I need advice

[avigailw]

Has anyone dealt with an overactive let-down/oversupply of milk?  I was reading about it & think that it may be contributing to her fussiness when I feed her.  I know in the past when she is eating & comes off milk will sometimes spray in her face (especially at the beginning of a feed when the milk comes down).  One of the recommendations was to feed on only one side to make sure they empty the breast & get the hindmilk.  This morning I tried that but she kept going off & on even though I knew there was more milk (I checked at one point & literally sprayed milk several feet away).  She was being very fussy on the one side so I switched her to the other side even though I could still squeeze out some milk from the first side.  I'm not sure how to tell if she really has completely finished a side, is the breast ever really completely empty?
Otherwise the day is starting out well, she went down for her first nap very easily, we'll see how long she sleeps.

[A pair of Charlies]

For the routine, I would look here for ideas: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=10384.0  Scroll through and look for ones with similar aged babes or with days that look a bit like your existing days. It's worth just jotting down the times of what is happening right now too - what time is wake-up, the first feed, the first nap start and finish, the next feed and so on. Time of each, length of naps. It can really help you, and us, identify the reasons why things might be tricky suddenly now AND identify any patterns that your LO is pushing towards.

Did you check for signs of thrush - the sudden fussyness and the bobbing on and off are often signs of this so really worth checking both of you for other symptoms.

Also, can I check - this fussyness, crying and need to be held is recent? It could be OT, it could be a GS, it does also sound like Reflux - definatley worth checking over on the Reflux board for the symptoms they list there (a lot better and informed that most leaflets and quick check lists) and thinking that one over.

For the fast letdown, take a look at these: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=117061.0 & http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

Let me know how you get on & what your days / timings are looking like at the moment (before you start trying new routines)

Charlotte

[avigailw]

Today started off great & turned into a huge disaster- which seems to be what usually happens to me (and today my son was with my mother-in-law until 8:30 so it should have been easier)

6:30 wake & fed (tried to keep putting her on the same side to completely empty the one side so it took until about 7:15 until she was calm- I did end up giving her both sides)
7:40 swaddled & gave her a pacifier & sat in a dark room with her on my lap
7:45 asleep & I put her down in her crib
9:30 woke up & fed her- one side only- she screamed when I tried to give her the other side & seemed content without it
10:25 swaddled her & held her- this time was much fussier & had to hum & rock to sleep & woke when I put her down (10:40) Started whole thing again- eventually slept 25 minutes but only with me holding her- would wake if I tried to put her down. 11:30 gave up trying to get her to sleep
12:45 fed on one side- was very content & happy (minor cat nap from 12:30-12:45 in sling carrier)
1:20 swaddled & held/rocked
1:30 fell asleep & held until 1:50 when put in crib
2:20 woke up
3:00-4:00 very light sleep in the sling carrier (would open eyes if I moved)
4:00 fed on one side
5:00 tried to put down for a nap but would not settle
5:30 very fussy so fed again
5:40 swaddled & held/rocked 5 minutes & fell asleep & held 10 minutes & woke 10 minutes after placed in crib
6:30 bath
6:50 swaddled & held
7:00 asleep but woke up when put down
7:20 fed- one side- refused second side
then from 7:30-9:30 I tried to get her to sleep but she would fight going to sleep & wake herself up- nod off & then jolt awake & even when I thought she was asleep she would wake if I tried to put her down.
11:00 dream feed- she barely woke up enough to eat & went back to bed without a problem

I don't really know where I went wrong.  She slept well for the first nap & then just seemed OT the rest of the day & it just kept getting worse.  She wasn't even up a full hour before her second nap but she was acting so fussy after the second feed. 
I have to go to sleep now, I just can't think anymore- i just hope tomorrow is better.  I swear my husband thinks all she does is cry.  In the mornings she is good but as the day goes on she just gets progressively fussier & crabbier & by the evening I don't know what to do with her anymore.
Thanks for the suggestions, I read some of those pages & I think she has a combination of reflux & overactive letdown/ oversupply.  I was trying some of their suggestions today, maybe I will have to go see her doctor about possibly giving her medicine.  I'll see how it goes tomorrow

[A pair of Charlies]

Sorry, I missed your reply.

How are things now?

[avigailw]

I don't really know what is going on lately.  Some feeds are fine and I think everything is going great, others she is just crazy & I am convinced I should just switch to formula.

She seems to do better if I burp her when she starts to bob on & off (although I need to give her a pacifier & it takes several minutes to get her to burp- and she generally spits up at the same time).  She won't settle if I try to give her just one side- after a few minutes she just starts popping on & off- but she definitely wants to suck.  I know she is supposed to empty one side before offering the second.  But usually there is still milk left & she just keeps bobbing on & off unless I switch sides & then she will eat nicely.  I don't just mean a drop or two either- I have seen it happen that there is a stream of milk coming out but she still fusses unless I switch sides. 
I have been really working on getting her to sleep before she gets OT but except for the first nap of the day she just doesn't sleep very well during the day & it takes forever to get her down at night (although once asleep she is good until the morning).
I just wish I could figure out this BF thing, some feeds I swear I just want to give up she is so crazy & then the next one she will be so good, I can't seem to figure out what is going on.  She feeds better when she is mostly asleep- but even that is not a guarantee.

[First Time Mom]

Maybe she is at the age where she is curious about the world around her? My ds has become a "bob on and off" feeder recently, he will suck for a few minutes but if I dare look him in the eyes or if he hears his sister's voice he will smile,start giggling, pop off, and look around (or, sometimes he forgets to pop off and tries to take me with him- ouch!), he will also make a humming noise on me which amuses him and causes him to stop feeding. I end up putting him on the other side and he will drink fine for a bit until his routine starts again. I then put him on the first side again and he actually does drink more. Just because they pop off does not always mean they are efficient eaters- they can be highly distracted eaters. My ds also needs to be burped between sides and he's a heavy spitter. I would switch back and forth if you need to until she becomes more of a settled feeder.