question about oversupply

[@llli*k.c.smitty]

One other question about oversupply. Has anyone experienced a worsening of symptoms with longer blocks. Should I try going to one side per feed? There seems to be so much foremilk and my dd never empties. The letdown is horrible. Just curious if anyone has experience with this. I have tried multiple ways. Time as well as multiple feeds. My baby sleeps through the night, except I dream feed her once for my comfort.

[@llli*esthervegan]

KCsmitty,
I believe that within a month or two your supply will regulate due to the changing needs of your baby.
so far you are doing everything possible to discourage on oversupply.
Your body will regulate. It is a biologic anachronism from our days of struggling to survive that some Mothers make enough milk to feed the tribe.
mammas like you are the reason will all made it as a species.
Thank you.

[@llli*phi]

I only ever did 2 hour blocks at the most, so take this for what it's worth. I think that if the longer blocks aren't working, then it is certainly worth trying shorter blocks. Nursing on one breast per feeding and switching breasts between feedings worked very well for me, and I had a pretty significant oversupply (but it did take quite awhile to get it completely under control). You can try putting cabbage leaves in your bra to help with the engorgement between feedings too.

Also, here is a list of herbs that tend to lower milk supply:
http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastf...bs-oversupply/

ETA: Have you tried nursing in a reclined position to help with the fast letdown? I had a spray-the-cat-at-the-opposite-end-of-the-couch letdown, and nursing in a reclined position was a lifesaver for me!

It is a biologic anachronism from our days of struggling to survive that some Mothers make enough milk to feed the tribe.
mammas like you are the reason will all made it as a species.

I'm curious about this. It was my impression (and bear in mind I'm no expert) that allonursing is fairly rare in primates, and when it is present it results from either kin selection (a lactating mother nurses only her relatives) or reciprocal altruism (two or more nursing mothers will nurse each other's offspring in addition to their own). I've never heard of a nursing mother nursing all the offspring in a "tribe". It seems to me that primitive human populations should function similarly, but I could easily be missing something. If you have any research on this that you can pass along, I would love to see it. It just seems very anti-intuitive to me from an ecological perspective, but again I don't really know that much about primitive human populations.

Sorry for the thread hijack, I just find these things very interesting.