My son is three weeks old now and is eating like a champ. He was 10 lbs at birth and already weighs a bit over 13 lbs. My question is this,,,can milk letdown be uncomfortable? I figure that is what that feeling is? Its strong, happens when he cries, or if he does not wake up to eat every two hours. (he is an angel and sometimes sleeps 4-5 hour clips already!) Some say its like electricity,,which it sort of is...but its very uncomfey..almost hurts for about 15-20 seconds,,and its a LONG 15-20 seconds. My milk came in 24 hours after he was born....and have felt this feeling since it came in. I nursed my daugher but never had enough milk and had to suppliment,,never felt this feeling with her so this is new to me,,,,just wanted to see what the other Mom's had to say on it all.
Thanks in advance for your time in reading this and writing back.
You are all so great here on mamasource!~
Oh YES! I had the samething happen to me, and even when other new babys cried, and if I didn't feed him at that moment, two things happend. Either I did feed him, or leaked, or when he would sleep longer than anticipated I would pump. I had no problem with supply till he was about 3 months old, and then I just dried up. But yes I beleive it's normal.
When my daughter was first born, when my milk let down, it felt like, frankly, someone was stabbing me in the boob. Tears would roll down my face. I seriously considered stopping breastfeeding. However, I'm SO glad I didn't- the pain went away after about a month and everything has been great since. Hang in there!! It will go away soon.
i am a new mom of a 6 week old little girl and yes, when my milk lets down it kind of feels like electricity right through my nipples it sort of hurts but then it goes away. and if you do have problems again with making enough milk try traditional medicinals mother's milk tea you can get it at To Your Health health food store in pawleys island and sometimes in the organic or tea section at food lion or krogers i know of a lot of moms that swear by it and it is true what they tell you the more you nurse the more you'll produce.
I have had the same sensations with each of my children. It has seemed to be the strongest after my children were born and maybe 6-8 weeks post partum my let down was not so uncomfortable. My youngest is now 9 months and I hardly notice my let down anymore. It is stronger first thing in the morning and if I have missed a feeding. I am sure it will get better as time goes on. If you have sharp pain or it is unbearable, I would call your OB (just to make sure). Isn't breastfeeding the best thing? I just love the opportunity to be close to my children like that. A true gift it is (to them and to us)!
My letdown pain never really stopped the whole time I nursed. It felt like a burning sensation that started at the back and moved down to the nipple and lasted a very "long" 15-20 seconds. I noticed that (if I wasn't nursing) when it happened if I put my hands on them and pressed down (like they reccomend for leaking) it wasn't half as bad. I was also an "over-achiever" in the supply area and I also am very "gifted" in the chest area got up to a 40 D while nursing. But like I said letdown was painful for me the whole time I nursed my daughter, hope it eases up for you!
yes, it is your letdown. For some women it feels like little pins and needles on your skin or how your foot feels when it falls asleep. After a while the feeling will stop. Don't worry, this feeling of uncomfortable won't last forever. Give yourself a few weeks.
Hi J.,
I had this exact same feeling. It was very uncomfortable but it only lasted a couple of weeks and for me it was more noticeable at night. Not sure why that is. Luckily, it did not last too long or I think I might not have lasted!! My daughter is almost 11 months old and we are still breastfeeding. It's so challenging, especially in the beginning, but even more rewarding. Best of luck to you!
Yes, I know the feeling. My baby is 8 weeks old and I will still feel the PAIN of letdown. Mine has been extremely uncomfortable since day 1. I was in Target one day when my son was about 3 weeks old, and I had the worst cramp and shooting pains in both breast. It took everything not to grab my chest and double over. The only thing that kept me from it was looking like a complete idiot! Mine feels like someone squeezes me as hard as they can. Everytime I nurse on one breast, I get that pain in the other. I also wondered for a long while if what I was feeling was normal. I asked the lactation consultant who said it was perfectly normal. Good luck breast feeding!
That is exactly how it feels...like a 15-20 second mild shock of electricity to your breast. But it's all worth it! :)
Yes, that's what it is - but it will lessen and definitely go away very soon.
Yes, I agree, the first few months were VERY uncomfortable for me when the milk would let down. It downright HURT! Got MUCH better when she was a few months old. Hang in there!
Oh yes!! That big baby is all too blame. I am dealing with the same. Just had a 9 lb baby boy he is two weeks old monday and he really "calls for the milk" as my weird lactation spec. at the hospital referred to it! With my first I didn't feel this until she started sleeping through the night around 6/7 mo. He has slept through the night from day 2 and going those long stretches has caused me to get pretty engorged. That's probably what you're feeling too. Since he is such a good eater I feel better after he nurses because he doesn't stop until it's all gone, then it fills right up again! Is your baby nursing more freq. during the day??
J.,
Where as Breast Feeding is a wonderful thing and so natural, no one says it's easy or painless. I have a 14 month old and am 7 months along with my second angel. I breast fed my son and it hurt every time my milk came down. Felt like hot matches being drug down my breast. It does subside after a while(about a month or so but is different for everyone) and it becomes easier as long as you stick with it and follow your instincts. Just keep a Le Leche League number handy to call if you run into any problems or go pick up this great book that I use called The Everything Breast Feeding Book. It was a God send for me and I'm sure will help. Feel free to email me anytime you need to at ____@____.com. I hope this helps and reassures you a bit. Good Luck!!
V.
I'll be one more reassuring voice....I had a weird feeling when my milk let down also. It wasn't so much painful for me as it was just plain weird. It almost felt like a prickly feeling inside my nipple, kind of like if your leg or arm falls asleep. Within a month or so it went away for me also. I breast fed for years (literally 2- 2 1/2 years) each one of my children. And it didn't last the entire time I promise. :) Good luck.
J.- YES, letdown can be uncomfortable. It sounds like you have an overabundance of milk, which I did, and being that full can hurt. Do you leak alot? It will get better once you and your baby are regulated, but I found that I had to pump a little to get some of the milk out to feel more comfortable. Some people say not to do that because it tricks your body into making more milk, but it always made me feel so much better and my babies were able to nurse easier. Stick with it, though, it sounds like the nursing is going great otherwise!!
S.
Letdown can be very uncomfortable. I had all kinds of problems with heavy letdown, and I also had very bad oversupply problem. As I began to get the oversupply problem in check, the letdown pain got worse and worse. It felt like a bad cramp at the top of my breast that just got tighter and tighter as the baby started nursing those first couple of minutes. My letdown pain never went away or got better during the whole time I breastfed my son, though. I have always wondered if it had to do with my size during that time (I was a 36J while breastfeeding). I found that if I massaged my breast for a minute before feeding the baby, the letdown pain sometimes wouldn't be so horrible. Otherwise, I would have grin and bear it. Good luck!
