Breastfeeding Problems

Question by twistedscorpio87:
Breastfeeding Problems & Questions…?
I am “breastfeeding through pumping” because of difficulties with getting my newborn to latch on & stay latched because I have an Over Active Let-Down. With support we’re (very) slowly making progress towards getting my son to nurse.

In addition to having an overactive let-down, I have an overabundant milk supply, (his stools have recently become much more watery, green instead of yellow, and he’s become much more gassy).

I’ve read tips on how to decrease milk-supply but none of them address the issue of my son getting too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk when he gets fed (I’m sure the problem would be the same if he was nursing instead of getting a bottle). How can I reduce my milk supply while making sure that my son is getting enough hindmilk?

My local LLL & hospital & was told to just pump & throw out the first 1-2 oz. so he gets hindmilk. This will make my milk supply higher not lower & I will have to keep doing this until I stop nursing. Is there anyway to fix both?
Mina_Lumina – breastfeeding is not really an option…my son has latched on TWICE in the past week…like I said, we’re working on it, but the consultants told me to anticipate progress to go slow…

Jessica – sorry to hear you’re having the opposite problem…want some of mine? I will definately try your suggestions…maybe someone else can give me some superior advice.

Melissa S – When I said I am speaking to my local LLL that’s La Leche League…they’ve been unbelievably unhelpful in this whole thing…I’ve even called other counties to get help from other people, & it’s no superior there… is it really okay to let my baby just get the foremilk for a few days while my body tries to fix this? Can you provide me with some “proof” like a reference or source or something? I just want to be sure I am doing something healthy for my baby before i change anything…
mystic_eye_cda – reading the links you gave me (and following them to other pages) has led me to decide to try pumping lower amounts but much more frequently…

“A woman’s breast really only makes one type of milk, the higher-fat milk that we typically think of as hindmilk. As milk is produced in the breast, the fat globules in the milk tend to stick to each other and to the walls of the alveoli (where the milk is made). Between feedings, milk collects in mother’s breasts and gradually moves out toward the nipple, leaving more and more of the fat “stuck” further back in the milk ducts. The more time between feedings, the lower the fat content of the foremilk available to baby at the beginning of the feeding”

Sounds like this may be the solution for me…

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