All You Need To Know About Leaky Breasts During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a magical process, and although the journey can be beautiful and insightful, sometimes things are not as pretty as they seem. The internet has done a great job of exempting stretch marks and breast milk stains, and has instead carefully curated glowing pictures of perfection. But the reality is that growing a human being can be messy, exhausting and unexpected. Soon to be mothers may experience a whole range of unpleasant symptoms from morning sickness, pregnancy constipation to leaky breasts. Well, this is completely normal! If you’re a new mom or are pregnant and experiencing leaky breasts, there’s no need to worry. We’re here to break down why this is happening to you, what you can do to manage it and when you may need to see a doctor. Read on to know more!

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What Causes Your Breasts To Leak During Pregnancy

What Causes Your Breasts To Leak During Pregnancy
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Image: IStock

With all the pregnancy symptoms you’ve experienced, we’re sure at some point you’ve wondered why this is happening to you. Finding out that your breasts are leaking can be a disconcerting experience. One day, you look down and see a random wet spot on your chest even though you know you haven’t clumsily dropped anything on yourself. The truth is that your body doesn’t take into account what your wishes concerning breastfeeding are. Irrespective of if you’re planning to exclusively breastfeed or avoid it altogether, your breasts know that a baby is on its way and needs nourishment. And so, they leak (1).

And as you’ve probably guessed, hormones are what enables this to happen, especially one called prolactin (2). This is the hormone that’s responsible for milk production, that is, lactation. The only reason your body knows to control the production of milk before the baby arrives is because your estrogen and progesterone levels shoot up and control it. But if your prolactin level is even slightly higher than estrogen, then your breasts can start to leak. In addition to this you can also experience leakage due to any rubbing or external stimuli like brushing against a bra or taking a shower.

What Is Colostrum?

What Is Colostrum
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According to the American Pregnancy Association, colostrum is concentrated milk that the mother produces which is thick and sticky. It is usually yellow or whitish in color although it can come in other colors as well. This substance is invaluable as it is an immune factor containing sugars, protein and fats that are good for the baby (3). And because of these benefits and its color it’s often referred to as “liquid gold”. Colostrum also has an extremely high concentration of antibodies and is packed with other nutrients that are essential for your baby. Your body begins to produce this sticky liquid from your first trimester of pregnancy itself, but you wouldn’t know until later. This is because most women don’t start leaking colostrum from their nipples until well into their third trimester, while some lucky ones don’t leak at all.

When Can You Expect To Stop Leaking?

When Can You Expect To Stop Leaking
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Unfortunately, leaking breasts don’t stop once the baby is born. On the contrary you’ll be leaking all the time due to breastfeeding. But even if you don’t plan to breastfeed, you won’t stop leaking colostrum for at least 7 to 10 days following the birth of your baby (4). If you are exclusively breastfeeding then it’s going to take a while to stop the leakage. Some mothers experience it up until the third month into weaning their baby. And in some rare cases women can produce milk even 2 years after they’ve stopped breastfeeding (5).

You need to understand that a breast leak is not under your control. It can happen in the most unexpected times, even when you are not around your baby. Maybe you’re out grocery shopping and hear another baby cry. This sign of distress is all your body needs to register that there’s a baby in need and start to produce milk for it. And this is why it’s so important to always have plenty of tissues and nipple pads or pasties on hand. Nowadays there are special bras made with inbuilt pads for this particular purpose. So invest in a few to avoid a surprising or embarrassing situation.

When To Call A Doctor

If you’re starting to notice that the amount of leakage is getting excessive to the point where pads and tissues can’t help anymore or that the discharge is starting to get bloody, it’s time to seek out your doctor immediately.

Leaky breasts can be annoying and frustrating at times, but it only means that your body is preparing to cater to the needs of your little baby. So, take it in stride. After all, it’s only temporary and you’ll eventually get your dry breasts back!

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