Sometimes your baby may struggle to stay on the breast if you have a forceful letdown. This can make nursing tricky and might cause your baby to swallow extra air, leading to choking at the breast or excessive gassiness.
A Forceful Letdown – Need to Know
If you have an overactive letdown, there are two main approaches: help your baby cope with the fast flow, or try to decrease your milk supply — but only if you actually have an oversupply. We’ll go over the signs of oversupply a bit later.
During the first six weeks after birth, your milk supply is naturally adjusting to meet your baby’s needs. Most moms experience a forceful letdown and rapidly increasing milk supply during this time. It’s best not to try to decrease your supply in these early weeks — give your body a chance to regulate itself.
Also, remember that not all mothers with a forceful letdown have hyperlactation. It takes a bit of patience and time for both you and your baby to adjust.
So, How Do You Know if You Have an Oversupply?
The Signs of Oversupply include:
- Your baby has runny, explosive, or mucousy green poop.
- Your baby seems colicky, crying for long stretches at a time.
- Your baby fusses during feeds, often bobbing on and off the breast.
- Your baby coughs while breastfeeding or chokes on your breast milk.
- Your baby is very gassy, which you might notice when their tummy feels hard or distended.
- Your baby spits up more than usual.
- Your baby may be gaining weight faster than expected.
Seven Ways To Slow Your Milk Flow
Coping With a Fast Flow of Milk Explained
Let It Spray
When you feel a letdown coming, you can briefly remove your baby from the breast and let the milk flow into a cloth. Once the letdown slows, put your baby back on the breast so they can continue nursing comfortably.
The Latch
Make sure your nipple is pointing toward the roof of your baby’s mouth, not the back of their throat. A good latch can make nursing much easier and help your baby handle a forceful letdown.
Air Intake
Burp your baby as often as you can during a feed. This helps prevent bloating and discomfort from swallowing extra air.
A Calm Baby
Try to nurse when your baby is relaxed. A calm baby tends to suck more slowly, which makes the milk flow easier to manage and reduces the chances of choking or excessive gassiness.
Choosing the right breastfeeding position can make a big difference when you have a forceful letdown. Positions that work with gravity can help reduce air intake and prevent choking at the breast. Some good options include:
The Position
- The Biological Nursing Position: This is the most natural way to breastfeed and provides excellent support to prevent strain. It’s also perfect for skin-to-skin contact, which has its own benefits for you and your baby.
- Side-Lying Position: This position allows excess milk to dribble down the sides of your baby’s mouth, making nursing more comfortable.
- Australian Breastfeeding Hold: Ideal for older babies, this position lets your child sit up facing you while nursing, giving them more control over the milk flow.
When You Have an Oversupply, How Do You Slow Down an Overactive Letdown?
Reducing Milk Supply with Switch Nursing
In addition to the coping strategies mentioned earlier, there are ways to gently help reduce your milk supply if needed. One method often recommended is switch nursing.
With switch nursing, you change breasts more often than usual during a feed. For example, if you normally switch after 10 minutes, try switching after 5 minutes, or even sooner. You can also switch more than once during the same feeding.
This technique allows both breasts to get stimulation while sending a natural signal to gradually decrease milk production, because neither breast is being completely drained. Unlike block feeding, switch nursing is usually more comfortable for mom, and the reduction in milk supply happens slowly. Your baby might be a little fussier than usual at first, but give it some time — both you and your little one will adjust.
Block Feeding
How does block feeding work?
- When you feed your baby during six hours, breastfeed on demand from only one breast. Alternate breasts every six hours.
- If the breast that has not been fed from becomes engorged, you can express just enough milk to feel comfortable. The less milk removed from the breast, the less milk produced.
- You can also use cool compresses to relieve any discomfort from the breast that has not been fed from, which will decrease blood flow and milk supply. Use the cold compress for one-half hour, then remove for one hour, and so forth.
- If block feeding has not reduced your supply within a week, you should seek out the help of a lactation consultant. Alternatively, opt for a Milkology breastfeeding course and equip yourself with the comprehensive knowledge necessary for a successful breastfeeding experience.
- The block feeding do’s and don’ts.
Remember, when you breastfeed less frequently, when you breastfeed less frequently, you should watch for blocked ducts, blebs, and mastitis.
Avoid Extra Stimulation
Pumping or hand expression should be done with caution and only when necessary, as these can stimulate milk production, which can be counterintuitive. Also, avoid breast compressions and hot showers while breastfeeding.
What Does Forceful Letdown Look Like?
Conclusion
Do not block feed or try to reduce your milk supply if your baby is not gaining weight as they should.
If all else fails, you can try using herbs to decrease your milk supply. Herbs should be used under the guidance of a lactation consultant.
When does a forceful letdown get better?
Between 6 and 12 weeks, most mothers notice a drop in supply and a decrease in milk flow. During this, a mother’s hormones change again, and the milk supply becomes more stable; this can also lead to frustration at the breast because the baby is accustomed to a faster milk flow. If you are struggling with a slow letdown, please see our page on increasing your milk letdown reflex.
References
- Block feeding dos and don’ts by Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA
- Nurturedchild.ca – breastfeeding challenges – oversupply and forceful milk letdown.
- La Leche League – Breastfeeding support
