What is “letdown?”

“What is letdown?” You may hear this work thrown around in breastfeeding group, la leche league meetings, or just other breastfeeding moms.

Letdown is the initial release of milk from a mother’s breast. When the milk is actually “let down.”

It is triggered by the baby or pump sucking on the nipple. Some women may feel a tingling sensation when her letdown occurs. Some women don’t feel anything. Usually once the milk “lets down” the baby’s sucking pattern will change from a quick short suck pattern (suck suck suck) to longer suck-swallow suck-swallow pattern.  Some pumps also have a let down feature with short, quick pumps and then change to slower, longer sucking pumps.

Some women have an uncontrolled letdown when they hear a baby cry, look at a picture of their baby, or think about their baby. Also, for this reason, some women find it helpful to keep a picture or video of their baby to look at while they are pumping. The letdown can also be helped by smelling something with the baby’s scent on it.

To help with a let down try to relax. You can also try to do some light massage before feeding or pumping or help get things flowing. Use gentle sweeping motions toward the center of your breast and nipple.