Foremilk/Hindmilk imbalance? Oversupply?

[GirlyWirly]

Hi ladies,

I have a sneaking suspicion that I might have some issues with oversupply and/or a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance....or both?

At about 7 weeks DD2's nappies changed from the yellowy mustardy curdy poos to a green or green/yellow poo with no curds, just liquidy looking but thicker than water.

I even noticed a little bit of fresh blood in a couple.....very tiny amounts though.

She wasnt showing any signs of pain or discomfort and she wasn't gassy. She is a bit of a chucker though.

I read up about it online and spoke to a Dr and he suggested that DD2 was reacting to cows milk protein.

I cut out the dairy but not much changed, even after 3-4 weeks.

I have a very forceful, uncomfortable let down. It's a prickly sensation for me, I feel it for about 3 seconds then DD2 starts chocking and coughing on it, but persists with feeding so i let her keep going and she manages to get through the gushing til it stops.

She would feed between 6-8 minutes and come off. I'd change her nappy and then give her the next side which she was taking for another 5-6 minutes but suddenly she started refusing the second side. My b00bs went even more crazy and started filling up more as DD2 was only using one side at a time.

I read about the milk imbalance and it sounds like that's what's going on.

I started block feeding. One side at a time, change nappy then offer same side again.

She is now feeding for 30-40 minutes all up each time and the nappies have cleared up somewhat but I am still getting green ones here and there.

Is it ok to get a green one or two each day or should they always be that yellowy colour?

Should I start dairy again?

Has anyone else been through this?

I'm do confused :(

[Nicky2006]

How many hours does she have between feeds? You might even have to stick to this one side longer. I have a very extreme oversupply, so If mine comes back for a feed anything within 4 hours I keep on putting her back on that side and only after 4 hrs passed I move on doing the same for the other side.
The blood in her nappy could be intolerance, if not dairy, wheat is the 2nd most common, but could just as well be from you if you had cracked nipples at that time?

[HouseOfFun]

Sounds like you are doing all the right things and I agree it sounds like an oversupply problem. I had the same oversupply problem as you and block feeding worked well. I didnt stop dairy. Your hormones will start to regulate the supply and demand much better from around 8 weeeks so you wont have the big oversupply problems then. Im not sure about the occasional green nappy, I cant remember if my son kept getting them or not. If it were me, I would introduce dairy and see if it causes any problems now that you have eliminated it for a while.

[GirlyWirly]

Thanks ladies, DD2 is now 11 weeks old so it's been happening for about a month now but the last few days there has been improvements since block feeding.

Wow so wheat can cause that as well? Maybe it's that, cause I do eat a lot of bread :( especially since cutting out milk, yoghurt and cheese.

Thanks for your advice, will stick to the block feeding and re-introduce milk and maybe see if wheat is the culprit.

[GirlyWirly]

How many hours does she have between feeds?

She feeds between 2-3 hourly and then goes 7 hours overnight.

I don't have any cracks on my nipples do I don't think the blood is from me :)

[Nicky2006]

Oh that is good though!! That means you also seem to have gotten good control over it as when they get too much foremilk there would be no chance she would go so long overnight. I am jealous lol

[Little Birdy]

Not sure if this applies or not, but I would block feed for about 4 hours or so. So demand feed Right as many times as she wanted for four hours, then demand feed Left for four hours. After a few months I was able to just offer the same side two feeds in a row (so R, R, L, L). At about 8 or 9 motnhs (I think, memory is a bit hazy) my supply dropped more so I went to just alternating sides. Sometimes she takes both sides now (12 motnhs) but usually only after daycare etc.

[GirlyWirly]

Thanks Little Birdy. I will try the 4 hourly blocks and see how that goes.

I felt pretty full this morning after a big stretch overnight so I hand expressed 70ml and popped it on the fridge so DH can hopefully use that if she gets hungry while I'm at the hairdressers. It's now about 4 hours later and I just had a look at it and the fattier milk has gone to the top but it's only about 2mm thick.....is that an indication of an imbalance as well or is that just because I caught all the Foremilk from a very full b00b first thing in the morning?

I had a bit of milk in my tea and some cream with my dessert last night so I'll be interested to see if she reacts.

[GirlyWirly]

Oh that is good though!! That means you also seem to have gotten good control over it as when they get too much foremilk there would be no chance she would go so long overnight. I am jealous lol

Hehe Nicky I am counting my blessings with her being such a good night sleeper but she's pretty hit and miss with her day naps...

[GirlyWirly]

I had a bit of milk in my tea and some cream with my dessert last night so I'll be interested to see if she reacts.


Oh and I mean cows milk for the above LOL ;) i just re-read my post and it didn't look quite right hehe

[missie_mack]

I don't have any experience with oversupply but just wanted to say that your milk sounds normal in appearance.

FYI- There is a lot of contention in the lactation world about fore and hind milk as it was only ever brought into discussions when people started talking about timing feeds and only feeding to a schedule. Few people worry about it. Oversupply is pretty common though... (more so than under supply actually!)

[louhopeful]

I am so glad I read this thread. I have a nearly 3week old and this sounds exactly like us. My let down is painful feels like burning/prickly sensation. DS's poo's are green and he feeds constantly! Every 1-2hrs. I am definitely going to try block feeding to see if that helps. He also spews alot and has had a couple of power chucks. He's gained lots of weight though so the spew is not a problem. Im gonna read up some more on it!

[MinnieMouse81]

Sorry to butt in but I have some oversupply issues too. I was just wondering what block feeding is?

[pinklily33]

I had the same thing. DD was having green frothy looking poo's. Even the Child Youth Health Nurses kept telling me feed both sides but my Mum used to be a lactation consultant and said it was fine and to try feeding from just one side at a time and it helped heaps. Her poo's became the normal colour, she seemed more settled and to go longer between feeds and was putting on huge amounts of weight so I'd try that. I'd still have a break half way and change her nappy but then I'd put her back on the same side.

[GirlyWirly]

Sorry to butt in but I have some oversupply issues too. I was just wondering what block feeding is?

Hi Minnie. Block feeding is simply feeding from one breast per feeding session. Some women do it for two feeding sessions or some choose to do it in hourly blocks (eg feed from the left breast for all feeds within a 4 hour time block, then switch to the right breast for all feeds during the following 4 hours). It just helps bub drain the breast better, hopefully getting more of that fattier hind milk too.

Thanks for the advice Pinky, I must admit I am slightly worried about weight gain when block feeding cause the health nurse and middies did tell me to do both sides per feed but she is feeding for longer now that she's having the one side (35-45 mins all up on one side, used to be 12-15 mins all up on both sides). Also, now the majority of the time she comes off all 'milky drunk' and seems more satisfied this way.

I'm noticing I'm having more than one let down on the one side too now. She was never on long enough before for that to happen so I'm sure she's getting enough :)

It's reassuring to know I'm not dealing with this on my own, thanks for the advice everyone :)

[Nicky2006]

I am so glad I read this thread. I have a nearly 3week old and this sounds exactly like us. My let down is painful feels like burning/prickly sensation. DS's poo's are green and he feeds constantly! Every 1-2hrs. I am definitely going to try block feeding to see if that helps. He also spews alot and has had a couple of power chucks. He's gained lots of weight though so the spew is not a problem. Im gonna read up some more on it!

A high weight gain is typical for oversupply as well. Ds gained 500g every week, and never did any midwife or nurse connect all his symptoms and mine and figured that it is oversupply.

[louhopeful]

He hasn't been weighed recently, but he had gained 500g a week after leaving hospital!