How long before breasts stop leaking

For some new mothers, leaking will continue throughout breastfeeding and even during weaning. It's even normal to keep leaking for up to three weeks after your child has stopped breastfeeding. However, if you continue to leak breast milk three months after you have fully weaned your baby, it's time to see your doctor. Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter. Osilla, Eva V.

National Center for Biotechnology Information, U. National Library of Medicine. Last Update: March 2, Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellFamily. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. When Leaking Occurs. Leaking and Sex. How can I keep my breasts from leaking? What causes leaking? How can I stop the leaking?

But, if you find leaking to be uncomfortable, excessive, or even a bit embarrassing, here are some tips to stop your breasts from leaking milk: Press firmly against the nipple of each breast with the palm of your hand or your wrist or fold your arms tightly across your chest to stop the leaking long enough for you to make a discreet exit.

You might want to limit this practice in the early weeks when you are establishing a milk supply, since efforts to prevent leaking can cause your milk supply to dwindle. Use breast pads for short-term protection. They come in all shapes and sizes—disposable as well as reusable. Change breast pads frequently, and avoid using pads with plastic liners that trap wetness against the skin.

Choose clothing with light colors and small prints that cover up a multitude of mishaps. Place a bath towel on top of your bed sheet. Leaking is common in women who produce more milk than their baby needs. Or you might leak when your letdown reflex — which releases the milk — kicks in.

In the first weeks of breastfeeding, your letdown reflex is being conditioned to respond to the sensation of your baby nursing. Until your reflex adjusts to that stimulation, certain sensations and even thoughts may trigger letdown. For example, hearing your baby cry, thinking about your baby, smelling your baby, or sitting in the chair where you usually breastfeed might be enough to trigger your reflex and cause leaking.

Here's how it works: These stimuli prompt your body to release oxytocin. This hormone makes the milk-making lobes of your breasts contract and eject milk toward the nipple. If your baby isn't nursing at that moment, the milk may leak or even spray.

Oxytocin also causes the contractions felt during orgasm, so your breasts also may leak or spray milk during sex. You may want to bring a hand towel to bed. If you're producing too much milk in the early days of nursing, be sure to nurse frequently — before your breasts become too full. If your breasts are full but your baby isn't ready to eat, it may help to "pump to comfort. Manually expressing a little milk is another option. It's important to relieve the pressure, otherwise you could develop a clogged breast duct or mastitis , a breast infection.

You'll soon establish a breastfeeding rhythm that works for you and your baby. Once you're in sync with each other, you'll probably produce just the right amount of milk for each upcoming feeding. If you want, you can try to collect your leaking breast milk to save for later with a product like Milkies Milk-Saver and Lacti-Cups. Some women continue to leak for as long as they're nursing, but many find that the problem goes away once their baby gets the hang of breastfeeding — usually within the first six to 10 weeks.

In the meantime, remember that your leaking breasts are a sign of your body's efficiency making milk for your baby. And don't worry — when the leaking eventually stops, you'll still be making plenty of milk to meet your baby's needs. BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals.

We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.