does leaking breast boost supply?

[QueenFrost]

Just curious if anyone knows. I work full time and exclusively breastfeed. My LO is 2 months. I'm always worried I'm not going to be able to keep up my supply because I often go 4 to 5 hours without pumping. There is nowhere at work to pump or even wash pump parts so I pump in my car once a day. I get 8 to 10 ounces per pump. I also pump that much before I leave for work and when I get home. I nurse him at night on demand.

My left breast leaks often. It started when i got mastitis. Especially nursing on the right makes the left leak with every letdown. I have to hold a cloth over it or I soak everything. I haven't mastered pumping and nursing at the same time. Baby's feet are right there kicking. I wonder if this leaking is a good thing by keeping my supply up. I think it probably also prevents mastitis again because it never gets too engorged.

 

[Night Flower]

I read up that the more the breast is full, the less your supply is. The more empty your breast gets (drained) the more supply you have.

You can still pump at work. Just dump the milk out. You dont have to save it.

 

[Pearls18]

Leaking won't actually build your supply I wouldn't have thought as it is the stimulation of pumping or breastfeeding that tells your breast baby is having milk so make this amount again. Like the pp says if it's just a matter of wanting your body to keep producing as much milk as possible pump whenever you can even if you don't keep the milk, you could hand express also. It's great you can get 8-10oz in one pump, 4oz was all I could get on a good one!

 

[Ganton]

I've wondered about the leaking thing too. Apparently, when your breasts are full of milk, a protein is released which inhibits milk production, so maybe relieving some of the pressure ( by leaking or hand expressing a bit) may stop too much of this protein being released?!