can somebody help me?

[ziggysmom]

I am new here. son is 6 weeks. Think I have too much milk and too fast of a flow.
Son pulls at breast screaming and crying. Hungry all the time but has lotsa poopydiapers and pee. He was born at 6lb12 oz now weights 11 or so at 6 weeks so I know hes getting milk. But it seems like when hes awake all he wants is to eat or cry.
What can i do to slow my flow instead of pumping? How can I decrease my supply? How long will it take because we cant take much more. Its so sad every time I feed him he is miserable for the first part and so are my nipples due to the pulling and relatching several times. My milk literally shoots out, Ive tryed squirting it out into a towel but it never ends, Ive tryed pumping a oz or 2 or even 3 before feeding but that does nothing to help decrease my supply.
Damn that pump I wish I never would have used it but I thought I needed it and now I know thats why I have this problem. Basically I just wanna know how to fix it and how long it takes I feel like a horrible mommy who tortures her hungry baby by choking him to death with too much gassy milk.

[minx17051]

First of all remember that YOU ARE NOT A HORRIBLE MOMMY!!!! I had an enough milk with my first child to feed 4 babies. lol. Is there a reason that you are against pumping the excess? I just pumped the excess and froze it so I had it for later when I went back to work. I don't have that luxury with my now 6 week old daughter. I had a lot of stress and a rough delivery that lead to severe anemia which affected my intial supply. It is slowly returning but I have no reserves. I wish I had better advice to give you. You should try one of the sessions with the live Lactation Consultant they have here on tues and thurs. They should be able to help you better. There is also a website called www.kellymom.com that others have directed me to for references with problems I have had. I hope this was of some help to you. Please let me know how things go. Just keep telling yourself that you are not a bad mommy because you aren't!

[vickikreiner]

OK. Now, enough of that self defeating talk. I know you feel terrible.
Why does something so natural have to be so difficult sometimes?...builds mommy character. You are a wonderful mommy.
It's NOT your fault.
Cold compresses like bag of frozen peas in a pillow case on breast before and after feeds, snug bra like Medela comfort bra, cold green cabbage leaves on breasts 20min 4 times a day and read:
www.kellymom.com search overactive

[minx17051]

Wish I had known about those tricks the first time around Vicki. :) I almost quit nursing my first child because of lack of knowledge and support. Luckily my friend is the BF counselor at my local WIC office and a 5 time nursing mommy. I wish I had found this site back then. It and you have been a great help to me. Knowledge is power Ziggy. Read read read and ask ask ask. I would never have made it with out it.

[madelsmama]

I've been where you are and things WILL get better. The screaming, unlatching during let-downs, spraying milk--horrible.

Have you tried block nursing? This involves allowing unlimited nursing from one breast per feed. If this is not succesful in taming your flow, feeding from the same breast for two feeds before switching can help. My IBCLC advised me to feed from the same breast within a 3 hr period before switching.

Side-lying nursing was also very helpful for us, with a burp cloth beneath us. Things got better at around 12 or so weeks.

[PeacefulMom]

I went through a bit of this to a lesser degree. Block nursing saved us. I would nurse my DS from the same side for 3-4 feedings in a row before switching. It got pretty painful for the other side and I would have to pump it at least once during those feeds but I'd only pump enough to relieve the pressure. I couldn't hand express because ti would hurt too badly. My DS nursed every hour on the hour while awake so 3-4 feeds was about 3-4 hours.

[madelsmama]

I meant to add that you probably need to stop the pumping. I tend to regard pumping while suffering from OALD as crummy advice and only puts one in a vicious cycle of overproducing. You can hand-express a bit before latching on, but I would probably stick with the other strategies primarily.

[ima062002]

Oh poor momma, Kellymom is a fabulous site to go to for good nursing positions for over-active letdown/oversuppy (with pictures) and how to deal with the problem.

As Vicki said icing helps, so might some ibuprofen for the time being (helps to thwart inflammation too - if milk backs up as it can happen with an abundant supply, some mommies can get plugged ducts) and block nursing. You'll find it all there.

This is *temporary* momma, you can fix this. Might take some tweaking and some more tears on both sides (hope not), but with the advice from here and Kelly and some time you'll find what works for the two of you.

[Spinicki82]

I'm going through the same thing right now my ds is 8wks old now. It's crazy to have so many problems with to much milk. I've started feeding him on one side for two feedings that has helped out tremendously. My ds has terrible painful gas all of the time because of my over active letdown. With my older daughter around 3-4 months she was able to manage it better and didn't have all of the gas problems.

[BoobySnacks]

I have nothing to add because the advise given is so great. I just wanted to say that many of us have been there and got through it. OALD is difficult at first, but if you follow the above advise and push through it, your baby will catch up with your flow and your flow will also slow down some. With our first baby, I had no idea why all of this was happening to me, with my second, I knew so it was easier. Keep your chin up, this too shall pass (there will even come a time where you won't even leak enough for breast pads anymore :) ) Hang in there mama! You are going great and there is a light at the end of the OALD tunnel and you will have a very happy and healthy baby because you didnt give up :) :)

[Jacksmommy]

Positioning your baby above you to let gravity help with the milk flow might help. I also had an abundant milk suply and fast flow. The first nursing of the morning was the most difficult. Block nursing really helps. I kept my baby on the same breast for 2 or 3 feedings. It gets better.

[ziggysmom]

Thanks for all the positive advice. It helps to know it will get better. I just feel like I am messing him up in the head everytime I feed him. I just hope he forgets this.... I saw a show on dateline about how you shouldnt let babies cry because it releases a chemical in their brain that can cause brain damage. The people said it can turn them into hitlers due to this chemical-cortisol which is released during stress. so now thats all I am thinking about while he is bawling his eyes out at my breast I had such high expectations for myself to not mess him up and already I feel like I am. But I know I should relax and hopefully it wont really cause any damage to his psyche.
I also agree with madelsmama that pumping the excess is bad advice. I mean thats just gona make me make more milk which is my problem. Somehow my body needs to get the hint that it only needs what he needs at each feeding. Someone please tell my boobs I dont need to make 10 oz every 3 hours.

alright well anyway Thanks again and I will keep trying to feed from one side at a time and not pump unless I absolutely have too. I guess its just a wait and see game.

[PeacefulMom]

Those shows make me crazy! I know what you mean though and after I see something like that I obsess about what I am doing as a mother. I therefore try to avoid them!

And yes, I do believe that letting babies cry is bad for their brains, but if you are holding them and giving them loving, soothing energy while they are crying, I can't imagine it is as bad as if they were alone in a crib in another room crying and no one is coming to get them. That is what is hurting brains I think.

[ziggysmom]

Lea, ya I dont believe everything i hear but it still is in my head now like what if? but I feel ya about the positive energy and all that but when hes screaming thats just near impossible. I def. dont leave him crying in a crib for long although I have noticed he does scream sometimes just when hes tired and he will be sleeping on me and then I will go to put him down then he starts wailing everytime I try to put him down. Its kinda been a issue. I have just had to put him down so I could eat or pee a few times and let him cry for a minute and that kills me but ususally when I have done that he crys for about 5 min than falls asleep. I still havent been able to take a shower and put him down though without someone else being here.
anyway sorry for the ramble and off topic but its all relavant I guess.
BTW I didnt know you could nurse and be pregnant. Dont you get contractions? Thats pretty interesting.