So breastfeeding has been going really well with our little girl. She has a great latch, I've had no pain, and she's on the nearly-pound-a-week growth plan. You can tell by the sausage-link arms and emerging third chin.
The only issue we're having is the one I always call 'the best breastfeeding problem you can have.' I have a bit of an oversupply and a fast let-down.
I think of this as the best breastfeeding problem because it's so much easier to reduce supply than to increase it. And there are some simple ways to help babies cope with the let down. Usually I suggest some combination of 'uphill' positions, block nursing (if it's obvious that there is a significant oversupply), and sometimes pumping before feedings when the supply is highest. All of these things are really nicely described in my favorite handout on this topic, from the Texas WIC program. It does a great job of describing some common symptoms, and lays out the options in a clear and reassuring way.* Kellymom.com also has a good page on this topic.
So I've done a little work on positional changes, and haven't tried block nursing because I don't want to mess with supply just yet. I've pumped in the morning when my supply is highest and that seems to help. I'm happy that it's not so overwhelming that she can't do some comfort nursing at the end.
But I'm finding myself most inclined to do nothing and see how my baby adapts. My son, who experienced the same thing, eventually developed a routine in which he'd pull off when the let down began, catch his breath, and then latch back on. Besides being very messy, it worked quite well for us. I think I'm starting to see the same response in my baby. Up until recently she'd just try to keep up, and get an increasingly worried look on her face, often choke and sputter, and sometimes cry. But in the last few days I've noticed her pull off on her own when the flow picked up.
While I'm aware that this wouldn't work for everyone, but it makes me think about emphasizing this more when I talk to moms. Babies are so smart, and sometimes the best response is to let them figure things out on their own.
Any of you have a let down like a fire hose?
* My only complaint is that it lists "poor weight gain" as one symptom, when I think it's far more common to see extremely fast weight gain, which La Leche League describes as significantly more than 2 pounds in one month.
Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog? Subscribe here. Want an RSS feed? Subscribe here. Want to subscribe to our breastfeeding podcasts on iTunes? Click here.
