My wife does not have breast milk, it has been 3 days now. How?

Question

Is there any tips to , or some additional nutritions for my wife to have the breast milk for our baby

Answer 1

I started producing milk on the 4th day. I was so scared my baby would starve to death so on the 3rd day I ended up giving him some formula. Like I said it finally came in on the 4th day, I was so engorged I had to start pumping some.
My son turned 1 on October 24th and I'm still nursing him.
Tell your wife not to stress out about it, it will come, just keep nursing the baby every time he/she cries, it's the constant suckling that will make the milk come in. Tell her to drink lots of fluids, 64 oz a day. That's 4 half liter bottles a day. And she needs to eat a healthy diet, she needs extra calories while breastfeeding. There are no specific foods to eat for milk production contrary to popular belief. Just stay away from caffeine and tobacco.
Hope this helps.

Answer 2

If she is only 3 days post-partum, it is very normal for her to not have mature milk yet. She would still be producing colostrum.

Colostrum is yellow, thicker and sticky and comes in small quantities. It is perfect for a newborn. Remember baby's tummy is only the size of his/her fist. The colostrum contains lots of concentrated nutrients and immunities.....like baby's first immunization.

About 3-5 days after the birth is when most mothers notice their milk coming in. This is when the milk transitions over to look more like what we think of as "milk" and begins to appear in a higher volume. The frequent sucking of the baby at the breast (and/or use of a breast pump) is what will bring the milk in. Remember that breastfeeding is a supply and demand process. The more the baby nurses, the more milk there will be.

The links below will help you to understand what is normal at this stage.

Make sure your wife is eating and drinking to thirst. She will probably be needing more fluids than usual right now. Make sure she is resting......she should sleep when the baby sleeps. The baby should be nursing approximately every 2 hours around the clock at this age, maybe even more. Breastmilk digests in about 90 minutes.

Answer 3

The more often your baby is put to the breast, the faster the milk will come in. It will start off yellowish, like the colostrum she has now, then it will blend into mature milk by 4 weeks.
You wife shoud be nursing at LEAST 8-12 times in 24hrs. Each nursing should be about 15minutes or longer.
There is no magic potion that is going to make milk for you wife, simply effective latching and demand feeds will give her a good supply. DO NOT look at the clock, that is the breastfeeding Moms worst enemy. Formulafed babies have schedules, not breastfed babies. Making milk is supply vs. demand, the more often your baby nurses, the larger the yeild of milk.
Your wife needs to get in contact with some other breastfeeding Moms for support. Call your local La Leche League and find out when there meetings are. Attending is free and there help is invaluable.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

It is important to drink plenty of water; in addition, to eating healthy foods (veggies and fruit should be plentiful). There are also some vitamin supplements that can be taken, which help support milk production, to be bought from a natural vitamin store. I used to use Prenatal from Solgar, but there are other good ones out on the market. It takes time for the milk to start flowing. The more the baby sucks the faster it will happen, so even if it appears that there is no milk, let the baby suck anyway. You need a lot of patience to breast feed. At times you feel like your breast is always out there, exposed. Although, it is a special time, try to enjoy it; they grow so fast.

Answer 5

She is probably still making colostrum, which the baby needs before the milk comes through. Just tell her to keep offering the breast, and the constant stimulation will be enough to start milk production.
I hope that helps.
You could also get her to try using a breast pump- although I'm not sure if that is recommended for getting the milk flow started.

You could also ask the midwife when she comes to do the next home visit.

Answer 6

It takes 3-4 days before the milk comes in. Keep offering her breast to your baby in the mean time. The colostrum is very important.

I ended up renting a electric pump from the hospital to help with the milk production. Once your wife's milk start to come in, breastfeed your baby first, then pump each breast for another 6-8 mins just to ramp up the milk production.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Just have her nurse the baby as often and as long as the baby will nurse, even when the baby is asleep. It will come soon.

You might want to make sure the baby is not getting dehydrated. Put your finger in the baby's mouth and you'll be able to tell if the baby is dehydrated by how the mouth feels (wet or dry). If the mouth is too dry, you might want to give a teeny bit of formula (like a teaspoon) in a medicine dropper, but not a bottle. It's too early to introduce a bottle.

Then just keep nursing and nursing and her milk will come in soon. Three days isn't unusual. Make sure your wife has plenty of water to drink.

Answer 8

Put the baby to the breast as often as possible. Every 90 minutes would be good. Let the baby stay latched as long as it wants to. Milk is a supply and demand thing. On day 3, baby should have 3 wet/dirty diapers.

Answer 9

I went for an entire week waiting for my milk to come in. Nothing was happening. My breasts werent even sore. I put myself on a breast pump 1 time and then boom! I was over flowing with milk. Have her try pumping her breasts with a breast pump as well as nursing the baby, that should do the trick.

Answer 10

Mine didn't come in for 4 days either. The colostrum is VERY important too, so be glad your baby is getting that. Your baby does NOT need formula, if that's what you're worried about.

Just be patient, everything is normal and going well.

Congratulations!!