You used to get engorged or leak milk anytime you thought of your baby. You’d start to fill up if your baby was even just a few minutes late to feeding. Sometimes you’d leak milk at random times.
But now, your breasts don’t feel as full, or maybe mostly soft. You don’t leak as much as you used to, or maybe not at all. You begin to worry. Are you making enough milk for your baby? Is something wrong with your body or your breasts? What’s going on here?
This is a scenario I’ve seen time and time again as a lactation consultant. It usually happens during the newborn period, but it can happen in later periods, too. Most of the time, it’s totally normal and not an issue.
Let’s take a look at what usually causes this issue, why it happens, and when it might ever indicate a problem. There are a couple of different reasons why you might go from being an engorged, leaky mess to someone who rarely (if ever) experiences engorgement or leaking.
ESTABLISHMENT OF YOUR MILK SUPPLY
By far, the most common reason this happens is because of changes that happen in your body during the newborn period.
Basically, when your baby is first born, your body’s milk production is regulated by hormones. As soon as you deliver your placenta, your body starts to transition from making colostrum to making mature milk, a process driven by the drop in hormones like estrogen and progesterone and an increase in hormones like prolactin.
During this period – between 3-5 days after birth, till about 4 to 6 weeks – your body tends to produce more milk than your baby needs, because your body isn’t yet calibrating your milk supply based on “supply and demand.” This is why moms tend to be engorged and leaky during the first month or so after giving birth.
At around four weeks, your body switches to an “autocrine” method of making milk rather than one driven primarily by hormones. You can think of it as your “maintenance” phase. Basically, instead of overproducing, your body tends to make just the right amount of milk that your baby needs, based on how much they are breastfeeding.
It’s this switch to “maintenance mode” that causes many moms to think their milk supply has decreased. But if your baby is wetting diapers and gaining weight, you’re good. Your body is doing what it’s supposed to be doing.
YOUR BABY HAD A GROWTH SPURT, AND NOW IT’S OVER
Another time when you might go from engorged to softer is when your baby recently had a growth spurt. Growth spurts happen frequently throughout your baby’s first year of life (and into their second year, though less frequently). When this happens, your baby will tend to nurse more frequently for a few days to ramp up your supply. They may be more fussy and sleepless too.
The more frequent nursing not only increases your supply, but may make you feel more full. But then the growth spurt is over, and your baby goes back to their less frequent nursing pace. The only problem is that your body is still making extra milk, so you feel engorged. This fullness will even out after another few days, as your body adjusts its milk supply again.
YOU HAD AN OVERSUPPLY AND THEN YOU FIXED IT
Some moms experience an oversupply of milk, so they overproduce and experience signs of engorgement, even after a few weeks after birth. Moms with oversupply tend to leak and spray milk; their babies may choke and sputter on the milk when it lets down, and they may have trouble keeping up with the flow. Babies also sometimes get upset tummies from an oversupply of milk.
Fixing an oversupply can involve letting your baby drain your breast completely before switching sides, nursing on the same breast a few times in a row, decreasing any unnecessary pumping, or working on latching and positioning. Sometimes moms fix oversupply intentionally, but sometimes it gets fixed by accident, just because they adjusted this or that without really thinking about it.
If your oversupply gets fixed, you might be surprised when you stop feeling engorged all the time. Again, if your baby is wetting diapers and growing appropriately, you’re doing just fine.
IS THIS EVER A PROBLEM?
Most of the time, going from engorged to “normal” isn’t a problem. If one of the scenarios above describes your situation, then there’s no need to worry. If you are still concerned, your best bet is to go to your baby’s pediatrician, get a weigh-in to check growth, and discuss your feeding patterns. A lactation consultant or breastfeeding counselor is also a great resource for this.
There are some scenarios where your milk supply may dry up quickly, and that may be of concern. But this isn’t the same as being engorged and then just having more normal-seeming breasts. In these cases, your baby would not be getting enough milk, and you would notice signs of that too, in addition to softer breasts.
Times that your milk production may suddenly decrease may include:
- Taking decongestants (in particular, pseudoephedrine) can dry up your milk supply
- Certain teas, like sage or peppermint, can decrease milk supply if taken in large quantities
- Sudden changes in feeding or pumping schedules, including not nursing anymore at night, can decrease your milk supply
- When a baby suddenly refuses to nurse, because of a nursing strike or illness, and you aren’t pumping to keep up your supply, you may notice drops in supply
- Extreme stress, illness, or getting your period can cause temporary milk supply decreases
- Being pregnant can cause a drop in milk supply. These scenarios may point to a reason for concern. But you also need to look at your baby and breastfeeding patterns to see if the concern is warranted.
You’ll know you have a concerning drop in milk supply if:
- Your baby isn’t wetting as many diapers as they normally do (pooping slows down after the first month or so, so wet diapers are a better gauge)
- Your baby isn’t gaining weight at their normal pace
- You don’t hear or notice any signs of swallowing in your baby while nursing
- Your baby doesn’t relax their body after nursing and never seems satisfied
Sometimes it’s not easy to tell if your baby is just being fussy or if you truly aren’t making enough milk for them. That’s why it’s best to see a healthcare professional if you have concerns about your milk supply. A lactation professional can also help you remedy the problem. Most milk supply issues can be solved!
THE BOTTOM LINE
It can come as quite a shock if you used to be engorged all the time but aren’t anymore. In the majority of cases, it’s just a normal part of breastfeeding. Moms tend to overproduce in the first month or so, and then things settle down so that they make just the right amount of milk for their babies.
You know your body best, though, and if you have concerns about your milk supply, you shouldn’t hesitate to reach out for support.
