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My breasts keep leaking milk.
A
Please be reassured that milk
leaking from your breasts is very natural. I totally understand how embarrassing
it can be nonetheless, especially if it happens when you are out and about and
may show damp through your clothing.
It could be that your breasts are leaking because your body
is trying to work out how much milk your baby is demanding. Often this occurs
when you first start to breastfeed and your milk producing hormones are kicking
in, particularly as you may not have yet established a proper feeding pattern.
So try to feed your baby on demand and make sure they are latched on properly,
getting enough milk and emptying those full breasts.
Some mums have a very strong ‘let down reflex’.
The ‘let down reflex’ is triggered by your baby sucking on one breast
and sometimes you may notice milk coming from your other breast whilst feeding.
This is all quite normal and natural, in fact some Mums are so sensitive that
the ‘let down reflex’ can also be triggered by just thinking about
their baby or if they hear a baby crying even if it is not their own.
Best thing to do is be prepared,
don’t let this embarrass you so much that you don’t go out! Put
plenty of breast pads in your bra and take spares with you when you go out.
Even carry a clean bra and top with you to change into if the untoward should
happen. Wet wipes too are handy, so that you can clean the breast area, as damp
warm milk on your breasts could be an ideal habitat for bacteria to grow.
health visitor
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