Supply won't regulate

[Ericas3]

I've posted a few times about engorgement issues/ oversupply, etc. and have gotten great advice. I've also spoken to my local hospital's LC several times and taken her advice.

So here's my ongoing problem...

My DD2 will be 12 weeks on Monday. She is EBF & started sleeping through the night (9 PM-5 AM give or take) at 6 weeks. During the day she nurses every 2-3 hrs. My right breast has always produced more than the left, but ever since she started sleeping through the night, it stays full all the time and gets very engorged at night. I wake up with knots in it and very tender. She usually nurses really well at that first feeding and then sleeps another couple of hours. In that time frame, I get engorged again on the right side. She then eats well again, but before long I'm full again and it continues all day.

I have tried block feeding. Most of the time, she gets full on one and doesn't want anymore so that's no problem. If she burps and wants more, we go back to the same side. In the next feeding I do the same side again. Then after 4-6 hrs., I switch sides. The problem still exists. My LC said it is very unusual to have such an oversupply issue at this point and especially with this being my 3rd baby. Should I try something drastic like cabbage leaves on that side? It is beginning to affect her latch now on that side too and causing nipple soreness again. Any advice is much appreciated.

[KMR]

I am having the exact same problem. Any advice would be great. I've tried cabbage, sage, sudafed, etc and nothing is helping this problem. I try not to pump at all - in fear of making an even bigger problem. But, right now, I'm on antibiotics for mastisis because she was never emptying either side and the plugged ducts got the best of me. I'm ready to throw in the towel, but I would have no idea how to quit with so much milk already! My DD2 is 13 weeks old.

[Nipple_nectar]

Alright, plugged ducts can be a problem with oversupply issues. Lecithin will eliminate those problems: www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/lecithin.html

Erica3, have you tried cabbage leaves on the right side? Also, you can consider emptying your breasts once daily with a pump and donating the milk to a milk bank, if you have no interest in storage.

My best link for getting too much milk under control is http://breastfeeding.hypermart.net/toomuchmilk.html

[Ericas3]

Nectar:

Thanks for the reply. I have pumped on occasion in the AM when I am still really full and just can't stand it. I've frozen it thus far. However, if I do that to empty them each day, will that signal my body to keep doing what it's doing? I don't mind storing milk, but would really like to not have to to relieve fullness. I would like to be not full without having to empty manually. I actually pumped the other night on the right side just to see how much was in there at the end of the day. She had already nursed really well and been put to bed. I got 4 ounces...crazy!!! By 4 AM I was busting again :-( Do you think I should try cabbage for a day on the right side and see what happens?