I’m not leaking milk – Will I be able to breastfeed?

Many pregnant women who are preparing to breastfeed, have questions related to leakage of milk in pregnancy.

Many have concerns that if they are not experiencing any leakage of milk before giving birth, it shows that their body may not be able to produce the milk needed for their baby – which isn’t true at all.

The first milk that your body produces is called colostrum, a very concentrated, low volume milk, packed full of antibodies to protect your baby.

Your body produces this milk from the 16th week of pregnancy onwards, but many women never leak milk during pregnancy.

Even after your baby’s birth, when colostrum is being produced in the first couple of days, there may be no leakage of milk.

Be reassured that this is NOT a sign that your baby isn’t getting any milk. 

Some women will never leak milk throughout their pregnancy or their whole breastfeeding journey.

As long as there are other more reliable signs that your body is making milk and your baby is getting milk, then that’s absolutely fine.

Every woman has a different interplay of hormones, meaning leakage can be variable.

Some mothers will produce an oversupply of milk and have copious amounts of leaking, while others will not see any leakage at all, but their baby is getting all the milk that he needs. 

Try not to compare your experience with other breastfeeding women, as it isn’t a good indication of how well things are going.

Even if you have been leaking milk during pregnancy or the early breastfeeding days, and then as the weeks go on, you notice there isn’t as much leakage (or none at all), then that’s also absolutely fine.

You and your baby are now in synchrony with each other in regards to supply and demand for milk, and everything is settling down.