Breast Milk Leakage

Facts, fixes and funny stories

"Being a first time mom I had NO idea that milk would leak - even right after I had fed my son I would hear a baby crying (not even mine) and I felt the slight cramping that warns that the milk is coming down. At first I just folded my arms across my breasts as hard as I could but this is a real inconvenience (especially when you are holding the baby in public) and it looks strange too!

Well one time I was out shopping and usually wore a flowery printed shirt I found that hid leaks better. Well, that day I had a black shirt on and was determined not to get it wet, so I went to the public bathroom and stuffed toilet paper down my bra. Later I was in Baby's R Us and they have a nursing room, and the baby was hungry (some other moms were in there too) and I had forgotten that I had stuffed the toilet paper down my bra and when I pulled my breast out there was soggy paper that fell to the ground some of it still stuck to me! I was horrified. I have since learned my lesson to never do that again "

Loraine Thompson
Dallas, GA

Many nursing moms have equally humorous yet embarrassing tales of breast milk leakage. In her letter to fellow breastfeeding moms, Hollywood actress and Breastfeeding.com celebrity spokeswoman Lindsay Frost tells us about shooting a romantic scene with co-star Harry Hamlin for Tom Clancey's Op Center.

"Halfway through the scene, I looked down and to my horror, saw two rather large wet rings slowly seeping out of my carefully layered ensemble. We were shooting in a very big high-rise apartment and the dressing rooms were about 15 minutes away. I had no choice but to escape into a nearby bathroom with a hairdryer and blow dry my outfit. You can imagine my embarrassment."

Loraine and Lindsay are not alone (read more stories of breast milk leakage here). Virtually all new mothers are confronted and must deal with some degree of Breast Milk Leakage (BML), an involuntary release of breast milk from the nipple. BML can begin during pregnancy and/or shortly after childbirth.

Over 90% of new mothers experience BML. "Most women experienced leaking to varying degrees, and only six percent of the mothers surveyed had never experienced leaking from their breasts."
(Griffiths R., PhD: Breast Pads: Their Effectiveness and Use By Lactating Women; Journal of Human Lactation, September 1993)

Studies indicate that over 90% of breastfeeding mothers are still experiencing BML at two months postpartum and that 66% of breastfeeding mothers still struggle with BML at six months postpartum. In spite of this, nursing mothers are often told that they can expect BML for the first 2-3 weeks postpartum.
(Morse J.M., RN, PhD, and Bottorff J.L., RN, MN, MEd: Leaking: A Problem of Lactation; Journal of Nurse Midwifery, January/February 1989)

New mothers who cannot or choose not to breastfeed also experience BML for weeks and also suffer through engorgement and/or binding.

Traditionally, mothers were given drugs to suppress lactation. However, these drugs have been taken off the market for this application and are no longer available. Without the availability of these drugs, many women now suffer through a binding process, which may lead to tissue irritation and breast infections. Other alternatives such as the use of a tight sports bra or ice packs have, more often than not, proven to be ineffective in relieving engorgement and BML.
(Wallace B.C., RNC, EdD, Zelen M., PhD, and Zani Pachebo C.L., BA, MSN: Milk Leakage in Nonlactating Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating a Polyvinyl Chloride Device Versus Disposable Breast Pads; Journal of Women's Health, 1998)

85% of new mothers leak heavily enough to soak through their clothing, yet they often don't seek help from their health care professionals.

Studies have demonstrated that women find BML to be both inconvenient and embarrassing. In addition, recent studies have proven that prolonged exposure to wet nursing pads can increase incidences of sore nipples and breast infections.
(Wallace B.C., RNC, EdD, Zelen M., PhD, and Zani Pachebo C.L., BA, MSN: Milk Leakage in Breastfeeding Women: A Clinical Trial Evaluating a Polyvinyl Chloride Device Versus Disposable Breast Pads; Journal of Human Lactation, 1997)

"The dearth of consumer-oriented information about the nature of leaking places the onus upon....providers of women's health care to prepare mothers-to-be for this potentially negative aspect of lactation."
(Morse J.M., RN, PhD, and Bottorff J.L., RN, MN, MEd: Leaking: A Problem of Lactation; Journal of Nurse Midwifery, January/February 1989)

Unfortunately, many new mothers who initiate breastfeeding at birth make the decision to wean prematurely due to the negative affects of BML. This is especially true for the new mother who is returning to the work setting after the birth of her baby.

Studies show that BML is one of the primary concerns that breastfeeding mothers face in making the decision to continue nursing after returning to the workplace. Research also indicates that common solutions such as pads that collect moisture and shells that contain leakage, more often than not, are ineffective.
(Morse J.M., RN, PhD, and Bottorff J.L., RN, MN, MEd: Leaking: A Problem of Lactation; Journal of Nurse Midwifery, January/February 1989)

Despite the clear advantages of breastfeeding, only 60% of mothers breastfeed their infants at birth, and only 20% are still nursing when the baby is six months old due to the physical and societal impediments incurred with breastfeeding.
(Ryan A.S.: The Resurgence of Breastfeeding in the U.S.; Pediatrics, 1997)

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Editor's note: Much of the information above was contributed by Erika Davis, ProLac Inc.