https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:46:27 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/overactive-letdown#post-715270 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:39:38 +0000 shopaholic 715270@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Weagle: 8 weeks doesn't sound too far away! FX'd that's a magical turning point for us too! :) Thanks on the cloth diaper tip! I will try one of those tonight!</p> <p>@yerpie110: Yes, I totally feel awful when she's crying, gasping for air, and all that. :( Thanks for the bottle tip. Will keep that in mind in case that happens. P.S. I LOVE your avatar pic, and I don't think I've ever seen you post before. Where can I see more (bigger pics) of your LO? So cute! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/overactive-letdown#post-715250 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:30:24 +0000 yerpie110 715250@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had the same issues with my LO and basically did everything you/others have mentioned - block feeding, latching on/off, expressing, having lots of bibs/washcloths ready, etc. i did express during the evening too though, because she wakes once and is pretty consistent with the time, so that did make it easier for me. i would try to guess when you think she'll feed and express before? even a little helps i think.</p> <p>ultimately though, like someone else mentioned, it just takes time. as babies grow older, their mouths grow bigger and their able to keep up more. i used to feel awful watching my LO cough, gag, and cry while feeding (which caused gas problems because of all the air she took in so we had that to deal with as well). but my LO is a little over 3 months and i think she's finally caught up and doesn't struggle nearly as much anymore!</p> <p>side note - i think my overactive letdown caused her to develop some issues taking a bottle. it seemed like overnight, she started screaming and refusing! when i finally got to the bottom of it, i realized the nipple flow was way too slow for what she was used to. she's only 3 months but she's on fast flow and is finally taking bottles again - she's not used to working so hard to get milk, haha. so just in case something similar happens to your LO! </p> <p>hang in there, it gets better! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/overactive-letdown#post-715232 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:24:41 +0000 Weagle 715232@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: I really started seeing improvement at 8ish weeks. At that point she was waking at more predictable times during the night, and eating at more predictable times during the day. Really, 8 weeks was a turning point in general. Sleep, nursing, etc. just changed. Life seemed a lot better at 8 weeks pp :). I definitely recommend getting good cloth diapers as burp cloths. I loved using my Green Mountain Diapers prefolds for diapering and wiping up all kinds of baby spills. Cloths labeled as "burp cloths" are crap. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/overactive-letdown#post-715205 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:16:03 +0000 shopaholic 715205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Weagle: When (months) did you think things got better? Gotta go grab more burp cloths to keep by the bed. I was using baby washcloths and it certainly hasn't been absorbent enough. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/overactive-letdown#post-715198 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:13:58 +0000 Smurfette 715198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Whenever R hasn't feed for a while I always hand express some into the burp cloth before I let her latch on. I think it help some cause otherwise she has some all around her mouth as well and I can hear her gulping really fast. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/overactive-letdown#post-715196 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:13:12 +0000 shopaholic 715196@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: @LittleFox: Yes. If I can wake up and prep a little before she has woken up (like I can sense she is starting to stir), I usually can hand-express enough to prevent the gagging too much. But the past couple of days, her sleep stretches are much more unpredictable and when she wakes, she wants to nurse ASAP.</p> <p>@LittleFox: We do the positioning/gravity thing and it does usually help. But again, I think with the longer sleep stretches the past couple days, the forceful letdown is even more forceful. Maybe I just need to wake up in between feedings... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/overactive-letdown#post-715195 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:12:52 +0000 Weagle 715195@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly, time was the biggest help for us. She figured out how to deal with the flow and my supply became more regulated over time. In the meantime, I nursed in the reclined position and always had a burp cloth handy to catch the extra. I would tuck one in my bra underneath my boob and then tuck it under her chin while she was nursing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/overactive-letdown#post-715178 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:09:13 +0000 LittleFox 715178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do what Hilsy described or I hand express into a towel or burp cloth before the feeding until it seems less forceful, and then I latch LO on. It's one extra step, but this has gotten better for me as time goes by and I don't find it to be a difficult step to add.</p> <p>Positioning can help babies to not choke so much sometimes. For a forceful letdown you can try lying down or reclining, to let gravity help you- this didn't work for me, but I know it helps some women. Someone also told me once that they experienced this less with a football hold, though that also wasn't true in my case. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/overactive-letdown#post-715165 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:06:15 +0000 hilsy85 715165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: ha I know what you mean! Can you put a bib on her and maybe aim at the bib or press your boob right up against it when you unlatch? Hang in there, things will get more streamlined soon :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/overactive-letdown#post-715156 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:02:20 +0000 shopaholic 715156@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: I try to do that and we both end up soaked just during that unlatching time. :( I'm so tired of MOTN changes for both of us. *sigh* I know you and I have both had a fair share of BF'ing challenges huh? But I do love the bonding and she's worth it.<br /> I wish there were a way to make MY nipples "slow flow"! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/overactive-letdown#post-715146 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:58:40 +0000 hilsy85 715146@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had success with latching Lo in for like 10 sec until my letdown started, then unlatching him and letting the milk go into a towel or burp cloth. Then I would relatch him once it slowed down. E complained At being taken off but it did help. Also over time shell get used to it--Lo now complains if te flow slows down too much! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/overactive-letdown#post-715130 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:53:52 +0000 shopaholic 715130@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know @Mrs. Sketchbook: and @Mrs. Wagon: battled some oversupply and forceful supply issues with breast-feeding. Hoping they and others with similar experiences can chime in with some advice here. </p> <p>I think I have an overactive or forceful letdown since quite early in breast-feeding. The milk comes out SO fast, baby is always choking and gagging the first couple of minutes! I feel SO bad! Despite the fast letdown, I DON'T think I have an oversupply. If I try to pump or hand-express, I get a pretty fast and plentiful flow for a minute or two only. If I pump, I rarely get much past the 5 min. mark. Most everything comes out before the first 2-3 minutes. She also never has the green, foamy poop.</p> <p>I think recently, as my supply is regulating (I'm almost 6 weeks pp), that it's gotten faster? K has stopped sucking hard, in fact sometimes she just puts her mouth on my boob and I can see all the milk over-flowing out of her mouth. She comes off the boob, half her face is covered and dripping in milk.<br /> If I wait too long for her to wake up or have my boob exposed before feeding, I'm often drenched wet before I can even latch her on!<br /> I literally had to change my top 3x's last night, and often have to change K after a feeding because I've soaked her sleepers!<br /> (Worse yet, I have to try to "air out" my nipples after feeding because of the thrush.)</p> <p>During the day time, it's a lot easier to control. She nurses more often and I block-feed as much as possible.<br /> I DO think the overactive letdown contributes to her reflux/spitting up issue and her constant hiccuping.<br /> I already nurse her with her in an upright position, and I try to lean back so the flow has to go against gravity.<br /> My problem really gets bad at night, when K sleeps for longer stretches. She gulps and chokes and gags always.<br /> It's been hard to guesstimate when she'll wake up to nurse, so I can't always hand-express to help alleviate the choking/gagging. And if I try to do it once she's awake, she's crying and fully awake by the time I can latch her on. </p> <p>Does anyone have any experience and advice on how to prevent her from choking &amp; gagging every night feeding? </p>