Conference moira::parenting_v3

    Kyra,
    I'm not sure I understand what the "let-down reflex"
    is referring to. All I have experienced so far is enlarging
    of breast and nipples, and the glands are beginning to show.
    
    Monica (@ 7 months)
    

    During my (only) pregnancy, I never had the let-down reflex.  (After
    having nursed Alex for 2 years, I can practically feel it just by
    talking about it, though!)
    
    My mom, however, while in the 5th or 6th month of her (only) pregnancy,
    was visiting a friend who had a new baby napping in another room.  When 
    the baby woke and cried, Mom leaked copiously!
    
    I have a feeling this is probably very common in 2nd & subsequent
    pregnancies.
    
    Leslie 

    Yes, it's more common with subsequent pregnancies.  I remember waking
    up *drenched* when I was pregnant with my third...
    
    
    Yuk.  :-)

    Its my second, and I haven't had any leaking at all. The first,
    of course, I did not express any milk whatsoever (Doctor suggested
    to just let it be and the milk will stop coming in the quickest). 
    
    Monica
    Again, what's this "letting down"?

    Let down is a little hard to describe.  It's kind of a tingling/warm feeling
    that starts in about the middle of your chest and moves down to your
    breasts.  I think it is due to milk ducts releasing milk.  It causes
    your breasts to become 'full'.  It is usually triggered by your baby
    (or any baby) crying.  If your child normally nurses at a certain time
    every day,  you may have a let down at that time also.  When I returned
    to work, my milk let down every three hours like clockwork.  Sometimes
    even just thinking of your baby can cause a let down.  It's different
    for everyone.  Some women never experience it at all.
    
    				Mary
    

    I forgot to add that when my milk first came in,  my system was really
    out of wack.  I would have a let down if my cat was meowing because
    he was hungry.(o:  Luckily this only lasted a couple of days, because
    he is always hungry.
    
    				Mary

    re .5 - Good description.
    
    re .6 - I have been giggling all morning over this!
    
    Then there are the secret floodgates that you only find out about the
    hard way.  I'll never forget the afternoon I attended a BBQ (Alex was
    at daycare all day) and was enjoying liquid refreshment.  I'd had about
    2 1/2 beers, and they were the 16-oz tub-o-brew types.  Feeling no
    pain, and it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't needed to use the
    ladies' room once all afternoon!  Odd, since you don't _buy_ beer, you
    _rent_ it....  Then I looked down.  Saucer-sized rings of moo juice,
    like targets, on my T shirt.  Aaarrgh!  Fortunately there was a pool to
    cannonball into; better to be wet *all over*!  So be advised, if there
    is excessive liquid intake, it gets shunted directly out the
    headlights.   <:-} 8:::::
    
    Leslie

    Okay, NOW I understand. Thanks for the amusing insights!
    8-) 8-)
    
    Monica

    
    Actually, I was going to compare letdown to a mini breast orgasm but
    then I decided not to. ;-)
    
    				Wendy   

re: all replies

Interesting!  The human body continues to amaze me.  Gosh I hope it doesn't
progress into actual leaking though.  That's messy enough when you're nursing.
Funny thing in my case, nothing in particular seems to trigger it; it just
happens at random times.  Guess my body's practicing but hasn't quite got
the hang of it back yet (baby will solve that I'm sure).

Kyra

    Hope the base noter is still reading this...
    
    In all three of my pregnancies I had the let-down sensation at around
    the 5-6 month mark.  Sometimes there was some leakage but VERY minimal. 
    The feeling then went away until after the babies were born. 
    
    So, from my perspective, you're normal!
    
    Linda 

    My let-down was not as pleasant, but definitely noticible.  I have had
    feelings like that with this second pregnancy, with no leakage luckily.
    Just a sudden, very full feeling in one gland, usually in one breast,
    and then it goes away.  This was in the 5-6 month range, at 7 months
    now, I don't feel it as frequently.
    
    Abbout leakage--try wearing a red cotton sweater to a meeting and then
    noticing--cotton changes color so dramatically when wet! :-}
    
    Adrienne
    

Another weird side-effect of this reflex...

I want to grab the nearest baby and let her go to it!  Oh and then about 
a millesecond later I realize this is "only a test"...

Kyra