Always leaking milk. Getting me down.

[Dinnerfor1]

Dd2 is 3 months old and ebf. I'm still constantly leaking milk; I'm leaking from the side she's not feeding on, leaking in between feeds, leaking at night. Basically I'm just leaking milk all the time.

I've given up trying to use breast pads, because due to the size of my breasts, they just fall out whenever I unclip my bra, or I can't reposition them easily when I'm doing it back up.

I feel so fed up with my top constantly being damp. It's uncomfortable, and embarrassing if I'm out. I can smell the milk on me constantly. It's horrible being on wet sheets at night because I've leaked milk all over them.

I'm so down with it I'm actually considering giving up bf. Dd1 bf until she was 2, but I don't remember this being such an issue last time. I was smaller then, so breast pads worked better.

Has anyone got a solution? I don't really want to move dd2 onto formula, but I just can't stand being covered and smelling of milk anymore!!

Crop top + folded flannels/muslins at home.

Mothercare and sainsbury do the most securely stuck in place breast pads. Or cut maternity pads in half - they're sticky all along (as I discovered when I ran out of pads once!).

I feel your pain - I was very leaky and had a fast flow (of the squirting a meter away variety!). Do you pump? Does your baby suckle but not actually feed for extended periods? Both of these mean that your body will produce more milk (supply / demand). This probably doesn't help as a solution - as suckling is a brill way to soothe, and if you are pumping then you obviously need supply for when you are by there - but it might explain why. I personally loved tommee tippee pads as found them biggest in diameter. A couple of those in at a time. Some people swear by the reusable ones - might be good if you need to constantly change them. I always had a light scarf to hand to drape artfully (ha ha) over any obvious leak areas. At night, suggest sleeping on a towel with a pampers disposable change may under sheet to protect mattress. I remember waking up literally in a pool of my own milk one morning! It does make for a lot of washing - I liked to change my top and bra a few times a day and sometimes my nightie once in the night too - it's horrible trying to sleep with a damp/wet chest! Kept me feeling a bit fresher. Hang on in there - you have done so brilliantly to get this far.

Ps forgot to say - up until 6 months I had to hold my hand / a muslin over the boob I wasn't feeding from when I felt the let down otherwise, as you describe, it leaked every time. I found applying gentle pressure with the palm of my hand for 15 seconds stopped the leak happening.

I've got huge breasts too and used tomee tippee Breast pads without taking the sticky bit off. I just held it over my nipple while I clipped my bra up and it stays in place and doesn't crumple up like it does when you have it stuck in place.

Thanks for the tips!

I don't express but dd definitely suckles for extended periods!

I'll try some of the different breast pads mentioned.

The lasinoh breast pads are brilliant. Highly absorbant and quite Large.

I had terrible trouble with leaking until DD was about 6 months. Lansinoh pads, changed regularly were the best, although not perfect. I got some bravado breastfeeding bras which had a little panel in them for the t-shirt padding and put pads in there also (facing backwards). Slept on a towel for months and wore dark colours! After that it got easier, the random leaking between feeds stopped unless I went much longer than usual. Finally ditched the breastpads at 10months or so.

You could try breast shells to collect the extra milk then freeze it as your 'emergency' milk if you need to go out.

I feel your pain, truly. I'm 6 months into BFing (up until very recently was EBF) and I still leak. It is getting much better though - I remember the embarrassment of soggy tshirts and the constant smell of slightly off milk perfectly. Now It's just the opposite side leaking when DD is feeding, or both sides if she decides she's not hungry for a few hours more than usual.
I absolutely swear by my reusable pads. I got them in Boots when they were 3 for 2. I got 18 pads so I always have plenty clean. I put on my bra first then tuck them in after it's on, and they stay in place absolutely fine. When feeding DD I usually fold the cup inwards and under my boob so the pad is held, folded or scrunched up, inside it. When fastening back up in takes a second to just straighten out the pad again. Reusable ones have the benefit of springing back into shape rather than scrunching, so replacing them is much easier.

I have leaked milk consistently if not heavily, so I sympathethise... With my DD2 I used reusable pads - SO much better. I bought mine off the little lamb website, they worked really well for me, are lovely and soft and black and discreet. Really recommended. I think they do two sizes.

www.littlelambnappies.com/accessories/washable-bamboo-breast-pads

I honestly can't remember how I coped with DD1, I was so so sick of scrunchy uncomfortable moving-around disposable pads I think I mostly stuck a muslin in my bra at feeds! Not very dignified in public!

Have allllllmost stopped leaking at 9 months. Occasional drop when feeding on the other side.

Thanks for more tips. I think I need to start sleeping on a towel again, and I'll look at some reusable pads.

fuckitfay it's not the size of the pad that's the trouble, it's that it falls out/ gets out of place when I unclip my bra, and because of the size of my breasts it's hard to rearrange, especially in public!

Breast shells sound like a good idea as well.

Another big boobed leaker here!! Try johnson's pads

I used LilyPadz with my younger two and found they worked really well. They're made of silicon. Non absorbent but work by holding the nipple in so it can't leak. Might be worth a go?

I found avent night time breastpads good, slim and larger but are a little more expensive. I wear a stretchy strappy top under my tshirt and use the mothercare nursing bras so you can undo one side at the time for feeding wit out too much fixing. Easy enough to reconnect clips and fix pad when finished.

Second the lilypadz recommendation (although I don't have big boobs, I think they would work just as well). I had MAJOR leakage, couldn't feed in public as would soak through pads, clothing, it would be running down my stomach so I'd even have damp trousers! At home I would fold a large muslin over the side I wasn't feeding from and would easily soak it - absorbent pads were never going to cut it!
Anyway, the only thing that worked was lilypaz, they stick straight on your nipple and hold it in, the pressure stops the milk completely. They're reusable, just rinse under the tap and air dry.
Thanks to the Mumsnetter who recommended them originally

I have one of these in bed to sleep on as is waterproof (unlike a towel) - like the mats they give you in hospital postnatally. www.amazon.co.uk/Lilbed-Disposable-Bed-Pads-60/dp/B005LG4GJ4 or Pampers do them too.
Also recommend Lansinoh pads.

Oh I did too for months it was horrible.

I used lahsinoh pads they were excellent and also put a finger over my nipple on the side I wasn't feeding from to stop the flow! Breast shells can be useful to collect it tho if you want while you feed from the other side.

I used to have to put a folded up face cloth under my book while I fed and I bib on ds or we were both soaked.

Bedtime was horrid too I would be so sore by morning as he only fed once at night right from being small and then not at all after about 9 weeks. I would be a raging soggy sore monster by 7am! Having to change the bed and mattress protector each day; towels tucked down my nightie!

So you have my sympathies but it did get better with the new lasinoh pads - sometimes they are on offer from mothercare too.

It settled down around six months. I used to think I could have fed the whole street I had so much milk. But at least ds was never hungry!