of the feeding session and helps the baby feel satisfied longer between feedings
*Likes to suck on fingers and/or pacifiers to avoid being on the breast any more than necessary
What you Can do to Manage an Oversupply of Milk
Feed in a position that allows the baby to gain better control of the milk flow.
Try nursing the baby while he/she is sitting towards you on your lap. You can also try nursing the baby laying down with baby’s belly on your belly. Both positions will allow for better control of the flow of milk.
Use only one side for a specific block of time. For example, if you try two hour blocks, nurse the baby on demand on the right breast from 8-10. Do likewise on the left side from 10-12. If the unused breast gets overly full go ahead a pump until it’s comfortable. Over time, you should have less of a need to pump.
Try a cold compress. Place cold compresses on the breast as you are feeding (and right before hand) to slow the flow of milk by slowing the blood flow. There is no research to show that this actually works, but many mothers report good results by doing this.
Oversupply can be as bad as not having enough milk. However, like most breastfeeding problems, it can be corrected. By following the above suggestions, you should see a difference in approximately one week.