Too Much Breast Milk? How to Manage Oversupply

Yes, this is a very real thing. You probably hear about people not having enough milk a lot more often, but oversupply happens a lot and can be a real problem. But of course we can help you with that!

What is Breast Milk Oversupply?

If you are breastfeeding, you might make less milk than your baby needs sometimes, but you might also make MORE than your baby needs. Most people make the right amount of milk. Babies show signs of hunger, and as long as you can respond promptly to those every time, the milk supply keeps up. There are some cases where the baby has trouble getting milk out of the breast which can cause complications in this system, but there is plenty we can do to handle problems like that. In other cases, an oversupply happens. This is also usually because of some interference with the normal development of a milk supply or just because of some normal fluctuations early in the milk supply development. What it means is that you have more milk than your baby can drink. It might lead to engorgement and discomfort.

How to Prevent or Reduce Oversupply

Primary Engorgement

Cluster feeding and engorgement are normal at first. In the early days of breastfeeding, you’re not supposed to have much milk. You will produce just small amounts of colostrum. This is normal and just what the baby needs at that time. Once the larger mature milk supply “comes in” after the first 3-5 days, you will likely notice a big increase. This is most often temporary, and should normalize within a few days. If you become engorged and have discomfort, it’s important not to do too much to ease it. Hand expressing small amounts of milk just until you feel better is fine. If you start hand expressing too much or start using a pump, it can actually contribute to a chronic oversupply.

Pumping

Pumping too much or the wrong schedule can also lead to an oversupply. If you don’t have to pump, it’s best to avoid it or minimize it to only the amount necessary. Pumping while also breastfeeding your baby is sort of telling your body that you need to make enough milk for more than one baby or an especially hungry one. Your supply will catch up to that demand, and it can be hard to stop that cycle. If you need to store some milk occasionally, it’s best to pump a little right after your baby feeds instead of having separate pumping sessions. The idea is that if your baby naturally breastfeeds 12 times a day, that should be all. If you add one pumping session to this, you’re telling your body that your baby needs to eat 13 times a day and it will adjust to this level of need.

If you are needing to start providing pumped milk regularly because you are going back to work, a good strategy might be to build in one pumping session per day at about the same time each day. This will tell your body that your baby needs to eat one more time each day. You can maintain this while you’re building a stock of frozen milk. We usually recommend starting this a week or two before you need to go back to work. You don’t need a HUGE stash. Remember that you’ll also be pumping while you’re at work, and you’ll have that to maintain your supply.

Passive Milk Collection

If you need to have a stored supply of milk for the future, you might also try using a passive milk collection method. There are a lot of brands on the market, including the Milkies Milk-Saver and the Ladybug among others, but essentially you’re looking for a collection cup. You can wear it inside your bra on the breast you are not currently nursing from. As you breastfeed on the other side, your milk will let down and be collected in the cup. You can store that milk, and it doesn’t create any additional stimulation to the breast, ensuring that it doesn’t create an oversupply.

If you need a little more milk, you might try a suction type milk collector like the Haakaa and others. These are silicone devices that draw milk out with a small amount of suction. They have enough suction to attach to the breast without needing to be worn in a bra. We suggest putting it on the breast AFTER feeding your baby from that side to make sure there is plenty of milk for your baby first. So, feed your baby FIRST, then when you move your baby to the other side, you can attach the milk collector. Some people can just collect milk this way and avoid pumping altogether. BUT be careful with this type of milk collector. Because it does create suction, it can actually cause oversupply or make it worse. If you have an oversupply, you might want to use this with caution as you would a pump.

Using a passive milk collection device might not be the best strategy if you need to give your baby pumped milk most or all of the time. You might not get enough, and it’s also not powerful enough to get all of the milk out including the fattier milk that usually comes out towards the end of a feeding. But if you’re working on preventing or reducing an oversupply, it can be a great option. Also be aware that while some people can collect a lot of milk using a passive milk collection cup, others do not… even if you have an oversupply. Some people just don’t leak much even when they have a lot of milk. Both things are normal.

A Benefit of Milk Oversupply

If you do have an oversupply and want to take advantage of it, you can also opt to maintain it. Some people who really want to be able to donate milk to someone else might purposefully create or maintain an oversupply. Milk banks accept donor milk after a screening process, and that milk can be life saving. It is primarily used to stock NICUs with milk for the most sick and fragile babies. If there is enough after providing that, sometimes a milk bank will offer the milk to the public or by prescription.

Downsides of Milk Oversupply

Having an oversupply does come with some downsides. There can be pain or discomfort, and also leaking. You might not be able to go for very long between feeds without experiencing some symptoms. It might even wake you up at night. It might also be overwhelming for a baby. When the breast is large and engorged, it might be more difficult to latch or there might be a flood of milk that is difficult for a very small baby to manage. Oversupply can also increase the risk of plugged ducts, mastitis, and other forms of breast inflammation.

However, it can also feel great to know that you are making plenty of milk to provide for your baby. Please remember that you can get help for this if it is creating a problem for you and your family. A lactation consultant can work with you on ways to gradually reduce your supply to a more manageable level without creating a shortage.