What Can You Do About Overactive Letdown While Breastfeeding?
When you start breastfeeding your baby, you'll notice a warm, tingling sensation in your breasts. At this point, your milk begins to flow, and the baby latches on to feed. This normal process is known as the letdown reflex. However, if you have an oversupply of breast milk or the milk expresses quickly with a large volume, you may have an overactive letdown.
What Is Overactive Letdown?
The overactive letdown reflex is described as the forceful release of breast milk while breastfeeding a newborn. Doctors aren't quite sure why some women have an overactive letdown. Some believe it could be caused by a strong reaction to the hormone oxytocin or that some women naturally have an oversupply of breast milk. When you have an overactive letdown, breast milk often comes out faster than your little one can handle and may cause fussiness and discomfort to your baby.
What Are the Signs of Overactive Letdown?
Signs that you have an overactive letdown include your baby suddenly unlatching, choking, gulping, acting fussy at feeding time, or refusing to take the nipple. You may notice milk spraying from your nipple once your baby unlatches from your nipple. If your newborn chokes on the breast milk because of an overactive letdown, they may not want to latch back onto your nipple and can become frustrated and hungry.
Is Overactive Letdown Harmful to Me or My Baby?
Having an oversupply of breastmilk may lead to engorgement. If you experience engorgement, you may end up with mastitis or an infection in your breast. Mastitis is painful for breastfeeding mothers and may need to be treated with antibiotics if you get an infection. Babies who refuse to suckle may not get the nourishment they need. In addition, if the newborn sucks in too much air while breastfeeding, they may get colic.
What Can I Do to Help With Overactive Letdown?
If you have an overactive letdown, you'll want to learn how to dry up your breast milk naturally. For years, lactating mothers used cabbage to dry up breast milk by placing cabbage leaves in their bras. However, if you're looking for a more convenient way to use cabbage to dry up your breast milk to help ease overactive letdown, using CaboCreme made with cabbage leaf extract serves the same purpose. CaboCreme is available in regular or extra strength and has a pleasant, light scent.
You can also try using a nipple shield, pump your breast milk, and take more breaks while breastfeeding so your baby can latch and be nourished more easily. In addition, you can try positioning your body by leaning back so the baby faces down to the nipple. This position will help excess milk drain away from your newborn's face.
By using CaboCreme to help alleviate sore breasts and reduce the supply of breast milk, using a nipple shield, or pumping your breast milk before breastfeeding your baby, you can start to eliminate overactive letdown. You'll feel relief, and you and your baby can enjoy a positive and comfortable breastfeeding and bonding experience.
