Breastmilk oversupply & breast engorgement

Breastmilk oversupply and breast engorgement: getting help

Your midwife, child and family health nurse or GP or the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) can support you with breastfeeding your baby. They can also help you find a lactation consultant if you need one.

An ABA counsellor can also help – phone the National Breastfeeding Helpline on 1800 686 268 or use ABA LiveChat.

This article is about how to manage breastmilk oversupply and breast engorgement. If you’re having other issues with breastfeeding, you could check out our articles on how to increase milk supply, breastfeeding attachment techniques, sore nipples and nipple infections and mastitis and blocked ducts or breast inflammation.

Breastmilk oversupply

Breastmilk oversupply is when you make more milk than your baby needs.

It’s normal to have an oversupply of breastmilk in the first few weeks after birth. But it’s good to know that your supply will usually settle down.

Breastmilk oversupply might be the issue if your baby:

has a tummy ache or wind
has a lot of wee
has green frothy poo
cries a lot
gags or coughs when they’re feeding.

You might also notice that your breasts seem to fill quickly or feel lumpy and tight after breastfeeding.

If breastmilk oversupply sounds like the issue, you can try any of the following:

Check your position and technique – our illustrated guide to breastfeeding techniques and illustrated guide to breastfeeding positions might help. Your baby will remove milk better if they’re well-attached to your breast.
Look for your baby’s early hunger cues. Your baby might make sucking noises or open their mouth wide and turn towards your breast. If you offer the breast early, your baby can attach to and remove milk from your breast more easily.
Feed when you see your baby’s hunger cues, so that you’re feeding to their needs. But if your baby is sleeping and breastmilk oversupply is making you very uncomfortable, you can wake your baby to feed.
Use reverse pressure softening to soften the part of the breast that your baby will attach to. This will make it easier for your baby to attach.
At the start of a feed, gently lean or lie back in a relaxed position with your back well supported. This can help to slow down your milk flow.
Allow your baby to feed from one breast as long as they want. If your baby seems to have finished feeding but your breast still feels full, offer the breast again after a nappy change or burp.
Offer the other breast only if the first breast feels a lot softer, and make sure to start the next feed on the other breast.
Express a little bit of milk if your breasts feel uncomfortable. But too much expressing will make more milk, so express just enough to relieve pain or discomfort.

Get help early if these tips don’t work for you. Speak to your midwife or child and family health nurse, a lactation consultant or an ABA counsellor. They’ll help you find another solution.

Breast engorgement (full, sore breasts)

Breast engorgement is when your breasts get full and sore because milk and other fluids build up in them. Breast engorgement usually affects both breasts. It might cause mastitis if it isn’t dealt with properly.

Breast engorgement is most likely to happen in the first week after birth. But it can also happen at other times, like when babies miss a feed.

Breast engorgement can be quite uncomfortable. It can feel like your breasts are much heavier and warmer than usual, and it can even hurt to breastfeed.

The best way to deal with breast engorgement is watching for your baby’s early hunger cues and feeding your baby more often.

Here are other tips to help with breast engorgement:

Wear a well-fitting, supportive bra or crop top, but make sure it’s not too tight. Take your bra off completely before beginning to breastfeed.
Warm your breasts with a warm (not hot) cloth for a few minutes before breastfeeding. This can help your let-down.
Hand-express a little milk or try reverse pressure softening before starting the feed. This can help your baby attach more easily. Make sure your baby attaches well.
Massage your breast gently while breastfeeding, or gently hold the heel of your hand against any lumpy areas.
Vary breastfeeding positions. For example, you could try the cradle hold at one feed and the football hold at the next.
After breastfeeding, place an ice-pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in cloth on your breast to relieve pain and swelling. Some mothers find that it helps to put chilled cabbage leaves over their breasts.

If your breasts are engorged for more than 1-2 days, especially in the early days of breastfeeding, talk with your midwife or child and family health nurse, a lactation consultant or an ABA counsellor. They might suggest you try an electric breast pump after one of your breastfeeds to remove as much milk as possible from both breasts and ease the pressure.

It might help to know that milk supply usually adjusts to match your baby’s needs over the first few weeks after birth.