I need someone to explain the let down reflex to me please, because

[McPhee]

I'm pretty sure I don't have one

Dd is two weeks old, so is it too early or is mine just missing?

I stopped feeling the letdown by 4 weeks or so with both babies (very glad, as it was painful!), but still produce loads of milk. The interesting thing is my breasts can clearly hear my baby crying and the one that is due to feed will start leaking, before I can hear anything at all! Though at nearly 6 months the leaking is getting pretty annoying...

mine took at least 3wks to kick in, but now at 15wks its here and KILLS! its my bigest prob with breastfeeding - clenching deep in breast and stinging, and sandpaper on nipples! you now playing netball at school in shorts and tshirt in january? then having a ball lobbed at you and trying to catch it with frozen hands? yeah that, but on your tits!

I'm expressing because I'm a single parent to all effect, and it gives me a break if mum can feed her once in a while. Am I not meant to be expressing this early?

I mentioned to my HV this morning that I was expressing, and she didn't say I shouldn't

Your supply is still being established at the moment, so expressing is telling your breasts to produce lots more milk - it can sometimes end up giving you an oversupply. 3oz is a lot for a breastfed baby, especially a newborn - most bf babies take about 25oz of milk in total a day, so if a baby has 10-12 feeds then each feed is probably only 2-2.5oz of milk.

I don't always feel the letdown (10 week old baby) but when I do, it's like a pins and needles sensation 10-20 seconds after she latches on and then she pulls off spluttering and a jet of milk shoots across the room. If I'm not wearing a bra, I can see milk starting to flow from the other nipple. I quite often get a tingle in my breasts when it's about time for another feed - comes in quite useful as my daughter feeds much better if she is only just starting to feel hungry.

I wish I didn't leak! It's taken 2 months to find breast pads that can keep up with my boobs and I've spent a not inconsiderable amount - not as much as I would have on formula, but it adds up.

it can take a while for you to be able to feel the let down, i definitely didn't feel it at 2 weeks. more like 2 or 3 months i really started to notice it. it happens shortly after DD starts feeding, it's like a tingling/pulling sensation in my boobs. no matter which side DD is feeding off it happens in both boobs, causing quite a bit of leakage so i still need breast pads all the time!

the main thing is not to fret about it - as long as milk is coming out when you feed/express and DC is putting on weight then i'm sure you've got nothing to worry about :)

I don't really feel anything until about 10 minutes into a feed, then I get a sharp tingle in the boob/armpit not being used. I leaked loads in the first few weeks, but never leak now (13 weeks)

Oh, and I expressed a lot in the first couple of weeks, which I think was why I leaked a lot. Just express about an oz or so at a time to relieve pressure. Freeze any extra you have too.

I expressed on day 2, and got one whole ounce of colostrum! During week 3, I could express 4 oz from one side in 10 minutes. Week 13, and I'm lucky if I can express 1oz from both boobs in 20 minutes.

As long as baby is healthy, gaining weight, having wet/dirty nappies, relax and keep doing what you're doing!