Breast milk leakage: Why it happens and How to Prevent?

Breast milk leakage is normal phenomenon during pregnancy especially in the third trimester or the first few weeks post-delivery. Leaking breasts are infact a gentle reminder that you’re lactating well. Leaking of breastmilk is different among different women. Some mothers do not leak at all, while others can barely keep their nursing tops dry.

Why breasts leak?

Leaking breasts in pregnancy or during breastfeeding happens due to the secretion of a hormone called, oxytocin. This hormone causes milk ejection reflex (MER) and triggers the muscle cells of the breasts to squeeze out the milk.

How to prevent Breastmilk leakage?

Leaking breast milk is a good sign as it ascertains you that you’re producing enough milk for you baby to drink to his heart’s content. However, leaking is unpredictable. And hence, calls for the need to take proper precautions all the time, when at home, in the market or as simple as sleeping

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Here are some necessary measures you must take to prevent the leakage:

•           If you begin to feel a tingly sensation of milk let down, apply pressure to your breasts firmly by crossing the arms over your chest and hugging yourself. You can also put the base of the palm over the nipple and press it for some time.

•           You can use several types of breast care products to limit breast milk leakage such as using washable bra pads, disposable nursing pads, breast shells, etc. Try not to use plastic lining products because they keep the areola damp, cause the nipples to sore and open door for a fungal infection such as candida to develop.

•           Keep an extra cloth diaper to soak up the milk from the leaking breasts and save you bra pads for outings.

•           Wear clothes that camouflage wetness.

•           Try to breastfeed more often or express milk manually. During breastfeeding allow your baby to relieve the pressure before you leak. If you do not relieve the pressure, you might develop a plugged breast or mastitis-a type of breast infection that is painful in nature!

To conclude, it’s important to note that breast milk leakage is not related to the amount of milk you have or doesn’t mean that your breasts are malfunctioning. It means that you are producing more than enough milk to satisfy your baby’s hunger needs. The amount of leakage a woman experiences varies from one person to another and also the functionality of their bodily hormones. All you need to do is take some precautions to prevent the extra milk oozing out from embarrassing you in public or creating a problem for the baby when he latches to your breast during his regular breastfeeding sessions.