Letdowns per feed

[Katteh]

Just out of curiosity.... How many times does your milk let down during a feed?

Generally mine lets down twice in quick succession at the start but then it's a little longer until the third time (if he stays on that long, he is a little and often kind of baby), if he wants more he gets quite impatient waiting for it to let down as the milk will pretty much come to a stop before starting again. Same with pumping too.

I get a funny sensation prior to my let down so I always know when it's about to happen, and quite often it's quite painful!

I'm never sure whether to change to the other side when the milk has stopped flowing if I know there a lot of milk left in there it just hasn't let down yet, what do you do?

I have over thought this far too much if you hadn't guessed!!x

 

[summer rain]

Mine usually lets down 2-3 times per feed. Can't physically feel it but can tell by him gulping loudly What I find though is that if baby wants to change sides he will usually be rather disgruntled if I try to keep him on the first side, so I switch him over xx

 

[Mum2BKW]

Mine let down every couple of minutes so in a long feed it could happen 10 times or more! I have a really fast flow though so inbetween let downs Scarlett still gets loads of milk. Don't change sides unless baby unlatches on his own, which he'll do as and when he needs

 

[Katteh]

He is a little monkey so pulls off and on all the the time and is a fussy feeder anyway, which is why I struggle to know when to change sides.

Summer rain, do you change even before the first side is finished sometimes?

 

[Nicolalove353]

How do you know when your milk lets down? What does it feel like?

 

[Katteh]

For me I get an odd content feeling about 20 seconds prior to it letting down and then when it lets down I get a lot of pressure on the side I'm not feeding from. Not everyone can feel it and if you cant then you know because baby starts swallowing more.

 

[AmeliePoulain]

I only get to letdown 3 when baby has her pre bed feed. I don't feel anything though, can only hear more swallowing.

I sometimes swap before the 3rd letdown from my left side as DD gets inpatient and grumpy. This is only really an issue pre bedtime though. I think my right boob has a better supply to compensate for it.

 

[palmtree123]

it is the oddest feeling isn't it? kinda freaked me out the first couple times until I figured out what it was lol!

for me my first let down is massive and goes on a fair while,then it stops and another one will come a few minutes after. generally his feed on one side is done in about 5-10mins because of this.

if he was still hungry I used to put him back on the same side however he would always have been a bit unsettled and never gone long between feeds. so now I'm experimenting and have been changing sides and he is much more settled xx

 

[pebbie1]

I have 2-3 per feed. It feels like someone squeezes my boob lol! I can feel it in the shower as well and within seconds milk sprays out. Nice lol
DS just gets bored and is more nibbling and that's the sign for me to swap.
X

 

[DianaB]

I have around 3 per feed but I've never been able to feel it, never felt it with my first LO either.

 

[Rachel_C]

Only usually once per feed that I'm aware of, very occasionally two per feed - I only feel the first one but can hear the gulping second time! My let down feels great though... like a mini boob orgasm

 

[summer rain]

He is a little monkey so pulls off and on all the the time and is a fussy feeder anyway, which is why I struggle to know when to change sides.

Summer rain, do you change even before the first side is finished sometimes?

I change when he is finished regardless of whether that side still feels somewhat full or not as there comes a point where he just refuses to latch on that same side again xx

 

[Noo]

3-4 per feed normally. First one is AWFUL. It feels like someone has gripped my breasts in a vice and twisting them whilst punching them and stabbing my nipples. It makes me feel physically sick! The next ones aren't too bad. I can normally feel them starting about 10-15 seconds before the milk starts spraying. It's normally JUST as he has pulled off and I fight to get him back on before I spray him in the eye, up his nose, in his hair.... You get the picture!

 

[Nicolalove353]

One time I felt this warm almost wet feeling (weird way to explain but thats what it felt like!) low on my breast. Could this have been a let down?

 

[meli1981]

I would say a few times! My first let down is pretty extreme, its painful and my milk sprays quite powerfully, but the other letdowns only feel like a little ticklish and lo can keep up with them much essier!

 

[Guppy051708]

I never have more than two let downs per side. The first let down starts pretty instantly but the second letdown isn't for several min, about 10 min I would say. ...I usually swap the other side after she is done gulping the second let down. I've BFed three children now and never have I ever had more than two per side. I also offer both breasts at every feeding. But make sure to get both letdown before switching. Oh and I never feel my letdowns, but I have IGT so I'm certain that's one reason why (not all women feel them tho- I just base it off her gulps)

 

[Noo]

I never have more than two let downs per side. The first let down starts pretty instantly but the second letdown isn't for several min, about 10 min I would say. ...I usually swap the other side after she is done gulping the second let down. I've BFed three children now and never have I ever had more than two per side. I also offer both breasts at every feeding. But make sure to get both letdown before switching. Oh and I never feel my letdowns, but I have IGT so I'm certain that's one reason why (not all women feel them tho- I just base it off her gulps)

Wow!! Do you have a fantastic supply? DS would have an absolute shit fit if I swapped earlier than about half hour into a feed then he takes another half hour on the other boob. He's swallowing the whole feed?

 

[Guppy051708]

I never have more than two let downs per side. The first let down starts pretty instantly but the second letdown isn't for several min, about 10 min I would say. ...I usually swap the other side after she is done gulping the second let down. I've BFed three children now and never have I ever had more than two per side. I also offer both breasts at every feeding. But make sure to get both letdown before switching. Oh and I never feel my letdowns, but I have IGT so I'm certain that's one reason why (not all women feel them tho- I just base it off her gulps)

Wow!! Do you have a fantastic supply? DS would have an absolute shit fit if I swapped earlier than about half hour into a feed then he takes another half hour on the other boob. He's swallowing the whole feed?

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. It's quite the contrary for me. I have a congenital defect and so my milk making ducts/glands/storage prevent me from ever having a full supply. When I'm empty is when they've all gotten fussy. So I have to switch. It's called Insufficient Glandular Tissue (IGT). I could only dream of having a fantastic supply. Heck I can only dream of having a full supply but if I don't switch after all the milk is empty I'm guaranteed either an angry upset inconsolable baby or the opposite and a baby that falls asleep at the breast bc they are so exhausted from trying to get milk that isn't there. Followed by a failure thrive baby I get 1-2 letdown a per side but the letdown and gulping only lasts about 1-2 minutes. No gulping in between letdown a either.