What does let down feel like, exactly?

[lovelylisa]

I suspect that I may have a strong let down, because my DD seems to squirm a lot and she's really gassy and a super spitter upper. From what I've read on kellymom, this might be because of a strong let down. It says that some people don't notice it because they don't feel anything.

What does a let down feel like?

I have an appointment with a LC consultant this week, but Im curious to hear what you all say.

Thanks!

[yearner-learner]

I never feel my letdown, but when my guy was tiny, I could hear him gulping and seemed like he was struggling to gulp it down because the milk was coming out too fast. He spit up A LOT, an insane amount, was gassy but not too fussy from it.. but he was gaining extremely well.

One thing the doctor suggested, is if it is very forceful, pump BEFORE you nurse, just through the first letdown.. then latch the baby on. I never did this, I didn't want to create an over-supply.

After a few months, he seemed to get used to it.. or the forcefulness lessened

I was actually surprised when a friend told be she could 'feel' her letdown.. I literally feel nothing!

[bird_verde]

With dd1, I never felt my letdown either.  I didn't even know that you could feel it until I went to a mom's group and they were talking about it.

However,  with dd2, I had this strange tingling sensation in my breast and then within a few seconds my shirt would be wet.  After a couple days of this, I finally caught on that the strange feeling is "letdown".  (or I would be nursing on one side adn all fo a sudden feel the tingling in the other breast and be all wet if I didn't switch the baby asap.)

I would first say that you would know what it feels like once you have experienced it a few times.  Kind of like feeling hungry - hard to describe but you know what it is.

For me, it feels like a small twinge in one or both of my breasts, that starts deep inside and gets a bit stronger and radiates outward.  It doesn't hurt but it is also not the most pleasant feeling.  It only last a couple of seconds and within a few seconds my breasts begin to leak. 

dd2 is now seven months old and I have found that the strong letdown that would make her choke gradually went away by 4 months.  The feeling of letdown now only seems to occur when I haven't nursed dd in several hours.

[yearner-learner]

I sometimes feel a tingling sensation in my breasts when I am away from my baby.. but I never leak.

[Marissamom]

a letdown doesn't necessarily mean leaking, for me it only does when baby is really little. for me it usually is a tingling sensation, but sometimes it feels sharp, like little crystals being forced through my milk ducts. sometimes I don't feel it at all. 

[yearner-learner]

Originally Posted by Marissamom 

a letdown doesn't necessarily mean leaking, for me it only does when baby is really little. for me it usually is a tingling sensation, but sometimes it feels sharp, like little crystals being forced through my milk ducts. sometimes I don't feel it at all. 

That makes sense!! I never feel it when pumping or nursing.. but when I thinking about the little fella, or start working about WHEN I will find time to pump while at work.. I feel it! Interesting, I never knew it was letdown!
 

[2xy]

For me it was pretty intense (actually uncomfortable sometimes). It felt like pins and needles, like when your foot wakes up after falling asleep, combined with a sudden feeling of fullness. My eldest was a spitter-upper and the youngest choked while nursing quite often in the beginning. I probably had a strong let-down but didn't know anything about ways to "fix" it.

[prothyraia]

Am I the only lucky one whose letdown feels like getting stabbed directly in the nipples?  At least it does when there's no baby or pump attached.

I definitely tend to overactive letdown, though....when it's too much for the babe and he pops off, milk arcs several feet across the room.

[Buzzer Beater]

Originally Posted by lovelylisa 

What does a let down feel like?

Mine generally feels like pins and needles in my nipples whether I am nursing or not. If I have not nursed in some time, it feels like daggers. It's been this way for the entire 14 months.

[lovelylisa]

Aahhhhhh...so you don't always feel it while nursing? I've had that strong tingly feeling since I was pregnant... I remembered it from when my milk came in with my first but I did 't realize that was let down.

[nia82]

I have a tingling sensation that moves to a sting for about 15 seconds. I'm always glad to feel it cause it means DD gets her milk now :D

[konayossie]

I only felt the "tingling" of letdown the day my milk came in. After that the only way I knew I had letdown was a sudden feeling of extreme thirst! I know that's what it was bc it would happen when I pumped and could actually see it.

[WifeofAnt]

Mine feel like a breast contraction.  The whole thing gets tighter and hard feeling.  It even feels harder when I poke it like all the tiny little muscles are squeezing the milk out.

[Mama Metis]

For me it either feels like tingling, or sometimes numbness. I often feel it more strongly in the breast I'm not nursing on. Or sometimes I will have the sensation that the baby's latch suddenly became stronger/tighter even though it hasn't really changed. 

[homemademom]

I have the tingling sensation, too. One of my breasts is a very low producer compared to the other (always has been), and the letdown feeling in that breast is much less intense.  I've always suspected it didn't have as many milk ducts or something (it has always been smaller, even prior to child-bearing and nursing).