# Double letdown?



## veggiemomma (Oct 21, 2004)

I have a pretty active letdown and I can really feel it when it happens. For the last two days or so, when dd is nursing I have an initial letdown right at the beginning and then about 20 minutes later, it feels like it happens again. Actually, I know it has because dd starts gulping and cooing (it's pretty cute!) when it happens. Do any of you all have this? Is it normal?

I feel silly asking, but w/ ds I never even felt a letdown. Weird.


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## raversangel (Jul 1, 2005)

that's what happens with me! i have the initial let down and then about two more per side







don't know if its normal or not, but its happens with me as well...its a bit quicker than 20 minutes though...it also happens when i pump...hth


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## hunnybumm (Nov 1, 2003)

Yes. I have multiple let downs!







Mine also weren't 20 mintues apart, they were more like 5 - 10 mintues, depending. I only felt them for the first 5 - 6 months, then I slowly stopped feeling them.


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## Jennbee (Apr 30, 2005)

I used to have multiple milk letdowns too. I once counted what I thought were 5 letdowns in one nursing session. That was the only time it happened that many times. Usually I'll have two, if DD is nursing long enough.


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## Miss Information (May 17, 2005)

I'd always wondered if others had multiple letdowns too. When I'd pump, I could count on them being at the same time - the initial one, then one at five minutes, 10-12 minutes, then one final one at the 20 minute mark. Unfortunately even though it sounds like it would be a lot, I'd only get about 2.5 oz during a 20 minute period. Unless it was in the middle of the night or during a power pumping session where I'd go longer.

I thought I wasn't normal - it's good to know it's like that for others too. I always assumed if other people had multiple letdowns, they were spaced closer together.


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## vicnoe (Jun 3, 2005)

I have double letdowns, too. I noticed it first with my second dd and mentioned it the lactation consultant I was seeing at the time. She said it was normal, so I didn't worry. With ds, I noticed 2 and sometimes 3 letdowns per side in the beginning. Now it doesn't happen unless he's nursing for 15 minutes or more (he's 15 months old and is very busy, LOL).

Christine


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## beaches1098 (Jun 17, 2004)

I found some interesting info in the Breastfeeding Answer Book. Some ultrasound examination of the lactating brest during breastfeeding by a research team in Australia has provided new info about what occurs within the breast during let down.

On average 75% of the mothers had more than 1 let down

The women on average had 2.2 let downs per breast

The more let downs a woman had, the more milk her baby received

Babies received on average 2 1/3 oz. of milk at a feeding and slightly more that one ounce per let down

On average 35% of babies came off the breast during a let down

About 30% of the mothers didn't feel any let down occurring and most didn't feel the subsequent let down after the first.

When let down occurred they found that the milk ducts which at rest averaged 1.2mm in diameter dilated to an avg of 4mm to accommodate the increaed milk flow. The duration of this dilation was 25 seconds to 3 minutes wih an average duration of 1.5 minutes.

During the scans the baby was nursing on one breats while the researchers were observing the changes via ultrasound in the other breast. Because the milk was not removed from the observed breast, they were able to watch the fatty particles in the milk flow down toward the nipple when let down occurred and flow back into the breast when it was not removed by the baby. Their conclusion is that milk is not stored in the larger ducts but rather in the alveoli and in the fine ducts near the alveoli.


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## Miss Information (May 17, 2005)

Carol - that info is SO COOL. It sounds like they've really done a thorough job in that book. I know it's not good to compare oneself to others, but it's great to know where I fall in that range.

So awesome of you to share that for us. I really appreciate it.

Thanks so much.


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## inchwormz (May 26, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kmcmommyto3*
Carol - that info is SO COOL. So awesome of you to share that for us. I really appreciate it.

Thanks so much.









This is great info! Thanks for sharing!


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## veggiemomma (Oct 21, 2004)

Thank you ALL for sharing. I was felt silly asking the question to begin wiht, but now I'm glad I did. Now I know I don't have some weird boob syndrome :LOL . My dd always seems surprised and happy when it happens.


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## 2kids+aSheltie (Jan 17, 2005)

I am glad I came across this post, because I have been wondering the same thing.







At least now I know I am not some freak of nature or something. Because I had asked one of my friends about it and she said she had never heard of that happening.


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