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Expert Q&A:
Is it normal for my breasts to leak during pregnancy?

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Elaine Zwelling
Answered by Elaine Zwelling R.N., Ph.D., L.C.C.E., F.A.C.C.E.
Elaine Zwelling, R.N., Ph.D., has been involved in maternal-newborn health care for 40 years. She has a bachelor's degree in nursing from Capital University and a master's degree in nursing and a Ph.D. in Family Relations and Human Development from Ohio State University. Dr. Zwelling brings to the Pampers Parenting Network her experience of helping expectant parents enjoy their pregnancy, plan and create a positive birth experience, and learn about parenting their newborn baby. She is certified by Lamaze International as a childbirth educator, is a Fellow in the American College of Childbirth Educators, and has taught childbirth classes for 25 years. Dr. Zwelling was the director and faculty for the Lamaze International Childbirth Educator Certification Program of Florida; in that role she prepared many nurses to become childbirth educators.

Dr. Zwelling was a Professor of Maternal-Newborn Nursing for 23 years at both Capital University and Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. At these institutions she taught undergraduate and graduate students and conducted research. For eight years she was a Senior Consultant with Phillips &; Fenwick, a women's health consulting firm in Santa Cruz, California, specializing in helping hospitals implement family-centered maternity care. Currently Dr. Zwelling is a Perinatal Nurse Consultant with the Hill-Rom Company. In this position, she provides comprehensive support and consultation to hospital maternity units to create quality care environments equipped with the appropriate equipment for labor and birth and provides clinical education for nursing staff.

Dr. Zwelling is the co-author of a maternal-newborn nursing textbook, Maternal-Newborn Nursing: Theory and Practice, and has published many professional journal articles related to maternal-newborn health care, family-centered maternity care, and childbirth education. Dr. Zwelling is a recognized speaker at professional conferences and teaches continuing education seminars for childbirth educators and perinatal nurses throughout the country.

Dr. Zwelling resides in Sarasota, Florida, and has a grown son, lovely daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.

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Question


Is it normal to have very leaky breasts during the sixth to the eighth months of pregnancy?

Answer


Yes, this is very normal and is a sign that your breasts are getting ready to produce milk. This leakage that you're seeing is called colostrum, or "pre-milk." At first it looks yellow and may feel a bit sticky, but later in pregnancy it becomes whiter and may actually look like thin, watery milk. You may leak varying amounts of colostrum from one time to another. You may see more of it when you are in a warm shower as the water hits your breasts. You may even be able to express it yourself by placing your index finger above the nipple and your middle finger below it and using a squeeze-pull motion. If you are planning to breastfeed, the colostrum will become your baby's first nourishment. Your true milk does not "come in" until about the fourth day after birth, so until then the baby will be getting colostrum when he nurses. It's really quite good for him, for it's high in proteins, vitamins, and minerals, contains important antibodies to help protect him from infections, helps prevent allergies, and has a laxative effect to help him expel his first bowel movement, called meconium.

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