Why aren't my breasts heavy anymore?

[Writerwannabe83]

I have an 18 day old baby who is exclusively breast fed.

It used to be the norm that my breasts always felt very heavy and full of milk. They weren't engorged but they were very firm to the touch. They would always 'shrink' following a feed and be squishy again but they would soon fill up again and become heavy.

However, for the last 2-3 days my breasts have been permanently soft and I don't understand why? They he'd to sting and tingle whenever my baby cried but they don't do this anymore either. Also, if I was breast feeding on my left the right breast would leak and vice versa - this also doesn't happen anymore.

I'm seriously worried there might be an issue with my supply but I can't understand why?

I was going to ask the HV today as she was supposed to be coming to weigh DS but she's an hour late so far so I'm assuming she isn't coming!! Grr!

Any words of wisdom?

Writer - what you are experiencing is well within normal.

With frequent feeding, breasts often remain soft. The 'fill up and be heavy' followed by 'deflation' after a feed is something that fades away as breastfeeding becomes established. Leaking is an issue for the early days - many women find it eases off or stops.

If your baby is thriving and doing well, you don't have a problem :)

Thanks tiktok, that's really reassured me

The HV arrived eventually to weigh him and he's put on 10oz in six days - so I guess there's no problem with my supply

tiktok is spot on, your breasts have adjusted to the level of demand, if you miss a feed for some reason (i.e express off then go to cinema leaving hubby with bottle) so your boobs fill up to that engorged level again the stinging/leaking and full feeling will return as the milk isn't taken. But your body has just got to know your baby and doesn't need to oversupply anymore. It does feel odd though, and I remember (not that long ago) having the same feelings and questions, but my ebf baby piled on the weight for some months so supply was still all there - just at a more well-matched level of production. Sounds like you are doing a fab job - well done on getting this far so well.

That's interesting, I still feel massively heavy and full at 12 weeks. Very jealous!

I think baby us just feeding too often to allow my breasts to fill up - he's going on every 1.5-2 hours lately during the day

Sounds like you're doing brilliantly :)

Thanks wee - I'm bloody knackered though. I managed a grand total of 3.5 hours of broken sleep last night. not that I'm jealous of my DH who was sleeping peacefully next to me during the night feeds

Yep, totally normal. I remember when I had my first baby that lots of mums actually switched to formula when their babies got to around 4 months because their breasts stopped feeling full and their babies started walking up more so they assumed that their milk had dried up when in fact that's just what happens when a baby is moving out of the teeny newborn stage.

I just can't help but worry about these things. He's changed his feeding patterns too, lots of cluster feeding, feeding every hour, or being on the breast for 50 minutes at a time etc.

He used to feed for 20 minutes, fall asleep and then wake up 3 hours later and repeat the process. Things have been much more erratic over the last few days, I'm hoping it's just a phase.

Everything is a phase… the good bits too unfortunately!! If you can manage to just go with it and not doubt/criticise yourself, or try and alter it, i think that genuinely is the best way…

Easier said than done though….

But nothing worrying at all about your supply from what you've said.

writer I feel your pain or lack of it

Breastfeeding is a mind field of change and at. times anxiety. However I stick with something tiktock said months ago which was if they are happy, feeding regularly and pooing/weeing then all is working well!! I miss the heaviness and tingling and leaking sometimes because it was reassuring as you can't 'see' the milk!

Currently sat with chunky 10 week attached to me for the 8th time since midnight! Stick with it is my moto!!

and I am not going to say how jealous I am of your 3.5 hr unbroken sleep

Thanks nolonger

DS has continued to feed every 1.5-2 hours during the day but is now thankfully asleep and giving me and my nipples a break. For some reason he's being a bit lazy with his latch today and seems to think nipple feeding is acceptable

I'm looking at the clock on the wall and wondering in anticipation what kind of night we are going to have. He is always wide awake from 9pm onwards and all we do is cross our fingers that he'll be asleep by midnight

Fingers crossed for tonight. I have learnt the hardway that everything changes frequently, we went from asleep at 8pm, feed at 2:30 then wake at 7 to asleep at 8, feed at11:00, 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 6:00 and awake for the day!!! We are now trying inforced cluster evenings to see if that buts me more sleep!!!