why do they both go at once?

[fernie3]

sorry if this is a stupid question but when I am feeding my daughter from one breast the other one is just leaking milk like mad - actually soaking my clothes or if im not wearing any running down my front! - Is this normal?? it seems such a waste since I am still trying to increase the supply I have to replace forumla top ups!

sophie

Mine used to do this. Could only feel letdown in the one I wasn't feeding from too. It stops eventually, at least it did for me.

Catch it and you can store it in the freezer for later.

You can get these cuppy things that collect your breastmilk so it's not wasted

www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/en/gb/consumer/cc/_productid_SCF157_02_GB_CONSUMER/Comfort-breast- shell-set+SCF157-02

You can get little cups to catch it in, I had avent ones but im sure others do them

x post!
thats them, I used them whenever dd fed when she was tiny.
You could replace the formula with what you get from them.
How old is dc?
Why the top ups?

fernie 3 - it happens that way in all mammals.

I know this because I am a farmer's son - just in case you were wondering why an bloke is replying.

All animals lactate in all their mammary tissue simultaneously. This is the process known as 'letting the milk down'.

Do you think farmers milk their cows one teat at a time? No they do all four at the same time and the cows like it that way. They stand chewing their cud as happy as anything.

Same with a goats and sheep two teats, dogs and pigs 12 teats.

All going at the same time. Completely natural.

i will try and find some thanks!

my baby is 11 days old

I am using formula as well because she was formula fed for the first few days and then we started breasyfeeding, she also had really bad jaundice until a few days ago and wouldnt wake up to feed so couldnt breastfeed very long at all.

she is doing great now with feeding etc but when I breast feed her she never seems to finish just fall asleep for 5 minutes then be looking for more, which can go on for hours - I am not sure HOW to cit put the formula feeds now!

sophie

Sophie, I found that wearing breast pads and then applying pressure with the top of my arm to the breast I wasn't feeding from would help slow down/reduce the milk lost from the other side. Before that, I was pinging milk across the room with dd1!!

Just let her feed whenever she wants, as she gets bigger she will probably feed for longer and the time between feeds will increase. As long as she is is weeing/pooing you don't need to top up just feed feed feed. dd spent the first 4 weeks of her life attached to my boob! it does get easier!

i wish id found u lot when i was feedin, mine did the same i though somethin was wrong
and dd1 only fed for 5 mins at a time then screamed so i gave up and regretted it deeply

i want to try again next time, is this normal that dd would only feed 4 5 mins and scream??

fernie, no one has said strongly enough that this leaking from one while you feed from the other is temporary in most women - a feature of the early days (possibly weeks).

We actually are not like other mammals - we don't let down in both breasts simultaneously after the newborn stage. Each breast operates individually when bf is established - its supply and its 'preformance' is individually calibrated....totally unlike cows, sheep and so on!

Good idea to collect it, as ShowfHands suggests.

mememummy, start another thread about your experience, give more details, and I am sure you will get some good info

erm..I do and the baby is 6 months, the other breast leaks a little bit when the milk lets down, and if I am really full and out somewhere and it lets down, they both leak, was the same with my first leaked/let down like that the whole eleven months, so it must vary depending on differences between people some people leak some don't so much and some don't at all.

Jenny, your experience is also normal

You leak a 'little bit' when you feed from one - unusual for it to be noticeable at 6 mths but not abnormal...and if you continue feeding into 'older bay/toddlerhood' it will probably cease altogether.

Leaking double-sided with an unexpected let down when 'full' - normal.

ok I caught it in a clean bottle last night lol. cant believe how much actually comes out!

I kind of realise why she sleeps after 5 -10 mins now when she first starts the milk comes out really fast (last night some actually went in her eye) then it stops after 5 mins seems like there is none left!

She always makes spluttering noises at first which I understand a bit more now.

She seems to get upset sometimes because it comes out too fast at first and then not fast enough after the first 5 mins.

sophie

I can confirm what tiktok says. I'm feeding my nearly 15mo and there is no leakage at all in between feeds and nothing from the boob-on-standby during feeds. And this is from someone who invested in mega-thick reuseable pads 'cos I leaked so much in the early days. There is hope. IIRC leaking stopped around the 5 or 6 month mark. HTH.

Tiktok can I be cheeky and ask you to look at my thread please. Muchos gracias.

tiktok I notice you know a lot about bf, my dd also feeds all night like about 15 times ina 24 hour period and does not really like solids and the hv said it should really be about 5 bf a day at this age and 3 baby meals of solids because of iron supplies but my ds did this for 11 months also, feeding all night and a lot in the day and I thought it is normal, and don't see how I can refuse to bf her when she wants it. she likes solids but only small amounts, sorry for the highjack OP.she si above average weight about 18 pounds so she is gaining fine.

Jenny, happy to help but start a new thread Your topic is miles away from this one!

6 month old feeds all night all day bf hv says more food needed

this is the thread, thanks for your offer of advice

fernie, I don't leak much after let-down, before/ during I can catch an oz easily.

She's probably wearing herself out in five minutes and that's why she's coming off then getting frustrated because she's still hungry.

Until last week it was the same here, I cried most of last week and saw myself stopping (I'm tandeming too!) she hit six weeks and the next day it was like a different baby! I feel like my baby monkey has been replaced with a human baby It might seem like ages away but stick with things as they are and in a few weeks things should start to get better.