# Hyperlactation and Forceful letdown



## Stayathomemommy (Jun 7, 2002)

Dont get me wrong i feel truely blessed that this is my "problem" and that my twin girls have more then enough to eat but when they nurse they often gag and choke on the milk that is shooting into their mouths. i have read that its good to pump before feeding them so that they dont have to deal with so much milk and also so they will get the hind milk and not just get full on the fore milk.

Does anyone else have hyperlactation or forceful letdown. i am wondering if there are any tricks. its a pain to pump before most feedings and usually the pump is needing to be washed and i dont have time to clean with a hungry baby screaming.


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## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

You could try hand expressing. Just until your milk starts flowing and then catch it in something (I usually use a diaper unless there is really a lot there. Pumping will just make it worse. You don't have a lot of options but mainly if you can just get past that first let down things will go a little more smoothly. Would nursing more frequently help? Then again you have twins. How much more oftenm can you possibly nurse? Godd luck. I wish I had more information to offer.


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## wombat (Nov 3, 2002)

I have a bit of a problem with this. dd gets a mouthful of milk and can't swallow fast enough and pulls off. I've heard you can nurse 'uphill', you know lie back more when you're nursing so gravity comes into effect. I think babies get the hang of this after a while?? dd doesn't seem so bothered now (at 3 1/2 months) as she was earlier on. Although sometimes if she's in a sensitive mood - she gets very upset and screams but this is happening less and less. dd has so many short feeds - 6-8 minutes - I've just stopped worrying about this whole hind and fore milk thing. I got a weight scale and she's gaining weight, doesn't seem so gassy so must be ok.


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

http://bf.marie.org/resources/common.html#Oversupply

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/colic...ml#fastletdown


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## Twinsmama (Apr 8, 2003)

Oh man, I can relate to this. For me, pumping has only made things worse. I try to avoid it like the plague now. My supply started to even out naturally when my girls were about four months old, right about the time they started sleeping through the night. But as soon as I started pumping again--even just a little--it started getting forceful again. Not good. So when it starts to spray I try to just let it go into a rag or a bottle for a bit. But I've found that the older the girls get, the better they are at handling it...


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## Stayathomemommy (Jun 7, 2002)

i love the support of everyone. just knowing you guys went through it and your milk supply eventually evened out or that you pumped and it didnt make it better really helped. I definately cant nurse more often. they are good sleepers at night and have a few long streches but its actually when they are eating every 2 hours that my letdown doesnt LET UP. I hate to stop pumping because i like to have a big stash in the freezer. i suprisingly get away a lot with out the girls. and my husband is coming home from the war tomorrow!!!yeah!!! so i think it will be a good bonding thing for him to be able to feed the babies. so not pumping is out.

thanks for all the info. hand expressing is a good idea and its easy so i will try and do that when the pump isnt clean and ready to use.


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## Sofiamomma (Jan 4, 2002)

I will often stick a cloth diaper under my breast and her chin. Then, when she latches off from the forceful letdown, I catch it in the diaper, and latch her back on when she's ready. More and more she handles it and doesn't come off.


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## MOM2ANSLEY (May 19, 2003)

I had the same problem...I think it resolved itself around 3 or 4 months...when dd would latch on one side I would have forcefull letdown on the other side too....If this happens to you and you are only nursing one of your babies, consider catching the extra flow in a clean bottle and saving for later...if you don't want your twins to have a bottle you could cup feed or use it later to thin mashed fruits.

Pumping will increase your supply and make this worse...If you are not bf'ing both babies at the same time try using only one breast for a certain time frame..Ex.. 1:00-3:00 right side only...
3:00-5:00 leftside only...5:00-7:00 right...you get the picture...
this helped me, but i didn't have teins...hope this helps


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