Oversupply: 10 Tips For When You’re Engorged And Making Too Much Milk

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Breastfeeding is the most important source of nutrition for newborns and infants. However, breastfeeding comes with its own set of challenges for new mothers. The commonly heard problem associated with breast milk is usually the undersupply of milk. Many new mothers complain of not producing enough milk to feed their babies sufficiently. However, a lesser-known problem that also occurs in some lactating women is the excessive production of milk. It might seem like a blessing for someone who has a low milk supply, but that’s not the case for women who produce more milk than their baby needs. It can be quite frustrating for both the mother and baby. So, what do you do if you have an oversupply of breast milk? Keep reading to find the ten tips we’ve listed for women with engorged breasts and an oversupply of breast milk:

1. Give It Time

If you’re noticing an oversupply of breast milk in the first two months of childbirth, don’t panic yet. It usually takes nursing mothers some time to adjust to the process of breastfeeding. Their bodies tend to make more milk than the baby might need to avoid scarcity. With the passage of time, your body will slowly adjust to the amount of milk actually demanded by the baby. Try to keep a tab on how much milk you produce and if you notice gradual lessening that you can be assured that it is working.

2. Try Block Feeding

Your breasts produce milk based on demand. So, the more you breastfeed your baby, the more milk you’ll produce. Block feeding, which is a method of breastfeeding where you feed your baby only on one side throughout that feeding session, regulates the milk supply according to your baby’s needs. This helps in controlling oversupply because the other breast which isn’t used for feeding, naturally reduces milk production. You can alternate between the breasts every 3-6 hours which would help regulate the overproduction of milk on each side(1).

3. Biological Nurturing

Also called laid-back breastfeeding, it is a position where the mother is relaxed while feeding her baby. It allows for maximum contact between the mother and baby, with the baby lying face down on the mother’s chest and abdomen. The lying down position of baby and mother help reduce the oversupply of breast milk. You can try and adjust the positions to find the optimum one that proves effective for you. It may take some time to find the right position, but once it’s found, it’ll really help you with the problem of overproduction.

4. Donation

Did you know that you can donate breast milk and help some mothers in need? If you’re struggling with an oversupply of breast milk, donating it to a breast milk bank is possibly one of the noblest things that you can do. Many mothers suffer from undersupply and have to resort to formulas to feed their young ones. In fact, the problem of undersupply is more common compared to oversupply. Sharing the excess milk will make you feel good that you are helping out someone in need.

5. Say No To Galactagogues

Foods that contain galactagogues are recommended for women who breastfeed to increase their milk production(2). But if you have an oversupply, avoid consuming foods with galactagogues like almonds, cilantro, asparagus, cumin, fenugreek, lettuce, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, etc. If possible, visit a nutritionist and consult if your current diet is the right one in this situation. Adjusting your diet can also go a long way in regulating the issue of oversupply.

6. Cold Compress

Breastfeeding can make your breasts tender and sore. Constant nursing can even lead to painful engorgement, and a cold compress might help you get some relief from it. You can perform a cold compress using a wet towel and ice packs. Cold compress might even help reduce breast inflammation, blood flow, and milk production.

7. Hand Express

If your breasts are painfully engorged because of excess milk production, pumping milk might only make it worse. Instead, you could get in a warm shower and try to gently express milk with your hands to give you some relief. Gently massaging the side of the breasts while being in a warm shower has proved to be an effective expressing technique for many women.

8. Gua Sha Therapy

刮痧疗法是一种中国传统治疗ethod used to treat pain, inflammation, and engorgement all over the body. It is derived from the practice of acupressure and utilizes the pressure points in the body. This massage-like therapy has proved to be able to provide a calming effect to the body. Even for lactating mothers, traditional practitioners have recommended this method. For women in postpartum care, the gua sha scraping technique was more effective than both hot packs and massages(3).

9. Try Sage (With Caution)

Do not try this remedy without consulting a lactation expert or doctor because it could have serious side effects. You could try to use sage teas to eliminate the oversupply of milk. You could also use cabbage leaves to help ease the pain while nursing with engorged breasts(4).

10. Ask For Help

‘You don’t have to feel guilty, scared, or anxious if you have an oversupply of breast milk. It’s not entirely a blessing if it causes you severe pain and discomfort. So, don’t be afraid to seek help. You could consult a lactation expert to help you navigate through the qualms of breastfeeding. You can also seek advice from friends and family who have nursed babies. If someone has already faced this problem, chances are that they have found novel ways of dealing with the situation in their experience.

Sure, it’s great to have an oversupply of milk because it allows your baby to always have milk when they need it. But the pain, uneasiness, and discomfort make it a difficult journey. Therefore, don’t let yourself be shamed for taking steps to reduce your milk production. You do you! Have you experienced an oversupply of breast milk? Let us know in the comments below how you handled it.

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