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Carole Hayes · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:13 pm Post subject: Question about Milk Let-Down

My lactation consultant has told me that my let-down is not normal, and I was just wondering what normal is....

Carole Hayes · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 10:38 am Post subject:

I don't know who else responded, but thank you! Can you tell me how long it has to have been before you have another letdown? (Just curious, because I don't usually have more than once/hour.)

Tonia · Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:47 am Post subject: Letdowns or pick-me-ups

Hi, Carole!
I usually have to wait at least twenty minutes before I know for sure there's been some replenishment. I pump as well as breastfeed, so if my son doesn't finish up what's in there when we wake up in the mornings, I often have to pump the rest out. There may be more than one let-down per feeding (the LLA books say there can be several), but I'm not aware of it. Having said that, just in the last two days or so, I can FEEL the letdown for the first time. (Lanam's 11 weeks old now) I'm thinking it's because my baby eats so often-especially during growth spurts- that my breasts are really sensitive to changes in pressure, so to speak. Does that help at all?

Carole Hayes · Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:59 pm Post subject:

Hi Tonia!

Thanks for the response -- and yes, it helps! Smile

I'm glad to hear that you can feel at least slightly replenished after twenty minutes -- I'm trying to figure out what "normal" will be, if and when I can get the prescription nasal spray that I need to (hopefully) fix my letdown. (An hour seems like a long time to wait, but I didn't know how long anyone else has to wait -- and if everyone else is waiting an hour, who am I to complain?)

I've always been able to feel my letdowns, and I know that I've almost never had more than one letdown per feeding. (The couple of times that I did, my milk supply was at the highest it's ever been.)

If we could get this straightened out, I'd be a happy camper....

Tracy · Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:48 am Post subject:

Hey Carole,

When i do feel my milk let down it's normally once per feeding and sometimes right before I'm about to feed. Every great once in a while I'll either hear him cry or think about him and my milk will let down (outside of a normal feeding time)... but that's not very often.

If I pump instead of nursing him I typically only let down once, in the past I've let down 2times but that is very rare and I had a VERY large amount of milk.

I produce a lot of milk as it is though...
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Carole Hayes · Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:58 am Post subject:

It's frustrating, not knowing whether I'm going to be able to have a letdown or not when she nurses -- they're just sooo random, and if I've had one within the hour, I won't have one when she nurses.

They do seem to come more easily when I have a lot of milk, but even then it isn't predictable....

(Those are great pictures, btw!)

Tracy · Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:59 pm Post subject:

I hardly feel them while he's nursing... and only once or twice did I feel it wtih my DD.

Are you just not having any milk come in at all while you nurse??
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Carole Hayes · Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:11 pm Post subject:

Oh, there's definitely milk!

To the best of my knowledge, I've felt every letdown I've ever had -- I watch how she's swallowing, and when I'm pumping it's very obvious -- and my letdowns, when I have them, are usually a very strong tingly feeling. I just don't have them more than once per hour, and they happen at random times -- if I have one when she isn't nursing, I have to hope she isn't hungry for at least an hour....