Milk Coming Too Fast

Wow! You've gotten so many responses. If you continue to have issues with the choking, she may have reflux. Keep up the great work of Breastfeeding!

My baby did that until she was about 3 months old. She would get really upset, scream, and not eat at all. Sometimes the only way I could get her to eat was to pump it out and give it to her from a bottle. Maybe if you take her off while the milk is letting down, then put her back on it will help. Mine eventually got over the choking and getting mad, and now she's 6 months old, and let down does not bother her at all.

Same thing happened to me. My lactation consultant recommended pumping the first 5 minutes off each breast right before feeding my son, that way he wasn't choking and would get more hind milk (make him feel full longer, help him gain weight, etc.). Worked like a charm!

This used to happen to me when I was nursing. So what I would do is make sure that I pump a little extra. Sometimes I would pump a little and let my son nurse the rest of the way. Or make sure you pump in between feedings. My son was a little terrified to nurse for a little while, but once he realized he was not going to choke, he was ok.
So just pump in between feedings so your breast are not so full.

Hi M.!

The same thing happened when my milk came in. I had great results when I pumped each side, just a little bit, before I nursed. Once the "let down" response was over, then the milk flowed at a reasonable rate. I hope this helps you! Don't give up!!

Blessings!
A.

Try pumping before you let her feed. This happened with both my kids - when you let down the milk comes so fast and it can be difficult for them to control. If you don't have a pump you can just express into a breastmilk bag until you feel like you are a little emptier!!!
Good luck.
K.

You might try feeding more often. Don't let your breasts become too engorged between feedings. Do stick with it though, your body will adjust and so will she. Breastfeeding is one of the healthiest things you can do for her.

I had the same problem with my daughter and there was one nursing position that help us out. I would recline as far back as possible without laying down flat, either in a rocking chair or lay on the bed with a couple of large pillows under my head, and lay my daughter on top of my chest for face down. I believe this position helps the baby control how much milk they get at one time. Gravity is your friend. Good luck.

Have you tried pumping before nursing her? Maybe that will help???? good luck

Have you tried contacting someone at the La Leche League? They give free advise about breastfeeding to moms. You can get a Dallas number to call at their website
http://www.lllusa.org/web/DallasTX.html. They were very helpful to me and to my daughter; they will even come to your house if you need more assistance.

That happened to me with my first. I had to pump for a few minutes BEFORE feeding her so it wouldn't overwhelm her. It was sometimes hard because she was really hungry and I had to pump really fast....I got better at it and would pump literally for two minutes....then pick her up to nurse. With my second I didn't have that problem.... keep up the good work. It does get easier! :)

You might use a pump and pump some of your milk for her. Then feed her on breasts and then on bottle and then back on breasts. Alternate back and forth to help her to get that sucking motion down. Her sucking is not as good as it should be. My Daughter had to do this with her first born, cause she would choke also. So she pumped and fed the baby with that milk and in 2 hours she breast fed her. She started doing better. Now she is 12 and is a good size girl. Hope this works for you too!

With my first baby, my milk just squirted out into the air when I got ready to feed her, so I ended up putting a cloth over myself until it quit squirting, and then she could eat without it coming out so fast, as the first pressre of milk had already came out. If this doesn't work, pump a few squirts out, and then the milk should settle down enough no to come out so fast to choke her

M.,

Maybe you should pump for a few minutes before you feed her to relieve some of the pressure before she starts eating. Hope this helps!

E.

There is a simple solution - PUMP! Just pump from now on, and give her your breastmilk in a bottle. This way, there won't be a milk overflow, and then other people will be able to feed your baby. Hope this helps.

You may want to pump a little before feeding your baby.
Of even pump and feed her with a bottle.

Try pumping or hand expressing some of the milk before you start nursing her. This may help relieve some of the pressure and thereby slow down the speed of the milk.

Lay on your side that way she has more control and the milk won't come out so fast, just keep her head propped up on a pillow

hi..looks like you've gotten great advice. Pump first for a little bit. i was the same way! i had soooooooooo much milk. i was seriously a cow (lol)...good luck...hang in there!

The milk does let down fast and furious when your breasts are very full. You may want to try pumping a little before you breastfeed. That should alleviate the pressure somewhat which is causing the quick milk flow.

M. - You may just have to much milk. Have you tried pumping before you feed her?

Dear M.,
I had the same experience. When my milk would let down it was overwhelming. Try pumping a little first(I didn't even have to do that)or take a quick warm shower before hand(my heaviest times were first thing in the morning). I bet after the initial let down phase you will be OK. That was my experience.

I had this problem too when my daughter was a "wee one." I used a simple hand breast pump to express a little milk before I sat down to nurse her. You can also just hand express. It seemed to release the pressure or slow the flow down. I was engorged a lot, so I had to do a lot of warm compresses and hand expressing before nursing her sometimes. It's worth try. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

It takes a few weeks for you and your baby to get in sink. Soon your body will make as much milk as your baby needs. In the mean time try feeding your baby more often so your breast don't get so full of milk. Another thing to do is to either manuel or use a pump to get some of the first milk out and then it should not come out so fast. A great resource is the Le Lache (check spelling) They will talk you through how to make sure your baby is latching on correctly and even come to your house to offer support. I nursed my son until he was 7 months old and my daughter until about 11 months old. With Dylan Rose I thought each day would be the last day she could nurse in the beginning. But we hung in there and after a few weeks it worked out to be a positive experience. She had a lot of tummy issues and it would of been difficult to get her on formula. But in the end as a mom you just do what is best for your little family. Continue to reach out for support but if you have to go to formula don't feel bad. Even the 10 weeks you have nursed has made a difference.
God Bless,
L.

M., good for you! You are doing a great job nursing your beautiful girl. I don't have any advise other than contacting a lactation consultant. I had different problems with my daughter when I was nursing and the lactation consultant was a HUGE help. Also there are La Leche Leagues all around the Dallas area. My best friend belonged to one with her 3rd child and made some great friends there.

God bless you and yours!

L.

I had that problem, too. I didn't consult a physician, so I didn't explore any other options. However, what worked for me was getting an electric double-breast pump. The good thing about the milk coming too fast is that pumping is really fast (usually around 7-12 minutes). The pump was around 200 dollars, but worth every penny. It was such a relief to have an easy and enjoyable time giving breastmilk to my daughter. I used the pump for 15 months and it still works great -- I plan to do the same thing for my next child. I bought lots of Gerber bags for freezing the breastmilk.

My milk came too fast for my kids at first, too, especially in the morning (first feeding of the day). I would pump for about ten minutes (I just used an Avent manual pump) just to take some off the top. I'd usually get about four ounces or so. That seemed to ease up the pressure enough that I wouldn't strangle the poor child, and I ended up with some milk to freeze for later, too! By three or four months they seemed to be able to keep up with the flow better, so it wasn't as big of an issue.

Hope this helps!

I never had this problem, but I read somewhere that if you can pump for a few minutes before you feed your daughter, your milk won't come out so quickly while she's nursing. It has something to do with your letdown. That's when the milk comes out the quickest. After a few minutes of pumping, your breasts will be less full and the letdown is over (in other words, the milk doesn't leak out or squirt out on it's own), so it should be easier for your daughter to eat.

If you try this, let me know if it works for you!

Hi M.:

If you have a pump, pump off the breast you are about to nurse on for 2-3 minutes prior to nursing. Save your expressed breast milk because it is gold! What you are doing is possibly pumping off a "let down." In addition, you are pumping off the fore milk, which is thinner, and getting to the thicker and ricker hind milk. This will make it less likely for your infant to choke. A modified cradle position will also help protect your infant from choking or aspirating, as she will get better protection over her airway.

R. Elkin, MOT, OTR/L, CKT
Pediatric OT

Two things - have you ever tried nipple shields? I used them to help my daughter latch on properly but I have also heard that they help with fast milk because they allow it to pool up in the shield instead of spraying down your baby's throat and gagging them. You can get them at Target near the Medela breast feeding supplies. They are only like $5. An added bonus is that they practically eliminate chaffed or soar nipples! Also, maybe pump a little before putting your baby on the breast to ease some of the initial "flow." Good luck.

They have some inexpensive manual pumps. Maybe you can pump out the first few ounces yourself and relieve some of that high pressured flow for her. In the interest of not loosing the most nutritious part of your milk (when it first comes out), maybe give that to her in a bottle if she doesn't get enough after you've pumped. Good luck to you both!

There are actually breastfeeding books out there you can find at Half Price or somewhere just to have around as reference. I loved having that! Also, Harris Methodist HEB has a WONDERFUL breastfeeding resource center that we used and highly recommend! There are other breastfeeding resource centers around too - I'm not sure where you're located.

Try pumping first. Not alot just the overflow. Then let her nurse. I would say that should help as you will pull off the extra that is choking her. But be forwarned the breasts will make what they "think" the baby is eating. So be prepared for even more milk production because the body senses the pumping as a baby eating. But on the bright side if you freeze it, you will have a supply for a long time. I used to pump one side and nurse on the other. Then at the next feeding pump the opposite and nurse the other. I did that instead of switching halfway through the "meal" and I always had gobs of milk. Like I could pump 6-8 oz. at a time.

That happened to me too. For awhile it seemed like the only thing that worked was feeding him laying down. We were both on our sides, tummy to tummy. The leaning back thing wasn't comfortable for us and didn't work. Eventually he got used to it and can now handle my fast let-down. If that doesn't work, you could try feeding her until you let down, take her off and catch the initial "spray" in a burp cloth, then put her back on once it slows down. Or pump for a couple of minutes before feeding. Good luck and kudos to you for breastfeeding!!!!!

First of all, congratulations on your sweet baby, and GOOD FOR YOU for breastfeeding and giving your baby exactly what she needs....mama's milk! :)

You have gotten a lot of great suggestions from experienced moms. I read most, but the two that stuck out to me as possibly being the best suggestions (everyone is different, so in the end, something else may work better for you and your baby), were from Janet and Chrystal near the top 10 responses. They suggested letting her latch, waiting until let-down occures, and then taking her off and covering yourself with a towel (or you an drip into a bottle like another mom mentioned to catch and save those precious few drops!)and wait until let-down slows, then let her reattach. This, again, should slow the flow and let her adjust better, and it also provides less stimulation to the breast. For many moms, the cause of overactive letdown occures when a long period of time transpires bewtween feedings and a large accumilation of milk is in the breast.

MANY moms have suggested pumping before or between feedings to reduce the ammount of milk in the breast. While this may work for some moms, or even for you, the potential problem with this is that pumping along with regular nursing is going to stimulate your breasts to produce MORE milk, therefore increasing the ammount of milk in your breasts and potentially cause let-down to become even more forceful than it was to begin with, and then what?

Thankfully, this is typically a problem that occures only in younger babies, such as the case with your daughter. It typically begins after they are a couple weeks old, and thankfully, begins to subside after around 3 months.

I say hang in there mama! So many women today are ready to pounce on formula as soon as breastfeeding doesn't go EXACTLY as as expected! I know that with my first, i gave in to a lot of bad informtion (including frommy baby's pedi!) and wound up needing formula by 4 or 5 mos because I had very little supply left! Now nursing our 3rd baby, I know what I did wrong with my first, and even my 2nd and we are on our way to at least a year of breastfeeding with baby #3! In my career as a certified doula, LC and CBE, I see so many moms struggle for lack of good, helpful information. I'm so pleased and excited for you and your baby that you chose to get advice from woemn who have been there! I wish you all the best and hope that you have found information from myself and all these other wonderful moms that will help to nurture the breastfeeding relationship you have with your sweet little girl!

A.

P.S. Here is a link I found that might help you. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html If you've never been to this site before...bookmark it! It is great! And they have a lot of info from Dr Jack Newman whom I ADORE!
Blessings!

(please forgive my typos! Wrestling with the kiddos while typing!)

It's been 12 years since I breastfed but I'm going to give it a shot anyway. You may want to express some before she actually latches on. You may be so full that it just floods out. I would think that if some has been "removed", your breast won't be as full. Then, you could feed what you expressed in a bottle (because the first bit is important). I hope that atleast gives you one idea. Just don't quit. You are doing the best thing in the world for her.

I had the same problem with my daughter I pumped a little before feeding her.

pump some off before feeding, either with an electric pump (you can rent them from the hospital or buy) or manually!

Also, talk to a lactation consultant if you need further assistance! The ones at Harris Methodist Hospital are great and free to talk to on the phone, even if you didn't have your baby there (I never had my kids there and used them both times I nursed on occassion). They even have a toll-free phone number but you will have to dig for it or ask after the initial call if you have to call long distance as I did!

Good luck!
T.

Try expressing a little bit of milk first. Or letting her suck to get it started, then pull off when it starts spraying. Just hold a cloth against it until the spraying dies down--this should help. I had a similar problem.

You have a very good let-down for your milk. Perhaps you could get a terry towel or cloth diaper and put over your breasts when you first let down so that the milk will go there before you nurse so that she won't choke as much. It is overwhelming for a little one. I had this experience with my daughter. Just hang in there. Also try the pump to collect the milk before you do nurse. It will get better and you two will adjust.

M.,
You may have to try pumping a little before letting her latch on so that the flow is a little slower. Once she gets a little older so much at once probably won't bother her, but for right now it wouldn't hurt to try. The milk you pump may be a good back up for later on when the supply slows down.
Good Luck,
T.

I asked my daughter who is a breastfeeding "expert". She said that #1 she would suggest that you try feeding more often. Seems you've got too much buildup of milk. It takes a good three months to get your supply really regulated to your baby. Her other suggestion was that you pump just a minute to take the first flow of the let-down. Then the milk will continue to come, but be a slower flow.

I strongly recommend finding your own "lactation consultant". Too many women give up before it gets easy. As a 57 year old grandmother, I can tell you that breastfeeding was one of the most rewarding things of motherhood. It was a bit of a sacrifice, but well worth it!!

Keep it up!! You'll get it!!

J.

You are blessed to have such an amazing flow. I tried breastfeeding when my 3 year old was born and she only wanted one breast and my flow wasn't all that great so eventually I had to stop and switch to formula just to make certain she was getting the right amount of milk daily. My suggestion to you is to pump and to bottle feed your daughter. By doing this, she still gets your milk and she'll be able to control the amount she takes in by her own sucking rhythum. Good Luck!!

please consider getting in touch with someone from La Leche League. You can do a search on the net for someone in the Abilene area. The ladies who are members of this group are regular moms who have been through it all but are very knowledgeable in all issues of breast feeding. I found them to be of great assistance and assurance with both my daughters.
good luck.

Hi M.. I had this problem (slightly) because my baby boy was born premature. I was only able to nurse him 1 time /day while he was learning to suck in the NICU. The lactation consultants were GREAT! Do you own a pump? If you do, try pumping for about 5 minutes before feeding her. Or you can hand pump. I think it may help! If it doesn't, I suggest you call the lactation consulatants where you delivered and get their advice. Plus, your pedi can always send you a referral to see one of them! Hope this helps! And good luck- you are doing something wonderful for your baby girl....M.

I was very large (f cup) before I got pregnant and grew 4 cup sizes during pregnancy. I assumed this was why my daughter choked a lot because there was so MUCH milk. Until she was about 3 months old and could handle it, I was told to pump a little from each first then let her B.F. It worked really well for us. If I was out in public for the day and it was too hard to pump, I would just feed her more often to help me from getting to full. I was grateful for this as she got older because both of these procedures caused me to make MORE milk over time. But that allowed me to make enough for her for a full year. Hope that helps your situation.

With Gratitude,
J.

I would get in touch with the breastfeeding support center at Harris HEB. I used them with both of my girls...my second we couldn't figure out why she was so fussy and they determined she (at 2 months) drank 11 ounces, from one side, in less than 10 minutes. So, I struggled with similar issues. We had to nurse with her sitting more upright, nurse at least 2 hours in between (and worked it back to every three hours)...I can't recall what else we tried. But, they are very helpful there and file with your insurance, so you only pay your office visit co-pay one time for all the visits you have (unless it has changed). Their number is ###-###-####. Laura is my favorite, but Esther, Shelly, and all the others are wonderful too.

I would not recommend a nipple shield unless you have problems with your nipples. I only say this because, with my first, it took us 9 weeks to get nursing down WITHOUT the nipple shield. And, to put it on for every feeding (and keep it in place on the breast) ended up causing me more distress than anything else!

I also agree that if you pump, it might signal your body to increase milk supply. I liked (I think it was Ellen's) idea to let your baby start to nurse and as you let down, try to pull her off for a second and then relatch her so she isn't latched as you let down. If you do have to pump, I would only pump as little as necessary to pass through the forceful let down. I also did the block nursing that someone else mentioned. If she wanted to nurse before our 2-3 hours were up, I put her back on the side we had just nursed from...and would nurse right side until it was empty...then start the next time with the left. SOrry this is so long!!! Best of luck to you!

I also had this problem while breastfeeding both of my children. My pediatrician recommended just pumping my milk and bottle feeding until they were old enough to breastfeed and not get choked up because of the flow.

maybe call the LaLeche League they at least were in CA when i breast fed my babies (24 & 32 now). they were a big help.

are you holding your nipple with your fingers? sometimes that might help.

D. HIll

try pumping some off with the breast pump before feeding to decrease the pressure before she gets started good luck

I don't now if you already do it but maybe you can hold her football style, she is lying backward down your forearm, with her legs and feet under your arm and you cradle her head in your hand, while she nurses. AND then lean back, on to a stack of pillows. Maybe she will be able to control her intake better.

When I nursed my girls I often had to pump an ounce or two first.

M.

try pumping just a little before you feed her just to reduce the amount of milk in your breast it might be the pressure of the amount in you beast that is making it come out too fast for her that is making her choke..

this happened with my second daughter when i fed her. i had my girls 11 months apart and had just stop feeding on when the other came along.

a friend thought my body was just trying to componsate for the added child and produce more milk so i just pumped some out and stored it for when i couldnt breast feed her and after pumping a little i fed her and that seemed to work.

try this and see if it helps

good luck

M. B.

ok so this is going to sound wierd but its alot easier that pumping ahead of time and breast sheils...

It is probably happening when your milk is letting down because thats when it starts coming out really fast. What I would do is to take my daughter off and put my finger over where the milk was coming out and wait until I could feel the let down was finished...then its not coming out so intensly...worked for us but you might want to keep a towel handy :)

I feel for you...I have 3 of my own! I really enjoyed nursing each of them until they were around 1. I found that when my milk supply was up too much, if I expressed a little bit until my milk let down and then let them latch on, they would do much better. Your milk supply will go up and down as your baby grows because as she hits her growth spurts, she will eat more, and then decrease the amount for a few weeks, and so on. In the mean time, your milk will catch up top her eating, and then will have to adjust itself when she eats less. It's a constant ebb and flow, but you will get used to it and so will she in the next couple of months. Stick with it! It's worth it!

Good luck!

She's probably choking on the 'let down'. When you feel the milk coming down (usually pretty quick after she latches on) go ahead and take her off. Your milk will be spraying out very fast, but not for too terribly long. Just hold a towel over it until it slows down, then put her back on. This should help reduce her choking. I breast fed 4 and know exactly what you are talking about. Good luck to you and hang in there. You can do it.
God bless.

Hi M.! Try pumping your milk and adding it to formula until your milk slows down. That way she is still getting your milk and you will still produce milk. I gave my daughter both bottle and breast for six weeks and we had no problems. Just pump enough to give you relief and then it will start slowing down. Or you can even pump some before she feeds and then breast feed if you don't want to give her a bottle. Just play around with all that I suggested to see what works best for you and her.

I had the same issue with my oldest - she was such a strong nurser that she would drown herself occassionally! I started with a warm moist towel handy, then when I'd feel the let-down, I'd pull back and let the 'rush' pass before she resumed feeding. Within a couple weeks her appetite caught up to the supply and we had several months without problems. Good luck!

Hi M.. I have an 11 month-old little boy and breastfed him for the first 4+ months (until he didn't want it anymore). I never had the problem that you are describing except when it had been a while between feeds. I wonder if you pumped a bit first - to relieve some of the pressure - and then breastfed your daughter - if that might make it easier for her to feed? I wish I had some other advice to give to you....good luck.

M., The only thing I can think of is to pump your milk and give it to herfrom a low flow bottle nipple. Maybe she'll eat then. Good luck.

When I experienced something similiar many years ago my doctor suggested pumping a little before my daughter would need to feed to take the edge and force down a notch. This did two things. Increased the milk supply (I froze the extra) and made it easier to feed my daughter since the initial force when your milk rushes to the breast was decreased. I only pumped for a few minutes then would put her on the breast. Just something to try.... Good Luck!!!

Hi M.,

I had that happen too - I don't remember when it was that it started though. Seems like it happened a little earlier than 10 weeks. I would get the milk started and let it flow for a little bit (until it stopped spraying out) and then put my son on. I just used a washcloth so there wasn't too much of a mess. Once it got past the initial "spraying", my son was able to eat without choking. And, it should eventually stop doing that as your milk production adjusts (at least mine did). The best thing to do though is not to stress and worry. If this doesn't work, just pull your baby off, soothe her and put her back on. Eventually, it'll work out and she's fine. Whenever she does gag, be glad that her gag-reflex is working!! Look on the positive side! Like most things with breastfeeding, as I'm sure you've found out, there's not really a "right" answer, but everything you do will be fine. You're doing great and your sweet little girl is doing great. Hang in there and make sure you go easy on yourself. Good luck - I know it'll get better and easier and you'll be a pro before you know it! If you want a good book, The Nursing Mother's Companion, was great and helped me out with a lot of issues and questions. Take care and enjoy your baby! C.

I used to have the same problem, plus, I am very large (a DD when nursing) so I always had to hold my breast away from their face a little so as to not suffocate them!

Anyway, I used to have so much milk, I could've probably fed triplets, and it would come out fast, like you described. I would suggest pumping out an ounce or two before feeding her. That should hopefully slow it down a bit. Plus, you can start building up a stockpile and freezing it for babysitters or whatever. Since you flow so fast, it should only take a minute or two to pump, and that will give the baby a few more minutes to get good and hungry--maybe more willing to eat then.

Also, I don't know if you have the same thing as me, where I would feed from one breast and the other would leak (a lot) of milk, but I would hold a bottle over one nipple and catch milk while nursing from the other! Good times!

My "babies" are 6, 8, 10, and almost 13 now. Treasure this special time with your baby--it will be gone way too fast!

J.

You do NOT need to pump - this will only signal your body to make more milk. Nor do you need a nipple shield. And please, please, don't give your baby a bottle. Try two things; first, before you feed your daughter, stimulate your nipples a little bit and let some of the milk dribble into a towel or burp cloth. Another way is to let your daughter suck until you feel your milk letting down, then take her off for a minute or so before resuming. This will help with the too-forceful let-down. As she gets older, she will be able to handle all that milk and you won't need to do it. Second, use a technique called "block feeding" where you feed her from only one side at a feeding, or only one side for a number of hours. For instance, if she nurses on the right side and then an hour later wants to nurse again, feed her on the right side again. This will signal your body to make less milk. Do this gradually, though, so you don't become engorged. You can find a lot of information about this here:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

Hope that helps! I've had this problem myself and it should correct itself as your baby grows.

Another option could be to pump or manually express until your milk lets down. Once the flow has slowed to a normal pace, then let your baby latch on, and she won't get overwhelmed. Things will probably settle down more with time; keep up the good work!

Try manually expressing a little before you feed, so that the let down isn't happening with her. Good luck with breastfeeding. It's hard at first, but it's sooo worth it.

Maybe try pumping a little of the milk off before feeding her, so there is not so much pressure; that might keep it from coming out so fast.

HI M.,
I know you've had a ton of responses, and most are saying to pump first. I had this same problem and just could not stand to pump for 5/10min before nursing while my baby screamed. Alternatively, a lactation consultant told me to literally try laying down in bed with the baby on top so that gravity would help and the baby could let the extra milk flow away from her mouth. It worked really well! She also suggested that if I were sitting up, once I felt my milk let down, to just ease the baby off for a minute and let my milk let down into a burp cloth then put the baby back on. I ended up going with this style for a long time - like 4 months. Good luck! S.

I had the same problem with my youngest. He would nurse for a few seconds/minutes and then start screaming. It was so frustrating. I finally contacted the lactation consultant at the hospital. She informed me that my "let-down" was too strong and he was choking. She showed me a better way to position my son so that he was in more of a sitting position. That worked perfectly! Contact the nursery where you gave birth and they will probably have a lactation consultant that you can talk with....and if you go up to the hospital, it will probably be free. If not, they will have the contact info for one. Don't give up! Nursing is THE best thing you can do for your baby! Good luck!!

Try pumping some from each side prior to feeding. You can freeze the pumped milk in baggies for outings or emergencies.
Hopefully this will eliminate some of the initial "rush" so that your sweetpea can eat without feeling like she's drowning.

Try pumping some milk out first and then let her latch on. Or feed her more often. It sounds like you are getting too full.
Nursing is tricky - just keep it up!

I breast feed my son for 9 months and my breast was always so full I could have fed the nation. Have you tried pumping out some of the milk into a pot and then feeding your baby. Pumping by hand worked the best for me. I would start at the top of my breast and squeeze down to the nipple. You can tell when you are filled because your breast will be hard and form knots.

Hi M.,

Try expressing some milk before your baby nurses- either by hand or a pump. Experiment with how much you need to express, but it should slow down the flow so it doesn't overwhelm your daughter. Store the milk in the freezer and you'll build up a supply of back up milk too. Good luck!

K.

It's probably that your let down is flowing too fast at the beginning. Does it happen near the beginning of nursing? If so, start her out nursing but when you feel the let down (that tingling feeling) coming, pull her off and express it in a burp cloth until it slows down. Maybe that will help her not choke and want to eat. Good luck! If you have more trouble, not sure where you are, but at the Harris Methodist HEB hospital in the midcities area has a great FREE breastfeeding clinic.

M.
Julia 6
Mallory 4
Trey 6 months

I had this with all my kids in the beginning.
This is what I did--first let her start to nurse. When you feel the letdown, pull her off briefly and let some of the milk come out on a nearby towel and then let her finish. And only nurse on one side per time (that was more than enough for my kids). Don't pump--this will just increase the flow. Sticking with one side per feeding should tone it down in the next few weeks.

I have the same problem when breastfeeding all my kids so what I did was as they are sucking and you feel your breast start to fill up, take the baby away until the sensation has past (cuddle her)and THEN put her back on. This will help. As she gets used to why you are pulling her away when your milk comes in, she will understand and hopefully, not fuss. (Worked everytime for me)

M.,

You might try pumping a bit between feedings. You might be building up too much milk and it has to go somewhere fast.

Just a thought,

Trying pumping some of it out. You are just like I was with my first. Way too much milk. I pump every time he was not feeding and froze it. Make your breast not so full and easy for her to handle.

B.

M.,
I think you should keep trying until you find something that works for the both of you.Try pumping out some of the milk before you nurse which you could use later. Even try lying down on your side and and nursing after pumping, they actually worked better for me.Just don't give up because she will soon get use to the flow. Good luck and remember don't give up. A little about me I am a 25 year old mother of two BUSY girls 1 and 3 and married to the Greatest husband in the world.

I have not read the other responses yet, but my suggestion would be that you pump for about 5 minutes on each side right before you feed her. This will help them not to be so full. If you find that it still flows too easily, you may want to try pumping a little longer. The less full your breasts are, the slower they will flow for her. Good luck with this. Stick with it. I loved breastfeeding my babies. As a nurse, I have seen so many women give up when it got frustrating. Just stick with it and seek help from your local hospital (especially the one you delivered at). The lactation consultants there would probably be more than willing to help you out.

That happened to me with my son. I had to express the milk out first with a hand held pump for about a minute or so until the flow slowed down and then he could feed without choking. Hope that helps. Also, some hospitals and pediatrician offices have lactose nurses that can help with these situations. You can check into that. Congratulations and best of luck.

My milk was also really fast. Your baby will learn how to keep up with you but while they are so young I know it is scary to have them choking. Have you tried pumping a little bit of milk right before you feed her? It could help slow it down a bit. The good news is that as she gets older she will be a very efficient eater. I think by the time my youngest son was 4/5 months, he would be full after only 5/7 minutes. (and he was a big baby!) If you can just work through this, she will definitely learn to keep up. I had a similary issue and I nursed both of my boys for 12+ months each.

I had the same problem and leaning back worked great. I just propped up on pillows in bed and used the football hold to nurse. I would HIGHLY recommend going to see a lactation consultant. They are fantastic.

Try hand expressing a little milk before starting to feed. It might just be the letdown that is overwhelming your baby.

i had the same problem. try the soft silicone nipple shields. they have just 3 small holes in them, so baby can control the flow better.

Try pumping for a couple of minutes before feeding your baby. This may alleviate the pressure of milk build up & then you can start a "back-up" supply of breastmilk that you can store in the freezer. I pumped a supply of milk so I had some for the babysitter or outings (I'm not to comfortable breastfeeding in public).

I had that problem as well, what helped me is to pump some of my milk first with my breast pump and it then comes out slower. Not only is it easier for them to latch on and drink, you have some milk for later in case you want to try a bottle.

Hi M.

I had exactly the same situation and I used to be so upset that my baby was choking. But then my nurse suggested that I pump about an ounce or two just before I feed him and that way the flow will settle down a bit. It got so much easier then to feed him. Try it out. Hopefully it will help you.

S.

Mom of two beautiful boys!

Try expressing your milk first , meaning pumping for about three to five minutes before your put her to breast. That way
you are also building your Expressed breast milk supply for later. You could store your breast milk for up to six months in deep freeze. I hope this helps.

Try pumping for a few minutes before you start her feeding. It should remove the fastest overwhelming part of your stream and get closer to the rate she is reading to feed at. -Nita

can you pump for a few minutes before the feeding to get over the 'rush'?

Your let down is pretty hard, maybe try encouraging a let down BEFORE you put her to your breast. Once the let down occurs then put her on. A crying baby, a little stimulation with your fingertips, or pumping will get your let down started manually.

I had the same problem with my first and again now with my 1 week old baby. The only position that doesn't choke her is for us to nurse in sidelying. Somehow the flow isn't as fast and if she gets too much it can trickle out the side of her mouth. The problem with pumping a few minutes before is that it tells your body to produce more milk to accomodate both the pumping and the amount the baby needs. I tried it and it seemed to make the letdown worse. So sidelying on the bed or couch is the only way that works for us, plus it's so relaxing for you and baby. Good luck!

I was going to suggest pumping or expressing a little bit before feeding her, also. The good news is that she'll adjust, and as she grows she'll want more anyway so this is a temporary thing!

Hi M.,

If you're breastfeeding, La Leche League's website is a wonderful source for any questions or concerns you might have. Whenever I was coming across problems feeding my twins in the beginning, this website had a lot of information that was very useful for me. I tried several of these techniques when my milk was coming out too fast. It just takes trial and error until the two of you are able to adjust. But read this article from La Leche League; they have a lot of suggestions.

http://www.llli.org/FAQ/oversupply.html

If you are breastfeeding, the fixer would be to pull the skin back on the part of your breast right above where the baby's lips are. That way, when the milk comes out, it will be squirting at the roof of the baby's mouth instead of right down her throat. Hope this works for you!

Sounds like you have an overactive letdown. If you have a pump you can pump just for a minute until the flow slows down and then put her to breast, i would also recommend the football hold but with her almost sitting up... good luck and God bless...

I've had the same problem while nursing all 5 of my children. Most of the time as they got older they adjusted to the quick flow. This was good for me because they ate much faster. :) However, with my first the flow overwhelmed him as well. I would let him suck until he brought my milk down and then I would unlatch him and hold a washcloth over my nipple until the flow slowed down and was no longer spraying out. This usually only took a about 15-20 seconds, sometimes a little longer. He would then latch on and do fine. As your baby girl gets older she will be able to handle it a little better. Your milk will also eventually slow down a little. I'm nursing my 8 1/2 mo and my milk doesn't come gushing in anymore. If you still continue to have issues I would call La Leche League, they are a wonderful resource. Blessings.

I dealt with this with my first. I was told to pump alittle before nursing to release some of the milk so it would not be so forceful.

are your breasts pretty full? If so...try to pump a little to get the pressure down then feed her.

I had the same problem. The advice about pulling back and letting the rush out on a towel works but it is messy. I also bought nipple shells (I think that is what they are called). I started using them because one of my nipples was severely sore and cracking. Then I noticed it prevented him from getting too much milk at once. The extra milk (that he doesn't suck out just collects in the silicone nipple. Eventually he catches up and gets all the milk. The shells are silicone (or similar material) that fits over your breast and has holes in the tip (just like a nipple). The baby sucks on this instead of directly on your breast. It also helped my son learn to latch on because it is a firmer nipple and can "force" itsself into his mouth better than your own nipple. For me it was a great all around tool. Good luck.

I had the same problem with my son. (I could have nusred 3 babies and still had milk left!!) I was told to express some of the milk first, and then feed. He would only nurse one side each feeding, so it made it very difficult. I used a pump for about 2 min. then nursed. After about 2-3 weeks, it equallized, and did not choke him. (I fed him and THEN pumped 16 ounces. I sometimes pumped 8 oz. then fed. then pumped 8 more.) I knew that I would eventually have to return to work, so I stored milk for My Mom and so Dad could feed too. He was our first, and when I had my daughter, this was not a problem for/with her. Good luck and DON'T GET DISCOURAGED!!

M.

I can understand you feeling so helpless when your little one is choking. That can be very frightening and uncomfortable for both of you.

I have heard some moms have tried pumping/hand expressing, etc. til they feel let down and then the milk slows. I have also heard of moms starting the feed and as soon as they feel the let down they take baby off breast til let down is complete and then place baby back on breast. Once the forceful let down is over the milk does tend to slow it's speed on ejection.

Happy Breastfeeding!
V.

I would pump and use a bottle.

M.,

sounds like you're doing a really great job at producing milk for your baby girl.

Just before she is due to feed, try expressing some of the milk so its not coming at her so fast when you put her to ther breast. The expressed milk can be stored [fridge or freezer] for use later, or you could simply discard it.

Keeping her upright to feed, until the volume of the flow reduces should help too.

L.

M.,
Try a nipple shield--you can find them at Target I think--I'd recommend the one that has the opening for their nose so that they can still smell your skin. It'll make sense when you see it. There are however some things to know about nipple shields-- see this website http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/t024500.asp.

I'd say, if you don't already have one, to get an inexpensive breast pump and express a little milk before you nurse. Not too much, but just enough so that you're not so full! Then you can tuck the pumpings away in the freezer for some time when you're not with her. Just remember to use them up

Poor little kiddo! Hope that helps... I know what you're talking about - my mom, my sisters and I have all joked at one time or another about being dairy cows in a past life or something. Better than not having enough! I know you guys can work it out. Good luck!