WARNING: The Embarrassing Bodies website contains images of an explicit medical nature and nudity in a medical context.

Conditions

Over-Lactating Breasts

Breast Milk Production

Over-Lactating breasts isn’t a common condition, usually concerns over not having enough milk are more usual for new mothers. Symptoms of over lactation for mothers can be engorged breasts, plugged ducts and mastitis. For babies it can lead to fussing, gassiness, and hiccupping. A potential cause for this condition may be that the milk ejection reflex is overactive. However, over lactation is a relatively easy condition to solve. You can try to avoid pumping, because once you pump you are sending your body signals to produce more milk. Try to relax during feeding and alternate feeding positions. A laid down position will be helpful as gravity will help reduce the flow of milk. Often, the problem will pass as your body begins to settle into a routine and learns how much milk your baby will need to consume.

Comments and Questions

You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

I had my first child (my son) at 14 and felt I was to young to breast feed, my second child (my daughter) was born when I was 22 and breast feeding was the only option for me i went without sleep for 8 weeks as my daughter was on my breast every 5 minutes. After 8 weeks I started mix feeding (a bottle at night, breast during the day) I tried to express my milk but I would be sat there for 2 hours and only have expressed a mouth full. So when my daughter was 11 weeks old she was having bottle only, I felt like I was a bad mother because I couldn't give her as much milk as she needed, I felt like I had failed her. My daughter is now nearly 6 years of age and I am still lactating on a daily basis (where by my bra and top are wet through) but only from my left breast. Should I be worried about this????





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

Hi I'm 20 and I have someting cumming from my nipples could be milk but I my 15 month old son didn't take to breast feeding it has only started 2 days ago and I'm worried what do I do ???





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I am 16 going on 17 and my breasts recently produced a very small amount of milk, I am not sexually active and am very scared about this. Is it normal?





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

i have constant lumpy breasts i leak a green/grey discharge from my nipples i have had them checked out but the dr didn't give me the time of day she said i was to young to have anything bad, im 32 not a teenager my breasts have dropped and my nipples have changed colour to a purple colour please help regards kelly





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

Questions submitted to the site will be answered by other site users, not by medical professionals, so if you have a medical concern, please book an appointment with your GP.

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

I have black/dark blue discharge come from nipples, not alot comes out. Im not breastfeeding don't have any children wondering why this is as doesn't seem normal





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

Questions submitted to the site will be answered by other site users, not by medical professionals, so if you have a medical concern, please book an appointment with your GP.

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

hello i'm a 19 year old female. i have a little yellow spot-like mark on the end of my left nipple. when i squeeze it, it goes to the normal pink colour so i'm not sure what it could be and it doesn't hurt at all. does anyone have the same issue or know anything about what it could be? thank you





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

Questions submitted to the site will be answered by other site users, not by medical professionals, so if you have a medical concern, please book an appointment with your GP.

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

hiya i feel proper uncofirtable when having sex ad im embarsed to get my breasts out ve been with my partner 2 year and stil cant a i have got a extra nipple is there anthing i can do to get rid of it





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

Im breastfed my 2nd child til she was 1 year, shes going to be 4 after xmas, They told me ther is a tablet course they can give you but its quite agressive! they dont like to give ppl it, i havnt had it, they said try minimal contact to them, not to stimulate them and keep them in a tight fitting bra, my hormone levels were checked and within normal range. still 1 year on have the same as last year, its embarresing, been in a new relationship for 6 months now and hes just found out about it and is totally fine, my confidence is as low as it can get with regards to my body! I just told him what docs said n he understands, i just get bothered about the tenderness of them and since breastfeeding for a year ive lost my breasts to a small a cup size and im really concious about the size of them, do you think this could be making them smaller in any way? want them to grow again and milky discharge to stop!





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

i am not pregnant but have been produceing breast milk for over two years im 39 years old. very tiered but the doctors refuse to help me because my thryoid levels are "in mid range" please help me?? its been over 5 years of suffering now i cant take much more.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.


Please don't swear or be rude in your answers, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting answers. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

Questions submitted to the site will be answered by other site users, not by medical professionals, so if you have a medical concern, please book an appointment with your GP.

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

speak to your doctor and ask for a blood test; it's likely that the levels of a hormone called prolactin are too high in your blood.

i have been to docs and encrinologist they say my prolactin levels are ok and my thyroid is low but not enough to put me on thyroxine because im in "mid range" i had a 3 month trial of thyroxine in 2009 and i was so much better the dose wasnt high enough but it certainly helped me no doubt. its like living in hell i know whats wrong with me but the doctors wont help me im dont know what else to do.

It is possible that your nipples are being stimulated by clothing or a any outside source. This stimulation can cause the body to produce oxytocin which inturn can trigger the breasts to induce lactation.

i have a four year old child and stopped breast feeding him when he was one. I still get white milky discharge from my nipples and its not a nice thing to have if you are in a relationship. At the moment i am single and dont dare start anything incase the i start to leak milk. what is it and how do you stop it, been to the doctor he doesnt seem too concerned, he checked for other stuff like cancer, tumour, cysts,etc all clear so he like go home and relax, help please.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.


Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

Im exactly the same breastfed my 2nd child til she was 1 year, shes going to be 4 after xmas, They told me ther is a tablet course they can give you but its quite agressive! they dont like to give ppl it, i havnt had it, they said try minimal contact to them, not to stimulate them and keep them in a tight fitting bra, my hormone levels were checked and within normal range. still 1 year on have the same as last year, its embarresing, been in a new relationship for 6 months now and hes just found out about it and is totally fine, just told him what docs said n he understands, i just get bothered about the tenderness of them and since breastfeeding for a year ive lost my breasts to a small cup size and im really concious ablit the size of them, do you thin this could be making them smaller in any way? want them to grow again!





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your comment.



Please don’t swear or be rude in your comments, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting comments. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines

It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





This will be published. Surnames, nicknames or usernames are not allowed


Your email address will be kept confidential and will NOT be published – it is only being collected here in case Channel 4 need to contact you in relation to your answer.



Please don't swear or be rude in your questions, as they will not be added to the site. Please do not use your full name when posting questions. If in doubt, refer to the community guidelines

Questions submitted to the site will be answered by other site users, not by medical professionals, so if you have a medical concern, please book an appointment with your GP.

By posting on this website you are agreeing to abide by our community guidelines


Important Notice

The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.


If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here


More Information

  1. Charlotte's Story: Feeding Tube Insertion

    In Videos - This video explains the process Charlotte went through in order to…

  2. Episode 11 - Back to the Clinic 3

    In Episodes - Back in the clinic the doctors are checking up on everything from u…

  3. Consultation: Asymmetrical Breasts

    In Videos - Dr Dawn Harper examines a patient with asymmetrical breasts

  4. Am I Normal?

    In Episodes - Episode 2 of Embarrassing Teenage Bodies looks at conditions includ…

  5. In Detail: Inverted Nipple

    In Videos - An in detail look at the operation to correct an inverted nipple

  6. Episode 3 - Brighton

    In Episodes - The doctors head to Brighton with their truck-stop clinic, whilst t…

  7. Episode 3 - Rural

    In Episodes - This week's episode includes a woman leaving pieces of skin everywh…

  8. Episode 2

    In Episodes - Conditions being seen by the doctors in Episode 2 included Psoriasi…

  9. In Detail: Sagging Breasts

    In Videos - An in detail look at the operation to correct a pair of sagging bre…

  10. In Detail: Tubular Breasts

    In Videos - We take an in detail look at an operation to correct tubular breasts.

  11. In Detail: Breast and Nipple Reconstruction

    In Videos - An in detail look at an operation to reconstruct a breast post-mast…

  12. Episode 10 - Back to the Clinic 2

    In Episodes - Back in the clinic the doctors are checking up on cases of acne, in…

  13. Doctor Responses: Breasts

    In Videos - Dr Pixie answers your most frequently asked questions about breasts.

  14. Episode 2 - London

    In Episodes - This week's Embarrassing Bodies takes on the capital as the mobile…

  15. Episode 3

    In Episodes - Patients consulted and diagnosed by the doctors in Episode 3 includ…


Be On Embarrassing Bodies

The clinic is opening again for a new series.
Apply for Embarrassing Bodies >