Breasts that leak before, during or after a nursing session are nature's way of ensuring that your body's production of breast milk does not turn into a health problem such as a clogged milk duct or an infection. Methods to stop this extra milk from leaking after you finish nursing your child vary.
Impact of Oxytocin
Oxytocin is a hormone that causes a mother's milk to let down. Some mothers feel this letdown process -- as a tingling sensation in the breasts -- while others do not. This hormone is also responsible for your ability to quickly bond with your child, which is why some women release it when they hear their baby -- or anyone else's baby -- cry or babble. Other situations lead to oxytocin release and milk let down as well, including the climax of sexual intercourse. As long as your body is still releasing fresh oxytocin, the risk of leaking milk persists.
Finishing During Letdown
If you stop nursing your baby before your breasts finish letting down, your breasts will likely continue to leak milk. For example, if you begin nursing your baby on your left breast, then switch over to your right breast, additional oxytocin is released. This leads to another letdown, stimulating the release of milk in both breasts even though you thought you'd already drained the left one. You cannot stop the release of oxytocin or the letdown process. Instead, you'll have to employ methods to cope with the unexpected release of milk.
Overproduction of Milk
Another reason some mothers experience leaking after a breastfeeding session is because of an oversupply of milk. As any mother who has ever struggled to produce enough milk for her newborn can tell you, having more than enough milk is a good thing. Breastfeeding a baby works on the basis of demand and supply -- the more milk your baby demands, the more milk your body produces. During the early weeks of nursing, as your breasts adjust to the demands of your infant's feeding needs, your breasts are more susceptible to leaking. Growth spurts -- short periods of time during which your child's growth accelerates -- also change the demand level, resulting in a surge of milk production and a greater risk of leakage.
Methods for Coping
To cope with breasts that leak, start by putting a nursing pad in each cup of your bra. These pads come in disposable and washable varieties. They are designed to soak up any milk that leaks from your breasts, before the liquid makes a wet mark on your shirt. Applying firm pressure to your breasts when you feel an unexpected letdown helps as well, by physically constricting the amount of room available in your breasts for milk -- a tight-fitting sports bra does this as well. Manually expressing excess milk once you are done nursing -- either by hand or with an electric breast pump -- also eliminates the extra milk in women with an oversupply.
Why Leaking Is Good
Leaking is nature's way of protecting your body from infection. When milk sits too long in a woman's breast, it causes the breast tissue to become engorged. This painful swelling is not only uncomfortable but also potentially dangerous. In some women, repeated periods of engorgement can lead to plugged milk ducts and infections of the breast tissue, such as mastitis. Allowing any extra milk to leak naturally from your breasts after nursing helps to prevent this situation.
