Feeling full at 3.5 months

[@llli*vedimama]

​DD 3months 3weeks, very soon to be 4months old

I have had oversupply since the beginning which kind of subsided a bit around ​1.5-2 ​months. However since the past two weeks or so I have again started to feel full (sometimes engorged) specially on the left side, sometimes on the right side too.
In the mornings, the fullness/engorgement is there. However it's also starting to feel the same during day time as well.
I typically nurse 10-12 times a day, every two hours between 7:00am and 7:00pm and every 3 he's between evening 7:00pm and morning 7:00am.
Sometimes on her cues the feedings are more than 10-12 a day. I hardly ever miss a chance to nurse. Even after nursing frequently I feel the fullness. It's driving me up the wall.
I alternate between both sides at each feeding with only one side per feeding. She nurses for about 10-15 minutes each feed, sometimes 5-10 if the flow is fast.
I do not pump, however hand express sometimes before feeding so she doesn't get the super fast spray of milk.

Need help as to what can be done about this. I thought by this time body will get the message and stop making excess, doesn't seem to happen so
Will pumping once a day at the same time be of any help?

[@llli*maddieb]

What would usually cause this to happen at this age is baby not nursing as often, taking a longer sleep stretch, etc. If that is not happening, any possibility you are taking a galactagogue? Perhaps inadvertently?

[@llli*vedimama]

I never miss nursing since I feel full and want to get relief from that. Even at night I don not know if my infant can indeed sleep through the night yer, cos i end up waking her every 3 hours.

I am not taking galactagogue, although as i see the list of foods that contain galactagogue it includes spinach, garlic etc. These are part of the normal home made foods i have, everything in moderation. for example, garlic only for taste or flavor in a main dish. I do have about 2-3 cups of milk in the form of in tea or coffee in a day and yogurt with meals.
Could it be the manner in which I am alternating each side at feedings causing increase in milk?

Please help with a remedy or solution i can try

[@llli*maddieb]

Could it be the manner in which I am alternating each side at feedings causing increase in milk?

Baby only wants one side per feeding, right? So I do not see why that would be causing the issue. You can try having baby nurse from both sides every time baby nurses to see if that helps with the fullness, but that is actually a milk production increasing technique and may worsen the issue.

Since baby is now 3 months old, as long as baby is gaining really well I think you might want to consider if block nursing to decrease your production is needed. Of course at first this will cause more fullness in the breast that is being "blocked" (Not nursed from) for a certain number of hours, but letting the breasts get and stay full this way is the way to reduce production when needed and the fullness should reduce once that has happened. Block nursing WILL reduce production, usually within a few days so you want to be sure that is what you want. Please read this and make sure you understand the cautions before attempting block nursing: http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/artic...=Block+Feeding

[@llli*vedimama]

I forgot to mention that some days back i was feeling very full in the mornings. So as soon as waking up I pumped for 5-10 minutes on both sides (just this one time in the day) Those days I was feeling much less heavier through the day. I think this must have lasted for a week or 10 days probably. Then after few days I started to feel less full in the mornings so i stopped pumping. Then again the fullness started.

Will it help to continue this kind of pumping?

Secondly, there are sometimes when she wants to feed again sometimes even before 2 hours after a feed. In such cases, which side should i offer.
Since if i offer the same side again, it may so happen that the next feed she would want a little late and i start to feel full
Isnt it better that i offer the next side if she wants to feed again say in like 1.5 hours

[@llli*maddieb]

Will it help to continue this kind of pumping?

It depends on how you look at it. On the one hand the pumping softened your breasts and helped you feel less full all day...so it seems like it did help, in the short term.
The problem is that it is exactly that full feeling you are avoiding by pumping that will decrease your production over time. So in the longer term, it may be that pumping at all (except for during several hours long separations from baby) is prolonging the issues you are having with overproducing.

Secondly, there are sometimes when she wants to feed again sometimes even before 2 hours after a feed. In such cases, which side should i offer.
Since if i offer the same side again, it may so happen that the next feed she would want a little late and i start to feel full
Isnt it better that i offer the next side if she wants to feed again say in like 1.5 hours

There is no way for me to be this precise. It will probably depend on many factors what you decide to do about "which side" and it will vary over the course of the day. You can go by how you feel, baby's preference, etc. or some combination. Just be aware that feeling fullness, while a bit uncomfortable, is what is telling your body to reduce production. In a case where mom makes more than enough to the point it is bothersome, letting milk production reduce by allowing fullness to occur to some extent may well make sense. Probably best to avoid "rock hard" engorgement or anything that feels too extreme to you, but some fullness may be what your body needs to feel in order to get your baby and your milk production more in sync. Also you could try to hand express just enough milk to feel comfortable as needed.