Read on to learn more about this perplexing pregnancy phenomenon. Leaking breasts during pregnancy is pretty normal, and it's caused by an imbalance in pregnancy hormones. Colostrum is high in protein and contains antibodies that protect your baby against infection during his first few days in the real world.
At the same time, estrogen made by the placenta is acting to prevent the secretion of milk, in order to suppress it until the baby arrives. It's like having your foot on the gas and the brakes at the same time—sometimes the accelerator overrides the stopping mechanism," says Dr.
Many doctors claim that breasts start developing colostrum at around 14 weeks, but some women start leaking before then. Stimulated nipples can trigger the breast leaking, adds Dr.
This can happen in a number of ways. Breasts stimulated during foreplay might discharge a few drops, and activities where the nipples rub against your clothing say, a brisk walk or Zumba class could also cause the breast to leak clear fluid. There's nothing you can do to stop the leakage, so you may want to wear nursing pads inside your bra to prevent spotting on your shirt.
This extra colostrum could then be used instead of formula milk if the baby had low blood sugar levels. Since then, this practice has gotten more and more common, with many women being advised to express their milk in pregnancy for lots of different reasons. Until recently, we have not had any good scientific research which has shown whether this practice is advised and safe. There was a small concern that expressing during pregnancy could lead to preterm labour.
This is the same hormone which also makes our uterus contract during labour. In , the first and only randomised control trial was published, which investigated whether antenatal expression for women with diabetes in pregnancy is safe. Please note: this research only looked at women with healthy pregnancies, who were hand expressing from 36 weeks of pregnancy not earlier and only for two times each day not more. The research and technique of antenatal expression has only ever been done with women using their hands to express, not with a pump whether a hand-pump or an electric pump.
Therefore, it is not advised to use a pump to antenatally express milk. If you are pregnant and still breastfeeding or expressing for another child, pumping should not cause preterm labour in a healthy pregnancy.
Many mums continue to provide breastmilk for their child while pregnant with their next one. Always discuss antenatal hand expression with your midwife or obstetrician first to check if it is a good option for you and your pregnancy. If you have diabetes, discuss this further with your midwife or obstetrician to create a plan for you and your baby.
If you have been advised to antenatally express your milk, your health care provider will show you how to hand express and provide you with an instruction and collection kit. Do you have any breastfeeding questions? Nora Agbayani for BabyCenter. In this article Why am I leaking breastmilk? How long will I have leaking breasts? Can I stop my breasts leaking? Can I do anything to reduce leakage once I feel it starting? My breasts never leak. Do I have enough milk for breastfeeding?
What can I do about sore and painful nipples when breastfeeding? Our health visitor explains the different treatments for nipples that become sore or cracked during breastfeeding.
More preparing for birth videos. References Eglash A. Treatment of maternal Hyperglactia. Breastfeed Med. Nov1; 9 9 : Infant feeding. Myles textbook for midwives. Too Much Milk and Oversupply. Breastfeeding: the first few days. Breastfeeding and thrush.
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