Baby can't keep up with my flow - help!!

[bug_blues70]

Thanks Sarah, you're awfully sweet!! Did you ever start that facebook page for 2 under 2?

[~Sarah~]

No I didn't but I should bc I know of IDM, you, and 2 others who all have birthed 2 under 14mo in the last 6mo.

[EloysH]

Megan, ust a quick note, any sort of pumping will boost your supply and increase the flow issue.  Block feeding reduces your supply so it matches what the baby is drinking. Try not to pump if you can, its really hard to manage the pumping before a feed situation..  I went through it.

For block feeding my supply was so big that for a week or so I needed to feed off one side for two feeds in a row before I could switch sides.    Once the flow setteld I could switch to one sided feeding.

[Meditrina]

Hey Megan

I fed DS every two hours around the clock (entire feed in about 3 min) until he weaned at 11 1/2 months.  But this was completely related to the foremilk ratio issue, not my letdown.  He would only get foremilk, and then got hungry really quick after.  He also gained reallly fast in the first month (was 6lbs7oz at birth and over 10lbs at 4 weeks) and the LC told me this was also a sign of foremilk inbalance (seems weird since the hindmilk is the fatty stuff, but I dont remember the science right now)

Have you been on kellymom?  I found some stuff on there about the overactive letdown and foremilk/hindmilk imbalance.
http://breastfeeding.hypermart.net/toomuchmilk.html
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussybaby.html
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/frequent-nursing.html

HTH 

[bug_blues70]

Thanks Eloise! I know the pumping will increase my supply and exaggerate the problem. TBH, I'm really torn about it b/c I wanted to pump for Ellen since I couldn't BF her and have been using formula for the past 6 mo. I was emptying out the side Milo nursed on after each feed, but that's hard to keep up with with the two of them, and also I knew it was adding to the problem. Now I'm just pumping in the morning when I wake up. Sometimes I get 3-4 but occasionally I get a full bottle for her.

Wow Mary!!! I think I'd probably have given up if I had to feed every 2 hours around the clock for a year!!! Or at least gone to pumping and feeding with a bottle. That's incredible!! Kudos to you!! Thanks for the links, I'll check them out.

Last night turned out to be really great after all... he finally settled at 1030, and I fed him at 11:45, 2:15, 5, and 8. And he slept peacefully in his bassinet! YAY!! Let's just hope that these burping techniques keep working!! Course I've had good nights like this before - sometimes it seems like it's every other night for some reason :-/

[~*~Little Miss Sunshine~*~]

Great news Megan!  DD also had a good night last night (only had one fussy period from 10:30 - 12:30) and was really peaceful the rest of the night.  Hoping it becomes more of a good thing soon (for both of us!!)

[Messa]

Thats great Megan!  Hope today goes well too.

Good luck to you too Anne Elizabeth!