I make too much milk???

Well, I have a problem. In the middle of the night I would wake up so engorged! ( I get a clogged duct on left breast only) My LC told me to pump once during the night for comfort and my body should decrease it's milk production. Well, I have been doing that for a couple of weeks now. My right breast is fine. I don't wake up engorged, just full. Perfect, right? Well my left breast still makes a ton of milk and last night it was so engorged and hurt!! I pumped at 5 am and it still hurts. I can feel the duct, its plugged. My daughter nursed on bothe sides normally this morning. How do I get my left side to produce less? Does anyone else have this problem?? I am so tired of waking up in the middle of the night for one breast being engorged. Its weird that one of them did what it was suppose to do, but the left side is not cooperating!! My daughter is 13 weeks now, so this has been going on for a while. ANy suggestions?? Thanks

[loismwallace]

I had similar problem when my daughter was first born. She is 12 weeks now. I still pump more out of my left than my right. About an ounce more at each pump.  I don't get engorged any more though. It's really weired.

Now if I understood my LC, in order to decrease flow you have to pump less. By pumping more, you are actually telling your body you need to produce more. If you are pumping to relieve engorment, I wouldn't pump it dry, just enough to relieve yourself.

Don't know if I've been of any help, but good luck!

[Fourpaws]

I actually only pump for comfort when engorged. So about 5 minutes. I had to go to the doctor this morning because I have early signs of mastisis and I feel yucky....

[azqtpies]

I agree if you pump you are telling your body to make more!  and for the plugged duct place warm compresses on  that breast throughout the day and 10 minutes b4 you nurse or pump. Also massaage the duct in a slow circular motion while nursing or pumping ! Good luck.. I would not pump in the middle of the night .. mine did  that for a while and it will adjust if she is not eating much! hang in there =)

[sdo527]

I had this problem and the pumping only worsened it. Apparently, some of us are really receptive to any stimulation. The way I dealt with it was by using cabbage leaves on that side only. You get green cabbage, remove the leaves but leave them whole. Wash them and store them between paper towels in a big zip lock. I put mine in the fridge so they were soothing when I wore them. I put one leaf under my bra at night and changed it when I woke to nurse. After two days I noticed a difference.
May be worth a try. Other suggestions are to varry nursing postions to ensure that the ducts are emptying evenly.

[Fourpaws]

You know I am going to try the cabbage leaves. But what do I do when I wake up at5 am engorged and Ava won't eat? Do I express the milk manually????