Help! My mattress is soaked in milk!

[bunnybunyip]

Since DS, 7 months, started nursery I am feeding him only twice a day, about 6am and 7pm on 3 days a week. I don't have pain but my breasts are pouring in the early hours and I keep waking in a puddle.
Should I:

1. Wear a bra and breast pads at night (I don't like the idea of that much).
2. Sleep on a towel/bucket.
3. Try and hand express after his evening feed to try and reduce engorgement (or will this increase supply and make the problem worse?)

Or any other suggestions?

Plus any advice for getting milk stains out of our new mattress?
Thanks mumsnetters!

your mattress may need replacing, milk absolutely stinks after a few weeks...

I slept on a water-proof mattress cover (I chopped a double in half and put it on my side of the bed) plus a bra/pads and a towel.

Oh no! Don't say that. What if I turn it over, will that hide the smell do you think?
Are there comfy waterproof covers or does it feel like sleeping on plastic?
Thanks

If I were you I would go with option two; I found some of these left over from the birth were really useful. It shouldn't go on for many days.
Carpet/upholstry cleaner is all I can suggest for the milk stains though.

I suspect it won't last long, as your supply should soon adjust, bunny. The hippychick mattress protectors are comfy, but I'm sure it's not worth spending very much for just a few days use.

Hope you don't have to replace your mattress, but no idea how to clean reliably. Does it have any instructions on it (there's normally a label somewhere, or leaflet that came with it if it's still quite new)?

Oh, and if there is a smell, surely worth at least trying febreze before buying a new one?

i use breastpads, a bra and put a maternity mat under my sheet. and always have a spare pair of PJs on hand. I'm fed up of night time leakage!

oh, and could you borrow a steam cleaner to clean the area of mattress that has been soaked?

Because I am feeding as normal (5 times a day) Thursday-Sunday, and doing the twice a day thing monday to wednesday, do you think the problem will keep going every week though?

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

I found a nighttime nursing bra to be the only thing that helped with this. I don't think my mattress smells though and I certainly have leaked all over it with two breastfed children

I've got a couple of really comfy nursing bras for sleeping in with pads - they were a bit pricey, but hey ho. They're these in case you're interested.

If mattress doesn't recover the remember claiming on house contents insurance is an option.

I was going to suggest pads and bra until it settles down.

I have used the steam carpet cleaner to clean the mattress before. For wee though.

Hand expression to comfort does not increase your supply. It manages your supply downward.

try bicarbonate of soda, sprinkle on leave a couple of hours and hoover up - cant take the credit for the idea, got it from another mn - if I knew how to search properly i would find her name.

she gave me the tip to remove wee smells off the sofa (not mine I hasten to add!)

it worked a treat.

Hi, I had dreadfully leaky boobs with both children for months after each birth. With the first I completely ruined the mattress - hate bras, pads were soaked within minutes, towels were rough and uncomfortable. With the second birth I got a hippychick mattress protector (two actually) - one to wash and one to wear. They are wonderful. When the bit I was on was soaked I folded it down so I wasn't lying in wet, and then down and then down again during the night. I now use the mattress protector for son who has occasional wet nights - on top of the sheets it's a really easy thing to just pull off, change his jamies and we're all straight back to sleep. (Well, tbh occasionally we have to do a sheet change too but not very often.)

My mattress got milk soaked/stained too. I used a bicarb solution on it and dried it out and it was absolutely fine with not even a hint of milk left on it.
If you do still have a milky smell on it after doing the above, dry it out, sprinkle dry bicarb over the area and lay atowel over it for several days if you can and then vacuum off.

I wore bra and pads in bed with a towel under me. It was ok.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate your help.

John Lewis do fantastic waterproof mattress covers, fabric, comfortable and not in any way plastic. They are a godsend - our mattress cost a shitload of money and we really didn't want it ruined. So far it has dealt admirably with milk, wee, poo and vomit provided in huge quantities by DS!

You can pop a LilyPad on each nipple which reduces the flood damage without having to wear a nasty bra in bed IME.