Why does milk leak out?

Many mothers will always encounter some annoying problems when breastfeeding. The first common one is milk leakage. In the first six weeks or so, the breasts have not fully adapted, so leakage will occur during breastfeeding. This is a normal reaction. As long as you pay attention to good hygiene, change and wash underwear frequently, and avoid breast infection, there will be no big problem.

Generally speaking, milk leakage will last for about 6 weeks, because from the beginning of breastfeeding to 6 weeks, the mother and baby have not yet formed a breastfeeding pattern suitable for both of them. Milk leakage is the most and most frequent during this period. After 6 to 10 weeks of breastfeeding, when a mutually adaptive supply and demand system is formed between the mother's body and the baby, milk leakage generally no longer occurs.

When milk leakage occurs, mothers do not need to worry too much. Milk leakage does not affect feeding the baby, but it means that the body is actively producing milk for the baby. During the period of milk leakage, mothers should feed according to the baby's needs as much as possible. The more often they breastfeed, the less likely the breasts will leak milk.

Although milk leakage will not have adverse effects on the mother's body, it looks embarrassing for the mother to have a wet chest when going out. In addition, if the leaked milk is not cleaned and replaced in time, it is easy to breed bacteria. Therefore, personal hygiene care should be done during the period of milk leakage.

1. Adjust your mood. Some mothers will feel upset and irritable when they experience milk leakage, but it should be noted that this is mostly a normal phenomenon. At this time, you should pay attention to keeping a good mood and avoid negative emotions affecting your health.

2. Ensure adequate sleep. Although most mothers do not have to work during breastfeeding, it is difficult for them to have a good sleep because taking care of the baby requires a lot of time and experience. In this case, mothers should try their best to share the work of taking care of the baby with their family and ensure sufficient rest time for themselves, which will also help reduce milk leakage.

3. Don’t save milk. Some mothers have less milk, so they want to save milk when they are not breastfeeding. In fact, the more you save milk, the more milk you will have. On the contrary, you need to let your baby eat frequently to produce more milk. Therefore, do not reduce breastfeeding due to milk leakage. You can use a breast pump to empty the milk as much as possible.

4. Pay attention to breastfeeding methods. When feeding, let the baby hold the areola in the mouth and feed from both breasts alternately. Increasing breast stimulation will help mother and baby form a breastfeeding routine as soon as possible.

5. Don’t control milk leakage. Milk leakage is a natural physiological phenomenon and there is no need to deliberately control it. If your baby leaks milk from one breast while the other is feeding, you can put a piece of gauze or a breast pad in your bra before starting a feeding.

6. Prepare more clothes. When you go out, whether you are with your baby or not, it is best to bring an extra top and two breast pads or wear clothes that can cover milk stains.