March 14th, 2010 
admin Breastfeeding with overactive letdown! HELP ME PLEASE!!!!?
My son latches on, screams bloody murder, sucks in tons of air, has horrible gas, spits up excessively, ALL the symptoms of over active let down. I am at a loss of what to do, and how to fix this. The ONLY way I can nurse him is to pump out 2-3 ounces of milk PRIOR to feeding him, which is just telling my body to produce more milk, which I DO NOT want to do! I have over 200 ounces of milk in the freezer! I am also feeding my 15 month old around 30 ounces of pumped milk a day! Oh my god I have so much milk!
I want to be able to enjoy nursing my son, my nipples are soo sore from him clamping down, and hes miserable nursing, and I refuse to stop!
What can I do to make it better without pumping so much! If I pump without feeding him, I can get up to 8-9 ounces FROM ONE BREAST! I RARELY pump, but my breasts are soo engorged. I only feed him from one breast at a time, but he is still so miserable at the breast.
Please somebody help me! If you had this problem, what did you do to solve it. It seems like everything I do, isn't working. My son is gaining tons of weight (birth weight=8.4 lbs) (1 month weight=12.8lbs) He has his required wet diapers and his bowel movements are yellow, not green, so I know he is getting enough hind milk, because I am pumping out some of the foremilk.
Please please please help me!
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If you are expressing all the fore milk, perhaps he is thirsty?
Don't pump anymore, you're right it's creating a vicious cycle.Try the Australian hold. You lay on your back and baby lies on your belly, so your stomach touches his. This puts gravity on your side and helps work against your letdown. It's still forceful, but not as much.You can also allow him to nurse until letdown, then take him off and letdown into a cup or towel then allow him to nurse again.You also have an oversupply, you can block nurse to fix that. Nurse him off of one side for 3 hours, then switch. If that doesn't help try increasing the length of time you nurse per side to 4 hours, etc.Other solutions here, also a photo showing the Australian hold and resources on block nursing: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-l…One of two things will happen in the next month or two. Your letdown will either balance out and decrease in force or your baby will become used to it and it won't bother him so much. Either way the problem is temporary and it will work out, you just have to ride with it right now.