to be fed up with being covered in milk!

[Roobix04]

My dd1 is 4 weeks old and exclusively bf. The problem is I seem to have a lot of milk and have a very fast let down. On a night I wake up and my nursing bra is drenched in milk which is really uncomfortable. I've even soaked dd a few times which means I have to change her and this wakes her up. This morning I woke up and even the back and sides of my bra were wet all the way to the clasps!
During the day isn't much better. I have to tuck a towel under my breast as I feed and have to constantly take my dd off the breast to express some into a cloth or cup. I haven't even attempted bfing in public yet as I'm quite shy and can't see how I can do it discreetly when I have to keep taking her off to express some. I love my daughter and worked really hard to bf I'm just so fed up and feel like bf isn't as magical an experience as everyone says it is. AIBU?

I was like this, it does get better. DD is now 13 weeks and I hardly need breastpads. Worth investing in good pads, I like the lansinoh or boots ones.

I had similar problems, although not as bad. The only breast pads I found that worked for me were Lansinoh - any other make were either scratchy, moved around or were soaked through in minutes.

Your supply should start to settle down in a couple of weeks, although if you've been expressing you may still find you have an oversupply.

I agree that Lansinoh are the best pads. I also have oversupply and it does start to settle down after a few months. One of my boobs still leaks (a year later - I'm still breastfeeding) but the other doesn't.

Another vote for Lansinoh pads - order in bulk off the internet. I couldn't not wear breastpads whilst feeding as my other boob used to start up in (sympathy I think!!) the minute my son starting feeding!

I agree with lansinoh pads.

You can try sticking a nappy in your bra at night. Crazy I know but absorbant! And sleeping on a bed wetter mat so you don't ruin your mattress. The huggies dry night mats are great, they soak up gallons without you feeling wet.

Try not to keep taking her off to express during feeds as you will be stimulating more and more milk production. If she struggles during feeds try curling up in the corner of the sofa/armchair so that you are leaning back a bit and she is more on top of you so that the milk is working against gravity so to speak, that makes it easier for her to cope with the flow as she can let it dribble out of her mouth while feeding.

Block feeding can be good if you are struggling with over supply but please do NOT do this without having been and chatted to someone at a bf support group as it aims to diminish milk supply. The idea being that you feed off one breast for a longer period so, say for the whole morning you would feed using only your right breast then for the afternoon use your left. The unused breast will get full which will inhibit milk production and so gradually your supply would decrease. However, you baby is still little and for most women milk supply will settle naturally just by feeding on demand.

Afraid I leaked for bloody ages. Actually ds2 is 2 years old now and while I don't randomly leak I still leak off the other breast when he feeds.

I had this at first, the only way I could feed was to strip naked and fold up a terry nappy against the unused breast. Even then, I'd sometimes soak through and drench DD. At night I slept on a plastic sheet- ikea used to do a cot size one which was perfect and not too rustly- and terry nappy.

Things started improving around 6 weeks, and by 3 months I only needed to wear cheap breast pads and change them after a feed.

Oh, and when I went out I always carried bra, pads and t shirt in the changing bag. And I would layer clothes so a knitted cardigan or patterned shirt open over a vest or t shirt. Then if I did leak, the cardigan or shirt could be buttoned to cover up till I could change.

The breast shells aren't the best idea to be honest.
A) they press on the milk ducts and basically express for you.
B) therefore I could fill them VERY quickly and
C) it encourages the over production of milk by making your body think more milk is needed

D) the excess milk collected is useless if you have over supply, as it's too watery and full of lactose, if you gave it to your baby they would probably suffer from lactose overload.

I used to control the flow from the other side by pressing with the heel of my hand over the nipple while the let down was going on. That would control it a bit, or tuck a nappy/ muslin down that side. It's does get easier as your supply regulates. I had much less second time round but I do remember the first, I sprayed milk across the room once which had my sister in stitches!

lansinoh pads all the way. just keep going and it will get better when your body realises how much milk it needs to produce, right now it seems like it is in overload. I know its a pain right now but it will get better

Thanks for all the responses. Was just feeling a bit overwhelmed. It was actually the bf specialist who told me to express a bit into a cloth if dd seemed to be getting it to quickly. I think I'll try the lansinoh pads. I've been using the tommee tippee ones so far. They're better then the boots ones

DC 4 is 14 weeks and going through a bit of a growth spurt. I smell like cheese, sorry no help but lots of sympathy.

Having this issue too. As soon as DS starts feeding on one side, the other starts leaking. Sick of soaking through my bra and two tops. Then DS can't keep up with the fast let down and dribbles it out all over my leg!

I hate the smell. Cottage cheese. Ugh.

Tommee Tippee breast pads twice daily. Around 3-6 months you'll probably not need them, as your supply would've settled by then.

I kept a maternity sheet under the sheet to protect the matress and slept on a folded bathsheet which often had to be changed in the night. Supply does settle. Mine suprised me by being over zealous for 4mths, first time, it settled much quicker.

Reusable breast pads are great (not boots though). Little Lambs bamboo pads are comfy and have good absorbancy. They've been a great money saver. It's real nappy week so a good chance of discount on reusable products.

I did the same as Stripyhoglets when I fed DS1 - applying pressure on the opposite side. It really did improve with time though. My supply calmed down a little, and as DS1 got a bit older, he was better able to manage a fast flow/letdown. Your DD is tiny at the moment, but she should soon learn how to manage a fast letdown. The advantage for your DD is that she doesn't have to work very hard to get a full tummy!

I also used Lilypadz when I was out and about. They are supposed to be used instead of breast pads, but I used them in addition to them, as I really didn't trust myself not to leak everywhere. They work by putting pressure on the nipple (the same way that Stripyhoglets described), so that milk doesn't leak. A good,supportive nursing bra helps too.

If after a couple of months it hasn't settled at all, there are ways of decreasing your supply a little, but you should really only do so with proper bf support.

I did not have the same issue with DS2.

Some great advice here. I used 6 breast pads at a time, 3 each side (Boots ones were good and not ridiculously expensive), several bras so I could wash wet ones while still having some to wear and lots of patience. My DD is nearly 9 months old and I still wear breast pads all the time, but just one in each cup now!

It def gets better! I hated the thick boots ones but the ultra slims have been brilliant. They are like rocks when I am done with them but hold the milk really well. Sometimes my milk flies across the bed and showers DD :) expressing before feeding her helped in the beginning and I now have a good store in the freezer ready for all the hen parties I have been invited to!!

Just adding to the voices to say it does settle down.

Hi,
Another one who had this too, and another vote for lanisoh pads.
The only place (not online) I found that sold them in 2012 was mothercare.
It defo does settle down though!

I think the Lansinoh and tommee tippee are the same.

I second/third the block feeding. Also I have used the shells, just to catch the excess when feeding and only in the first few weeks.

It will settle down, honest until the next growth spurt