What to do if a nursing mother has a lot of milk. What to do when breast milk is in excess

a lack of breast milk is a problem that worries many young mothers. But no less problematic is the situation when there is too much of it. In medicine, this is called hyperlactation, and every tenth woman has to deal with it. It is accompanied by very unpleasant symptoms: the breast pours out, becomes stony, the child cannot grasp the hardened nipple. If you do not take any measures in time, it is close to mastitis. Therefore, it is so important to know what to do when there is too much milk and the situation gets out of control.

Correct feeding

The main thing is not to panic, calm down and understand that this is not supernatural. Most often this happens when the baby is still too small and does not have time to empty the entire breast. And the mother's body, in turn, cannot yet orient itself and produce as much milk as the child needs. Over time, everything will work out, but for now it is very important to organize proper feeding, on which a lot depends on hyperlactation. Experts advise the following in this case.

1. For a while, stop feeding by the clock: in case of hyperlactation, it is recommended to feed the child at his first request. There is no need to be afraid to pamper him: as soon as the condition returns to normal, you can return to normal mode.
2. Before feeding, you will need to express some milk from the breast so that the baby can easily grasp the nipple.
3. When the baby eats, you need to help him: massage the breasts from which he drinks.
4. The baby should suckle each breast for at least 15 minutes.

If you adhere to these simple rules, within a day the nursing mother will be able to breathe a sigh of relief, since the heaviness from the breast will go away and the flow of milk will become much less. But this will only happen if, in addition to feeding, the woman will express herself correctly.

Expression: within reason

Hyperlactation sometimes turns into real mastitis, when the breast becomes stiff and the temperature rises. The consequences can be the most sad, up to the loss of milk completely. And most often this is due to the myth that is so widespread. Surely everyone who has faced the problem of excess breast milk has heard the advice to express milk as often as possible. As a result, milk becomes even more, as the brain (pituitary gland) perceives these procedures as feeding and produces more and more prolactin (hormone). Therefore, it is so important to know the rules for expressing with hyperlactation:

• you need to express milk in small quantities (3-4 sprays) before feeding the baby - and then only in order to facilitate food intake;
• it is better to express with your hands, and not with a breast pump;
• do not express the remaining milk after feeding and at any other time.

Many people think that pumping is salvation in the current situation, but this opinion is wrong, and it leads to the exact opposite result. It will be much more effective to draw up the right menu, since milk production also depends on the nutrition of the nursing mother.

About nutrition during hyperlactation

A woman facing a problem of hyperlactation should know which foods increase milk production and immediately eliminate them from her diet. These include:

• warm or hot tea with milk, ginger or honey (this applies to both green and black teas);
• dried fruit compotes;
• the dried fruits themselves;
• cumin and dill;
• nuts and seeds;
• feta cheese and Adyghe cheese;
• watermelon, onion, green salad, carrots and radish;
• buckwheat and rolled oats;
• currants and blackthorns;
• infusions, decoctions and tea from oregano, lemon balm, nettle, dandelion, anise and hawthorn.

Of course, all these food products are very useful and are a treasure trove of vitamins, but for 2-3 days, until the heaviness in the chest subsides, it is better to refuse them. To relieve pain, you can use folk remedies.

Folk remedies

The best option in such a situation would be a timely visit to a doctor, but if there is no such possibility, and the breast continues to burst from the surging milk, it is worth trying some folk remedies, among which:

• breast massage;
• compresses of camphor oil and chopped parsley;
• ice packs attached to the chest;
• bandaging the chest with an elastic bandage;
• infusions and tea from herbs such as sage, hop cones, mint, bearberry, alder, lingonberry, horsetail, elecampane.

All these funds are available to every woman, so her health is only in her hands. And yet, you should not engage in self-elimination of this problem: no one, except a doctor, can help with hyperlactation. Having coped with the panic, having received the advice of a specialist and having waited a couple of days, you need to rejoice that the baby is not in danger of a shortage of priceless breast milk.

Signs of excess milk

Excess milk is especially relevant in the first 12 weeks of a baby. Mom almost always has heavy, "poured" breasts, and many complain about almost never passing milk leak from the breast. The milk ducts may not be emptied properly, hence the frequent engorgement and swelling of the entire breast or its individual segments, which sometimes leads to congestion and inflammation.

Children of such "milk" mothers often behave very restlessly. They are almost constantly on the chest, but at the same time they regurgitate a lot and profusely. The stool of these babies is abundant, watery and greenish. They have excellent weight gain (even more than the "normative" 15-30 grams per day), although they ask for breasts so often that many mothers think "there is not enough milk." Not only frequent and irregular feedings exhaust the mother, but the very behavior of the baby at the breast: the baby chokes on milk, begins to suckle and drops the breast, or "slides" on the nipple, biting it. It is very difficult to teach a baby to breastfeed correctly and painlessly at such moments.

It would seem that a lot of milk is not a little, live and be happy. Moreover, usually by 3-4 months of the baby, the process of milk production is established by itself: the flow is not so strong, the tides of milk are not so abundant, and the baby has grown up, copes better. But you can try to alleviate the situation, both for the mother and the baby, right now.

Why is too much milk troublesome for a baby?

First, let's figure out what exactly causes such symptoms in a baby? This is due to the disproportionately high intake of low-fat “front” milk. This is the milk that accumulates in the breast between feedings. In a normal situation, it gets to the baby at the very beginning of feeding, and then more and more fat particles are added to it, which are detached from the alveoli (the place where milk is produced). The longer a feed lasts, the more fat gets to the baby. That is, the fat content of milk increases with the feeding time. If the breast is constantly filled with milk, a lot of this watery "front" milk has time to accumulate in it, and the baby, applying often and for a short time to one or the other breast, only sucks this milk. A relatively large amount of sugar (lactose) and a relatively small amount of fat enter its intestines. Fat usually slows down the digestion of lactose. When there is little fat, the body simply does not have time to break down lactose (a special protein, lactase, is responsible for this). Fermentation, rumbling in the tummy and gaziki are provided for the baby. The child behaves as restlessly as with colic; and sometimes another diagnosis is heard: "lactase deficiency". About lactase deficiency and infant can be read in the article www.site / blogs / post / 22124611-18373677 /

Kelly Boniata gives an interesting analogy that helps to better understand what is fore and hind milk. The breast constantly produces milk, but the composition of the milk changes during feeding. The transition from "front" to "back" milk is gradual. The longer the baby sucks, the more milk he receives, which is richer in fat than the milk at the beginning of the feed. Imagine that you turn on the hot water tap, but for a while the cold water still goes on, which gradually becomes warmer. Likewise, the fat content gradually increases in milk.

Everything is good in moderation. How to deal with excess milk?

All of these symptoms can be greatly reduced with just a few changes to the feeding schedule. Our goal is for the baby to get as much fat milk as possible. The experience of many moms shows that this can be easily achieved in the following ways:
Allow the baby to completely empty one breast before offering the other. This means that you do not limit the time the baby is at the breast, and try not to change the breast during feeding. Look at the baby, whether he has finished actively sucking or not, whether he is dozing or not yet.
As part of a single feed, even if the baby stops sucking for a while, still offer the same breast. Alternatively, use the squeeze technique to massage and gently squeeze the milk from the breast into your baby's mouth.
Don't worry if your baby only ate from one breast during one feed. This is normal. If you feel pain in your second breast, apply a cold compress to it or express very little milk. The cold will reduce swelling and pain, and slightly slow down blood circulation in this area - all of which will slow down milk production a little.
Try to express as little milk as possible to avoid stimulating milk production.

Additional tricks

If all these measures did not give any significant results, and there is still a lot of milk, then it is recommended to change breasts even less often. For example, feed only from one breast for 2-3 hours. In rare cases, this interval is increased up to 6 hours. Help your "resting" breasts in the same way as described above: cold compresses, gentle massage, and minimal pumping. Feeding in this mode will allow you to notice in a few days that the baby is calmer during, after and between feedings. Most likely, having begun to receive more fatty milk, the baby himself will increase the intervals between feedings (and mothers are so waiting for this!). Because the foremilk was digested very quickly, which is why he so often asked for food again and again.

But sometimes the mother has so much milk that even long feeding "from one side" does not help. Such mothers can be helped by cabbage compresses, taking a decoction of sage or special preparations (antihistamines).

As soon as the situation begins to change for the better, return to your normal feeding schedule, but do not forget that the second breast is offered ONLY after the baby has emptied the first.

How happy a young mother is when she has a lot of milk! She is happy - the baby will not be hungry, but soon such increased lactation turns into a real problem: milk constantly leaks and stains clothes, special pads do not help, breasts that are constantly swollen and hard, and a lot of unpleasant sensations. And feeding no longer brings so much joy, because even after the baby has eaten, a lot of milk remains - there is simply nowhere to put it!

Signs of excess milk

• a stable feeling of painful heaviness in the chest;
• lactostasis;
• excessive milk flow, and as a result - its spontaneous pouring out;
• problems with the intestines in crumbs, frequent colic.

Causes of excess lactation

Formation of lactation

In the very first days after childbirth, the formation of lactation occurs. . The body deliberately produces an increased amount of milk, because it "does not know" how many babies it needs to feed - one, two or more, so lactation is increased. Over time, the basic law of lactation begins to operate: how much the baby has eaten, so much milk has come, self-regulation of lactation occurs.

Natural feature

In some women, hyperlactation may be a natural feature.

Hormonal shift

Also, the cause of hyperlactation may be a hormonal shift in a nursing woman, which may be due to the following factors:

• ovarian pathology;
• pathology thyroid gland;
• pituitary gland pathology;
• long-term treatment for infertility;
• long-term use of oral contraceptives.

What are the problems with excess breast milk?

They really are.

1. Children of moms who have too much milk are more restless. They constantly demand breasts, "hang" on it for hours, and then vomit profusely.
2. Very often, such children have liquid and even watery stools.
3. Their weight gain is above normal.
4. Such frequent feedings exhaust the mother, lowering her stress resistance.

Do I need to pump?

If the baby is right next to his mother, who feeds him on demand, then there is no need to pump, because then not only will there not be less milk, but, contrary to expectations, it will arrive in even greater quantities. The main thing is to understand the law of feeding: how much milk the baby eats - so much of it will come later. Therefore, the process of expressing by hand or with a breast pump helps to increase the amount of milk produced.

How to reduce lactation?

1. One breast should be given at one feeding. Let the baby empty it completely. Don't limit feeding time. The second breast can be offered to the baby only for relief when too much milk has accumulated in it.
2. If the baby ate well and thoroughly, and then after a short time asks for a breast to calm down, then give him the one from which you just fed. Then the baby will eat more fatty "back" milk, and lactation in the second breast will be slightly slowed down.
3. One breast should be fed until it becomes soft - even several times in a row. If the second one has swollen during this time, then you can give it to relief.
4. Try not to express milk unnecessarily, and if possible, avoid expressing at all. So you will not stimulate its production with your own hands.

After a few days of life and feeding in this mode, you will notice that the baby has become calmer, this can be explained by the fact that it is saturated with higher quality and fatty milk, because liquid and watery "front milk" was digested much faster.

Can the situation normalize on its own?

As a rule, by about three to four months of the baby's life, the lactation process will be regulated independently. The milk flow will become stable and will depend on the needs of the baby. If you are unable to independently adjust the amount of milk produced, then do not hesitate to seek qualified help from a consultant breastfeeding... He will give advice on how to make the lactation process more stable and as pleasant as possible for mom and baby.

Let's sum up

No need to get too hung up on the process of reducing milk, just try to enjoy communication with your beloved baby and the same feeding. If the baby grows normally, gains weight, is healthy, cheerful and happy with life, then all other troubles will normalize over time and stop bothering you.

The young mother thinks that she has a shortage of valuable breast milk. This situation is familiar to many parents of newborn babies. The amount of this very useful product for children may decrease somewhat at the very beginning of the lactation period, and maybe even several months after the birth of the baby. Lactation may decrease due to stress or sleep deprivation. There is a concept of a lactation crisis. In many cases, a primiparous woman comes up with a problem for herself, but in fact there are no violations. Not understanding the issue, the mother begins to feed the baby with formula, which really leads to a decrease in milk production.

Supplementing a baby with formula can be a fatal mistake that will actually disrupt milk production.

Myths about breast milk shortage

So, to begin with, let's dispel common myths of “lack of milk”:

• The baby does not respect the interval between feedings, he asks for breast 1-1.5 hours after the previous feed. This does not mean anything. Children have periods of rapid growth when they need more food than the norm. He might have sucked badly the last time because he was sleepy. There are a lot of reasons, and none speaks of a decrease in lactation.
• Stopping milk leakage. At the beginning of hepatitis B in mothers who have recently given birth, fluid leaks from the nipples, this gradually stops, the linen remains dry. This only indicates that the muscles responsible for opening the channels in the nipple are strengthened and do not allow fluid to flow out of the breast between feedings.
• Feeling empty chest. Soon after giving birth, when the breasts are full, there is a swelling of the mammary glands. This is due to edema. The woman's body has not yet adapted to feeding. Previously, a breastfeeding woman did not have to store milk in her breast. Gradually, the mother adapts to lactation, she becomes mature, and the breast is able to produce more valuable fluid in the "empty" state than before in the swollen one.
• Women with small breasts are worried about the lack of milk.Breast size is not related to milk production. Bulky breasts contain more fat deposits, and nothing more.

It has been scientifically proven that breast size does not in any way affect the amount of milk and the establishment of lactation.

• The time it takes to feed has decreased.There are children who are more active - they suck out their norm in 10 minutes, not half an hour. The same baby starts sucking faster as the breast develops over time and the baby gains strength. There is nothing to worry about.

Is a feeding disorder a sign of a shortage?

Maintaining the feeding regime after 2-3 hours in a grown child does not mean anything. Some children even continue to ask for food every 2 hours at night. This is a habit with them. They need a sense of the presence of their mother day and night.

Many babies fall asleep after feeding. It is very convenient - my mother has fed, put in the bed and is free until the next feeding. Some babies, as soon as they are put in bed, wake up and look for their mother's breast. This does not indicate a decrease in lactation. It's just that the baby calms down while feeding, relaxes and falls asleep. As soon as he is lifted from his chest, he begins to worry. Some people like to sleep with their mother's nipple in their mouth.

Mom found that she had less milk in the evening than in the morning. This is quite natural. The total amount of this product per day is approximately constant. The baby sucks more vigorously during the day than in the evening. It is not necessary to accumulate food in the breast in order to feed the newborn tightly at night. It is better to let him suck early in the morning - at 3-5 in the morning.

In the morning and daytime, the baby suckles the breast much more actively than in the evening.

During the first time of the lactation period, a woman feels a tingling sensation in her breasts, when fluid, valuable for babies, enters the mammary glands. The sensation gradually disappears. This is also associated with the body's habituation to a new state and does not indicate a decrease in lactation.

What is a lactation crisis?

The concept of a lactation crisis is associated with a temporary decrease in milk production in a lactating woman. It occurs either for physiological reasons, or is associated with the circumstances of a woman's life. Lasts from 3 to 7 days. There are also critical periods with HS. They are associated with the growing need for food in the growing infant. The baby has periods of rapid growth at 3, 5 and 7 months of age. These periods last no more than 2 weeks. Mom notices that the amount of natural food is not enough for the child in:

1. 3 months. The tingling sensation in the chest stops. The mammary glands become soft. The kid orders himself the amount of food by the volume of its consumption last time. In fact, there is no shortage of human breast milk in this case. It's just that the body adapts to lactation.
2. 6 or 7 months. At this time, complementary foods are introduced with vegetable purees. The baby needs less breast milk than before. If a woman thinns the number of breastfeeding, lactation decreases.
3. 9-10 months. This period is characterized by an increase in the baby's motor activity. As a result, the rate of its growth decreases. The baby needs less nutrition and lactation decreases.

Actual signs of decreased lactation

1. Reducing baby weight gain. The norm is that in the first 2 weeks, by the end of the second week, he gains the weight with which he was born. Then, up to 4 months, he gains from 150 g per week. After that, weight gain decreases. When a child at the age of six months gains less than 125 g per week, he is malnourished - the woman's lactation is reduced.
2. The child should write 10-12 times a day. Nowadays, when everyone uses disposable diapers, it is easy to determine if the baby is eating normally. It is necessary to weigh all wet diapers per day with the same amount of dry ones. The difference in weight must be at least 360 ml. Many parents use rag diapers, then you need to follow the baby, unfolding it every half hour. If he peed 10 times or more in 12 hours, everything is in order with the feedings.

It is easy to understand that milk production is reduced. In addition to the above 2 signs, there are no signs that would indicate a decrease. Mothers should not listen to neighbors and relatives, or run to the doctor for other reasons. It never hurts to consult a specialist, but he will give the mother exactly these 2 points.

When milk is really low, you don't need to buy formula milk right away. The baby, starting to suck on the nipple, can refuse the mother's breast. Try increasing milk production.

The main symptom of a lack of milk is a baby's underweight

Should I be concerned if milk does not flow evenly into the breast?

It happens - one breast is more filled with milk than the other. The reason for this situation is one - an inexperienced mother puts the baby to one breast more than to the other. The breast that is sucked more actively is more involved in the lactation process. It is necessary to observe an equal number of attachments to both breasts.

When the mother felt an uneven flow of milk into the mammary glands, it is necessary to offer the baby a breast in which there is less milk, then apply it to the lighter breast, then return to the first breast. In this case, the sucking activity of the small-milk breast increases, and the amount of milk production in it also increases. Another plus is that the baby will receive more fat-rich milk from the first breast.

There is also some negative side to this situation. It can be avoided by trying to feed the baby to the end with the first breast. This situation consists in the fact that when applied at one feeding to different breasts, the baby receives from each only low-fat drinking milk, sucking each breast not completely.

Even if there is a little less milk in one breast, the baby needs to be allowed to dissolve

How to properly latch on a baby to the breast?

• the baby should be tightly pressed against the mother's breast by the chin;
• his tummy should tightly touch the mother's body;
• the baby's ear, shoulder and thigh should be on the same axis.

Correct attachment implies that the baby's body is tightly pressed against the mother's body, his nose and knees are directed in the same way, in other words, the head is not turned. The baby's lips should clasp the areola of the nursing one, the lower lip is slightly twisted. Try not to interfere with your feeding. Better to feed the baby in the bedroom, where there is no TV and no one is talking loudly.

Promotes milk production. Sit so that you are comfortable with your body relaxed. The kid should feel comfortable too. A comfortable posture improves mood and increases milk production.

Do I need to follow the feeding schedule?

There is no breastfeeding schedule. Mom should give the child something to eat when he cries. It can be day or night. A woman can change the schedule only in the direction of increasing the number of feedings - more often offer the newborn to eat.

Night feeds are important for mom and baby, as it is at night that prolactin is produced. It is a substance necessary for life. Lactation is enhanced when the baby sucks the mother at night. When a child is sound asleep and does not wake up, how to behave? Some doctors believe that it is not necessary to wake up the baby. Others cite the counterargument that more frequent application increases milk production, so it is necessary to wake the baby up at least once a night.

The role of the pacifier and milk bottle

Why not give your baby a pacifier or a bottle with a nipple if it is not urgently needed? The infant receives the fluid required for the body from human milk. When replacing breastfeeding with formula from a bottle, the baby will get used to the nipple easily and will refuse to breastfeed.

An alternative to a bottle is a teaspoon or a special sippy cup. If your baby needs to take medicine, give him some boiled warm water from a spoon.

When complementary foods are introduced, the amount of milk in a lactating woman decreases, it becomes necessary to supplement the baby - let him drink from a spoon or from a sippy cup.

To prevent the baby from getting used to the nipple, you can give him water from a spoon.

Is there a need to express after feedings?

With full breastfeeding, you do not need to pump, but there are situations when such a need arises. If a woman feels that one breast is empty, it should be expressed to increase milk production.

You usually need to express no longer than 10 minutes. In the case when the process dragged on for half an hour, and there is no result, rest for a while. Poorly designed breasts can be treated with a warm compress before expressing. You need to do it for 5 minutes. In case of low milk production, it is recommended to decant every 1 hour. Use a breast pump if your hands are unable to develop your breasts. Express milk for 10 minutes, then rest for 5 minutes, repeat all over again. These procedures will help preserve milk production.

Nursing mother's menu

To ensure that milk production does not decrease, it is necessary to take the nursing diet seriously. During this period, a woman should receive full hot meals at least 3 times a day.

Nutrition should be balanced. To receive complex carbohydrates it is necessary to enter into the menu bran bread, whole grain cereals, durum flour products. Carbohydrates have a positive effect on milk production. Protein will help your baby grow. They are contained in vegetable oils, dairy and other products.

Proper nutrition a nursing mother is the key to a good milk supply

A woman should introduce lean meat and fish into the diet. If the baby does not have allergies, you can eat an egg once a week. Be sure to eat vegetables and fruits. Milk, cottage cheese, kefir will also play a positive role during GW.

A woman should consume liquid as needed. Too much fluid is harmful to milk production, as is a lack of it. It is useful to drink weak hot tea with milk some time before feeding.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

The well-known pediatrician Komarovsky not only practices, but also gives valuable advice to young parents. He notes the particular importance of breastfeeding in the first 2 months after birth. It was at this time that mothers fear that they have little milk, and by mistake they may transfer the child to artificial feeding. The pediatrician advises not to worry, but to increase the number of breastfeeding, which will lead to increased milk production. The doctor advises trying to increase milk production for 3 days. If all else fails, only then transfer the baby to artificial mixtures.

The doctor notes the importance of the psychological factor in increasing lactation. The kid intensively sucks the breast, that is, does everything in his power. The woman, on the other hand, torments herself with the thought that her child is hungry. Much depends on the relatives. Try to set your mom up for a positive result, give her a break by taking over the homework and walking with the baby. Let the woman sleep peacefully during the day for a couple of hours. Her mood will improve, milk will start to come. If all else fails, although the woman slept and rested in 3 days, transfer the child to infant formula. Consult the children's clinic for advice on which mixture to choose.

Sometimes households just need to unload mom and let her rest.

GW duration

Dr. Komarovsky believes that six months is the minimum age when you can stop breastfeeding. If a woman has a lot of milk, no one bothers to supply the child with this useful product and beyond.

Starting at 6 months, the baby is introduced to complementary foods. GV can be continued up to 2 years of age. At 2 years old, the baby should receive meat, fish, vegetables, cottage cheese, eggs in the diet. Some babies are in no hurry to give up their mother's breast. From 2 to 3 years old, you can reduce the number of feedings to 2 times a day. This will help the breastfeeding woman to stop milk production and the baby will get used to adult food.

Medicines and herbal preparations during lactation

there is medicationsthat increase milk production are called lactogones. Your doctor will prescribe a specific drug for you. These remedies are used when other methods of increasing milk production have failed.

Among these medicines, the safest are herbal medicines and homeopathic medicines. We present some of them in this article:

1. Lactogon contains royal jelly and herbs such as dill, nettle, ginger, oregano. The composition includes carrots. This remedy can cause allergies in the baby, so only a doctor can prescribe it.
2. Femilak, it contains milk protein and taurine. He is prescribed even before childbirth. It improves the health of the expectant mother and enhances postpartum lactation.
3. Apilactin contains pollen and royal jelly. He, like Lactogon, can cause allergies in a newborn.
4. Mlekoin is a homeopathic remedy. The drug can be used during the entire period of breastfeeding.
5. Milky Way preparation contains galega extract. It is well tolerated by the nursing mother and the baby. For women who have little milk, it is prescribed immediately after the birth of the child. Others can take it during lactation crises.
6. Lactogonic teas are composed of herbs. To take them, you need to make sure that your baby is well tolerated by the herbs included in them.

What doctor will help when milk is lost?

The main thing is not to panic. All problems are solvable. The first step is to contact a GW consultant. There are also breastfeeding support groups where you can get advice on specific situations. The consultant will tell you what mistakes you make, what points to pay attention to. It will be best if, even during pregnancy, you find a person or a group of people to whom you can turn for qualified help.

Now it is not a problem to find information on what to do if you are low on milk. There are many articles on breastfeeding on the Internet about ways to increase the amount of milk, someone will definitely advise you to supplement with formula ... In general, there would be a desire - and the problem will be solved one way or another.

But what to do if there is a lot of milk, there is much less information.

To begin with, generally speaking, a lot of milk is good. The child will be full and healthy, because mother's milk is the best and healthiest food for young children. But sometimes it happens that milk is not just a lot, but a lot. And for a woman, an excess of milk is little better than a lack of it:

• Overflowing breasts ache and ache
• Crowded breasts are highly prone to lactostasis
• It is more difficult for a baby to properly grasp an overcrowded breast, so breastfeeding is painful
• Milk from a crowded breast beats in dense streams, the child gags, swallows air, and then spits up, or suffers from a tummy
• Milk from a crowded breast leaks, wet clothes and causes irritation (both for the skin and for the whole mother;))
• Breasts from excess milk begin to stretch (yes, those awful stretch marks!)

How to tell if there is too much milk?

1. Breasts are constantly overflowing with milk, hot and like a balloon
2. Overcrowded chest hurts, pain radiates to armpits
3. Feeding does not bring much relief
4. Milk is constantly dripping from the breast
5. When trying to express, milk either does not come out, or it beats from the chest in tight jets

Why is there too much milk?

Mostly, problems begin in young mothers in the hospital or in the first days after discharge - milk comes. The reasons for hyperlactation (excess milk) can be different.This is both heredity and the efforts of the woman herself, who worries that there will not be enough milk - in the first days after childbirth there is still no milk, but there is a small amount of colostrum, and "the baby is starving." In addition, too much milk occurs with hormonal imbalance (more often in the treatment of infertility, taking birth control pills, or with pathologies of the thyroid gland, ovaries or pituitary gland).

Major mistakes

First of all, we will list the most logical at first glance, but the least effective (and even aggravating the problem!) Measures taken by inexperienced mothers who have too much milk.

• Limit drinking - if the body is already "wedged", and the brain receives a signal "to produce a lot of milk", limiting the fluid will not fix it - milk will not decrease, but you can get dehydration.
• Reduce lactation hormonal drugs, especially without the recommendation of a specialist - you can easily overdo it and stop milk production for good, ruin your figure, and just get hooked on hormones. Such a measure is possible, but only after passing the appropriate tests, identifying violations and consulting a specialist (or better with several!).
• Express all milk - the more milk we express, the more it comes next time.
• To pull the breast - such a measure will not particularly affect the amount of milk, and lactostasis can easily be provoked.

What to do?

What if you have a lot of milk ?! In most cases, it is quite possible to independently establish lactation without contacting specialists. If you act wisely, then the loss of milk does not threaten you, but you will learn how to cope with the "rivers of milk" and you will be able to feed peacefully without discomfort. Here are the smart actions if you have a lot of milk:

• To feed the baby one breast at a time - if it is usually recommended to give one breast first and then the other for one feeding, then if you have a lot of milk, the baby will be completely full from one breast. Breastfeeding consultants even advise giving one breast several feedings in a row (within 2-3 hours, in rare cases up to 6 hours, if the other breast can withstand such an execution).
• Watch out for the seizure of the child - if the grip is incorrect, the baby does not get to the rear, more fatty milk, but the front, sweet, is quickly absorbed, and the baby again asks to eat, stimulating additional milk production.
• If the baby cannot take an overcrowded breast, or does, but chokes, it is worth expressing a little milk before feeding to make it easier for the baby.
• If the baby chokes on milk, swallows air, and regurgitates profusely, feed him upright or floor upright position... The trick is to keep the baby's head above his stomach, then the air comes out on its own, without causing the baby any inconvenience, and the milk is better absorbed. You can even feed a newborn in an upright position, either in the usual “cradle” position, lowering the legs, or in a self-attachment position, when you are reclining on your back, the baby lies on your stomach and takes the breast in this position.
• If milk is leaking from the second breast, you can either close the nipple with your finger for 1-2 minutes (after that the milk will stop flowing on its own), or put a glass under the stream of milk, or put an absorbent pad in your bra.
• If after feeding you do not feel relief, it is quite possible to express some milk, until you feel relieved (not all milk from the breast, but only so that the breast stops bursting!).
• Expressing until a feeling of relief is also a measure to prevent lactostasis - your task is to develop your breasts so that if a lot of milk comes in, it does not expand the breast, but leaks (you must admit that it is easier to put a special absorbent pad for milk in the bra than to strain lactostasis with pain, tears and temperature).
• For relax general condition well put to chest cabbage leaf or a cool compress.
• Avoid hot drinks - hot drinks stimulate hot flashes. You need to drink out of thirst, even if you have a lot of milk, but drinks should be at room temperature, and it is advisable to drink no more than 2 liters per day (average daily rate liquid).
• Refuse food that stimulates lactation (nuts, fish, chicken, rice, cheese and feta cheese), or at least reduce its amount.
• Gradually try to reduce pumping to nothing.

How to pump correctly?

Expressing milk is not as easy as it sounds. Inappropriate expression can damage the mammary glands. Therefore, we learn to express correctly.

First you need to calm down and relax as much as possible. Then it is important to prepare the breasts: warm it with a warm compress (a piece of cloth soaked in warm water), or a warm shower, and also do a light massage (with one hand to support the breast, and with the other slightly massage it in a circle with light tapping movements of the fingertips, without squeezing and without stretching).

Expressing itself is done either manually or with a breast pump. The choice depends on your own convenience. Personally, at one time I could not do anything with an overflowing breast with my hands, and a manual breast pump coped with this problem quickly and painlessly.

If you are using a breast pump, sterilize it before each use, or at least rinse it with hot water if you are not going to use expressed milk.

If you are expressing with your hands, they should therefore be clean. If you plan to store and use expressed milk, collect it in a sterile container. With one hand, you support the chest, place the thumb and forefinger of the other hand along the outer edge of the areloa, or 2 cm from the nipple above and below. Next, squeeze the nipple rhythmically with two fingers, and then release, but so as not to hurt yourself. Gradually move your fingers clockwise around the nipple until all breast lobes are free of milk. But in any case, do not squeeze the chest too hard or pull it back, so as not to damage the ducts! All pumping should not take more than 10 minutes.

Milk expressed in sterile containers can be stored for 10-14 hours at room temperature, up to 2 days in the refrigerator and up to 7 days in the freezer. At the same time, milk retains all its beneficial properties.

In most cases, these measures are sufficient to solve the problem if you have a lot of milk. If you see that the situation is getting out of control, you should consult a professional breastfeeding counselor.

Breastfeed with pleasure!