Breastfeeding Problems

[yuukalim0404]

Baby is now 4 weeks old and I have been breastfeeding exclusively. So far she has taken the breast well, crying when she is hungry and stopping and looking content after each feeding.
Few days ago, she began looking uncomfortable when sucking, with occasional spluttering and choking when drinking. I suspect my milk was too explosive and tried to take out the nipple when that happens, which makes her cry hysterically. I put it back, and she starts choking...then sucks normally. However, yesterday the situation got worse, the milk was so explosive that she started crying while sucking!! She is obviously hungry, but cannot drink direct, in the end I had to feed her my expressed milk from bottle ( with her cryng all the while before the milk was ready):-(
This has been puting stress on me. I wonder if there is a way to "lessen" the milk flow or if anyone had same experience and what did you do? I will not wish to always pump out milk and feed her from bottle if possible.

 

[Nashua852]

If your breast flow is too fast you can try either expressing for a couple of minutes at the start of your feed when your milk flows the fastest or if it's a more long term issue I'd recommend getting a breast shield. I bought an avent one but haven't needed to use it yet. It's basically a silicone nipple shaped plate that you place over your nipple whilst you feed and it catches the excess milk. Good Luck.

 

[pixelelf]

i had the same problem - too fast let down and baby was gagging and coughing and hungry. kellymom has very good tips
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

i did a few of the following
1. recline back so that the milk helped by gravity goes slower
2. nurse lying down on my side, so that the excess milk dribbles down (haf alot of cloth nappies to catch the milk too)
3. nurse almost lying down, on my back, and the baby on top. this position i try to minimise, cos it did give me blocked ducts after too many times.
4. after the baby sucks a min or 2, when the let down is coming, i will pull him away, let the milk spray out into a cloth nappy, then put him back. he will be crying and upset, i will just rock him for 1 min or so then put him back to the breast.
5. minimise pumping for me. the more i pumped the faster the flow! that said, if my breasts felt too full, i'd pump out till it feels comfortable (not empty) then put the baby on the breast.

hope it helps.