Once your baby has latched on and begins to nurse after your milk has come in, you’ll experience the “let down” reflex. This can take several minutes. As this happens, you’ll notice your baby’s sucking pattern changes. Infants take quick, short sucks when they’re attempting to increase your milk flow. As your milk begins to flow more freely, your baby will change to longer, gulping sucks. This is how you’ll know your baby is drinking. You should even be able to hear her swallowing.

In about two to three weeks, after your milk supply is well established, you may notice a tingling sensation in your breast when your milk is letting down. You may also notice milk leaking from the opposite breast during “let down” or when it’s time for your baby to be fed. Sometimes just hearing a baby cry, not necessarily your own, can also stimulate your milk to flow. “Let down” can easily be stopped by putting your hand or forearm across your breast and pressing straight back against the nipple until the leaking stops.