Leaks at 24 weeks

Hi all,
OK - I am leaking profusely from one breast only - the other one only sometimes. It happens mainly at night, but I am terrified it will happen during the day at work - go the black clothes I think!!
Does this mean I should be changing to a soft cup bra?
Is this normal for leaking to start so early? And is it normal to have one breast leak like 5-10 times as much as the other?
The stuff that comes out is gross - its all sticky, and it leaves a crusty ring on my tops - mainly the t's I wear to bed. I feel very unbalanced when I have wet spots all over one side, and none on the other!!
Also, I am much more comfy at night not wearing a bra, but am I supposed to be? I have no problem changing my t every day for sleeping in, but I just think its all a little wierd!!! Someone said the other day I will make a good cow - is this true? Am I less likely to have problems with my milk if I start leaking now?
Thanks for help in advance.
Fi

Fi, my breasts leaked ALL the time from about 25 weeks!!!
I would be out shopping I remember people looking at me funny, then I got home & my Dad said "What's happened to your top?" The entire front of my t-shirt was soaking... At night it happened all the time too, I started sleeping with a bra & nursing pads!?
I had no milk by the time I had Maddy, although I was in a GG cup! My breasts were full & like concrete, I had to massage for like 15 mins prior to being able to get DD on as the nipple was so hard, ended up having very watery milk & she was not gaining weight, so I fed her for exactly 1 week, but she was so hungry & my breasts were empty looked like dried figs!
I raced to s/market in tears grabbed a tin of formula & a bottle... She drank 90ml & slept for 9.5 hours, I never breast fed again!
My nipples cracked & bled & she was vomiting blood all the time...
Everyone told me I was gonna b e a gtood cow, but I so wasn't. Will try again this time, but I won't let my self get racked with guilt like I did last time!!!

But it is quite normal, atleast it was for me!?


I remember getting up to feed her in middle of night walking in my t-shirt feeling drip, drip, drip on my foot with each step....

Good Luck, it's all fine!!!

not sure if i'll be any help. But my midwife said that you can start leaking milk from as early as 16 weeks! Not sure why one side would be leaking more than the other though. Maybe you're laying on it differently and squeezing it out or something in your sleep. I only started leaking around 35 weeks, but it doesnt like pour out or anything, thank god! I don't think it matters if you start leaking milk early or never at all during pregnancy in conjunction to having problems breastfeeding. Just some people leak and others don't.

Fi, I've had a little bit of leakage for the passed few weeks, bit it's only a tiny bit and not very often. When I was feeding Em, (I only stopped 3 months ago) one breast would leak way more than the other.

Tanya

I wouldn't stress about it Fi! I also leaked from about 22 weeks... though not huge amounts like you are describing. Sounds like you might need to use nursing pads? A suggestion for bedtime is to wear one of those stretchy cotton sports croptops and put nursing pads in there maybe?
I also remember leaking more from my right breast than my left...

I leaked from both from about 17 weeks, by the end of my pregnancy I had to wear a bra & nursing pad ALL the time otherwise I would get massive wet patches on my PJ's.

*hugs*
Cailin

Sorry I didn't leak during my pg, but breastfed for 10mos. The leaking is natural but a paid in the butt. Yes I did wear alot of black, used maternity bra pad. I would recommend that you start wearing a bra - even to bed! A warm shower may give you relief. :D

OK - So I am reasonably normal (I take normality with a grain of salt.....)

Maybe profusely was a little bit of an exaggeration - But its just one is so much more than the other - I think maybe cause I sleep on my LHS, and its my left breast?
I had a clean T on last night, and it ended up this morning with about 3 x 20c size, 4 x 5c size and a couple of other dribbles. I guess I was just a little concerned cause this is the first time I have had it happen while I've been awake!!
Is there anything I can do to stop the concrete boob thing? I am really keen on breastfeeding, and i want to be as well prepared as poss. Although my sister says its 50% baby, 50% mother... I might not have any control over it.

Should I be wearing soft cup bras during the day now? If so, I have to buy a whole lot of new undies.... Ohhh, what a shame, shopping!

Thanks for help,
Fiona

Bras - soft cup, maternity and no wire - also pick up a bra extension so that you don't have to go between sizes (you will go between cups quite naturally)

You could try cabagge leaves (while at home) from the fridge - to soothe.

Concrete bb??? My boobs had a mind of their own - and were forever changing - alot of it is hormonal!!!

ROFLMAO! Do you colour co-ordinate or should I say co-ordinate by design your underwear ;) I never wore a soft cup bra...I don't even know what they are (I am assuming with padding or do you mean without lace?) If you are wearing wire bra's I would give them a miss coz they are supposed to be bad when lactating. From memory I ended up buyin maternity bra's towards the end of my pregnancy coz I didn't have any wireless bra's and because they had gotten so big I had to go up sizes too! The things are poor boobies go through LOL! The concrete thing, well um hate to say it they will probably stay that way till a few weeks after you've had bubs...well mine did anyway.

*hugs*
Cailin

Fi I actually got relief using the hot shower method & the cabbage leaves lol on the concrete! Mine were only like that when Matilda stopped feeding every 2 hours but I did the hot shower/cabbage leaf & expressed some milk out to relieve it.... I hand expressed because that way I wasn't getting rid of all my milk like when I pumped... I just relieved a bit. HTH

Fi - If you go to Target they seem to have a good range of maternity bras at a good price, it`s likely that your BB`s will increase in size between now and when bubs comes. Mine have increased twice so far since being pg and I`m sure they aren`t finished yet.

Take Care

Deeanne

I haven't had any leakage or much of a change in size although I have started wearing maternity bras as they are much more comfortable (am normally an underwire girl). One thing that I have noticed is that the nipples are standing to attention alot more even though I am warm - not cold!! I am assuming this is all part and parcel - very annoying as most people check out the bump then the boobs (the guys) and don't get past there. Very annoying!

Hi again,

well I went to a maternity shop I had heard a good range and I spent a little bit.... I tried on all their bras, and would you believe the Elle Macpherson one was the most comfy. This has absolutely floored me cause I have never been able to wear them comfortably. I always found their 14D's to be terrible support. But this one is great, horribly expensive, but if it lasts me a couple more months, so be it.
I also bought a couple of singlet tops with shelf bras, apparently I can wear them without a bra and thats OK.
So I'm now a 16DD, up from a 14D, which I suppose isn't life or death.
The shop assistant warned me about mastitis whcih is I guess the bacterial infection when your milk glands get blocked. Sounds completely horrible, so I guess its time to put vanity aside and do the saggy boob thing. Ho hum....

And yes - I did buy the matching undies!
Fi

Fi - mastitus is a terribly painful thing which I experienced but fed through (baby was 2 weeks old at the time)

Yep I had mastitus with my second baby, Zeke, and it was horrendous. One moment I was fine, then the next I had a raging fever, the shakes and VERY sore BBs.
:-({|=
MistyFying