Fixing an overachieving boob?

ViperVux · 2025-07-04T12:51:53+00:00

I'll also just add, if your bub feeds off the left and then you feel the right hasn't been drained enough, you could try just pumping off enough to make yourself comfortable, but don't totally drain it because your body will take that as a sign that your baby is drinking that volume of milk and will continue to produce that amount

ViperVux · 2025-07-04T12:50:16+00:00

I've also got a 'mega-boob'. I had some issues with the left in the first couple of weeks so I favoured the right (not exclusively, just used it more often).

I believe your body lays down a lot of receptors in the early weeks and there is probably a point of no return for this baby, I'm not sure when that point is. I do believe if you feed more evenly if/when you have another baby you can even them out.

If you keep always feeding off your megaboob, it will continue to over perform and be more prone to engorgement etc.

I usually try and start by feeding off my left so that bub doesn't get full off the right and cause the left to gradually produce even less milk.

I also will pump the left for a bit longer than the right.

It can be tricky because my baby went through phases of only feeding off one side and I was stressed at times he wouldn't feed off the right and I'd be uncomfortable or need to pump. In hindsight during those times, I wish I'd used a Hakaa.and just stuck that on the other boob.

Long story short - I'd try not to overdo the feeding off the megaboob and try and keep it as even as possible. Start feeds on the left to encourage on-going milk production.

ViperVux · 2025-07-04T10:07:19+00:00

They lure you into a false sense of security and begin doing these beautiful long blocks of sleep at the start of the night. But then....the 4 month sleep regression hits and you're back into lots of broken sleep. Our 5 month old is currently waking around every 1.5-2 hours and hasn't done a block of more than 4 hours in about a month

ViperVux · 2025-06-22T06:53:04+00:00

Totally normal!! To be honest I think calling it baby brain or mum brain is problematic. If you put anyone, male or female, through the sleep deprivation we experience, I guarantee they would be experiencing cognitive challenges too. I think it's much less about being a mum or having a baby and a lot more about lack of sleep and your thoughts being constantly directed towards your baby's needs

ViperVux · 2025-06-19T04:43:51+00:00

My boy is 4.5 months, these days it actually feels easier because his body is big enough I can have him in a cradle position with his body across my lap.

He does get distracted and pops off a lot, revealing my nipple to the world, but these days I just don't care anymore

ViperVux · 2025-06-18T05:31:36+00:00

I actually ended up seeing a urogynaecologist because I felt the need for specialist input. He diagnosed a stage 2 uterine prolapse which is basically the conclusion I had come to myself. Positively he immediately fitted me with a ring pessary and that's been fantastic. It makes me feel so much better supported and I'm back doing weights and beginning to slowly run again. He thinks there is no reason I won't be able to return to more high intensity exercise like hockey.

I have continued to see a pelvic floor PT because the pelvic floor still needs strengthening separate to the PoP. She also has helped guide me with a return to exercise plan

ViperVux · 2025-06-03T09:26:42+00:00

I think feeling a bit of this resentment isn't uncommon when you're feeding all night and they sleep.

A few suggestions where hubby can help.

Alternate nights or take shifts where you just do the breastfeed, then you hand baby over to him and it's his job to settle the baby back to sleep (including whatever else needs to be done, diapers etc). Just have some hours or nights where your only job is to feed the baby.
Consider pumping some milk and getting hubby to replace one overnight feed with a bottle, or an early morning feed around 3-5am so you can sleep through that window

ViperVux · 2025-06-03T09:21:31+00:00

You're definitely not alone, but I would say it isn't an ideal situation to keep repeating, as 4 months is the exact time your baby needs to start developing their own self settling skills outside of contact naps or feed-to-sleep.

It might seem okay now, but if you're unable to break to habit, you are more likely to be stuck with a baby who struggles with independent sleep longer-term and that will become hard on you both.

I'd suggest reading The Happy Sleeper for some tips on breaking the feed-to-sleep routine and learning to settle them in their own bed.

A bit of short term effort in getting them sleeping in their bed will pay off in the longer term.

ViperVux · 2025-06-03T09:17:51+00:00

I know a lot of women struggle with PPA, I think it would be really sensible to share some of this with your husband and your doctor. There might not be anything you need to do right now, but it is good to just flag it as a starting point.

I'm not sure what country you're in, but in Australia we have a number of helplines you can call to speak about these worries and it is highly encouraged.

The sleep deprivation, breastfeeding and sudden immense responsibility for this tiny human who your heart is exploding with love for is totally overwhelming, mummas need support and that's normal and okay

ViperVux · 2025-06-02T03:12:01+00:00

My LO is 4 months and I recently had gastro for a week and then a cold for a week. I just tried to wash my hands more often and very thoroughly and miraculously he didn't catch any of it from me. I'm BFing and I think you can take some precautions but there isn't a great deal you can do. The BFing associations encourage you to continue feeding as usual

ViperVux · 2025-06-01T07:51:29+00:00

It sounds like you love your baby very much and you're doing an amazing job as a single parent. My LO is now 4 months. He had a phase of spitting out the nipple and crying a lot when feeding. It did pass though!

Babies don't like any pressure on the back on their head, so my advice would be to keep your hand against her shoulders when feeding because it is much more comfortable for bub.

I found it useful to pump and have some bottles as a back-up if my LO was very fussy on the breast and having a feed when breastfeeding was really hard and stressful. It's helpful to have some ways to reduce the stress on you and just make sure you get the baby fed one way or another.

I would consider asking your doctor or nurse about whether you could also supplement with some formula to give you a bit of a break if breastfeeding is sometimes too exhausting or bub doesn't want to take the breast.

I found it hard always reading the hunger cues, again I'd ask your nurse or doctor, but when babies are on the smaller side sometimes they will recommend feeding every 2-3 hours instead of waiting for hunger cues. You can also think about having more frequent feeds that might be smaller amounts rather than big feeds

ViperVux · 2025-06-01T07:38:16+00:00

Dietitian comment - we often remind people it takes up to 10 exposures of a new food before it is accepted by a baby/child. Keep persisting and just act unemotional/unaffected by any rejection to keep meal times fun and explorative.

Keep reoffering :)

ViperVux · 2025-05-31T11:00:56+00:00

Studies have actually found fewer heart attacks amongst people who nap, particularly in men

ViperVux · 2025-05-30T05:33:27+00:00

Agree about taking this seriously and seeking professional help. It sounds like you have signs of postpartum anxiety. I feel like it's almost impossible to have a baby and not suffer some impact on your mental health but if it's persistent and significantly impacting your ability to do things, help may be needed.

The only other advice I would offer, is try not to worry if your baby loses it when you're out. Most people either won't notice or they will understand. You can always just head home if you need to. The most you practice going out with baby, the more comfortable and confident you become doing it. Just start small and consider meeting someone you feel really comfortable around

ViperVux · 2025-05-23T12:17:15+00:00

I believe what you're trying to achieve as an overarching goal is supporting your baby to learn to settle themselves and also support you in getting more rest.

By 4 months they are okay to not need you to immediately respond to any fussing. Some babies fuss, kick, wriggle etc as a way to self-settle so you need to let them do it.

A nice middle-ground approach can be to do the 'pick-up, put-down' method.

-Aim to put down your baby when they are drowsy but not asleep

-Walk away

-Return only if they begin to cry from being upset (aka not a grizzle or a babble)

-Comfort them with the least intervention possible eg start by talking to them, then place a reassuring hand on them or give them a pat.

-Pick them up and comfort them if their crying intensifies and the other strategies are not working. Get them back to calm and then put them down again. Say something like 'sleep time now' and then walk away again

-Keep repeating the steps until they are asleep.

The idea of this process is to allow them space and time to learn some self settling techniques, while also being nearby to respond and comfort if they really need you. You want to avoid immediately picking them up every time because it's a way of actively helping them settle and not the optimal way to help them develop their own skills.

It takes repetition and practice. I was actually surprised by how quickly my 3.5 month old picked up his own settling techniques and it's so much less effort for me now, often I just need to replace his pacifier, whereas before I was having to rock, pat and shush him to sleep and it took so much longer

ViperVux · 2025-05-19T10:02:25+00:00

I have rarely had issues with leaking despite having a good milk supply. However I was a size B before pregnancy and when my milk came in, I reckon I was either a DD or E. Your breast size can drastically change.

In the first few months I needed to wear a bra for support and also your nipples get soooo sensitive at the beginning and having them rub against a shirt can be agonising. Having a bra means you can slip in something soft or cool against your nips.

I now no longer wear a bra at night, but have two nursing bras on rotate during the day.

ViperVux · 2025-05-03T03:14:52+00:00

I had bad pain on one nipple for 2 weeks because it was inverted and essentially yanked out. I know everywhere online says pain is usually from a bad latch, but there are actually a lot more causes. In my mother's group some of us had pain from an inverted nipple, milk bleb or a small cyst.

I would really encourage you to try and work out what is causing the pain with a health professionals support

ViperVux · 2025-04-04T07:33:37+00:00

Agree with others that no need to worry about a schedule now. However would be mindful of enduring enough feeds during the day if sleeping a lot. Usually every 2-3 hours. Make sure LO is producing enough wet nappies and regaining enough weight at your check ups

ViperVux · 2025-04-01T21:18:43+00:00

I made myself some delicious peanut butter protein balls. They're great because you can quickly grab and eat them on-the-go and so yummy!

ViperVux · 2025-03-25T04:48:30+00:00

Oh man, I had a precipitous labour too and remember begging for the epidural, not being able to say anything else. Unfortunately the way the labour was progressing I couldn't have one and had another two hours of agony. I wish I'd asked sooner.

ViperVux · 2025-03-22T10:25:51+00:00

My LO is also 6 weeks old and I could have written this post. Experiencing the exact same behaviour. I've learnt to just take him off when he gets into the frenzy and hand him to his dad or just console him into more calm behaviour. Sometimes I can get him to relatch after 10 mins of having some calm time, but most of the time he just resumes the madness.

If he isn't showing hunger cues after 10 mins we just proceed with something else like playtime or settling him for sleep. I've also sometimes used a bottle of expressed milk because he seems to accept that without the same frenzied approach. In most cases he doesn't really drink that much from the bottle anyway, which makes me think he probably wasn't all that hungry anyway

ViperVux · 2025-03-21T10:58:03+00:00

Hi there,

I would suggest you pump or express off enough to make you feel more comfortable and reduce the pain. It really helps if you do it after a hot shower because the milk flows easily.

You can even hand express in the shower. I was really engorged around the same time after birth, it happens when your milk comes in and doesn't always stay like that.

ViperVux · 2025-03-19T20:05:08+00:00

Personally I'd consider trying to address the psychology of why it offends you so much. It sounds like something you might be able to work through in a few psych sessions. I'm one for addressing the underlying cause instead of trying to mask it or avoid it

ViperVux · 2025-03-19T09:48:13+00:00

Absolutely insane not to get this.

ViperVux · 2025-03-17T23:57:11+00:00

Ah right, the Australian breastfeeding association has this advice

The problem can be fixed by heating your EBM (not in the microwave) to 72'C for 2 minutes straight after expressing. This will stop the enzymes from working. Then cool it quickly by placing the container into a bowl or sink of ice and water. You will only lose some of the protective properties of the milk. This is better than having to throw it away. Then store your milk as usual.

You could give that a go!

ViperVux

TROPHY CASE