Overabundant milk supply: An alternative way to intervene by full drainage and block feeding

Abstract

Background: Too much or too little milk production are common problems in a lactation consultant's practice. Whereas underproduction is widely discussed in the lactation literature, overabundant milk supply is not. In my practice I work with women who experience moderate to severe oversupply syndrome. In most cases the syndrome can be successfully treated with full removal of milk followed by unilateral breastfeeding ad lib with the same breast offered at every breastfeed in a certain time block ("block feeding"). Case presentations: Four cases of over-supply of breast milk are presented. The management and outcome of each case is described. Conclusion: Overabundant milk supply is an often under-diagnosed condition in otherwise healthy lactating women. Full drainage and "block feeding" offer an adequate and userfriendly way to normalize milk production and treat symptoms in both mother and child. © 2007 van Veldhuizen-Staas; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.