Some women feel the let-down reflex as a tingling sensation in the breasts or a feeling of fullness, although others don't feel anything in the breast. Most women notice a change in their baby's sucking pattern as the milk begins to flow, from small, shallow sucks to stronger, slower sucks.
These feelings usually disappear along with the pain within ten minutes after you start a feeding.
A tingling sensation sort of like pins-and-needles.
And, yes, it can be disconcertingly intense and even painful. Some moms feel this only in the early days of breastfeeding and then the feeling fades. Others feel letdown during each feed throughout breastfeeding.
Instead, your breasts store the milk until it's needed. Most often, your let down reflex is triggered by a particular suckling motion your baby makes to stimulate milk production. If you pay attention to your baby's nursing patterns, at first their suckling will be faster and shallower to stimulate the release of milk.
Some women feel the let-down reflex as a tingling sensation in the breasts or a feeling of fullness, although others don't feel anything in the breast. Most women notice a change in their baby's sucking pattern as the milk begins to flow, from small, shallow sucks to stronger, slower sucks.
Despite views to the contrary, breasts are never truly empty. Milk is actually produced nonstop—before, during, and after feedings—so there's no need to wait between feedings for your breasts to refill. In fact, a long gap between feedings actually signals your breasts to make less, not more, milk.
Some deep breast twinges during let-down can occur as the milk ducts constrict to force the milk toward the nipple. As your body becomes more used to breastfeeding, these disappear. There can be several other causes of painful let-downs that you may want to consider: Lots of milk.
Some mothers have such a strong let-down that the baby cannot handle the volume of milk. If your baby chokes, gags, or pushes off of the breast a minute or two after beginning to feed, an overactive let-down may be the cause.
Signs of the Let-Down Reflex
Leaking: You may see breast milk leaking or spraying out of the breast that your baby is not breastfeeding on. Gulping: You may hear your baby gulping and swallowing milk. Dripping: You may see breast milk dripping out of your baby's mouth.
Possible causes of slow let-down
Many things can be the cause of a slow or inhibited let-down: anxiety, pain, embarrassment, stress, cold, excessive caffeine use, smoking, use of alcohol, or the use of some medications. Mothers who have had breast surgery may have nerve damage that can interfere with let-down.
Each time baby begins to nurse the nerves in your breast send signals that release the milk in your milk ducts. This let down reflex usually happens after your baby has been sucking the breast for about two minutes. Some women feel this let-down reflex as a tingling or a warmth.
When you breastfeed, your body makes the hormones prolactin and oxytocin. Oxytocin produces a peaceful, nurturing feeling that allows you to relax and focus on your child. It also promotes a strong sense of love and attachment between you and your baby.
Will a Haakaa cause me to have an oversupply? No, not necessarily. There is no “suckling motion” with a Haakaa. The Haakaa doesn't stimulate your body to produce more through suckling stimulation as a breast pump, manual expression, or a baby would.
One thing to consider is that, even if you are nursing from one breast, let down typically happens to both breasts at the same time. Some women also feel their uterus contract during let down, and that is totally normal.
How Long Should Baby Nurse to Get Hindmilk? After 10 to 15 minutes of the first milk, as the breast empties, the milk flow slows and gets richer, releasing the sweet, creamy hindmilk.
She likely unlatches so she doesn't have to drink all the milk that's coming out at once. If you suspect that a fast letdown could be culprit, try pumping a few minutes before feeding. This helps express the fore milk, which might not be filling her up as much as the hind milk would.
If there is a continual delay in letdown from the breast it can lead to reduced milk supply. Babies are also really in tune with how their mother's are feeling.
During this time, before you letdown, you might see milk dribbling out your nipple, and just a few drops going into the bottles. When you have a letdown, you will see milk start to spray into the flange and flow more quickly into your bottles.
As your baby continues to nurse, they begin to pull milk from deeper within the breast where the fatty milk cells are stored. This milk, which is more fat-filled than the earlier milk, is called the hindmilk. Hindmilk often appears thick and creamy and is richer and more calorie dense than the foremilk.
How Long Does Nursing Take? Newborns may nurse for up to 20 minutes or longer on one or both breasts. As babies get older and more skilled at breastfeeding, they may take about 5–10 minutes on each side.
Symptoms: Breast or nipple pain that's stabbing, burning, or feels like pins and needles—both during and after nursing—can be the result of a vasospasm, when contracting blood cells reduces blood flow to a particular area. You may also notice your nipples turning white, then blue or red.
It may only take your baby about 5 to 10 minutes to empty each breast and get all the milk they need; however, this is different for everyone.
How Long Does Nursing Take? Newborns may nurse for up to 20 minutes or longer on one or both breasts. As babies get older and more skilled at breastfeeding, they may take about 5–10 minutes on each side.
Your breasts will feel softer and less full as your milk supply adjusts to your baby's needs. This does not mean you have low supply.