Covered in breastmilk - is this normal?!

[potteringon]

hello
I'm trying to breastfeed my week old dd and seem to be constantly covered in breastmilk - it leaks right through the pads although I'm changing them regularly, through my bra, through my top. Is this normal? Is it just a temporary thing or is it always like this? Any tips to stop it? I'm trying to encourage dd to feed as much as possible but she's only interested every 2-3 hours and when she latches on it just gushes even more from the other side.

I was like that, it calmed down after about a fortnight.

yup i was same too but fine after fortnight too!

yes normal

pressing on the non-feeding nipple during letdown can help if you have a free hand

Totally normal (though so is not leaking, if anyone else is reading this and isn't leaking). I have 3 DDs and hardly ever leaked with DD1 and 2 but with DD3 - sigh. I remember getting up from the dinner table when she was about 4 weeks old (and had slept through dinner ) only to have DH burst out laughing and my MIL gently point out to me that my top was soaking in two lines coming down from each nipple. Lucky I wasn't easily embarrassed about it by then

It's a temporary thing and will settle down over the next few weeks.

God I remember that well. Mine took 3-4 weeks to settle I think.

Have a look online for breast shells - you put them over the nipple you aren't feeding from and they catch the milk so you can save it.

I remember sitting down to feed DS in Starbucks and nearly squirting milk into the coffee of the person on the next table over, my let down was that strong! They were very understanding!

Almost certainly would have improved the coffee, IMO (!)

yes had this in the early days, worse at night.

one of my friends used to sleep with a nappy in her bra, she leaked so much