Questions about breastfeeding in the long haul

[guatemama1]

I don't know if my question is 'interesting enough' to start its own thread - but I'm wondering about what breastfeeding and boobs are like in the long haul, for example:

My boobs don't really get wildly full anymore - that's normal right? I mean 2+ mos PP. In fact some days they are relatively "normal." And oddly, my MIL was like, "you still got milk in there?" I was like, Uh yeeeeah it's only been 2 mos! But then I was weirded out by her remark, like is there something I don't know?!

I only "leak" while baby is nursing on the other side (I guess during let down on the other side, let down is such a weird feeling), or sometimes in the night if it's been a few hours -- when has leaking at all stopped for you? I invested in another set of cloth nursing pads about a month ago thinking I was gonna be stuffing my bra with pads as long as I was BF'ing but the leaking is much less.

I met a mama Bfin her almost 2 year old and I don't think she was even wearing a bra, she's on the small-ish side anyway, but like BFing looked so easy! She said (I think, it was in Spanish :) that she still feels let down. But she got to wear normal clothes - when did you stop using a nursing bra? Special shirts?

I know it's different for everyone but I don't really have any other mamas to ask :)

[isabchi]

I been nursing my children for continuous 6 1/2 + years, and 3 of them tandem. I never feel the  let down. I leak in the first 2 months PP with my first baby, not in my second where I was nursing two children. I never use nursing bras. I use my regular clothes. I use layers (tanks) one layer goes up and the another goes down.  

My boobs are going down  in at least one size of my size pre pregnancy over the course of months after birth.

 For the record, I nurse my oldest for 6+ years and my 3+ years old still nursing with no problem.

[dharmabum]

I have been nursing for 13 months--I still wear a nursing bra and always wear regular shirts (that are easily lifted/unbuttoned).  My breasts changed drastically in the first few months--by two months, I was rarely engorged/full, not leaking, and not squirting milk out when babe unlatched. By now, I think your breasts are just acclimated to your babe's needs--the supply/demand system is all ironed out (hence, not leaking or breasts feeling really full).  I am closer to my pre pregnancy breast size now.  If your child is gaining weight and having normal wet diapers, then no worries!  

[foreverinbluejeans]

It's normal for your breasts to get smaller and feel "flat" at around 6 weeks to 2 months. Some women quit nursing because they think they lost their milk (I don't know where they think it went?). Your breasts have gotten more efficient at making milk and you may or may not feel a let down. If your baby is pooping and peeing and gaining at least a pound a month, you got enough milk.

What women wear during nursing is individual. Some moms leak, some don't. Some can get away with no bra, some wear a bra 24 hours a day. I liked wearing sun dresses and it is hard to nurse in a dress. I modified a pattern and sewed some sun dresses. I wore loose tops or blouses and jeans and lifted my shirt up from the bottom.

I like your dog!

[guatemama1]

Originally Posted by foreverinbluejeans 

It's normal for your breasts to get smaller and feel "flat" at around 6 weeks to 2 months. Some women quit nursing because they think they lost their milk (I don't know where they think it went?). Your breasts have gotten more efficient at making milk and you may or may not feel a let down. If your baby is pooping and peeing and gaining at least a pound a month, you got enough milk.

What women wear during nursing is individual. Some moms leak, some don't. Some can get away with no bra, some wear a bra 24 hours a day. I liked wearing sun dresses and it is hard to nurse in a dress. I modified a pattern and sewed some sun dresses. I wore loose tops or blouses and jeans and lifted my shirt up from the bottom.

I like your dog!

~thanks on the dog part :) and actually i have a dress i've been really wanting to modify to make nurse-friendly? any suggestions? resources for sewing, ideas?

also -- i can see why some might think their milk is gone, cuz in a way it's weird to go from super-milk-orbs to "flat" feeling, even "normal" again. however, baby is eating/gaining/poo'in/pee'in all normal and great, so i know it's still a-flowin!

it's very very helpful to hear these experiences

[etsdtm99]

I've been nursing for 5.5 years .. currently nursing my 3yr old and 1 yr old.. my breasts never get really full anymore, but i do leak - i'm weird though, i leak overnight if i go too long or while baby is nursing on the other breast until about 18 months then it just stops. most people i know stop much earlier .. i don't wear nursing pads after about 4 months because i stop randomly leaking, i just throw a napkin or something in my bra on the otherside while i'm nursing, or push on my nipple with my finger .. if i don't - i will leak through my shirts, but cloth nursing pads in summer were not worth the trouble to me..   i wear nursing tanks under normal clothes.. i don't stop wearing nursing bras until my toddlers stop nursing while we're out of the house..