I am breastfeeding my newborn and I make more milk than he drinks each time he nurses. What can I do?

Question

I have been pumping to relieve the pressure of the excess milk but now I think my body is producing even more milk than is needed. I can't go from 1 feeding to the next without expressing some milk or pumping because it's really uncomfortable and my son can't latch on if I'm too full. What do I do?

Answer 1

You can express some milk into a clean and sterilized bottle or jar and freeze it for when times are tough. However once thawed it must be used immediately or thrown away. You can not refreeze. Or you can let nature take care of itself, your milk will soon balance out with your baby's needs. If however you feel sore or uncomfortable, you can wear cabbage leaves inside your bra. This helps relieve any uncomfort feeling. This does work as I have done this with my 5 babies.

Answer 2

Each time you pump milk out of your breasts, you're telling your body that your baby needs more milk, so as long as you pump, you'll produce more than your baby needs. Try to only pump enough to relieve the discomfort, don't fully empty your breasts UNLESS you want to build up a supply of frozen milk in your freezer. You can freeze your milk for at least 3 months in your fridge freezer, or at least six months in a chest freezer.

It can be a good idea to have a supply built up in reserve for when you want a break in future, or to add to solids down the line.

If you don't pump too much milk, then gradually your supply will adjust to meet your baby's demand. Usually by the sixth week, supply meets baby's demand without much excess. Of course, that's when baby goes through a growth spurt and starts feeding more often to stimulate more growth, even if you still have excess milk.

Just before you feed your baby, only express enough for baby to latch on, and add that milk to your freezer supply (let it cool first before adding it to an already frozen bottle).

You can also donate your excess milk to a milk bank if you like.

Answer 3

Pumping will "tell" your breasts that the milk is needed, so try to pump only *just* enough that your son can latch on and you can deal with the discomfort and leakage -- your body will start to downregulate the supply if not all the milk is removed. Hang in there, it does not take that long! It sounds weird but a couple cabbage leaves can make your breasts feel a lot better. And, remember your growing son's demand will probably begin to catch up a bit too, before you know it.

Answer 4

Your body wil generally produce the amount of milk it needs so each time you pump you are telling your body it needs to produce more milk. Try not to pump and let your body slow down it's milk production. If that is unbearable then try to only pump a very very small amount. Or even pump then bottle feed your baby until the amount he/she drinks is the same as what you are producing

Answer 5

Pump and freeze, get an electrical pump that you can rent from the hospital, they work great. Freeze your milk and after you are done nursing you can still feed your baby the milk that you froze. You are so LUCKY to be able to produce so much milk. I culdn't even produce 4oz a day. Your baby is very lucky!

Answer 6

Your body adjusts it's milk production to the amount used.

The more you pump/express the more you will produce.

You need to GRADUALLY cut back .

Only express the bare minimum to enable your son to latch on.

This will be uncomfortable - even painful until your body adjusts, but it will adjust in a few days.

You can relieve the discomfort by tucking cabbage leaves from you have stored in the refrigerator into your bra! It sounds like an old wives tale, but it worked for those old wives and it will work for you! It was recommended by my midwife!

Answer 7

pumping is a good thing when you can freeze the milk but when your baby is just learning how to eat and your body is learning how much milk to make for your baby, some mothers make enough milk for twins when thay have only 1 child. it took me 2 months to get usedto breastfeeding my son. it will hurt at first but your breast will get used to it. expressing some of the milk insted of pumpig might get your breast to make just enough for your baby and you will leak for about 3 months if not the whole time yu breastfeed so where those pads or get wet, and congrat on the baby.

Answer 8

You can pump and get make your own personal "stockpile" in the freezer for when you either go back to work or have to be away from the baby for emergencies or other reasons, or you can ask your hospital's lactation consultant to guide you in the direction of donating to a milk bank. They accept donated breastmilk to feed to premature or very sick babies whose mother's cannot pump enough to feed them. (Don't worry, the breastmilk is pasteurized and tested for harmful germs)

Answer 9

just express a small amount just before he feeds to relieve the pressure as too much expressing will increase your supply.

in the next few weeks your body will adjust to your babys needs and the engourgment will decrease to a comfortable level.

good luck with it all

Answer 10

You can freeze the excess for later use.

You can donate it to a breast milk bank.