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Expert: - 5/5/2008


Question
I have been nursing my daughter for eight weeks now, with difficulty. I have consulted with a lactation consultant and was advised that my milk supply is over abundant and my let-down is over-active. She advised me to feed two feedings in a row on one breast to reduce my milk supply.  I have found that this has worked and has offered some improvement, however my daughter still does not seem to be sucking properly.  She makes a loud clucking sound almost every time she sucks and seems to still be getting air when she sucks.  There is very little seal...I can pull my breast out of her mouth without a problem.  She nurses well on the right breast but has difficulties with the left.  Is there any was that I can retrain her to suck more effectively?  She is gaining weight and growing, but nursing is frustrating for both of us and always a relaxing experience for her.  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Dear Amber,

First, congratulations for giving your daughter the best start in life by breastfeeding her!

I wonder whether the lactation consultant or your pediatrician has taken a look inside your baby's mouth to see whether there is any kind of structural problem that would keep her from suckling properly. You're right that there should be a tight seal, with a vacuum created in her mouth when she nurses.

One thought I have is that you might let her nurse exclusively on the right breast, where she does well, and while she's nursing you could pump your milk from the left breast. Then you could freeze this milk to use later if you'll need to be away from your baby for a feeding. If she refuses the left breast, you might want to see your obstetrician to see whether there is any problem there -- probably there isn't, but it's always a good idea to check out these things since sometimes a medical problem will make the milk from a breast taste "funny" to the baby, or there might be some other situation.

Also, you might try different nursing positions -- lying down, or "football" hold, or something else that's different from the way you usually nurse.

And one other thought: pick her up when she's half-asleep (either about to go to sleep or about to wake up) and put her on the left breast and see whether that will help her overcome her prejudice against it!

Good luck!

Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with Laura M. Marks, M.D.  

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Sally Wendkos Olds

Expertise

What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.

Experience

I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.

Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.

Other points of interest I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding. To find out more about me, go to

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