what does a 'let down' feel like?

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

i'm trying to identify it...

and if i can't express more than a dribble does that mean the let down is not being stimulated while i'm expressing? any way i can get it to work?

[Jacksmama]

Let down feels like when your nipples get hard from the cold but about an inch back into your breast. It's the world's biggest titty-hard-on and can be uncomfortable or seriously ouchy. If you're looking at your breast at the time it you can see the nipple harden and actually lengthen (freaky!! ) and then milk starts to drip from it. Well, anyway, that's what happens to me.

[electra]

I always got a very tingly sensation followed by milk dripping.

[GreenMonkies]

Its a very strong tingle, like pins and needles but in your boobs, sometimes all the way up to your neck or into your armpits. Do you feel it when baby feeds? How old is your baby?

Expressing is a skill, keep trying, but don't beat yourself up if you only get a dribble. If you keep trying, some people find that expressing from one boob whilst baby feeds from the other, or holding a babygro or vest that smells like your baby or even looking at the baby or a photo can help. Above all, relax, breathe slowly and imagine your baby at the breast, pump in little shallow quick pumps to begin with (the way a baby sucks when they first latch on) and then when your milk starts to flow do slower longer pumps (the way a baby sucks when it is doing big sucks and swallows), this is how it worked best for me.

Good luck!

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

i do get pins and needles/tingly nips, sometimes when he's not feeding as well - but no drips. so that's a let down! i also sometimes get a 'shudder' in my whole nip as he's feeding - any ideas?

[chequersandchess]

I was miserable at expressing but find I can get about 100 mls if I do it first thing in the morning, but only from one side!

[Anglepoise]

Mine ache like a bastard!

Haven't tried it but I've read that putting a warm wet flannel over your boob and then massaging it can help get the milk flowing for expressing

[LoveBeingAMummy]

Pins and needles/tingly - just like you'd get if he/she was late for a feed and you hadn't noticed - I have been in the supermarket and realised DD had gone over her feed time this way - it like being able to tell the time without a clock!

[Grammaticus]

Pins and needles for me too, most pronounced in the last feed of the day. i didn't express much, but when I did it helped to think of the baby and imagine him feeding.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Not everyone feels a let down at all. I've been feeding for 2.8 yrs, now tandem feeding, and have never felt one!

I was also always rubbish at expressing. Try it in the morning from one breast whilst feeding from the other if you can.

[chandellina]

i get the sort of tingly pins and needles but never drip or leak. sometimes would also get a bit of numbness/throbbing pain during the feed that sounds like your "shudder." Do you get a good latch? that was our problem for ages ...

[EachPeachPearMum]

Mine isn't like pins and needles- its more like a great pressure, about 1" behind the nipple, that is then suddenly released.

It was odd.. but didn't hurt.

[madmouse]

stabbing pains making me winch. only had them from about six weeks to about 3 months, now nearly nine months and have almost forgotten what it was like.

it was really like ouchouchouchherecomesthemilk and at the same time my son would start swallowing.

[LaVie]

same as madmouse. Very sharp pains as ds was busy sucking and then after a minute they would wear off. One of the reasons I stopped bf unfortunately