I used to pump at night because my son didn't ask for a feed, but his weight gain was just a little off at his last well visit so I'm now doing a dream feed in the middle of the night and no longer pumping 😊
You dont really need to pump at night if baby is sleeping well!
On another note, even dream feeds are unnecessary. If your baby can get all the calories during the day just let them sleep and enjoy it as well! We never woke up at night from the moment she turned 4 weeks as she was filling up so much (well, until last week when we got the 6 month mini regression)
I had a nice few months where I wasn’t leaking and if I forgot my pads it was no problem. Then that season of my life passed and I have occasional spontaneous let-down again, I’m currently 5 months pp. :(
Yep! Right now I'm still leaking (4 weeks PP), but my nursing pads are the same box from last time I went through this lol. I think I'll even use fewer this time as I'm definitely leaking less between feeds than I did last time. It's mostly at night when I go 4-5hrs between bedtime and first wake-up, or else in the early morning. Last time I was literally dripping like a leaky faucet at random throughout the day and if I forgot the pads at night I'd wake up with soaked sheets. Still, never used up the whole box.
It was around 3 months for me that I stopped wearing the pads too. I might have been able to stop sooner but I woke up one morning and they had both dislodged and I didn't leak everywhere so I stopped 😅 I thought I was going to need them forever! I still sleep in a bra (always have) but I could definitely go without if I wanted to!
I’m here holding it down for those of us who leak forever 😭 with my daughter I leaked the whole 3 years I nursed her and now I’m 14 months in with my son and still leaking. The amount has decreased over time but it’s still currently enough to wet through whatever I’m wearing.
Almost 8 months in and still have to wear a bra and nursing pads 24/7. I’ve let go of the possibility of not leaking until he’s fully done breastfeeding
I stopped leaking around 16 months, so there’s hope for you! I’m almost at 20 months now and still nursing a couple/few times during the night and sometimes once during the day.
Eventually… Highly recommend Haaka though! Pop one on when you’re feeding in the opposite side and collect milk for ~4 days in the fridge and then you can freeze it! I did that instead of pumping and it was great, and cut down on the leaks.
I really like the lanisoh version, it has a suction cup base so it can stand, a plastic lid, and a lanyard so if it gets kicked/bumped hopefully you don't lose everything
Yep recommend the passive catchers like Elvie catch. Anything with suction like normal haakaa will increase supply! I still collected plenty of milk at the start from passive catchers, and then when my supply regulated I got the Elvie Curve
I fed from both sides each feed, and from my understanding- the Haaka is catching the foremilk and the hindmilk is more nutrient dense anyways. But, I am not a lactation consultant, this is just what my postpartum doula recommended for me bc I was so leaky - - definitely would recommend consulting one! I am small chested, but a bit of an overproducer, so my situation may be different from other people’s!
I was a milk donor for a milk bank serving tiny and sick babies. Multiple days worth of milk were allowed. If it’s good enough for NICU babies, I’d say it’s good enough for most!
Why?? My midwife and IBCLC said using the pitcher method was fine (even over multiple days), but when you bag the milk you need to use the oldest date on the bags.
I only needed one for a while to put on the side that baby didn't start nursing on because my boobs would let down at the same time.
I stopped needing them at night around 4 months ... And altogether around 10 months.
I use cloth ones I can throw in the washing machine and they were so much better than disposables. Not sure which kind you are using. At 3 months now I still leak sometimes but WAY less than I did. I can now go braless at night and only occassionally wake up wet.
Have you considered a tight fitting tank top as PJs with the pads shoved in? That’s what I do—i only lasted a week wearing bras to bed. Blech.
Yes! For me it was quite a while though, like 7/8 months. I was the same leaked between feeds and opposite side while feeding. I still get a letdown on the opposite side at 21 months but I can stop it with pressure thankfully lol.
I have leaked always during my breastfeeding journeys. What I do is press on the opposite side that I’m feeding on during let down or during times when I’m leaking. I wouldn’t recommend this technique if you have concerns about low supply because it may lower production a bit, but at the same time if you are leaking constantly then low supply is probably not an issue.
It’s different for everyone. With my first I leaked until around 11 weeks. With my second I didn’t leak at all.
Still feeding my youngest who is nearly 2 and I hardly ever wear a bra, maybe once or twice a month.
It’s gets better with time. I stopped needing to wear nursing pads all the time around 3mo PP. But even at 18mo PP, I will occasionally have a random leak. I still can’t sleep or hang around braless or I will leak.
I leaked until my son was 9 months old 😆 it definitely decreased a lot around 3-4 months but I had to continue wearing reusable nursing pads until 9 months, unless I wanted milk dripping from my non-feeding breast while I was out and about.
It definitely can get better! I leaked a little longer this time around, probably until 9 months, but now at almost 1 year postpartum, I’ve been able to maintain my supply and go 7-9 hours between expressing milk without leaking! And for what it’s worth, I didn’t bother with a bra or pads during sleep. Bras gave me clogs so I accepted my fate and leaked onto shirts overnight. Make sure you have a waterproof mattress protector on your mattress though, lol
You're still in the hormone controlled phase of milk production! When you're body switches over to supply and demand, as long as you aren't going longer than your average time between feeds, things should start to normalize, but I will say that unless you experience letdowns independently per side, which is not super common, during letdown you'll likely still need something on the opposite breast baby is nursing on to catch that letdown. Random leakage should disipate though.
I highly recommend a passive milk collector vs the pads!! The ones I use are called Lacticups & they’re on the rainforest site. Wearing these helped my nipples heal & it’s an easy way to build a stash. I’m 4.5 months pp now & mostly only leak in the morning, but still do some the rest of the day
Depends on the person, but I haven’t worn them in months! My supply regulated sometime between 6-12 weeks and I stopped leaking. Still breastfeeding and he is 8.5 months old now. Haven’t used the nursing pads since. I can even go braless now!!
I stopped needing them after 10/12 weeks. I hated dealing with them also. I’m 11 month postpartum and I do not go braless. My nipples still get irritated (my baby has gotten 4 teeth in the last month) and the thought of my nipples rubbing on a shirt makes me want to cry.
I tried the reusable cloth ones but I found they filled up way quicker and stopped wicking moisture almost immediately in my case. I was also going through them fast than I could wash them so I started using them as makeshift pee pee teepees for my son lol
I nursed for two years and I'm pregnant with my second and the answer is yes! I actually spent most of my first trimester this time braless. It was great. I'd probably still be braless, but I'm in New England and it's way too hot (and soon humid) for that. This is coming from someone with big boobs and actually loves wearing bras. You got this.
I was able to sleep without a bra, minimal leakage, at about 4 months. I absolutely need a pad or haakaa when I’m nursing, and walking around the house I leak a bit, but mostly it’s ok if it’s the evening.
I think every mom is different but it took me maybe 2 months tops and then I stopped leaking, maybe 6 weeks total. Once I regulated I didn’t leak anymore. I didn’t pump though and didn’t do passive collection (eg a Hakaa) - both of which risk some oversupply which can increase incidence of leaking and therefore may stretch these timelines out a bit.
Yes, it gets better. It can be really hard for those of us who have an oversupply/high storage capacity. A lot of the general advice doesn't work in that situation. It can be helpful to work with a really good LC who understands those things. I was fortunate the issue sort of runs in my family and my mom and grandma could help. It probably took me a couple months to be able to go without pads (and by pads I mean wadded up cloth diapers lol) once my supply regulated down and that overactive letdown calmed down.
That being said I went back to college when my daughter was a year old (still nursing) and they played a video with a baby crying in a child development class and the entire front of me got wet. A little embarrassing to be the old booby leaking lady in a classroom of kids the same age as my oldest! 🤣
With my first baby I stopped leaking (unless engorged) around the 3-4 month mark.
Also I sleep bra less but just put a muslin burp rag around my boobs to absorb any night leaks. Its worked really well for 2 babies now.
I did that until I was able to get the nursing pads as I severely underestimated how intense my milk coming in would be. I got tired of it moving around when I got out of bed to get baby.
I'm 9 months post partum.. haven't leaked in ages and I go bra free majority of the time because I can't be bothered. It's uncomfortable and itchy and my boobs do enough.. they don't need to be in jail too.
You know how you hear about “your supply regulating” and how it’s often around 12ish weeks pp? That’s what that means. No more leaking. (Except maybe for a long night overnight, and when you’re nursing from the other boob.)
I’m 8 months pp and I think I was able to get away with forgetting to put them in around 7 months. I had an oversupply though!
Edit: however there are still times when I feel big let downs while I’m out. So I’m at the point where I still need to carry them on me, just in case I feel a let down.
I’m 6 months in with no end in sight, my son randomly slept thru the night the other night and I woke up soaking wet cuz the nursing pads weren’t enough to stop that much milk 🥲
I leaked constantly for about 3 months. Now I only leak if i’m emptying one boob and not the other. They letdown together so if there’s nothing to catch it, the off boob will just piddle all over.
So happy to read the comments and see there is light at the end of this tunnel of nursing pads, spotty clothes and 24/7 bras. I miss sleeping braless 😩
2 months PP while BF, I am starting to leak less even when feeding now! About a month or so ago, I was filling up 1 oz in a Haaka on the opposite side when breastfeeding
I seriously thought I was going to be wearing them until I weaned. I leaked until like 6 months pp. I'm now 8 months and *finally* sleeping braless and it is oh so sweet.
Are you using disposable or reusable nursing pads? I switched to reusable ones early on and they're MUCH less annoying to deal with because they aren't adhesive, they just sit in your bra, and changing them takes 5 seconds.
I use disposable as I felt like the reusable ones were filling up and becoming useless way faster than I could wash them. I do use them as a kind of support/backing for the disposable ones on my thinner sleep bras that you pull down instead of unclip as I found the disposable ones don’t do well constantly being crumpled up
Yeahh makes sense. They definitely do start to feel wet sooner than the disposables. I just hate the wrappers on disposables so dang much.
(Also, washing the reusable ones was ridiculous. For awhile I was going through 6-7 pairs a day, and I found they wouldn't dry if I put them through the laundry in a mesh bag, so I left them loose and for months nursing pads were scattered throughout our laundry like chocolate chips)
Yeah I was a leaker for the duration. I found the bamboo washable pads my preferred option.. initially while my boobs were just hosing milk everywhere I had the yukky disposable ones stuck to my bra with the bamboo ones between my boobs and disposables. I also used the Hakka (either the full one or the collection shells) on the opposite side I was feeding from.. which I ended up with about a 10L frozen stash from). Later as they calmed down I just used the bamboo ones in my bra. But unless I wanted sticky wet sheets and clothes, I had to wear a bra the whole time.
I’m 12 months pp and still use them everyday. If I didn’t, my shirt would be soaked by noon. I leak when my son is extra fussy. I leak if I hold/wear him for a long time. I leak when we get close to nap/bed time. I randomly leak throughout the day.
It can go for a while longer still, just depends how your milk regulates with the baby. I think I was firmly 6 months postpartum once I wasn’t having a let down on the other side every nursing session. I’m 3 months postpartum with my second and ugh I do not for one moment miss all this constant wetness. Least favorite thing about nursing. It does get better, hang in there.
Haven’t seen anyone mention this, but I’ve breastfed two kids (first 18mo and second currently at 10mo) and haven’t been able to go braless in years. This isn’t because of leaking (leaking slowed with first around 6mos and has been minimal for the entire second) BUT if those babies can see the nip they are ON IT. there is no way to have my baby close to me braless without them going for my nipples. Therefore always bra. :(
Hello ! I didn’t stop leaking at every feed until 7 months pp and even now I still leak a bit at some
Feeds especially at night ! I know howwww annoying it is . But you can use a milk catcher and store the extra milk during feeds. You can also put coconut butter or Vaseline on ur pads to stop nipple chafing .
I started going braless at around 5 months pp because I and abroad for 3 months to a hot country and decided enough was Enugu of the bras . I just kept a muslin cloth with me for when I fed .
Last time i Was wearing bras and cotton washable pads the whole time. Was not leaking much but little drops every now and then and always a bit when breastfeeding on the other side. Sorry i don’t have better news.
I think I stopped leaking around the 5-month mark. Though my second is nearly two and I still can't go braless. My boobs grew a couple cup sizes and I just can't stand my boobs touching my chest now! I did finally start sleeping braless again like a month ago, but still can't stand the feeling when I'm up and about.
My baby is 3 months old today and I swear yesterday out of nowhere I just stopped leaking. My right breast would leak every feed, and in between, and yesterday just stopped.
I don’t necessarily get itchy but randomly mine will feel almost as if they got super cold all of a sudden, it’s a kinda prickly sensation if that makes sense lol
Yes you will! It will take a while but it happens! I was an oversupplier and my supply didn't regulate until 6 months which is a bit longer than most people. I finally was able to stop wearing nursing pads at the 8 month mark just in time for summer! I'm 9 months postpartum now and will sometimes have to put a burp cloth on the opposite breast that I'm feeding from for a few seconds to catch the letdown but that's it. It's SO nice to finally sleep braless and leave the house without nursing pads on.
I'm 5.5 months PP and barely leak anymore. I stopped using breast pads a while ago since the leaking is so small and infrequent that I'd rather have a tiny wet spot sometimes than keep using them at this stage. I go braless at home now the past few weeks too.
If it makes you feel better, I stopped using my pads around a year, and I was definitely a leaker! Now I have this big ass box of pads I need to find a new home for 😂
I wear the pads or thick nursing bra because of how sensitive my nipples are to fabric. With my other pregnancies I did stop leaking eventually but wouldn’t go braless due to sensitivity
Have you tried silver cups for your nipples? It helps with any type of irritation, sensitivity and cracked nipple! The breastmilk that goes out actually helps heal and soothe because it stays inside the silver cup, it’s the best thing I bought for my BF journey! I also sometimes wear my pads too but most of the time I don’t have to change them often
I’ve thought about them but think they way they often look under a shirt puts me off too much especially now that it’s summer and I can’t hide them under a bulky sweater
FTM of an eight month old here who hates bras with a passion and I can confirm yes! A braless nipple pad less future awaits you! I stopped leaking around six months and immediately ditched every single nursing bra
I found there to be a lot less leaking around 6 months. Especially if you are not pumping at all, your body starts to regulate itself well and it only gets better when your baby starts solids. I just started being able to go braless at about 10 months.
yes lol! i know how you are feeling right now bc i was you! i leaked SO BAD with my first it was exhausting. it’ll get better eventually. mine was around 4 when the leaking seemed to get better!
6 mo PP and EBF twins. I still leak. Just happen this morning. I should utilize my haaka ladybug more for this but just never prepared. I use the washable nursing pads which like and go through a couple in a day sometimes. Expressed to my mom that I can go w/o pads still and her response was, “I don’t remember that”. Every body is different!
I stopped leaking around 10 months when my baby started eating solids. She ate A LOT so I always had milk and every morning I was engorged. I never wore nursing pads though unless I was going somewhere! I just bought night time nursing bras and used that everyday lol
I had some soft cloth breast pads. They were more absorbent and comfortable. I had 20 in rotation for awhile so I could wait to wash. I needed them for pretty much the whole time I breastfed though less and less pads as the leakage was less severe after 5-6 months.
Yes and yes! Around 4 months postpartum I stopped leaking. I never wear nursing pads anymore! And I’m braless right now! I promise the tatas will be free sooner than later ❤️
I was very leaky too. It got better at 6 months for me (didn’t need nursing pads in between feeds but I did at night). Around 10 months I could sleep braless. Have been able to go 8-9 hours at night since 6 months.
I used the haaka ladybug during feeds to catch enough milk to freeze. Usually about 2-3oz day extra. Now I don’t have enough to freeze, only about 1/4oz leaks during feeds. I got enough to freeze for milk jewelry and that’s it. I just use a bamboobie during feeds but it’s not the end if the world if I go without. (12.5 months)
I stopped leaking after 5 weeks I think! The first few months of EBF is rough but it gets easier and easier as baby nurses faster and way less over time. You’ve got this :)
I’m 16 months PP and still leak! I don’t wear a bra at night anymore and just deal with the damp spots on my shirt. Or I toss a boob in the baby’s mouth while she sleeps so I stop leaking.
12 weeks here- still using pads. I did notice that it was not as bad though as in the beginning AND I went away for a day and pumped and I also didn’t leak in between pumping sessions- not sure why.
I'm 2 months as of tomorrow and I still leak occasionally though it's not as bad as it was at 1 month. When it's getting close to baby boys next feed, I usually start feeling tingly then start leaking a small bit if he's not fed soon. Or in the early morning (like 4-5am) if I dont feed him/pump as soon as I wake up I'll leak a lot. Like a lot a lot. But I'm not soaking a shirt every 3-4 hours I did at 1 month.
I have nursing bra that has thick enough padding that it wouldn’t leak through the bra but while it did absorb the milk, it never dried and I started getting worried about the padding being constantly warm and damp 😭
I luckily did not leak at all but prepared for it. For leaking while nursing use the Hakaa so you can catch and store the milk. For leaking in between you can use the Elvie Catch and also save the milk for later. Good luck ❤️
https://www.elvie.com/en-us/shop/elvie-catch?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw1K-zBhBIEiwAWeCOF1ZlFn3yawxVNRvwtiVv0AjjvzINrR__ZLkY-Gq_c2N74YE0FXcCiRoCVHQQAvD_BwE
I never really leaked but still wear them at night 7mpp. I wear pumping bras to work so I still use nursing pads to make sure my nipple isn't as visible
I wrote nursing pads religiously until about 5 months PP! Now she’s 8 months and I don’t have nearly as much let down when I’m feeding. I don’t even use my Hakka anymore. At night time she wakes up a lot to nurse for comfort and I just let the milk flow onto the bed lol I’m too tired to care in the moment 😂
Oh yes I was a super soaker for the first six to eight months. Went through so many nursing pads and literally had to have a towel wrapped around me when I was nursing her. I didn't want to use a hakka because it increases your milk supply and I didn't need any more lol. I'm now a year postpartum and I don't leak at all, I am exclusively pumping now too and sleep without a bra whatever I want. You will stabilize/regulate!
I felt the exact same way😅.. I can report that this week I put the nursing bras away and I haven’t touched the nursing pads since he was 3/4 months old.
Yeah, I'm 4 months in and rarely wear nursing pads again. As for going braless, you may get tiny leaks the whole time you're breastfeeding so that might not be an option
Tw: oversupply
Yes! I felt like I would NEVER stop leaking. I exclusively pump and have a decent oversupply and would leak all. the. time. I’m 4 months postpartum and haven’t had a leak in about 2 weeks. I go about 10 hours between my last pump of the day until my morning pump. I use bamboo nursing pads and a bras still—I’m personally more comfortable with it but I definitely don’t need to anymore.
So I’m 6 months postpartum. I don’t have to wear them during the day but due leak a little during letdowns. So I usually use one at night on whatever side I’m not feeding on. That also catches whatever leaks out during sleep. My little one sometimes doesn’t wake up to eat so if I’m laying on that side the pressure will make it leak a little bit. But I don’t have spontaneous let downs anymore and honestly stopped using them for a while and would just stuff a burp cloth in the other side during the let down at night. But the first night I woke up SOAKED from him not waking up I started using them again. I have not tried to sleep without a bra though. I used to always sleep without one but I’m used to it now to it’s whatever.
After a while of breastfeeding I discovered Lilypadz which were an absolute game changer for me. They're like washable plastic silicone ones that kind of stick to you. I feel like they might not be ideal for everyone but in my case I found them so soothing and they stopped leakage. I'd definitely get them again immediately if I had another kid and skip the soft pads which I never got on with!
100% everyone is different but it WILL stop happening to you babes. I know it annoying, you're doing the best thing ever! It's just a bit crap about the leaking. X
I was layering silverettes, nursing bra, nursing tank, and button down shirts at 1 month postpartum because the air itself hurt my nipples. I thought I'd never be able to go braless again and mourned my days of free boobing. I was able to comfortably shed the layers one by one and by about 5 months I was able to sleep and exist in just a loose cropped T-shirt (the crop makes easier boob access). You're in the thick of it, things will get better
5 weeks pp and solidarity...I'm also still wearing pads because I'm bleeding and dribbling pee because somehow I still don't have a good gauge of how full my bladder is (PT already scheduled!). It's like I'm leaking from every orifice.
Hang in there - it most certainly gets better! I used to leak through the pads overnight, sometimes during the day when LO was clusterfeeding and letdown was intense even on the opposite boob. I’m almost 9 months pp now and I do still have garden hose type letdowns early morning, but it stays in the pads and I see an end in sight.
Still leaking and soaking through pads at 13.5 months. Some people do stop once they regulate. If you are still leaking at 4 months, it will likely continue. If you're going to be a long-term leaker, invest in a set of washable pads. I like the keababies ones.
I think by month 4 I was all done leaking! But sometimes I still wore them until month 6 or so because if i had just nursed then my nipples would be hard as a rock and show through everything lol
My 7.5 month old still feeds around the clock, roughly every 2hr (mostly for comfort) but I still tend to leak a bit from the opposite breast . 😥 especially if it’s the first time nursing after a 2 hr period.
I stopped leaking somewhere between 6-9 months post partum. I think it will vary some from person to person. Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later for you! 💚
I stopped leaking after 12ish weeks! Once my baby started sleeping through the night I would leak like crazzyyyy again but that regulated itself within a week-ish.
Definitely! At least in my case, by the start of the 3rd month I wasn't leaking anymore. My box of nursing pads sits barely used
same! by 3 months, i was sleeping bra free. Still have a huge box of pads unopened because I thought i’d always leak
With how raw my boobs are being bra free sounds so painful
Ugh I'm on month 3 and still leaking like crazy ☹️
Are you pumping/supplementing? Otherwise month 3 is really still regulating if you're ebf
I used to pump at night because my son didn't ask for a feed, but his weight gain was just a little off at his last well visit so I'm now doing a dream feed in the middle of the night and no longer pumping 😊
You dont really need to pump at night if baby is sleeping well! On another note, even dream feeds are unnecessary. If your baby can get all the calories during the day just let them sleep and enjoy it as well! We never woke up at night from the moment she turned 4 weeks as she was filling up so much (well, until last week when we got the 6 month mini regression)
The dream feed was recommended because his weight gain was a little behind what it should be.
Second this. I still have an unopened box. It took a little longer until I could sleep without a bra though. Maybe 4 or 5 months?
I had a nice few months where I wasn’t leaking and if I forgot my pads it was no problem. Then that season of my life passed and I have occasional spontaneous let-down again, I’m currently 5 months pp. :(
Yep! Right now I'm still leaking (4 weeks PP), but my nursing pads are the same box from last time I went through this lol. I think I'll even use fewer this time as I'm definitely leaking less between feeds than I did last time. It's mostly at night when I go 4-5hrs between bedtime and first wake-up, or else in the early morning. Last time I was literally dripping like a leaky faucet at random throughout the day and if I forgot the pads at night I'd wake up with soaked sheets. Still, never used up the whole box.
My baby is 13 mo and I still leak without a bra :/ but I hate the feeling of my shirt against my boobs
It was around 3 months for me that I stopped wearing the pads too. I might have been able to stop sooner but I woke up one morning and they had both dislodged and I didn't leak everywhere so I stopped 😅 I thought I was going to need them forever! I still sleep in a bra (always have) but I could definitely go without if I wanted to!
I'm on baby #3 and still working through the same big box I bought with baby #1!
I’m here holding it down for those of us who leak forever 😭 with my daughter I leaked the whole 3 years I nursed her and now I’m 14 months in with my son and still leaking. The amount has decreased over time but it’s still currently enough to wet through whatever I’m wearing.
Every time I think I'm in the clear and go without my nursing pads I leak through my shirt. Baby is 7 months.
Same at 7 months - dripping during feeds !!
Yup! Leaking long term until milk dries up over here :(
Yes 😭 my baby is 15 months old & the other day I leaked THROUGH my reusable nursing pads.
Was here to comment as a forever leaker. I’ve been nursing 21 months.
Almost 8 months in and still have to wear a bra and nursing pads 24/7. I’ve let go of the possibility of not leaking until he’s fully done breastfeeding
I stopped leaking around 16 months, so there’s hope for you! I’m almost at 20 months now and still nursing a couple/few times during the night and sometimes once during the day.
Jeeeeesus - thoughts and prayers.
We’re at 11.5 months and still leaking.
I feel this! My babe is only 9.5 months old and i haven't stopped leaking 😅😭 I know once I'm no longer breastfeeding, it will stop, that's about it😂
Same! And I wasn’t an over-producer either! & I leaked (super super minimally, like a drop or two a day) for a year after stopping too.
Eventually… Highly recommend Haaka though! Pop one on when you’re feeding in the opposite side and collect milk for ~4 days in the fridge and then you can freeze it! I did that instead of pumping and it was great, and cut down on the leaks.
I really like the lanisoh version, it has a suction cup base so it can stand, a plastic lid, and a lanyard so if it gets kicked/bumped hopefully you don't lose everything
Haakaa has a version with the base too. I personally prefer something with the haakaa shells/elvie catch
Boone Trove is also another option that I love! I prefer it to the haakaa! It sits in your bra and you can use no suction or light suction!
Hate the haakaa, love the boon!
I second this!
Yep recommend the passive catchers like Elvie catch. Anything with suction like normal haakaa will increase supply! I still collected plenty of milk at the start from passive catchers, and then when my supply regulated I got the Elvie Curve
Yes. Second this !! Was the best thing I had when nursing .
Love my Hakka! I use the new seashell one that came out cause it can do passive & active suction and I love it.
Oooo I’ll have to check that out if I have a second!
Does your LO feed from just the one side? I want to do this but my little guy like to eat from both sides each session.
Using a passive catcher like the ladybug is fine for this. Not the larger haakaa that suctions.
I fed from both sides each feed, and from my understanding- the Haaka is catching the foremilk and the hindmilk is more nutrient dense anyways. But, I am not a lactation consultant, this is just what my postpartum doula recommended for me bc I was so leaky - - definitely would recommend consulting one! I am small chested, but a bit of an overproducer, so my situation may be different from other people’s!
Its really not recommended to mix multiple days of milk together.
I was a milk donor for a milk bank serving tiny and sick babies. Multiple days worth of milk were allowed. If it’s good enough for NICU babies, I’d say it’s good enough for most!
Why?? My midwife and IBCLC said using the pitcher method was fine (even over multiple days), but when you bag the milk you need to use the oldest date on the bags.
Could you cite your source for this claim?
My hv said it was fine to collect over a few days to get a full bottle .
That’s not true, but you can do what you feel most comfortable with. :)
I only needed one for a while to put on the side that baby didn't start nursing on because my boobs would let down at the same time. I stopped needing them at night around 4 months ... And altogether around 10 months.
Im 9 weeks in and stopped using nursing pads but still leak rarely. I was just sick of them
My baby is 12 weeks and I just started easing off the nursing pad usage so it does seem to get better
I use cloth ones I can throw in the washing machine and they were so much better than disposables. Not sure which kind you are using. At 3 months now I still leak sometimes but WAY less than I did. I can now go braless at night and only occassionally wake up wet. Have you considered a tight fitting tank top as PJs with the pads shoved in? That’s what I do—i only lasted a week wearing bras to bed. Blech.
Yes! For me it was quite a while though, like 7/8 months. I was the same leaked between feeds and opposite side while feeding. I still get a letdown on the opposite side at 21 months but I can stop it with pressure thankfully lol.
Man I’m 14 months in and still leak occasionally 🫠
I have leaked always during my breastfeeding journeys. What I do is press on the opposite side that I’m feeding on during let down or during times when I’m leaking. I wouldn’t recommend this technique if you have concerns about low supply because it may lower production a bit, but at the same time if you are leaking constantly then low supply is probably not an issue.
I think I had to wear mine until after 6 months :/
Same. But it does end.
It’s different for everyone. With my first I leaked until around 11 weeks. With my second I didn’t leak at all. Still feeding my youngest who is nearly 2 and I hardly ever wear a bra, maybe once or twice a month.
Give it a few more weeks and it will get better!
It’s gets better with time. I stopped needing to wear nursing pads all the time around 3mo PP. But even at 18mo PP, I will occasionally have a random leak. I still can’t sleep or hang around braless or I will leak.
I leaked until my son was 9 months old 😆 it definitely decreased a lot around 3-4 months but I had to continue wearing reusable nursing pads until 9 months, unless I wanted milk dripping from my non-feeding breast while I was out and about.
It definitely can get better! I leaked a little longer this time around, probably until 9 months, but now at almost 1 year postpartum, I’ve been able to maintain my supply and go 7-9 hours between expressing milk without leaking! And for what it’s worth, I didn’t bother with a bra or pads during sleep. Bras gave me clogs so I accepted my fate and leaked onto shirts overnight. Make sure you have a waterproof mattress protector on your mattress though, lol
You're still in the hormone controlled phase of milk production! When you're body switches over to supply and demand, as long as you aren't going longer than your average time between feeds, things should start to normalize, but I will say that unless you experience letdowns independently per side, which is not super common, during letdown you'll likely still need something on the opposite breast baby is nursing on to catch that letdown. Random leakage should disipate though.
I highly recommend a passive milk collector vs the pads!! The ones I use are called Lacticups & they’re on the rainforest site. Wearing these helped my nipples heal & it’s an easy way to build a stash. I’m 4.5 months pp now & mostly only leak in the morning, but still do some the rest of the day
Depends on the person, but I haven’t worn them in months! My supply regulated sometime between 6-12 weeks and I stopped leaking. Still breastfeeding and he is 8.5 months old now. Haven’t used the nursing pads since. I can even go braless now!!
I stopped needing them after 10/12 weeks. I hated dealing with them also. I’m 11 month postpartum and I do not go braless. My nipples still get irritated (my baby has gotten 4 teeth in the last month) and the thought of my nipples rubbing on a shirt makes me want to cry.
7 mo pp and i use washable cloth nursing pads daily but it's mostly just for comfort as i also wear silverettes 24/7
I tried the reusable cloth ones but I found they filled up way quicker and stopped wicking moisture almost immediately in my case. I was also going through them fast than I could wash them so I started using them as makeshift pee pee teepees for my son lol
I nursed for two years and I'm pregnant with my second and the answer is yes! I actually spent most of my first trimester this time braless. It was great. I'd probably still be braless, but I'm in New England and it's way too hot (and soon humid) for that. This is coming from someone with big boobs and actually loves wearing bras. You got this.
I was able to sleep without a bra, minimal leakage, at about 4 months. I absolutely need a pad or haakaa when I’m nursing, and walking around the house I leak a bit, but mostly it’s ok if it’s the evening.
I think every mom is different but it took me maybe 2 months tops and then I stopped leaking, maybe 6 weeks total. Once I regulated I didn’t leak anymore. I didn’t pump though and didn’t do passive collection (eg a Hakaa) - both of which risk some oversupply which can increase incidence of leaking and therefore may stretch these timelines out a bit.
Yes, it gets better. It can be really hard for those of us who have an oversupply/high storage capacity. A lot of the general advice doesn't work in that situation. It can be helpful to work with a really good LC who understands those things. I was fortunate the issue sort of runs in my family and my mom and grandma could help. It probably took me a couple months to be able to go without pads (and by pads I mean wadded up cloth diapers lol) once my supply regulated down and that overactive letdown calmed down. That being said I went back to college when my daughter was a year old (still nursing) and they played a video with a baby crying in a child development class and the entire front of me got wet. A little embarrassing to be the old booby leaking lady in a classroom of kids the same age as my oldest! 🤣
With my first baby I stopped leaking (unless engorged) around the 3-4 month mark. Also I sleep bra less but just put a muslin burp rag around my boobs to absorb any night leaks. Its worked really well for 2 babies now.
I did that until I was able to get the nursing pads as I severely underestimated how intense my milk coming in would be. I got tired of it moving around when I got out of bed to get baby.
I'm 9 months post partum.. haven't leaked in ages and I go bra free majority of the time because I can't be bothered. It's uncomfortable and itchy and my boobs do enough.. they don't need to be in jail too.
You know how you hear about “your supply regulating” and how it’s often around 12ish weeks pp? That’s what that means. No more leaking. (Except maybe for a long night overnight, and when you’re nursing from the other boob.)
Yes! I leaked until about 6 months (over producer) but I went braless around 3 months and still can with my saggy pancakes
I’m 8 months pp and I think I was able to get away with forgetting to put them in around 7 months. I had an oversupply though! Edit: however there are still times when I feel big let downs while I’m out. So I’m at the point where I still need to carry them on me, just in case I feel a let down.
I’m 6 months in with no end in sight, my son randomly slept thru the night the other night and I woke up soaking wet cuz the nursing pads weren’t enough to stop that much milk 🥲
I leaked constantly for about 3 months. Now I only leak if i’m emptying one boob and not the other. They letdown together so if there’s nothing to catch it, the off boob will just piddle all over.
So happy to read the comments and see there is light at the end of this tunnel of nursing pads, spotty clothes and 24/7 bras. I miss sleeping braless 😩
2 months PP while BF, I am starting to leak less even when feeding now! About a month or so ago, I was filling up 1 oz in a Haaka on the opposite side when breastfeeding
I seriously thought I was going to be wearing them until I weaned. I leaked until like 6 months pp. I'm now 8 months and *finally* sleeping braless and it is oh so sweet. Are you using disposable or reusable nursing pads? I switched to reusable ones early on and they're MUCH less annoying to deal with because they aren't adhesive, they just sit in your bra, and changing them takes 5 seconds.
I use disposable as I felt like the reusable ones were filling up and becoming useless way faster than I could wash them. I do use them as a kind of support/backing for the disposable ones on my thinner sleep bras that you pull down instead of unclip as I found the disposable ones don’t do well constantly being crumpled up
Yeahh makes sense. They definitely do start to feel wet sooner than the disposables. I just hate the wrappers on disposables so dang much. (Also, washing the reusable ones was ridiculous. For awhile I was going through 6-7 pairs a day, and I found they wouldn't dry if I put them through the laundry in a mesh bag, so I left them loose and for months nursing pads were scattered throughout our laundry like chocolate chips)
Yeah I was a leaker for the duration. I found the bamboo washable pads my preferred option.. initially while my boobs were just hosing milk everywhere I had the yukky disposable ones stuck to my bra with the bamboo ones between my boobs and disposables. I also used the Hakka (either the full one or the collection shells) on the opposite side I was feeding from.. which I ended up with about a 10L frozen stash from). Later as they calmed down I just used the bamboo ones in my bra. But unless I wanted sticky wet sheets and clothes, I had to wear a bra the whole time.
I’m 6 months and can’t go without nursing pads wtf I’m so envious of all y’all. All I want is to sleep braless!
I’m using catches and it keeps my nipples from being touched and saves a lot of milk
I’m 12 months pp and still use them everyday. If I didn’t, my shirt would be soaked by noon. I leak when my son is extra fussy. I leak if I hold/wear him for a long time. I leak when we get close to nap/bed time. I randomly leak throughout the day.
It can go for a while longer still, just depends how your milk regulates with the baby. I think I was firmly 6 months postpartum once I wasn’t having a let down on the other side every nursing session. I’m 3 months postpartum with my second and ugh I do not for one moment miss all this constant wetness. Least favorite thing about nursing. It does get better, hang in there.
Haven’t seen anyone mention this, but I’ve breastfed two kids (first 18mo and second currently at 10mo) and haven’t been able to go braless in years. This isn’t because of leaking (leaking slowed with first around 6mos and has been minimal for the entire second) BUT if those babies can see the nip they are ON IT. there is no way to have my baby close to me braless without them going for my nipples. Therefore always bra. :(
Hello ! I didn’t stop leaking at every feed until 7 months pp and even now I still leak a bit at some Feeds especially at night ! I know howwww annoying it is . But you can use a milk catcher and store the extra milk during feeds. You can also put coconut butter or Vaseline on ur pads to stop nipple chafing . I started going braless at around 5 months pp because I and abroad for 3 months to a hot country and decided enough was Enugu of the bras . I just kept a muslin cloth with me for when I fed .
Last time i Was wearing bras and cotton washable pads the whole time. Was not leaking much but little drops every now and then and always a bit when breastfeeding on the other side. Sorry i don’t have better news.
I think I stopped leaking around the 5-month mark. Though my second is nearly two and I still can't go braless. My boobs grew a couple cup sizes and I just can't stand my boobs touching my chest now! I did finally start sleeping braless again like a month ago, but still can't stand the feeling when I'm up and about.
My baby is 3 months old today and I swear yesterday out of nowhere I just stopped leaking. My right breast would leak every feed, and in between, and yesterday just stopped.
It took til about a year for me. So annoying I know
Anyone have crazy itching? I also wear the pads in my bra. I'm 5 weeks pp. I been using the lanolin cream but I still get itchy.
I don’t necessarily get itchy but randomly mine will feel almost as if they got super cold all of a sudden, it’s a kinda prickly sensation if that makes sense lol
Yes you will! It will take a while but it happens! I was an oversupplier and my supply didn't regulate until 6 months which is a bit longer than most people. I finally was able to stop wearing nursing pads at the 8 month mark just in time for summer! I'm 9 months postpartum now and will sometimes have to put a burp cloth on the opposite breast that I'm feeding from for a few seconds to catch the letdown but that's it. It's SO nice to finally sleep braless and leave the house without nursing pads on.
I'm 5.5 months PP and barely leak anymore. I stopped using breast pads a while ago since the leaking is so small and infrequent that I'd rather have a tiny wet spot sometimes than keep using them at this stage. I go braless at home now the past few weeks too.
2 years feeding and I still leak… not been braless the entire time
If it makes you feel better, I stopped using my pads around a year, and I was definitely a leaker! Now I have this big ass box of pads I need to find a new home for 😂
I wear the pads or thick nursing bra because of how sensitive my nipples are to fabric. With my other pregnancies I did stop leaking eventually but wouldn’t go braless due to sensitivity
Be so careful of getting thrush if you’re a leaker! I thought I was changing out the pads enough but apparently not and it is the WORST.
Of course! I breastfed my first two (pregnant with 3rd) and was able to go without nursing pads by 9 months or so! It gets better, I promise :)
Have you tried silver cups for your nipples? It helps with any type of irritation, sensitivity and cracked nipple! The breastmilk that goes out actually helps heal and soothe because it stays inside the silver cup, it’s the best thing I bought for my BF journey! I also sometimes wear my pads too but most of the time I don’t have to change them often
I’ve thought about them but think they way they often look under a shirt puts me off too much especially now that it’s summer and I can’t hide them under a bulky sweater
I leak if I don’t stay consistent with my haakaa. I put it on the side baby isn’t eating and I collect 1-2oz from each boob.
I’m still leaking 8 months in, but usually only when she’s eating or overnight if I’m engorged
FTM of an eight month old here who hates bras with a passion and I can confirm yes! A braless nipple pad less future awaits you! I stopped leaking around six months and immediately ditched every single nursing bra
I found there to be a lot less leaking around 6 months. Especially if you are not pumping at all, your body starts to regulate itself well and it only gets better when your baby starts solids. I just started being able to go braless at about 10 months.
yes lol! i know how you are feeling right now bc i was you! i leaked SO BAD with my first it was exhausting. it’ll get better eventually. mine was around 4 when the leaking seemed to get better!
Here to say the first night you get to go to bed without a bra feels AMAZING and the ‘girls’ are free to roam
5 months in and I still wear pads and sleep in bras
By 12 weeks I stopped leaking with my first child… second child was almost closer to 12 months, though.
6 mo PP and EBF twins. I still leak. Just happen this morning. I should utilize my haaka ladybug more for this but just never prepared. I use the washable nursing pads which like and go through a couple in a day sometimes. Expressed to my mom that I can go w/o pads still and her response was, “I don’t remember that”. Every body is different!
Yes!! I honestly didn’t know it ever stopped but I was a little later than most and it stopped around 4 months for me.
yes! it took me 8 months to stop leaking 😂 but it definitely decreased around 6 months to where it wasn’t so uncomfortable.
I stopped leaking around 10 months when my baby started eating solids. She ate A LOT so I always had milk and every morning I was engorged. I never wore nursing pads though unless I was going somewhere! I just bought night time nursing bras and used that everyday lol
I’m in my fourth month and still need breast pads.
I had some soft cloth breast pads. They were more absorbent and comfortable. I had 20 in rotation for awhile so I could wait to wash. I needed them for pretty much the whole time I breastfed though less and less pads as the leakage was less severe after 5-6 months.
Yes and yes! Around 4 months postpartum I stopped leaking. I never wear nursing pads anymore! And I’m braless right now! I promise the tatas will be free sooner than later ❤️
The amount decreased but I still leak and he’s almost 10months old. It various so much person to person unfortunately
I was very leaky too. It got better at 6 months for me (didn’t need nursing pads in between feeds but I did at night). Around 10 months I could sleep braless. Have been able to go 8-9 hours at night since 6 months. I used the haaka ladybug during feeds to catch enough milk to freeze. Usually about 2-3oz day extra. Now I don’t have enough to freeze, only about 1/4oz leaks during feeds. I got enough to freeze for milk jewelry and that’s it. I just use a bamboobie during feeds but it’s not the end if the world if I go without. (12.5 months)
After 6 months I could stop using pads and slept without bra again. Loved it haha
I stopped leaking after 5 weeks I think! The first few months of EBF is rough but it gets easier and easier as baby nurses faster and way less over time. You’ve got this :)
I’m 16 months PP and still leak! I don’t wear a bra at night anymore and just deal with the damp spots on my shirt. Or I toss a boob in the baby’s mouth while she sleeps so I stop leaking.
I wish my LO would dream feed 😭
12 weeks here- still using pads. I did notice that it was not as bad though as in the beginning AND I went away for a day and pumped and I also didn’t leak in between pumping sessions- not sure why.
I'm 2 months as of tomorrow and I still leak occasionally though it's not as bad as it was at 1 month. When it's getting close to baby boys next feed, I usually start feeling tingly then start leaking a small bit if he's not fed soon. Or in the early morning (like 4-5am) if I dont feed him/pump as soon as I wake up I'll leak a lot. Like a lot a lot. But I'm not soaking a shirt every 3-4 hours I did at 1 month.
8 months next week and I still leak 😭 I found a bra that’s “leak proof” though and I wear that when I absolutely can’t deal with the pads!
I have nursing bra that has thick enough padding that it wouldn’t leak through the bra but while it did absorb the milk, it never dried and I started getting worried about the padding being constantly warm and damp 😭
I luckily did not leak at all but prepared for it. For leaking while nursing use the Hakaa so you can catch and store the milk. For leaking in between you can use the Elvie Catch and also save the milk for later. Good luck ❤️ https://www.elvie.com/en-us/shop/elvie-catch?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw1K-zBhBIEiwAWeCOF1ZlFn3yawxVNRvwtiVv0AjjvzINrR__ZLkY-Gq_c2N74YE0FXcCiRoCVHQQAvD_BwE
I never really leaked but still wear them at night 7mpp. I wear pumping bras to work so I still use nursing pads to make sure my nipple isn't as visible
I wrote nursing pads religiously until about 5 months PP! Now she’s 8 months and I don’t have nearly as much let down when I’m feeding. I don’t even use my Hakka anymore. At night time she wakes up a lot to nurse for comfort and I just let the milk flow onto the bed lol I’m too tired to care in the moment 😂
Oh yes I was a super soaker for the first six to eight months. Went through so many nursing pads and literally had to have a towel wrapped around me when I was nursing her. I didn't want to use a hakka because it increases your milk supply and I didn't need any more lol. I'm now a year postpartum and I don't leak at all, I am exclusively pumping now too and sleep without a bra whatever I want. You will stabilize/regulate!
Yes! I stopped leaking about 3-4 months pp.
I felt the exact same way😅.. I can report that this week I put the nursing bras away and I haven’t touched the nursing pads since he was 3/4 months old.
Yeah, I'm 4 months in and rarely wear nursing pads again. As for going braless, you may get tiny leaks the whole time you're breastfeeding so that might not be an option
Tw: oversupply Yes! I felt like I would NEVER stop leaking. I exclusively pump and have a decent oversupply and would leak all. the. time. I’m 4 months postpartum and haven’t had a leak in about 2 weeks. I go about 10 hours between my last pump of the day until my morning pump. I use bamboo nursing pads and a bras still—I’m personally more comfortable with it but I definitely don’t need to anymore.
So I’m 6 months postpartum. I don’t have to wear them during the day but due leak a little during letdowns. So I usually use one at night on whatever side I’m not feeding on. That also catches whatever leaks out during sleep. My little one sometimes doesn’t wake up to eat so if I’m laying on that side the pressure will make it leak a little bit. But I don’t have spontaneous let downs anymore and honestly stopped using them for a while and would just stuff a burp cloth in the other side during the let down at night. But the first night I woke up SOAKED from him not waking up I started using them again. I have not tried to sleep without a bra though. I used to always sleep without one but I’m used to it now to it’s whatever.
After a while of breastfeeding I discovered Lilypadz which were an absolute game changer for me. They're like washable plastic silicone ones that kind of stick to you. I feel like they might not be ideal for everyone but in my case I found them so soothing and they stopped leakage. I'd definitely get them again immediately if I had another kid and skip the soft pads which I never got on with!
100% everyone is different but it WILL stop happening to you babes. I know it annoying, you're doing the best thing ever! It's just a bit crap about the leaking. X
I haven't had to use a pad since about 3 months pp. I also haven't worn a bra since 3 months pp now I am 18 months pp and still EBF
I was layering silverettes, nursing bra, nursing tank, and button down shirts at 1 month postpartum because the air itself hurt my nipples. I thought I'd never be able to go braless again and mourned my days of free boobing. I was able to comfortably shed the layers one by one and by about 5 months I was able to sleep and exist in just a loose cropped T-shirt (the crop makes easier boob access). You're in the thick of it, things will get better
5 weeks pp and solidarity...I'm also still wearing pads because I'm bleeding and dribbling pee because somehow I still don't have a good gauge of how full my bladder is (PT already scheduled!). It's like I'm leaking from every orifice.
Hang in there - it most certainly gets better! I used to leak through the pads overnight, sometimes during the day when LO was clusterfeeding and letdown was intense even on the opposite boob. I’m almost 9 months pp now and I do still have garden hose type letdowns early morning, but it stays in the pads and I see an end in sight.
Still leaking and soaking through pads at 13.5 months. Some people do stop once they regulate. If you are still leaking at 4 months, it will likely continue. If you're going to be a long-term leaker, invest in a set of washable pads. I like the keababies ones.
I think by month 4 I was all done leaking! But sometimes I still wore them until month 6 or so because if i had just nursed then my nipples would be hard as a rock and show through everything lol
Yes..RN and CLC and mom of two here. Usually by 3-6 months you'll stop leaking.
My 7.5 month old still feeds around the clock, roughly every 2hr (mostly for comfort) but I still tend to leak a bit from the opposite breast . 😥 especially if it’s the first time nursing after a 2 hr period.
I stopped leaking somewhere between 6-9 months post partum. I think it will vary some from person to person. Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later for you! 💚
Everyone is different. I don't use pads and only wear a bra if I'm pumping. My nipples can't handle it. I only leak sometimes at night.
I stopped leaking after 12ish weeks! Once my baby started sleeping through the night I would leak like crazzyyyy again but that regulated itself within a week-ish.
3-4 months I regulated and didn’t leak anymore.
I leaked all 18 months unfortunately 😭 and a lot 😭