Newbie needs advice

7 replies

PootleTheFlump · 07/12/2009 19:40

Hi wise bfing MNetters,

I am new to the whole bfing game - dd is 18 days old. Feeding seems to be going ok, she is putting on weight and I am no longer sore except just as she latches on. However, I am leaking a lot of milk both from whichever I am not feeding from during feeding but also at other times. I am feeling like I am wasting this milk - is there a way of stopping the waste? Or are sodden pads and wet patches just the norm and not a waste?

If I express milk off during the day to freeze and use in the future, will I be unwittingly increasing my supply and thereby increasing the problem, or is this a sensible thing to do? (That question kind of applies to the whole issue of expressing actually). Is it worth collecting the drips in breast shells or will the volume be too small to be useful as a feed in the future?

Look forward to hearing your suggestions and learning new tricks

OP posts:

meemarsgotabrandnewbump · 07/12/2009 19:42

Hi congratulations on your lovely baby girl

leaking is entirely normal - don't think of it as waste. If you are demand feeding you are making enough for your dds needs and any excess can just get soaked up in a pad.

If you express simply to try and contain the excess you will just make more!

Original poster

PootleTheFlump · 07/12/2009 19:58

Thank you for your quick response and advice (and kind congratulations - she is rather lovely!!)

I thought that might be the case with expressing. Good to know the leaking is normal - I am just feeding as often and for as long as she wants. I am wondering how people manage to store up supplies of EBM for future feeding without over stimulating their supply and thereby increasing the leaking.

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drkgpink · 07/12/2009 20:04

hiya, I leaked loads and found some great "shells" from avent can't remember if they're called shells or cupsa but they are like a cup you can put in bra on one side when feeding off other to collect milk and i also wore them inbetween if it was bad.

I often got an ounce each feed and didnt need to express then. i sterilised them then froze the milk.

they were about 10 pounds in mothercare.

oh and congrats by the way

belindarose · 08/12/2009 07:45

Congratulations! Good advice above re: shells. Just to clarify though, you can use the milk you collect while feeding off the other side (if you use a very clean/ sterilised shell and bottle) but don't use any you collect in between times as it's not sterile enough (maybe obvious, if so, sorry!). Also, I was told that using a shell in between feeds might make leaking worse as the pressure stimulates the breast. I was using hundreds of pads a day and even more at night at your stage, but it's a lot less leaky now! (16 weeks)

Original poster

PootleTheFlump · 08/12/2009 20:15

Thank you everyone! Great advice, mum came over with medela shells today and they are being sterilised as I type! Thank you for all your help

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Original poster

PootleTheFlump · 18/12/2009 14:55

Just wanted to say that I have been collecting about an ounce per feed that would have just gone into the pad, and freezing it, so thank you all v much!

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FSB · 18/12/2009 21:08

Hi Pootle,

i had a very similar problem with leakage until things calmed down when DD was about 3 1/2 months old... i still get massive letdown on both sides when i'm feeding her, and i've found that pressing on the pad of the boob she's not feeding from stops most of the leakage (for times when you're feeding out and about and can't do the collecting with the shells)

Flip