'let down pain' gettinf worse and worse!???

[MyBunnyRabbit]

dd is nearly 6 weeks and ebf.

I thought the let down pains and leakiness would steadily get better.....but seems to have got even worse last few days.

I get 'let down' really hard and very painful like im being stabbed with knitting needles, even in between feeds, sometimes just if i accidently touch my boob or need to change breast pad....also boobs are dripping sometimes and even just a tiny pressure on them and it squirts out...also makes start of feed when we'refussing about trying to latch very wet and messy, often have to day us both off and start latch again cos dd is slipping off cos of all the dripping milk.

Please tell me this will get better!!! its really annoying that it hurts so much....and is costing me a fortune in breastpads!!!

tia
xx

[DaisySteiner]

Could you have thrush?

[sc2987]

Can't help with the main question, but you could use washable pads or breast shells?

[BelinaTheChicken]

I didn't stop leaking completely until about four months with DS1, got through a hell of a lot of breastpads too. Try Lilypadz, used them a lot, but couldnt use them all the time as they started getting uncomfortable and felt like I needed to air my nipples.

Let down pain went at about 4 or 5 weeks in one boob, and much later in the other, not sure why! I have a two weeks old DS now, and still at the leaky, shooting pains when i even think about feeding stage, but it does get better, just hang in there, and make sure you have muslins with you to mop up the spills!

[maybunny]

I had let down pain til about 6 months! that's not what you want to hear, but I did get used to it, and now DD is 9 months, I can bf without breast pads or sleep bras or pain - it's a totally different experience worth waiting for! Hope it gets better for you xxx

[Haggisfish]

It does get better - I found about ten weeks I didn't notice the let down so much and the milk dripping got a bit better. By six months, I didn't need breast pads very often and the let down was much less painful.

You can stop it slightly by crossing your arms over your boobs (so your hands are on opposite shoulders) and squeezing them gently.

[LittleMilla]

Does get better. Things settled for me at about 12 weeks or so? I am now just happy/demi-smug that I have lots of milk and am able to feed DS REALLY quickly due to tons of milk & fast let down .

[LittleMilla]

Oh, and practically. I feed DS lying on my side when possible as it means any excess can dribble out the side of his mouth quite easily.

[tickleme63]

I have this issue as well! DS is 10 weeks and my letdown reflex is now more intense and painful than it's been before. Ditto the leakage if I so much as touch my breast, to put Lansinoh on for example.

Looking forward to it going away soon, while having bonkers amounts of milk is a real blessing, the mess at feeding times is getting a bit annoying now!

[mamsnet]

You need to be checked for thrush.. and if possible by a BF expert rather than a GP

[dumbelina]

It does sound like it may be thrush this leaflet saved my breastfeeding as I was nearly ready to quit with the pain till I found out it was thrush and had it treated.