Leaking

[Kaydove]

Any idea when I'll stop leaking so much? DD is 11 weeks and I always have to wear nursing pads. I thought I would level out by now, but I still leak a lot. Not that big of deal I guess but definitely annoying.

[luckypirahna]

I hear you! I still have to wear nursing pads when I go out, or else I'll usually leak enough to show through my outer shirt. Today I worked outside and wore a nursing tank and didn't leak through, so that was super exciting....And my DD is 7 and a half months.
 

[purplerose]

7 month old here and still leaking sometimes. with my other babies i had stopped leaking by now, so yes, very annoying!

[Chloe'sMama]

Dd1- leaked for about a year.... I had to wear pads every day..... Dd2- leaked for a month then only every once in a while..... last month when dd2 was 19 months I leaked at night.

[Kaydove]

Good to hear that I'm not the only one. I guess a better question is: what's your favorite nursing pad?

[MrsGregory]

I have cotton re-usable ones, and although they make a thinner top more of a project (Check the boobs, check the boobs, check the boobs, oops, pad crinkled, no lady, I don't stuff my bra! I'm nursing, darnit.  *Adjust pad*) they're sooooooooo much more comfortable than the stick-on disposables. 

Daughter is 7 1/2 months and I still leak from righty.  Left is far better behaved.

[Adaline'sMama]

With DD I leaked until about 4 months. I had a few great sets of hemp nursing pads from milkweeds. I liked them a lot because my nipples never stuck to them. With DS, I didnt leak, and Ive heard that a lot of people dont with their second time around.

[Choose2Reuse]

I use cotton flannel reusable pads, too.  I have some from GladRags (obviously :) ) that I especially loved in the first few months when I was "leaking" kind of like Ol Faithful "leaks" hot water.  They are super absorbent.  And I have some thinner ones I made myself to a similar pattern that I find more comfy when they get crumpled, and were great months 5-7 or so when the leaking calmed down a bit.  They're just three layers of flannel.

My DD is 8.5 months now and I just stopped wearing a sleep bra and pads to bed....yesterday.  Woo hoo!!  (I leaked on her this morning, but not enough to make me start sleeping in a bra again.)

[hildare]

I'm just a leaker, i guess.  with the first babe, i wore pads until i weaned.  i was woh and pumping though, and random things would cause me to letdown.  i was able to stop using the disposable pads (the only kind that worked on the heavy leaking, sadly, i tried wool & bamboo, etc.) after about 6 mos.  and use the natural fiber washable ones.

this time around i'm still using the sposie kind.  hopefully it will slow down soon. 

i will say that if i'm home, the bamboobies ones are pretty rockin.  i wholeheartedly can recommend those. 

[JudiAU]

I had to wear nursing pads for a long, long time with my first. Bah. Not because I leaked so much but I would always let down on both sides.

But, have hope, much less the second time around.

[lunarlady]

With DD1 I leaked until she was about a year. DD2 is 20 months and I will still leak through a shirt if I don't wear pads. If they have invented a kegal for milk ducts I want to know because this is silly. Oh, and I never stopped nursing between the two, so one would thin that after almost six years my body would get with the program. Bah humbug!

I have mostly cotton pads. I'm small breasted so it is a challenge to find ones that will lay flat while holding enough to help. I also now wear a sleeveless undershirts or cami almost daily, then a tee or top, then a throw of some kind. Scarves are also an accessory of choice. With enough layers even mega leaks usually don't show or can hide under the top layer Sometimes I leak so much I can feel it trickling down my tummy to the waistband of my pants. Machine washable clothing is my friend, as well as prints that hide wet spots. I've found a good padded bra can also stop leaks pretty well. Satin seems to catch and pool, while cotton just soaks right through.

I've got my eye on some good wool pads. I never end up stuck to my pads because they never dry, but I'm thinking wool would hold more for being thin. I keep waiting to buy them because I figure I'm bound to stop leaking soon. Right?

[HannahJ]

oh, i'm relieved to hear that it isn't just me.  My son is 7 months and I can still soak a shirt all down my belly and onto my back.  I'm tired of being wet!  Night time is hardest because I'm nursing while I'm half asleep and I don't always make sure the pad is adjusted properly on the non-nursing breast, so I frequently wake soaked.

JudiAU, your post piqued my interest when you said that you let down on both sides.  Does this not happen to everyone?  I always let down on both sides.  I'm not sure how the signal to let-down could be sent to just one breast.  Is there anyone who doesn't let down on both?  I'm interested now. 

As for what I use, it depends.  Until about 4 months, I used disposables, which I was horrified and ashamed of because I am otherwise an extremely environmentally conscious person!  But nothing else worked.  I could stack 3 wool pads and still soak right through them.  Now I will use wool, which works great at night.  My wool pads are ENORMOUS (maybe 6" in diameter) so they don't make for good daytime use since you can see them through a shirt.  I'll usually use cotton pads during the day if I'm out.  I did buy a pair of lilypads, but I don't think they're meant for heavy leakers.  Milk just pools up in them and then if I move in just the right way, I'll have a huge gush as the pool of milk spills out.  :(

I keep expecting it to slow down too, but that's interesting to hear from those of you who had it until weaning or for other extended periods of time. 

laughing at the milk ejection kegels idea.  yeah, that'd be helpful.
 

[Kaydove]

Originally Posted by HannahJ 

I'll usually use cotton pads during the day if I'm out.  I did buy a pair of lilypads, but I don't think they're meant for heavy leakers.  Milk just pools up in them and then if I move in just the right way, I'll have a huge gush as the pool of milk spills out.  :(

I keep expecting it to slow down too, but that's interesting to hear from those of you who had it until weaning or for other extended periods of time. 

laughing at the milk ejection kegels idea.  yeah, that'd be helpful.
 

Bummer that the Lilypads didnt work for you! They worked awesome at the beach under a swimsuit. I was so brave and put on my prepregnancy swimsuit and went swimming in the ocean with the Lilypadz on and they worked perfectly! This may be a little personal but do you have large boobs? They do make a larger size.
When I used them the first two weeks postpartum, I was sweating so much that my boob would sweat underneath them and reek. And then I would get little zits on my boob. Lovely thought.

Thankyou all for the advice and commiserating on the leaky boobs! Actually my leaking as slowed down significantly during the day and night at 12 weeks. I still leak at night some but not nearly as bad. I haven't made wet circles on my shirt in awhile too. I think I was still having oversupply and my milk didn't regulate until 12 weeks vs 6 like I heard was normal.

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