Expert: Sally Wendkos Olds - 7/31/2008

Question
i m 20 yr old and 2 month i had sex with my bf and i m pregnant now.from last week we are continously having the protected sex but bf is sucking my nipples a lot and pumped it too and now i m facing the problem of leaking the milk from by breast.
now my breast starts leaking anytime and due to this i m not able to attend my office also..
so plz suggest me what should i do ?

Answer
Dear Ani,

First of all, I hope that you have seen a doctor to give you good prenatal care. If you have not seen a doctor yet, you should do this right away. You should ask your doctor about the leaking of milk from your breasts.

It's not that unusual for some milk to leak from the breasts of a pregnant woman, but usually that happens much later in a pregnancy. It's better if your boyfriend doesn't suck your breasts or pump them, since that can sometimes trigger a miscarriage.

Meanwhile, to be able to go to work while your breasts are still leaking, you can put breast pads inside your bra. I'm attaching an excerpt from my book (see below) about these. Also, you're better off wearing blouses/tops that are multi-colored instead of solid colors -- they don't show leakage so much.

Good luck!

Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with Laura M. Marks, M.D.
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  You can protect your breasts and your clothing from leaking milk by putting a lining inside your bra. You can buy disposable nursing pads in the drug store. Get the kind with no gauze lining, since this can stick to your breasts and cause hairline cracks and painful tenderness. If you want to save money or if you find that any disposables you try stick to your skin, buy washable, reusable pads. Look for all-cotton ones, since synthetic fibers are not absorbent.
  Or make your own. Insert a folded man’s all-cotton handkerchief in each cup of your bra, or cut out four-inch circles from all-cotton diapers or old T-shirts and stitch three or four thicknesses together. They’re absorbent, fold to the size you need, wash and dry quickly, and don’t show through. Don’t use synthetic fabrics and no-iron finishes; they’re not as absorbent and may be irritating.
  Change breast pads often enough to keep your breasts dry. Milk-soaked pads that remain next to your skin form an ideal place for bacteria to grow, possibly causing sore nipples or a breast infection.
  Some women like to use plastic breast shells, the kind used to bring out inverted nipples as described in Chapter 4, for catching leaking milk. However, the shells have been known to promote continued leaking because of the constant pressure they exert upon the breasts. Occasional use should cause no problem. If you do use them, keep them dry and empty them often.
  Leaking is usually common in the early weeks, but even though you continue to produce ample supplies of milk, leaking generally stops being a problem within a couple of months. If you’re still leaking through your clothes, try stopping the leak by pressing your breast with the heel of your hand or your forearm when you feel the tingling that signals let-down.