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<h1>Breastfeeding - www.breastfeeding.org.nz</h1>

Too much milk


I've got too much milk...what can I do?


Some mothers do have too much milk which can cause their breasts to feel engorged and uncomfortable and their breasts to leak. Babies sometimes have a problem coping with a very fast and forceful letdown reflex too and may also have fussy behaviours, spilling of milk and occasionally greenish and loose bowel motions because of lots of lower fat milk filling them up before the higher fat milk has a chance to fully come through. The amount of breastmilk needs to be reduced so a baby can have a comfortable breastfeed with a good amount of the high fat, later in the feed, hindmilk as well as the earlier foremilk.

Treatments for oversupply


  • Express both breasts as fully as possible using a breast pump then latch the baby on the breast for a feed. The baby can be offered both breasts and will receive a lot of the fatty hindmilk. The next time the baby wakes for a feed one breast only is offered for a three hour block period. The day is divided into three hour blocks and one breast is alternately offered during this time. Time blocks can increase as necessary. Good positioning and latching is important too.
  • Sometimes when the above treatment is used only one full drainage is necessary with a continued block of one breast feeding for around the three hour period.
  • Reclining backwards while breastfeeding with the baby feeding on top to reduce the milk flow a little by gravity. This is useful for a forceful milk ejection reflex when the baby finds it hard to keep up with the flow
  • Talk to Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) midwife, ring a La Leche League counselor, Well Child Health provider or a Lactation Consultant for further advice.
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Page last reviewed: 31 July 2008


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