Why don't I get engorged?

[heatherk]

My DS is 3 months, and breastfeeds almost every hour during the day. I feel like my breasts should be crazy engorged from all this, but instead they just feel empty and floppy all the time. Even at night, when he goes up to four hours without eating, they never feel engorged or very full.

Am I not making enough milk? Does anyone else have this experience?

[spughy]

You're making plenty of milk, as long as your baby is growing, pooping and peeing! (6-8 wet diapers a day is good.)

At about 6-8 weeks milk supply regulates, which means that your body knows how much and when is needed, and produces that and no more. If your baby suddenly nurses more than usual, your body will respond and produce more, but otherwise you've got what you need with little excess. It's a very robust supply-and-demand system and nature didn't design you to be uncomfortably engorged throughout your breastfeeding career! Babies take a pretty constant amount of breastmilk from newborn to 6 months or whenever solids are started, so your body is just into the groove and humming along perfectly. Enjoy your comfortable breasts!

[pumpkin]

I make plenty of milk and hardly ever feel full. She has to refuse a breast for about 24 hours before it feels heavy.

And yet at any point in time I could pump and get at least 10 ounces in 10 minutes.

My breasts are very large so I think that may be why I never even felt engorged at the beginning.