34 weeks pregnant and no leaky breasts yet... Should I be worried???

[nia82]

With DS I started leaking at 26 weeks and around 34 weeks I was leaking so much that I wore nursing pads. My milk came in within 48 hours of birth and was extremely plentiful. Now I only leaked a tad a couple weeks ago, my breasts don't feel full yet... I'm starting to worry that my supply will be not huge this time. Did anyone experience the same thing, leaking lots with one pregnancy and not at all with another and yet was able to nurse both children just fine?

[Lisoula]

I nursed all of my children fine and never leaked during pregnancy.  EVER.  Plus - my breasts didn't grow much during my second and third pregnancies like they did with my first, so that may explain why you don't feel full this time.

[swell_mel]

First time around for me sounds pretty much like your experience. My breasts grew a lot, I leaked while still pregnant and I felt like my breasts were always full and made more milk than dd1 needed. Second time around my breasts grew but not as much as the first time. Milk production was also more, oh what's the word, well it wasn't as over abundant. With dd2 I didn't have the same always full feeling but I definitely always had enough milk- she even breastfed for a whole 2 years longer! :P I've read before that first time around it's not uncommon for your breasts go "overboard" with making milk but with additional babies it's like your breasts get the hang of things and don't overdo it. Just from my experience and from what I've read I think you'll be fine. :)

[lookatreestar]

didn't leak either pregnancy. have a great bfing relationship with both my kids! (both still nursing atm)

[lillymonster]

Never leaked with my first and I nursed her for 3 years. Not only that, I had major oversupply and forceful let down for the first year. Actually the LC had said she was amazed I producing so much milk, and I could never get it under control - poor child had the worst reflux and foremilk imbalance for a long time.

I haven't leaked with this one either and I am 38 weeks, although I do get feelings like I am having let down, which are a little weird. Of course I haven't nursed #2 yet, but I never leaked with #1 and I had huge breasts that time. This time, I haven't gotten all that big.

[myk]

i never leaked until after DD1 was born at 37 weeks. actually a few days AFTER she was born. this time around, i'm 37 weeks as of tomorrow, and haven't leaked a single drop. i can express a drop here and there.

i successfully breastfed DD1 for 4 years. of which, 6 months was without any other food, 2 years was on demand whenever and wherever including in public, and the latter 2 years was feeding before and after all sleep times (nap, night, middle-of-the-night).

so, the way i see it.. leaking ahead of time is not a good indicator of whether you're in good working order when the time comes :)

[MissE]

With DS I leaked from about 26 weeks on and I supplied him on just colostrum for at least two days after birth. With DD I never had leaky boobies and after birth my milk came in within hours but I never had a crazy supply like with DS.

[CookAMH]

Don't worry. At all.

[OkiMom]

No leaking here either.. I can't even express any if I try, Im almost 35 weeks. Couldn't with the girls and I had major oversupply with both girls that didn't even out until they were over a year.

[PAgreenmama]

with dd, i don't remember a drop coming out of my breasts during pregnancy and i definitely had no shortage of milk afterwords.  i couldn't leave the house without layering clothes because i would leak straight through nursing pads for the first 6 weeks!  so do not worry!!

[nia82]

Thanks! I was worried since it was different with DS, expecting it would be the same this time... We now live in a town with way less resources when it comes to nursing help, with DS we had a free breastfeeding clinic staffed with IBCLCs! One of the midwives at the birthing center is an IBCLC also, and I already found the only place in our town that rents hospital grade pumps, I want to be prepared and know who to ask in case I have supply issues, latch issues or such.... And for some reason my mom is always in the back of my head how she says she always tried and never had milk and I know that she wasn't supported and everything, but it's like a nightmare in the back of my mind... Worry-wart-me...

[myk]

there aren't any LCs here either - and no LLL league - so i can understand your concern! but chances are, it's totally nothing to worry about :) you can always come here if things don't go smoothly!

[OkiMom]

Nia- if you are really worried you could always prepare just in case. Order the herbal suppliments you would need just in case, get some milk tea etc.. Then if something is wrong you are already prepared. I really wouldn't worry. My mom told me she "couldn't nurse, never had milk" (I asked about it when I saw a baby nursing when I was like 7-8) but I haven't had a problem with it and back when I was born it wasn't like she had a ton of support. 

[jessica_s]

Also remember there was a time when women were just given a pill to dry up their milk, sometimes without their consent or knowledge. Also unless they had supportive or knowledgeable people around them they probably thought that the normal newborn nursing behavior was starving their babies (nursing all the time, very small amounts, etc) they also had Drs or nurses telling them that they probably just couldn't nurse, here's a bottle and don't you worry kind of thing. Usually if you go deeper into those situations and know what questions to ask you find that there was a simple issue but because women just weren't given the time of day with it they thought they failed. My mom nursed me and for the first 6 months she said I just screamed and screamed - when she started me on solids at 6 months (crazy! right?) I did better and stopped crying all the time. So she always thought that her milk wasn't "rich" enough or that her milk was somehow inferior. Turns out she was drinking raw milk from a local dairy farm for the first 6 months, they moved and then store milk was too expensive to buy so she wasn't drinking like 2 gallons of milk a week. I probably had a dairy sensitivity! All that to say, sometimes things are not always as they seem, especially back when we were born! 

[HappyMamaBeth]

My breasts NEVER leaked prior to my milk coming a couple days post birth... and if anything I had an oversupply.  I wouldn't worry a bit. :)