Breastfeeding is the most important part of a mother’s life. It provides proper nutrition to the newborn baby and also helps in developing a very good bond in between the mother and the baby. Usually, it takes about 8 to 10 days to get a proper milk supply and for the baby to learn proper latching. There are also various different positions to breastfeed your baby. Various other accessories like manual, electric and smart breast pumps are also available for the nursing mothers. It is important to breastfeed the baby for as long as possible. But, sometimes the mother suffers from a particular syndrome where there is excessive production of milk called hyper lactation syndrome.
What is Hyperlactation Syndrome?
In this syndrome, the body of the lactating mother produces an excessive amount of milk. The supply is more than what the baby needs. The milk may come out fast and forcibly in jets. The baby may face difficulty while nursing. The milk also leaks a lot.
Signs of hyperlactation syndrome
Both the mother and the baby shows the signs of hyper lactation syndrome. Here are a few signs that the mom and the child’s body shows
Mother’s signs
- The mother’s breast may feel full and engorged all the time
- There may be pain in the breast while feeding
- A lot of leakage of milk in between the feeds
These symptoms may start within one week of the birth of the baby. The supply of milk usually gets regulated within three to five months of the birth of the baby. But, sometimes these symptoms do persist.
Baby’s signs
Sometimes the baby might not show any symptoms.
- The baby might gag and pull away from the breast.
- May nurse only for five to ten minutes and then clamp the breasts
- The baby might act fussy and refuse to feed and spit up after feeding.
- The baby might get full and stop nursing before reaching the creamier part. This may lead to more gas and gastric problems in baby’s tummy.
- Your baby may suffer from weight gain issues.
Causes of hyperlactation syndrome
Some mothers produce less milk and some produce more milk. But, how come there is this difference? This difference is due to the number of alveoli (milk-producing glands) present in the breasts. The average number of alveoli are 1,00,000- 3,00,000. The mothers with hyper lactation syndrome have a number of alveoli in the breasts. Also, some hormone imbalance may cause the production of more milk. Sometimes, the mother may pump more milk and hence give the cue to her body that the body needs to produce more milk.
What can be done?
You can consult with the lactation expert. The lactation expert may suggest to express or pump some milk before feeding the baby. But, do not pump the milk too much. This may lead to overproduction of milk. Also, you can try feeding the baby before the baby is too hungry. The baby will suck gently and this will lead to less production of milk. Also, some nursing positions will help in reducing the flow of milk