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While some mothers struggle with low milk supply, there are others who produce more milk than what their baby needs. Oversupply of milk can make your breasts lumpy and tight even after breastfeeding. You might also have to deal with leakage of milk more than usual and can cause explosive milk-ejection reflex (1). Women who struggle with oversupply are usually recommended to try block feeding by doctors and lactation consultants. But before you try block feeding, it is important to figure out if what you are dealing with is indeed an oversupply of milk. So, before we delve into the topic of block feeding, let us understand what is oversupply, its symptoms, and how it affects you and your baby.
What Is Oversupply?
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Oversupply or hyperlactation is when your milk supply always exceeds your baby’s needs even after 6 weeks of breastfeeding (2). Most mothers confuse engorgement with oversupply. During the first 2 weeks after your baby’s birth, you may notice that your breasts are always full and you have too much milk. Engorgement usually lasts only up to 6 or 8 weeks, after which your body adjusts to the baby’s needs.
How It Affects Your Baby And You
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An oversupply of breast milk can be unsettling for both you and your baby for the following reasons (3):
- You may not be able to figure out if your baby has had enough milk or if he is still hungry as they may seem unsettled during and after feeds.
- Your baby may have difficulty latching.
- The high rate of milk flow may cause your baby to choke.
- Your baby may gain weight quickly.
- Nursing time will be short leading to lactose overload.
- Your baby will have a lot of wet nappies.
- Your breasts may feel lumpy despite breastfeeding.
- Breastfeeding becomes stressful causing you to wean early if not properly diagnosed.
- You could develop breast abscesses or mastitis.
- Feeding in public becomes difficult.
What Is Block Feeding?
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Block feeding is a method that is used to reduce your milk supply by offering your baby only one breast for a certain amount of time (typically about 3 to 4 hours). Then for the next period of time (say 3 to 4 hours), you will nurse from the other breast (4). This is continued for a few days. The duration your doctor asks you to breastfeed from only one breast may vary depending on how much milk you are producing. By offering your baby only one breast for a certain duration of time, block feeding ensures that your little one always receives a smaller amount of milk that is high in calories and fat when he comes back to it the next time. Since you are offering a breast each time, you might have to hand express or slightly pump a small amount of milk from the unused breast to help relieve any discomfort that you may experience (5). However, make sure not to empty your breasts as the residual milk is what triggers lower milk production.
Block Feeding: A Few Things To Keep In Mind
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It is important that you consult a lactation consultant, a doctor, or a breastfeeding counselor to help with the diagnosis as oversupply can sometimes be confused with a fast let-down reflex or breast engorgement. If your doctor or lactation consultant finds that you have an oversupply of breast milk, he/she may suggest block feeding as part of your treatment (6).
Since block feeding is a strategy that is used to tackle the problem of oversupply, it shouldn’t be tried by anyone who wants to increase their breast milk production. Also, it’s crucial to wait until the first 4 to 6 weeks after your baby’s birth as your body will take some time to adjust the milk supply as per your baby’s needs. But if the issue persists and you find yourself struggling with an oversupply of milk and all the issues associated with it, it may be wise to consult your doctor and proceed with block feeding.
Talk to your doctor about how long you need to continue block feeding as it can vary depending on your situation. Remember, continuing this practice longer than required could cause reduced milk supply over time.
