I have a theory that I am developing and I am wondering what others 
have to say. I have noticed for years now the connection between 
oversupply and OAMER and poor gut health in the mother. I have been 
addressing this problem with a three-pronged approach. We optimize 
latch, often including CST for those many, many babies suffering birth 
trauma who cannot latch and suckle properly. When babies can extend 
well and use their tongues properly, they can manage a fast flow much 
better and are less likely to behave defensively. Defensive tongue 
behaviour is the beginning of poor gut peristalsis and, IMO may be more 
significant than lactose overload in terms of rapid transit time. I 
think this, in combination with the mother's leaky gut causes rapid gut 
damage to the baby, hence the "food allergies" that I think are really 
a red herring much of the time in these situations.
    So, after attachment, I address the mother's gut health. I always 
have the mother use magnesium, which soothes smooth muscle, calms the 
nervous system (very important!!!) and usually reduces OAMER quickly. I 
also have the mom dump her prenatal prescription vitamins (trash, IMO, 
unless you happen to have a gelatin deficiency) and use a food-based 
prenatal. If the mom is willing--sometimes this is the second line of 
treatment, mom will also take a super green food. IMO, these moms, 
whether overfed or not, are malnourished. I always have the mom take an 
EFA--preferably krill oil, unless she is vegetarian--then we use Udos 
oil. I also have her take a probiotic and sometimes we use digestive 
enzymes. Many of these moms have a long history of gut damage and do 
not know it. I saw a mom recently who thought her gut was just fine, in 
spite of the fact that she is always constipated. One mom I worked with 
recently told me that the first sign things were improving was that she 
is now having daily bm's.
     The third issue is hormone funtion. A mom whose body is suffering 
 from inflammation will have hormone imbalances. One of the keys to 
healing inflammation is eating a proper diet, while healing the gut. 
Sometimes, though the hormones need to be supported in the meantime. I 
use vitex to reduce the mother's supply--really that is just the result 
of normalizing pituitary function, which is what vitex does. (Remember, 
vitex can only increase supply). Adaptogenic herbs may well be our best 
friend in helping these moms in the long run. I do also sometimes use 
other thing for healing inflammation when the mom is not in need of 
convincing that she has a problem.
    Today, I asked a brilliant PT why the gut was so important in 
oversupply and he said it is related the inability of the mother's body 
to move from a sympathetic response back to a para-sympathetic state. 
Remember, we cannot properly digest food during a sympathetic response 
and many babies are unable to shift after birth trauma to a 
para-sympathetic state. He said that when the mother is in constant 
sympathetic mode, her digestion malfuntions, as does her ability to 
cope with stress at all levels. The imbalance created can manifest in 
any number of ways, including over-response--such as over-production of 
milk. I am also considering that there may be a connection between such 
a response and the likelihood of those moms to have auto-immune 
conditions or at least be prone to them.
    I am not interested in managing oversupply the way we have tended to 
do in the past. I want to solve its underlying causes. I realize that 
my comments may seem oversimplified, but they are a work in progress. 
One thing I will say, though, is that I am getting results. Oh, and I 
use homeopathic remedies to address plugged ducts that may come up 
along the way as supply is regulating.
Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA




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