You can leak breastmilk for a variety of reasons including having a full supply, or if your body is not yet sure how much to produce, if your mature milk is starting to come in, if you've missed a feeding, or even if you are just thinking about your baby.
Yes, some nursing moms leak or spray milk from their breasts, especially when their breasts are full. Leaking is most likely to happen in the morning (when milk supply is at its peak) and during feedings (when one side leaks while a baby is nursing from the other side).
Avoid pumping too much
Pumping tells the body to make more milk. If you are relieving engorgement pressure by pumping before the baby feeds (or after), it may make your leaking worse by encouraging a bigger supply of breastmilk.
You do not have low milk supply because your breasts have stopped leaking. Some mothers leak less than others. MOST mothers notice that leaking reduces at the weeks go by and the teeny tiny sphincter muscles responsible tighten. You do not have low milk supply because your breasts feel softer than they used to.
Your breasts feel softer
This happens as your milk supply adjusts to your baby's needs. The initial breast fullness reduces in the first few weeks. At around 6 weeks, breast fullness is completely gone and your breasts may feel soft. This is completely normal and has no effect on your milk supply.
Leaking doesn't always mean too much breast milk
In these early weeks, your breasts are learning how much breast milk your baby needs and how much to make every hour. As a result, excessive leaking and breasts that fill quickly – and even spray milk during let down – are common and normal.
Squeezing or massaging the breast while pumping can be beneficial, especially if the milk flow slows down during a pumping session. Breast massage for pumping can help stimulate a let-down reflex and increase milk output.
But as a general timeframe, you can expect that your milk supply will increase substantially in the first two weeks and will be established by about four weeks after delivery.
To put a number on it, it usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes after feeding to generate enough milk for your baby, and about 60 minutes to replenish fully. The more often your baby feeds, and the more they empty your breasts, the more milk your body will produce.
Explain to mothers the reliable signs of enough milk: passing urine and stools, and seeing the baby as alert and growing. Weight gain is a reliable sign if there is an accurate scale available and consecutive weight checks are on the same scales. Build the mother's confidence in her ability to breastfeed.
An infant who is exclusively breastfed might need anywhere between 478-1356 mL/16.16-48.85 oz breastmilk every day. For infants between 1-6 months old, the average is around 750 mL/25.36 oz a day. A single breastfeeding session might produce between 54-234 mL/1.82-7.91 oz of milk.
You may notice a yellowish discharge, called colostrum, from your nipples as early as the 16th to 19th week. This just means that your breasts are getting ready for breastfeeding.
Let your baby nurse until let-down. Then quickly remove the baby from your breast. And catch the rapid flow of milk in a towel before latching your baby back on to feed. (To remove your baby from your breast while actively nursing, gently put your finger into the side of their mouth to break the suction.
Oversupply of breastmilk is when you continue to make too much milk after the first 6 weeks of feeding. Oversupply of breastmilk can have many causes. Oversupply can make breastfeedingdifficult for you and your baby. If you think you have oversupply, get support from a healthcare professional.
Pump more often, from both breasts
Many women wonder how often they should pump. A general guideline is to pump every three hours. But if you're trying to produce more breast milk, you can: Try pumping both breasts for 15 minutes every two hours for 48-72 hours.
Let your baby stay at the first breast until either the breast is very soft or your baby is full. If your baby is not satisfied with the first breast, offer the second breast. Try nursing on only one breast at each feeding, if possible.
You will make only small amounts of colostrum (a rich “pre-milk”) until your milk fully comes in. Keep pumping and your supply will slowly increase. If your baby is exclusively breastfeeding and gaining weight as expected, there's no need to pump right away.
Breast massage
You could do what is sometimes called the 'breast milkshake'. This involves massaging each breast very gently for half a minute or so before feeding, then using a combination of massage and breast compression (see below) during a feed to help dislodge some of the fat.
Sometimes, your milk lets down so fast that your baby can have trouble swallowing the amount of milk that's being released. Because of this, your baby may act fussy at breast or choke and sputter at the breast, and he or she may be quite gassy.
Your baby comes off the breast on their own at the end of feeds. Their mouth looks moist after feeds. Your baby appears content and satisfied after most feeds. Your breasts feel softer after feeds.