breasts still producing some milk months after stopping feeding - normal?

[kalidasa]

I stopped bfing last October when DS was about 10.5 months - so about five months ago. I've noticed recently that if I squeeze either breast gently they are still producing milk. I haven't tried more than a squeeze or two so I don't know how much is there. I have noticed some tingly feelings recently which is maybe why I checked. So I don't know whether this is a new thing or whether it's been continuous since I stopped. I'm not bothered by it in itself but is it normal?! Should I be worried?

[MangoBiscuit]

I was told by our local BFing counselor that it can take as long as you've BF for, for your milk to dry up completely. So if you've fed for 10.5 months, it could take 10.5 months to dry up completely. I only BF my DDs briefly, but it took at longer to stop after DD2. I did try to re-estabish feeding for several weeks, so that probably affected it too.

[outtheothersidefinally]

15 months later and still milk if I squeeze! I bf for 18 months.

[AHardDaysWrite]

My mum could still get milk out when my brother was four - she stopped feeding him at 10 months! I read somewhere that once you've bfed, your breasts are always " primed" and could relactate quite easily. In the caveman days the mums would go out gathering food whilst the grandmas fed the babies apparently!

[kalidasa]

Interesting! Thanks everyone. I wonder if there's an emotional/response element as well? DS is unwell at the moment so I feel particularly protective, and I also did some skin-to-skin with him yesterday (which we never usually do any more) because he was really unwell. Do you think it means you could just start again if you wanted to/if a baby suckled - would your body just take the hint and ramp up production? Has anyone tried?!

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

A friend of mine bf her DS until about 16 months. Two months later he was hospitalised and very seriously ill so she gave him the breast. She said that there was some milk, but it was more for comfort than nutrition at that point.

[NewJobNewLife]

Sounds entirely normal to me. It can take a very long time for all traces to be reabsorbed. The skin to skin may have prompted small-scale production too, but don't let that stop the skin to skin as it won't hold the drying up process back very much.

If you wanted to relactate you probably could, as long as your DS was on board! You would need him to take reasonable amounts of milk on a regular basis to ramp up your production again.

[kalidasa]

Thanks for all the feedback on this - really fascinating! I don't really want to feed DS again as to be honest I didn't enjoy it that much though obviously my body is still up for it.

We are planning to start trying for a second quite soon - does anyone know what effect that is likely to have? Will it dampen down any remaining lactation or might it encourage it?