When does the milk come in?

Celeste - posted 6 days ago

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Danielle - posted on 06/09/2013

I'm 24wks and i'm starting to leak colostrum i'm i suppose to pump to keep it, or pump at all ? i don't want to lose my milk, It seems now with my second child my boobs are more senestive and much bigger i went up entire cup size so far, do they they get bigger when milk comes in? And should i bring my pump with when i have the baby, with my first child i couldn't really produce and i'm praying everything works out with this one, i want it to so bad, plus i've had the practice the first round so i know my dos and don'ts
Thanks

Jodi - posted on 11/24/2010

Your colostrum will come in first (this is called liquid gold btw, it's incredibly calorie and nutrient dense) and your milk on average will come in 3-5 days after birth. Some women more, some women less. The thing to keep in mind, is that for about the first week of life, your baby's stomach is no larger than a marble, then only as large as their fist! They really don't need a whole lot to put in there and get full!
As for foods, the best thing you can do is make sure you're eating a balanced healthy diet and taking your prenatals for as long as you breastfeed. The other important factor is to keep super hydrated. I can't tell you how thirsty I was breastfeeding!!! You body can't make milk without something to start from and since it's a fluid, you needs lots of fluids! Water, juice, milk whatever, just keep hydrated!
Best of luck!

Julianne - posted on 11/24/2010

i got colostrum at about 3 months pregnant, that was me though, the actual milk didnt come in until about day 5. Every woman is different

Jessica - posted on 11/24/2010

your milk comes in about a week after your baby is born. you'll have colostrum first and then your milk. not really any specific foods, just stay hydrated and still go by the pregnancy rules since you are gonna be breastfeeding.

Valerie - posted on 11/24/2010

I got my milk 3 days after I delivered and it just started to leak out. I kept wondering how you know, but you just know. Your boobs are huge and engorged and they will just start leaking milk. I got the book "The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding" which covered a great deal of info. It showed several different positions to try which was great. I also was lucky to have several lactation consultants on duty at the hospital who just stopped by and offered help. They were fantastic at showing you how to hold your breast so baby could latch on better and demonstrated what a good latch was. I also took a class on it that was part of our lamaze class.
Some things I would recommend are breastfeeding right from the get-go. As soon as baby is out, try getting him to latch on right away. All the books say that baby will naturally try to find your boob and suck. I also let my son suck/nurse as often as he cried the first 3 days while I had colostrum which seemed to help him soothe but also, I have had an abundant supply of milk. They say that if you don't use it, you lose it. So, I pumped and nursed as well. My son was also a quick eater, so he would only nurse for 10 minutes and now he does it for about 3-5 minutes. Since he doesn't nurse long, he has never drained one breast, let alone eat off of two! I still recommend just letting them decide when to eat and not trying to force them. Breastmilk is designed to be more watery at the beginning so as to quench their thirst and then get thicker and more filling at the end, which is the majority of their calories. This also tells them when they are full, so forcing them to eat more could mess with their bodies natural system of saying "Stop Eating!". My son is currently 5 months old and is doing great...95th percentile for height and developing normally and gaining weight right on schedule.
As far as food to eat, check with your doctor for any recommendations, but if nursing, you should be consuming more calories than you did when you were pregnant. Your body will burn 500+ calories a day just making milk and if you don't get enough calories, that's when your milk suppy will taper off. You want to make sure you are drinking plenty of water and getting enough protein (more than when your were pregnant) as well as fruits and veggies. Remember, what you eat affects your milk supply as well as taste. Eating a wide variety of food helps expose your baby to new tastes and should make transitioning to solids easier. Also, some babies can be allergic to different foods so pay attention to how your baby reacts if you eat a new food. My son throws up every time I have caffeine, so now I don't drink it. My final piece of advice is to start taking a prenatal DHA supplement. I started taking this during my 3rd trimester and have continued to take it now along with my prenatals. Why? Because DHA is what helps your babys brain develop and most women aren't getting enough of this in your regular diet (I believe it comes mostly from fish). I'm a vegetarian so I know I don't get enough. I can't be sure it works b/c my husband and I are both very educated, but my son is very smart and I get told this all the time. I don't know if he inherited it or if it is the DHA, but I'm leaning more towards DHA. I know that Whole Foods sells a great brand of this but you could probably get it at any health food store or possibly even Target or Wal-Mart.
Congratulations on the new baby and good luck! Breastfeeding is a great way to bond with your son and is truly a wonderful experience and feeling. It is the best thing for your baby so hopefully it works out for you!

Sarah - posted on 11/16/2010

You're milk will likely come in a few days after birth but some women start leaking before and some take a little longer. I normally say to let your body do what it's supposed to do and try not to stress out about it too much. I know it's easier said than done but being relaxed will actually help your milk to come in. Find out if the hospital/birthing center where you're having the baby has a lactation consultant on staff or who makes regular rounds you can usually see one while you're still in the hospital after having the baby and they are very helpful and reassuring. I saw one for both of my kids, she was a wealth of helpful knowledge.

Tiffany - posted on 11/15/2010

Your milk starts to come in within about 4 days after birth. The first few days you get colostrum which is very good for the baby. Your best friend for breastfeeding will be warm washcloths (for the engorgement) and Lansinoh cream (for dry/cracked nipples). It's safe to use on your nipples and doesn't need to be washed off before feeding the baby again. Although I did have to wipe it off sometimes because my daughter couldn't stay latched on lol. Best advice I can give you as someone who didn't stay with breastfeeding, is try to stay with it as long as you can but IF you can't keep it up, don't let others make you feel guilty about it. The bonding experience is amazing. =) Good Luck!

Eejayfauzana - posted on 11/15/2010

Hi Sarah, every woman has different experience towards this matter. in my case my production milk has been produced since i was 2 month pregnant to my daughter. so i think i was so lucky. so until now my daugter is 15months and i still breastfeed her. what i do to generate the milk is i drink a lot of water esp yogurt drink and fruits. i dont drink milk for mummy since i hate the taste of it. so change to drink lots of yogurt and soy. it helps much.

Tania - posted on 11/14/2010

Best thing you can do to help your milk come in is spend skin-to-skin time with your baby, offer the breast to your baby often and let baby suckle as long as they wish. Rest, eating and drinking well all help too. Having interventions during delivery can affect things, so have handy details for your local la leche league leader or a recommended lactation consultant so you can get good quality advice as soon as you need it. I was told so many incorrect and confusing things by the doctors, midwives at the hospital.. I really valued the advice and help I got from my local la leche league. "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" is the BEST book for you and your partner to read and have on hand. I would highly recommend getting your partner/husband as clued up as you can on breastfeeding, as they are the best support person ever and can make or break breastfeeding success.

Good luck!

Coco - posted on 11/14/2010

I recommend a book called "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding". Helped me with all my questions. Also talk to La Leche League and find some experienced Mommas to talk with. It's essential. Enjoy nursing. It's the most wonderful loving connection with your baby. Best to you!

Leanne - posted on 11/14/2010

Hello, you should check with your midwife as she will be able to answer all these questions, but as a breastfeeding mum i can tell you what i know. Your milk usually comes in on i think it is day 3/4 after birth. You can still breastfeed from the start though as you do produce food for baby even though it isn't proper milk yet. Breasfeeding is hard work sometimes especially at first but it is really great. I couldn't breastfeed my first baby so i took the decision to express my milk so he would get all the goodness of breastmilk. And with my second it was hard at first but once we got the hang of it, it has been great..... she is nearly a year and she is still feeidng from me. Hope all goes well.

Venessa - posted on 11/14/2010

your milk (colustrum) can come in prior to giving birth.. mine was able to be squeezed out from about 27w. If you give birth naturally your colustrum should be there for the baby to suck on asap however its not much as they dont need much. About 3 days later you will notice that it turns to white as the milk comes through

A - posted on 11/14/2010

Liv brought up some good points. You definitely have to learn to trust your body and your baby. Also, cosleeping was a life saver for me as well. Although for me my sons head wasn't big enough to lay down and sleep with him nursing until he was about 8 months old (his head size has always been in the 5th percentile).

I also wish I had used a sling in the early days. I didn't start using a ring sling and baby wearing until my son was a little older- and looking back it would have helped out a lot- especially when they are little and fall asleep at every feeding- a sling would have helped me have my hands free. My sling is one of the best things I ever bought and it doubles as a good nursing cover was well.

Liv - posted on 11/14/2010

A few things i would have loved to have know before i had my baby
- Your boobs don't necessarily get any bigger or feel any different when your milk comes in, mine stayed same size and just as soft. I panicked that i didn't have enough milk etc

- be prepared to nurse nurse nurse for a few weeks at least. i didn't realise it could take so long, i personally nursed 1.5hrs in every 2hrs for the 1st week than it slowed down a bit. Don't use pacifiers or top up with a bottle, let your baby nurse as it helps build your supply quickly and helps both of you settle into a nice breastfeeding relationship quickly too.

- don't listen to people/nurses that tell you to only feed your baby in the 2 basic positions. The best thing i ever did was learn to feed laying down and started to co-sleep. There is no way i'd have gotten past the nursing constantly stage it i hadn't co-slept.

- your nipples will hurt! A LOT, but that settles quickly provided you ensure you make your baby latch.

- and trust your body, you will make milk and if you persevere you will have a fantastic breastfeeding relationship. There is far too many bullshit mythes about women not being able to breastfeed etc.

Bridgette - posted on 11/13/2010

The delivery of the placenta sends a message to the body to produce 'prolactin' the hormone that tells your breasts to make milk, it takes usually 3 days for your milk to fully come in, sometimes it can take up to 10 days! but until then you'll have colostrum which is the baby's first food aka liquid gold, it's fantastic for your baby, clears out their bowel and is full of antibodies (and fills up their tiny bellies so they will not starve! no supplements are needed at all!) it is produced during pregnancy so you can start breastfeeding immediately after giving birth :) Oatmeal is great for increasing your supply but it is unlikely you will need to do anything, just feed your baby colostrum often and the nursing will bring in your milk faster (mine came in on days 2!) if you don't it can take longer - there is no reason you cannot BF straight away in recovery if a c-section is needed, just make sure they know your intentions. For more information I highly recommend you look at www.kellymom.com, it's the online bible for breastfeeding mothers :) Feel free to ask me any questions, I'm a bit of an expert in this area because I breastfed until my daughter self weaned at 17 months when I got pregnant and I plan to become a *lactation consultant so I have done extensive research (*someone who has been trained in this area) :P Good luck!

A - posted on 11/13/2010

Milk generally comes in 2-6 days after giving birth with your first child. Before your milk, you will have colostrum which helps line the intestines and get them ready to digest the milk. Colostrum, amount wise, can be very little. Just a few drops are all baby needs. I didn't ever see or notice any but it was there. My milk came in 2 days after giving birth.

There are foods and herbs you can eat that can help supply. Oatmeal and fenugreek (sp?) are a couple. The best thing to do for supply is to drink lots of water and to nurse, AT THE BREAST ON DEMAND!

The amount of women who TRULY have a problem with supply is about 1%. Many women, esepcialy in our society, are led to think they have a supply problem when either they truly don't or it could have been easily fixed and instead are given bad advice and go to formula.

Your milk production is based on 2 things. 1- how frequently your baby nurses. Babies are designed to nurse up to several times an hour. They can nurse for ten minutes or up to an hour. Breastmilk is digested in 2 hours and newborns tummies are the size of a marble. So they need small meals often. Its best to let your baby feed whenever they want, and watch THEM and not the clock. Let them nurse for however long they need. Offer one side first, and when they are done you can offer the other side. The second thing that determines your supply is how much milk is removed from your breast. This is important. Babies are the best at getting your milk out. So that means if you pump milk out or express it- you're not going to get as much as the baby would. So keep in mind if your pump, that its also not a good indication of supply. Also keep in mind the size of the babies tummy. When my son was a newborn I wouldn't even pump an ounce. But he grew and thrived and thats all he needed. He nursed about every two hours (from beginning to beginning) on his own schedule. My son is now 18 months and we're still breastfeeding.

Its great youre looking for help early on. Doctors and nurses aren't always the best help. You really want a board certificed lactation consultant. There are a lot of professionals who give bad advice. For example, when I was in the hospital even my LC told me to nurse for 15 minutes then switch, and to feed my baby only every 3 hours. Really the advice should have been to let my baby nurse whenever and for however long. My husbands sister-in-law just had a baby and fortunately she got a good LC that told her all of this! Many doctors and nurses are quick to go to formula because they don't know any better. Just exhaust all your options and get second opinions. If you need to increase supply the best thing to do is feed baby directly from the breast for longer and more often. Keep in mind BF babies gain a lot of weight quickly and then stagger off (typically). So after a few months if your babys weight percentile drops that doesn't neccesarily mean something is wrong with supply. My son started out in the 50% percentile and about 7 months he dropped down to 5% and has stayed there for almost a year. He's healthy and meeting all his milestones. A lot of advice is geared towards formula feed babies since that is what most people do. Formula fed babies tend to be more overweight and eat more. So doctors just expect all babies to be that way.

Correct latch is another big thing to do correctly. My nurse in the hospital didn't spend 5 minutes with me before shoving nipple shields in my face. Another friend of mine was using them for over 6 months because they never told her otherwise. Nipple shields are something to be used only after days and days of trying to latch have failed. I was also experience PAIN (not discomfort) on one side and my LC didn't do anything to help me. Turns out I cracked for two months and it was horrible.

So there are some problems I faced in the beginning. Hopefully you have a better experience. I know so much more now than I did in the beginning. Do your research. THe best website I've found is Kellymom.com. Its got a lot of good info and research. Hope that helps. :)

Kathy - posted on 11/13/2010

But don't ignore the colostrum! It is marvellous stuff! Here are some excerpts from LLL:
http://www.llli.org/FAQ/colostrum.html

"This special milk is yellow to orange in color and thick and sticky. It is low in fat, and high in carbohydrates, protein, and antibodies to help keep your baby healthy. Colostrum is extremely easy to digest, and is therefore the perfect first food for your baby. It is low in volume (measurable in teaspoons rather than ounces), but high in concentrated nutrition for the newborn. Colostrum has a laxative effect on the baby, helping him pass his early stools, which aids in the excretion of excess bilirubin and helps prevent jaundice."

"Your colostrum provides not only perfect nutrition tailored to the needs of your newborn, but also large amounts of living cells which will defend your baby against many harmful agents. The concentration of immune factors is much higher in colostrum than in mature milk."

"Colostrum actually works as a natural and 100% safe vaccine. It contains large quantities of an antibody called secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) which is a new substance to the newborn. Before your baby was born, he received the benefit of another antibody, called IgG, through your placenta. IgG worked through the baby's circulatory system, but IgA protects the baby in the places most likely to come under attack from germs, namely the mucous membranes in the throat, lungs, and intestines."

"Colostrum has an especially important role to play in the baby's gastrointestinal tract. A newborn's intestines are very permeable. Colostrum seals the holes by "painting" the gastrointestinal tract with a barrier which mostly prevents foreign substances from penetrating and possibly sensitizing a baby to foods the mother has eaten."

"Colostrum also contains high concentrations of leukocytes, protective white cells which can destroy disease-causing bacteria and viruses.'

So instead of worrying when your milk will come in, think (smugly) of all the good stuff he/she is already getting!

Abbie - posted on 11/13/2010

Typically, your "milk" will "come in" somewhere between days 2-7 after you give birth. In the meantime though, you have priceless colostrum, which is MORE than enough to sustain your baby. The most important thing that you can do is just nurse, nurse, nurse. You can NEVER nurse too often. If your baby is fussy or seems hungry, offer your breast. A breastfed baby will never over-eat like a bottle fed baby will.
You can eat whatever you like. You should drink to thirst as well.
If someone is telling you that your baby is starving or "needs" to be suplemented with formula or sugar water you can rest assured that about 99% of the time (if not more) that they have NO clue wtf they're talking about. lol Your body knows what it's doing.

Another thing that I would HIGHLY suggest doing is taking your local La Leche League Leaders names & #s with you to your place of birth so that if a problem arises, you can talk to them. (Typically, a LLLL is much more qualified than the hospital lactation consultants or nurses or even doctors. Believe it or not, these people typically get about 30 MINUTES of training).

Another thing that you might want to look into is the benefit of keeping your son intact (ie: not circumcising) since him having the surgery can inhibit breastfeeding, along with a bunch of other things.

Congratulations in advance! It's a very exciting time! I wish you nothing but the best!

Jessie - posted on 11/13/2010

my actually milk came in at 5 days after delivery but months before birth I occassionally saw colostrum which is the high calorie 'liquid gold' that preceeds your mothers milk. it is meant to sustain your baby for several days until your milk comes in. it is highly packed with nutrients even a few mouthfuls is enough to fill a baby up and meet his needs :) the more often you nurse the sooner your milk will come in/the more you will have. this goes concept goes throughout your entire nursing experience. There is no such thing as a feeding schedule when you breastfeed. Some babies nurse SEVERAL times an HOUR for a few minutes at a time, or some nurse every couple hours for LONG periods of time (think 30 minutes to an hour) they all go through stages and growth spurts that can change their normal feeding patterns (more often, less often, etc). Whatever you do, do not take advice from someone who has not exclusively breastfed a child, and that includes doctors. trust me, your in for a world of 'booby traps' if you do.

Heather - posted on 11/13/2010

Colostrum

Colostrum is the thick, yellowish milk that can start to appear during pregnancy. Before birth, your baby receives the nutrients it needs to grow and develop through the placenta; after birth, your colostrum and milk take over. (1)

“Colostrum is a living fluid, resembling blood in its composition. It contains over [sixty] components, [thirty] of which are exclusive to human milk. It is species-specific, designed for human babies.” (2) Among these sixty components are immunoglobulins, high amounts of lipids, milk fats, and protein, high levels of beta-carotene, and high concentrations of leukocytes. (3) Each component has a specific function to nourish and protect your newborn. Here are a few of the reasons your baby will benefit from colostrum.

When your baby is born, her stomach is the size of a marble. This is why she wants to nurse so often – not only does she not eat much at any one feeding, but colostrum is also easily digestible, so it passes quickly through her system. Colostrum has a laxative effect on a newborn, and it will help your baby pass meconium (baby’s first poo).

Passing meconium is important to rid your newborn’s body of excess bilirubin and prevent jaundice. When the meconium has passed, your baby’s stomach will then grow to the size of her fist, and she will start nursing (and ingesting) more milk. (7)

Interestingly, colostrum is not on a supply/demand schedule – the amount of colostrum your body produces is hormonally driven, it is not related to how much your newborn nurses. This is in direct contrast to mature milk: your body will make more the more your baby nurses. (8)

Transitional Milk

As its name implies, transitional breastmilk is the milk you produce while your body transitions from colostrum to mature milk. (1) A woman may produce transitional milk for up to two weeks after childbirth, longer if she gives birth prematurely. (2) While colostrum is hormonally driven, transitional milk marks the beginning of breastmilk’s supply/demand production – a mother’s “breasts are stimulated to produce transitional milk by breastfeeding her baby regularly, about every 2 hours.” (3)

Transitional milk is really just a mixture of colostrum and mature milk. It has high levels of lipids necessary “for growth, brain development, and salt synthesis[,]” proteins needed for nutrition and blood sugar regulation, fats and lactose for calories, energy, brain development, and retinal function, and water-soluble vitamins. (4)

Transitional milk is a mixture of colostrum and mature milk. Here, a newborn latches on for the very first time - he will reap the benefits of colostrum and breastmilk for a lifetime! Thank you to Allison at http://omyfamilyblog.com/ for sharing this beautiful image.
Mature Milk

Human breastmilk* contains more than two hundred recognized components, and each is specifically designed to the needs of infants. (1) These components include proteins, fatty acids, stem cells, growth factors, vitamins, carbohydrates, and other substances. (2) Mature breastmilk contains different amounts of these components than does colostrum, transitional, or involutional milk.

Not only do the components of breastmilk change depending on the age and stage of the nursling, variations also exist within each nursing session, with the time of day or night, and to some extent with maternal diet. (3) And while maternal diet does have some effect on the composition and taste of breastmilk, “a mother’s breast milk is adequate in essential nutrients, even when her own nutrition is inadequate.” The volume of breastmilk is also relatively constant, regardless of maternal diet. (4)

Mature milk comes in anywhere from 1-9 days after birth. Your body knows when it's time and ONLY your body can determine that.

(information from Code Name: Mama)

Stephanie - posted on 11/13/2010

My biggest suggestion would be to go to www.llli.org and find a local meeting for La Leche League. They are groups of mommies pregnant and delivered who have the desire to nurse their babies. A Leader is there to help with questions you might have, and I do suggest asking a LOT. They will be a great encouragement after baby is here and are a GREAT resource. Congrats!

Katie - posted on 11/13/2010

It's usually the 4th or 5th day after giving birth. Before that, your baby will be getting colostrom which is enough. They don't need anything else than that until your milk comes in. My milk came in quick for a first time mom. It came in on the 2nd day, so my DD was never starving.

Megan - posted on 11/13/2010

Sarah, with my first born (emergency C section) my milk came in after 3 days (same day as baby blues), and with my 2nd i had to have a C-Section due to the complications in my first pregnancy. My milk came in 2nd day with my son. Although i did express some colostrum before i went in. It took about an hour to get 2mls out! That was so if the operation took longer than anticipated, that my bub had something to drink. Lucky i did, because there were some complications, and i didn't get to see my baby until 3 hours after he was born! You can start manipulating your breasts now, although you would only see a drop or two. Like the ladies say, your body will automatically tell you that you've had a baby, and that you need to produce milk. What i can say is don't stress about it. It will happen, then you'll be wandering why you were stressing to begin with! Good luck with your pregnancy!!!

Jessa - posted on 11/13/2010

Not to worry, your milk will come in a few days after you give birth, before then you will have only colostrum which is extremely healthy and important for your little guy. Once he is born just start him nursing as soon as you can and begin working with him so you can learn his needs and he can learn what he needs to do. When your milk does come in you may become a little bit engorged and sore, don't worry about it too much, it is natural and once he starts drinking the milk things will even out and your body will adjust :) Good luck with your little guy and congrats!

Mandy - posted on 11/13/2010

For me it took about 3 days with both my kids, although they still seemed hungry. With my first the nurses were very helpful getting latched but that was it. I would just let her suck though. With my second it was at a different hospital, and they gave me the choice to give formula. So I would let her suck about 10 mins each on both sides then top her up with a bit of formula. It really seemed to keep her satisfy her longer. Keep in mind that they have really tiny stomachs when they are born too. Hope this helps

Marsha - posted on 11/13/2010

yes, latch is major important!!!!!! Proper latch makes all the difference in the world.

Britany - posted on 11/13/2010

Also..I know this sounds weir but youtube how to get a proper latch I did that and it really helped to know what your doing!

Knikka - posted on 11/13/2010

hahahaha I agree with the previous post... your organs kind of go "squish" and then you're back to normal with a flabby belly and uterus... your uterus contracting is a good thing! mine was back to it's normal size by the time we left the hospital because I nursed so often. If your nipples start to hurt really bad let them air dry with some milk or colostrum on them (when appropriate haha) it makes a HUGE difference as to whether or not they bleed... having the baby take a lot of the aereola works well, too because the latch isn't focused just on your sensitive nipples. "roughing up" your nipples before the baby is born is a myth... don't do this, it hurts and won't help you at all. Also, breastfeed IMMEDIATELY... don't wait, it's sooo much easier if as soon as the baby is born, before their bath, while you're both still naked to lay them on your chest and they will find your nipple and then immediately start, and this will ensure your milk will come in faster.

Britany - posted on 11/13/2010

s different for everyone but mine came in 4 days after...I was told to drink lots of red rasberry leaf tea..buy it at a health foom store but not until after you 34 weeks...I did and I had enough milk to feed 3 kids I warn you breast feeding is painful stick to it for 3 weeks and after that its easy I promise!!

Marsha - posted on 11/13/2010

OH yea, reading some of these posts I wanted to mention... sometimes your nipples will get super sore. Mine did, mostly for my second baby. I used a nipple shield - it doesn't keep away all the discomfort/pain, but enough to keep nursing. It is common for this to happen, normally our nipples are not used so much!! LOL. Anyhow, just wanted to let you know that even if they get sore, keep going cause it will pass.
Also if you get any blocked ducts in your breast, this I had too with my second, the best way to get the milk moving again is to nurse on all fours over the baby. Yes, you read that right - it is the most strangest way to nurse, like you are a cow - seriously, but I did this each time I had a blocked duct (2 or 3 times!!) and it works. Rubbing the area and hot showers help, but I found this solves the issue quite quickly. Blocked ducts can be painful.
And furthermore - after baby is born, and you nurse you may feel your uterus contracting. It can be a little uncomfortable. However for me, my first wasn't that bad, it was my second baby that my uterus contracting really was very uncomfortable. But I wanted you to know about this too.
And one other thing... when you first have baby, the first time you stand, it might feel really weird inside, that is just all your organs falling back into their proper place. HA! Remember they are all pushed here and there when making room for baby!
I don't think OB's tell that...
okay...I am done. ;)

Marsha - posted on 11/13/2010

Looks like you got the right answers... first it is colostrum then milk. Don't worry if baby only drinks a wee bit in the beginning too - their little stomachs are the size of a chick pea when they are born, it only takes a few drops to fill it at first...that is all they need.
As your baby demands milk, your body will produce it. It is quite amazing!!!

There are foods and herbs out there that do help with milk production, just ask a health food store employee or a ND or a Herbalist.

Good luck! And congratulations!!

Ulku - posted on 11/13/2010

Dear sarah, I started brestfeeding 30mins after my c-section. you need to start breastfeeding as soon as possible. dont worry that you have milk or not just breastfeed him/her.but dont give only the nipple part, try to give whole areola part otherwise your nipples will be sore and hurt incredibly until they get rough. at start you will have the milk called colostrum which contains antibodies to protect the baby against diseases, mine was golden color and I thought something was wrong and wasted some of it :( the amount will be very little so dont worry that she doents have enough milk. Breastfeed her every 2hours or whenever she wants or cries. my real milk came exactly the 4th day after my daughter born. I can never forget that day! I had a terrible back pain, my breast suddenly got big in 2 sizes! then I noticed that my milk came. and understood why I had the back ache :). eventhough you breastfeed correctly, your nipples can be still sore. if you want to breastfeed your child, please dont give up. even they might hurt incredible for a while (mine was 2 weeks, I thought it would never end, but it did! so dont give up for your baby.) also hope you dont make the mistake I made!, in order to increase my milk I ate everything I heart. and ended up with extra weight! the most important thing is morale. if you are happy and drinking enough liquids you will have enough milk and they will even spray around :)) its fun! but also in my experience whenever I ate chicken and fish I had very full breasts. but you need to eat these food anyway :) my daughter is 15months old now and I am still breastfeeding. its such a special thing that you cant describe how special it is that until you experience it.. hope you enjoy too.

please dont hesitate to contact if you need.

Knikka - posted on 11/13/2010

It took soooo long for my milk to come in, it was really hard for us... this is when I got a pacifier because all he did was suck, suck, suck and cry cry cry when there was only colostrum. I've never heard of that before, most mom's are able to go right into breastfeeding. My mom got milk by the end of the day when I was born as well as my sister... but be prepared! as the PP said: your breasts will DOUBLE (or more... I went from an A to a D) when it does come in. I kept going "I think my milk is in..." and then I woke up with rock hard D-cups... they even themselves out, just keept at it. I pumped a little off before offering him the breast which helped him latch. Here we are at 8 months old and he's a fantastic BFer

Marielle - posted on 11/13/2010

right and another thing, babies have difficulties with the breast if it is over full. a good way to relieve this is either have a pump, or if you were like me and didn't, then have fun in the bathtub seeing how far you can shoot your milk across! haha but really, run a bath if possible and lay on your tummy and express by massaging/squeezing the most full parts that hurt. they will be hard lumps... so it will be obvious where to gently apply pressure. do this in the warm/hot bath water and it will help the milk come out. milk is supply-and-demand so you won't have an issue with your baby not getting enough, especially at the beginning when the baby's stomach is only the size of a walnut.

Lydia - posted on 11/13/2010

my milk came in 2 days after birth.

best thing to help it is to nurse often right from the start, best is to initiate nursing within the first hour after birth. you can also stimulate your breasts with the shower. mothers milk tea is good to help increase milk supply, but you might be overfull in the beginning and not need it, but it's great for later on when you need to make more milk. oh and of curse nurse on demand (when your baby shows signs of hunger) and not according to schedule.

Marielle - posted on 11/13/2010

the nurses at the hospital will hopefully help you, and they will tell you all about it. my milk came in around day 3 or 4 after i had been discharged. i woke up and all of a sudden i was pamela anderson. the excitement has since worn off, because i'm not overflowing anymore. i had some difficulties with getting my baby to nurse without falling asleep, and i went to a breastfeeding clinic and she told me to STOP WAKING HIM UP when he falls asleep, and that babies need to catch their breath when they start nursing and they won't ALWAYS be sucking for the 20 mins they advise you to feed for. he would constantly pass out and when i tried to wake him to get him to drink, he would get fussy. simply because he was done for then. babies have their own schedule for a while and that's okay.

Kasie - posted on 11/13/2010

O and if your breasts get sore because they get so big with the milk then I suggest a warm wash cloth on them, I did that to make sure I wouldn't have any problems.

Kasie - posted on 11/13/2010

First of all Congrats! Kids are the best thing in the world! You're milk comes in after the baby. When you start breast feeding, for a while you will only have the beginning stuff that comes out before the milk and it has all the nutrients that the baby needs so don't worry about not having enough. The only thing the baby might cry about like mine did was he was still hungry but he got everything he needed and when I handed him off to my mom for a bit he calmed down. Soon after your milk will let down and your baby will get both. If you are afraid that nothing is coming out then express with your hand to see if drops come out. I had to do that in the beginning to make sure my baby was getting anything because he was my first and I was nervous. But we got it figured out right away, had a few bumps in the road but we're golden now.

Rachael - posted on 11/09/2010

please be ware that while there is some great info on the breastfeeding forum there has not always been alot of support for those who had difficulties or concerns. many of the moms are extremists with EBF, if you are ok with that the info can be useful. =)

Kathy - posted on 11/09/2010

My suggestion is to get as much information about breastfeeding asyou can before your baby is born. Breastfeeding is natural, but it doesn't always come easily. In formation is your best weapon. So go to classes if you can, research, research, on the Internet or in your library.

This community has plenty of threads to help you, for example SPECIAL NOTE TO FIRST-TIME EXPECTANT MUMS WHO PLAN TO BREASTFEED
http://www.circleofmoms.com/breastfeedin...
and *Edited*BREASTFEEDING FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
http://www.circleofmoms.com/breastfeedin...

I hope everything goes well for you! There's always support here.

Rachael - posted on 11/09/2010

i agree completely with the lactation consultant if your insurance covers it, and most do, see one before you deliver. Good luck!

Danielle - posted on 11/09/2010

you might find that you are already leaking colostrum, or you may not be, this is what your baby will eat for the first few days, for me 4 days after i delivered my god did my milk come in, your boobs will probably grow to double the size but this should settle within a week, its important to make sure you try to drain the breast as much as you can during this stage, and if you find you are too engorged for your baby to latch try to express or pump a bit off to make it easier (i nearly got mastitis the second day after milk came in, my boob was too big and she couldn't get a latch, had to send hubby to by me a pump and that helped)
one piece of advise i can give is to make sure you use the lactation consultants at the hosp before you go home.

Rachael - posted on 11/09/2010

the colostrum is all your baby will need until milk comes in about 5-9 days after delivery. If for some reason baby needs to go to NICU it is important to pump in the hospital frequently to get your milk supply established, otherwise nursing as frequently as your little one wants should be good enough

Carolyn - posted on 11/09/2010

your milk comes in after delivery. usually about 4-7 days after . the first few days when your baby is nursing , it will be getting colostrum which is like super concentrated breast milk, a little drop will do ya. as your baby nurses the colostrum your milk will start to come in.

after delivery your hormones change and its this that says HEY ! WE NEED MILK IN HERE !

some women's milk comes in a little slower , and apparently it does if you have a c- section as its not the same process as natural child birth.

dont worry , if you are going to make milk you will make it ! very rarely is there a woman who does not make milk. nursing or not, it happens after the baby comes !