Leaking milk everywhere!

[LissieD]

When will this calm down! Dc2 is currently 3 weeks old and at every feed I just seem to pour milk everywhere and leak all over his clothes and sleeping bag and me. Especially at night. Then he'll be asleep but his arm will be soaking wet and I'll have to change him. It's so annoying! When does the leaking stop! Can I do anything? Can't remember from breastfeeding dc1 last time around.

This happened to me for weeks. Can't remember exactly when it stopped. Around two months I think. It was worse at night when dd was going longer between feeds. In the night I'd stick a muslin cloth all bunched up between my not in use boob and dd. During the day I'd use those nipple shell things that collect milk. It will get better but it's so horrible. In fact I started a thread about this exact same thing.

I remember this too- lasted about 8 weeks for me. It seemed to settle of it's own accord (although I always leaked a little until ds was 9 months and got through hundreds of breast pads). I made sure I slept on a towel and one of those maternity sheets under the bed sheet until the nighttime leaking settled. It is horrible but will improve

As the others have said, it will settle down. One thing I found that helped is putting pressure on the other nipple while I was feeding, although at 3 weeks, your letdown might still be so strong that you'll still leak some.

I would use my arm, or a folded mulsin and my arm, so put pressure on the other side while I was feeding, at least until the initial letdown passed.

I also slept on a towel under my top half, and/or a folded towel over me.

Congratulations on your new baby :)

Thank you guys. I have draped us both in muslins before this feed. It seems to be helping. Thanks for the reminder about putting pressure on during let down. I'd forgotten about that. It wasn't even that long ago since I had dc1! Ah sleep deprivation does terrible things to the brain!

I always wear a sleep-bra with two breast pads in each side, and use the washable bamboo pads as they seem to work better. Putting pressure on the opposite side helps, plus plenty of muslins wedged between me and DS during feeds.

Anyone else get through SO many muslins a day? My washing machine seems to be on all the time...

I am sleeping in a soft stretchy nursing bra(bravado seamless silk are the only ones I have, so I wear them day and night and they get a lot of washing) with Johnson's breast pads in and have only had a few leaking incidents in the past 6 weeks. Because the breast the baby is not feeding from is still in the bra it seems to stop the leaking as there is pressure on the nipple. Any time I have been topless I have leaked from the other breast while feeding and had to faff to mop it up while shes feeding. Have to say I have a ridiculous fast let down too, so it definitely seems to make a difference. Couldn't recommend these bras more, keep telling myself I'm going to go and get measured and buy some cotton proper nursing bras but love these ones too much. Have been wearing them since about 28weeks pregnant and they're so comfy and I still feel like my boobs are supported.

I still get it and dd3 is 5.5 months. Left boob is leakier than the right i have noticed. I am another advocate of the scrunched up muslin between boob and baby in the night. I wore my feeding bra in bed for a few nights but then developed a blocked duct so won't be trying that again.

I have Asda washable breast pads in the day, they are ok.

I used a towel as well. Draped it over ds to stop him getting wet.

Another vote for Lansinoh pads. Had to change them several times a night at your stage, but by 2 months or so one would last all night. Not cheap but worth it. Congratulations by the way!

Hate to say I am week 15 and still leaking - a lot! I use Medala Shells which catch the milk from the other side. I can leak up to 3 oz at a feed in the morning! I top up expressed milk with some of the leakage to freeze for later on.

I keep a rolled up muslin at the side of my pillow and stuff it over the unused nipple, as I find bras and pads at night itchy. Boots Muslins are nice and big, they work well.

Tomee Tippee pads saved my sanity. They're ultra absorbent.

I used to leak awfully, but I found that breast shells which collected the milk and stopped me being so completely drenched worked very well - I didn't leave home without them and kept spares by my nursing chairs together with a pot to put it in when I'd finished.

One word of advice - remember to take it out of your bra before you put the baby down, there's a small hole at the top to let in air, but if you bend down you'll tip it out!

What breast pads are you using? It never calm down for me with DD1. And it doesn't look like it would for this time round either as DD2 is 4mo already. Bamboo reusables, breast shield (the avent one that collects milk) and muslins are all useless for me as I just soak through them.

Highly recommend lansinol breast pads. The only one in the market that works! Use a sleep bra and stuff breast pads in. Change after every feed. It wil pass when you stop feeding :)

I was super leaky both times, my advice is:

• beware thrush. Hot damp boobs is perfect for thrush which is bloody awful. Change breastpads every feed.
• tescos own breastpads are my favourite
• breast shells are good (waste not want not) but they can stimulate supply so might get into vicious cycle
• glamorous scarf becomes essential accessory to hide leaks through clothes!

For me it settled a lot around 4 months. Dd2 is 11 months now and no leaks at all.