Leaking! Leaking! Leaking!

When I had my 1st baby, I was breastfeeding, but she was always hungry, and when she slept, I leaked all over the place, so feeding time would come and she was always hungry, nobody had answers then, so I supplemented with formula. I eventually gave up breastfeeding. Pumping produced nothing, so I really wish someone was able to help me, this was almost 26 yrs ago. I am sorry I don't have answers for you, but really wish you luck. I know what it was like to answer the door, and the front of my clothing was covered, lol.

It sounds like you may have an over supply of milk. You can try sucking on Altoids to help reduce it a little. Also, it would help to see a lactation consultant. If you are in the Stratford, CT area I can refer you to a great one! Good luck!

Oh, sweetie...good luck! Are you wearing nursing pads at night? The only thing that could keep me from "wetting the bed" was a good nursing pad and a good, comfy nursing bra. Motherhood Maternity makes a few GREAT ones - very comfy. You need something a little tight to hold the milk in. My favorite nursing pads were Gerber, I think.

Lol :) We all go through this!!! :) Both the wet bed (from sweating) and the leaking like a faucet (and changing the sheets VERY often!!!) :) My boyfriend said our bedroom smelled like a locker room....I felt SO gross, but didn't really care, because I knew it was normal, and I loved my baby.

Just buy some breast pads -- I like the lansinoh ones. Wear them ALL the time. My baby girl is now 5 months old and I think its been about a month and a half since I leaked, minus the occasional time before she needs to eat. But, pressing my nipple in for a few seconds will stop it temporarily.

Good luck, and enjoy.

I wore a good supportive bra with nursing pads all the time. our bodies are all different but most people just stop leaking at some point, some don't stop until they stop breast feeding.

you may want to pump some so you are not so leaky and freeze it for later. comes in handy and is great to do while you have good flow, then you can take a mama break! (get a massage!)

A.,
Only thing I can think of is: try Pumping.
Breast pads may work, too.
Do you sleep on your back or side? Try that, too if you can.
Good luck!
M.

I had the same problem, and I agree that it improved with time. Even with nursing pads in, I often leaked at night in the first 2 months - I think they would shift slightly in my sleep, and if I lay in certain positions, extra pressure on my breasts actually helped express milk while I was sleeping. Yuck! I also woke up in pools of milk. But it got better quickly as my body figured out how much milk to produce and when. Good luck. Nothing lasts forever ;)

Buy the washable breast pads. They are a little more expensive but being washable well worth it. Also wash them in the baby detergent you use on the babies clothes. However, I am a BIG busted woman and only leaked once in a while but my friends who were not so large leaked often. Breast size does matter and that you can't control. Also your body will "reguate" eventually. You will (most of my friends said it got better) find that once your body gets use to the needed amount it will adjust to fit the need. Supply and Demand so to speak!!! Congratulations on the new miracle and on your choice to breastfeed. It is the cheapest, easiest option and a joy for both mom and baby. A.

Congratulations A.! Don't worry, this will slow down or stop as time goes on. Nursing is a supply/demand process. Your body & your baby will learn each other's rhythms (its wonderful how it happens) and you probably won't have leaking unless you miss a feeding. After his last feeding, if your breasts are still full, try to hand express some milk. Make sure you are wearing a secure bra, and pads that aren't plastic lined. I always liked the cotton reusable pads.
Breastfeeding moms need support, so don't hesitate to repost. You are doing exactly what your baby needs!
L.

So the nursing bras and nursing pads are good ideas, but also check the way that you sleep. Make sure that you are sleeping in a way that you are not squeezing your breasts. That is what realy helped me. Good luck!

Are you using disposible breast pads. You can buy them at walmart near the baby bottles. You put them inside your bra, which you need to wear round the clock by the way. When they get full you just through them out. This is totally normal. My left one use to leak while I nursed on the right. The breast pads are your best friend until your milk supply becomes more regulated. Right now your body is going haywire. I liked the johnsons and johnsons ones best.

Unfortunately you just have to wait it out - your body will adjust itself to produce only the milk you need.

Get yourself some breast pads. I had to wear them 24/7. They are a godsend! Good luck!

I've been nursing my daughter for nearly 10 months now and I still leak occasionally. Pumping is only going to up your supply further so unless you need to for some reason I wouldn't recommend doing that.

For the time being you may just have to deal with it. Personally, the best nursing pads are these: http://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-Ultra-Soft-Disposable-Nurs... change them often since if you leak a lot the dampness can start yeast infections of the breast which are utterly unbearable. But they really do lock away the moisture completely. I used to change them twice a day.

If the leaking really bothers you there are herbs you can take to reduce your supply but at this early stage that's probably a bad idea and may not help with the leaking anyway. Just be happy that you have plenty of milk for your little guy!

I had this issue with my first baby - huge amount more milk than the baby actually needed and so lots of leaking. When I was at home I used these breast shields that are like little cups that fit in your bra (Avent do them). If you sterilise them before you wear them you can save the milk (so long as you empty out the cups regularly into a sterile container and then freeze it). It means that when you are ready to go out or whatever without your baby you have a little supply of milk built up without having to pump.
The problem with these shields is that they are not very discreet so you couldn't really wear them out of the house.
I used to use two or three nursing pads when I wanted to go out.
I had to be very careful not to overfeed my baby because of the over supply. She liked to suck, and I thought that feeding on demand meant I had to feed her every time she cried - then she would suck away for ages. She ended up eating too much and throwing up huge amounts. It was only when I started reducing how much I fed her and trying other things than feeding her when she cried that she stopped being so sick with having too much milk. I think this led to the over supply. If your baby is gaining weight well and you have loads of milk then think about whether you could reduce the number/length of feeds.

Hi A.
This is very normal (at least it was for me).
Just use those breast pads they sell in CVS or Rite Aid - they work like a charm. I still used to leak a lot overnight, I guess because my bra was shifting as I moved around. The good news is, it won't last forever (probably only another couple of weeks). You'll start regulating more as time goes on.
Take care.
A.

Nursing pads and patience. It will even out! At two weeks, he is starting to eat more. His belly (and his body) are growing exponentially! You breasts have to go through this, in order to figure out how to give your baby all the milk he needs.

It's so irritating though, I know! Always wear a nursing bra to bed, and keep a bunch of nursing pads on hand.

You'll stop flooding soon! :)

its totally normal. dont worry! you will leak! I leaked for a full 15 months! I used the Lansinoh disposable breast pads and found that those worked BEST! good luck and congratulations on your baby!!!

Just give it some time. This is totally normal at first. There is not much you can do to change this except wait it out. Once your supply regulates this will be less of a problem. Try getting the Lansinoh breast pads and change them after every feeding. They were the only brand that worked well for me. And as for the person who mentioned using the breast shields, the pressure that they place on your breasts can cause blocked ducts and increase production, so I would not take that advice.

You may try the milk sucking cup and squeeze the extra breast milk into a milk bottle, put on high absorbent bra pads for soaking up the leaks, or wrap your chest with a towel when you go to bed.

just decide on what breastpads to use and let time work it out, i leaked for months. it takes time until your body is all situated and better at anticipating. right now, its just making lots to figure it all out.

i would get completely uncomfortable and need to feed her or else in one minute, my shirt would be soaked. the best thing to do, is wear a bra at night, even if its a sleep bra. that should help a little. also if you sleep on your stomach, it makes it much worse. the other thing would be to put a waterproof pad under you. i use the ultimate crib sheet from babies r us under me. its sheet material covering waterproof material.

good luck, you will be fine in no time!