sort of urgent, need a response asap re: leaking

msjanet02 · September 2013

sorry i haven't done a formal intro yet and i haven't lurked on here yet, nor did i scroll down to see if this question has been asked before, so please excuse any repeats.

i just gave birth on saturday, am a FTM, EBF, and my milk just came in 3 days ago. right now my right boob won't stop leaking! i just looked down and noticed my entire right side of my shirt is wet from BM. i thought only a dot of milk was there, which happened since yesterday, so it felt wet but i couldn't feel that my entire side was wet because it's a big loose shirt and i'm sitting sorta hunched forward. anyway...

so it won't stop leaking, though it sort of is now... what should i do next time this happens? baby is asleep and not due for a feeding for another hour. do i pump it? do i just catch it in a storage bottle? do i just place a breast pad there to soak it up (although this is a huge amount)?

my inclination would be to pump, but i wasn't planning on pumping until about 4 weeks, so i haven't yet cleaned or spent time to learn the specifics of how to work it (maybe i should!). if i do go the pumping route, should i just start saving it since i plan on returning to work in 6 weeks?

TIA!

aylafsu88 · September 2013

Leaking in the first 4-6 weeks is really common. At this point you don't want to pump it because that will tell your body to make more so you could end up with an oversupply. You could do a couple of things. You could put a pad in there to soak up the milk or you could catch it. I used milkes in the beginning to catch some of the leaking milk. I was so worried about having enough that I did not want to waste a drop. The Milkies work pretty well put they are not really comfortable. Also, it does look like a lot of milk is leaking but in reality it is not that much. It just looks like a lot because the milk spreads out on your shirt. I know that I never caught much with the milkies when I was wearing them (less than 0.5 oz).

msjanet02 · September 2013

u ladies are awesome, thank u so much for your advice. i will try to catch some (now my other boob is leaking too!!!) versus pumping.

i have samples of lansinoh and medela disposable nursing pads that i can use as an emergency. i haven't washed the other two samples, which are reusable bamboobies and another of some other brand whose name escapes me. i didn't buy any because i didn't think/know i'd have leaking issues, but apparently i know the answer now!

and i only have one nursing bra, so i need to get out and buy more. and some nursing tanks. this is insanity. my body is going haywire.

kkmlafferty · September 2013

Nursing tanks are really helpful and comfortable. Definitely keep a nursing pad in at all times especially when you are feeding baby on the opposite side, if you are wearinga tank it holds the pads in place well. My LO is 3 months and I'm not back at work yet but for just being at home I have 4 Nursing bras and 5 tanks that I use all the time and I'm so glad I have them! Also the disposable pads are sold pretty much everywhere, my grocery store has them and actually has the best price I have seen. The bamboobies are great, I just bought more yesterday, if you leak through their regular ones you might want to get some overnight ones, but they are definitely more of an investment than the disposables. Everyone is different but at 3 months I don't usually leak except for when I am nursing I have leaking on the other side. Yesterday I soaked through the entire disposable pad so it can be a lot. Don't pump though because it will just tell your body your need more milk then you will have oversupply. Good luck and congrats

msjanet02 · September 2013

ok. i'm just catching the dripping in storage bottles. so far i've collected a little over 0.5 oz on my right side. and it's still going, even though i jsut woke up my LO to feed from both sides. this is insanity! i'm leaking way more than what a nursing pad would hold at this point, but i'm definitely buying some!

caught about .25 oz on my left.. our bodies are machines. omg.

kmc84 · September 2013

I leaked a ton in the beginning and I wish I has gotten Milkies sooner. I have one and I use it during the first nursing session of the day. I can get anywhere from 1-2 ounces while nursing from the other side. I would also suggest getting a plastic cover for your mattress since your boobs seem to be behaving like mine:) you don't want a milk soaked mattress!

mexicolombiana · September 2013

Omg I feel your pain! I was a REALLY big leaker. I'm talking puddles of milk everywhere. I had to only use disposable big nursing pads and changing them often. I could never find any reusable cotton pads that actually worked.

It gets better as your supply gets more regulated. But to this day when I feed my 19 mo old on one side, the other side leaks. So, it's totally normal!

Ceefome · September 2013

I've been using Avent disposable pads, and I've actually measured them after I've worn them on a heavy leaking day, and they can hold at least an ounce. (Thank you kitchen scale). I'd get some disposable pads and change them often. I really like the Avents.

msjanet02 · September 2013

all of this is super helpful, thank u! will look into your recs.

amberdt03 · September 2013

Disposable breast pads. I like the Lansinoh brand.

kkmlafferty · September 2013

The lansinoh disposables hold an ounce, I weighed a completely soaked one yesterday (just leakage from one feeding so they pbviously have to be changed a lot if you are leaking a lot) and even though it was soaked it didn't get on my clothes. I find as the day goes on the leaking is less and less.

mommatotwo2 · September 2013

I was amazing out how soaking wet my shirts would get in those early weeks. Absolutely shocked. But by week 6-8 I barely leaked except occasionally in the morning when I am the most full, I'd start leaking from one breast while feeding LO on the other breast. That's when I started pumping the other breast while feeding LO. This way I didn't lose a bunch of milk wasted on my shirt and the baby encouraged let down is way better than the pump ever gives.

jennygirlmt · September 2013

I'm cheap and hate waste, so when I was home and at night, I just stuffed a burp cloth (the cloth diaper kind) in my shirt. That would be soaked after a few feedings or a few hours at night. Your body will regulate soon.

msjanet02 · September 2013

thank u all for your responses! i have since been collecting the leakage in a 2 oz milk storage container. i now have 10 of them frozen in my freezer (in 6 days!), a good starter stash for when i return to work.

and yesterday i bought a cool contraption called Milk Saver. u stick it in the leaking boob and it collects the leakage. then you pour it into a container.

haven't started pumping yet, as i plan to do that around 4 weeks. boobs aren't as ridiculously engorged, though they do feel more full and mildly painful at night. most of the leakage occurs early morning. i fill up about 2 containers a day. it's kind of insane!

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sort of urgent, need a response asap re: leaking

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