The milk let-down sensation (aka “milk ejection reflex”) is often experienced as a tingling or a prickly pins-and-needles kind of feeling. But for some, the sensation is felt deep in the breasts and can hurt or be achy, especially when milk production is in overdrive.
Breastfeeding: The Let-Down Reflex
This usually happens when your baby sucks on your breast. You may even have a let-down when your baby or someone else's baby cries, or for no reason at all. Some women don't feel the let-down. Others may feel a pins and needles or tingling sensation.
A change in your baby's sucking rate from rapid sucks to suckling and swallowing rhythmically, at about one suckle per second. Some mothers feel a tingling or pins and needles sensation in the breast. Sometimes there is a sudden feeling of fullness in the breast.
To put a number on it, it usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes after feeding to generate enough milk for your baby, and about 60 minutes to replenish fully. The more often your baby feeds, and the more they empty your breasts, the more milk your body will produce.
When your breasts are empty, they will probably feel lighter and no longer uncomfortably full, as they might have at the start of the pumping session. You can also pick them up to see if they still feel heavy or full of milk.
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.
This doesn't mean that milk supply has dropped, but that your body has figured out how much milk is being removed from the breast and is no longer making too much. This change may come about gradually or seem rather sudden.
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.
Cluster feeding doesn't mean you don't have enough milk. However, some parents are concerned that they may not be producing enough milk for their baby during cluster feeding episodes. If you are in such a situation, be sure to: Stay hydrated.
Some might feed every 90 minutes, whereas others might go 2–3 hours between feedings. Newborns should not go more than about 4 hours without feeding, even overnight.
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.
A baby who twists, pulls, and grunts during a feeding session might have gas trapped and feel uncomfortable. If yours continues to squirm, pause feeding and try to burp her instead. You might hold her in an upright position over your shoulder (make sure her tummy, not her head, is pressed on your shoulder).
When you first start pumping, you might see milk start to dribble out. Then, after a few minutes, milk may start to spray - this is your milk letting down. After some time, the letdown will finish and you'll be back to a dribble.
At the end of the feed, you will notice your baby 'flutter sucking' with occasional swallows and this is actually when he/ she gets the fattiest bit of the feed which is essential. So don't interrupt your baby when he/ she gets to this stage as it's essential for gaining weight well.
Once your milk production is synched to when your baby wants to eat, your breasts shouldn't leak as often. Going too long without nursing or pumping (more than three hours) can also cause leaking. If you're nursing less often, you may have a certain amount of leaking as your body transitions to your new schedule.
Mastitis. Mastitis (inflammation in the breast) happens when a blocked duct is not relieved. It makes the breast feel painful and inflamed, and can make you feel very unwell with flu-like symptoms. If you do not deal with the early signs of mastitis, it can turn into an infection and you'll need to take antibiotics.
Second Night Syndrome
Generally occurs about 24 hours after birth for almost every baby. Your baby will want to be on the breast constantly but quickly fall asleep. If you put him down, he will probably wake up. If you put him back to breast, he will feed for a short time and fall asleep.
If a woman can't pump, engorgement can lead to plugged ducts, mastitis and even abscesses, sometimes requiring hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics.
Some mothers can store 4-5 ounces per breast, so baby would only need to eat from one at each feeding. Other moms can store 1-2 ounces and baby would need to feed from both breasts. Storage capacity is not indicated by breast size, but by glandular tissue in the breast.
Ultimately, if your baby has reached its birth weight and you're pumping enough milk during the day, it's okay to sleep eight hours without pumping at night. Keep in mind there is an adjustment period for your body as it begins to acclimate to the decrease in overnight milk removal.
If your baby's swallowing has slowed, they have started to fall asleep, and/or they seem frustrated at the breast, it's time to switch sides. Sometimes switching breasts multiple times per feeding can be useful, especially in cases of sleepy babies or low milk supply.
If your baby wants to breastfeed right after breast pumping, let them! Some babies are patient and will just feed longer to get the milk they need.