I am 36 weeks pregnant. I don't know when to expect to begin lactating?

Question

First baby and I thought you began to lactate before the baby was born or is it right after birth?

Answer 1

it happens a few days AFTER birth. You make colostrum right after the baby is born and even before...but your milk will not come in until a few days after. Don't worry..the colostrum is fine for the baby..they don't have much appetite for a few days after birth.

Answer 2

Those who answered "after" are correct, at least for a first baby. Right after birth you will have colostrum which is filled with the antibodies and proteins your baby will need first. The thicker, blue-whitish true milk will begin several days to a week or so later. Breast milk is often imitated, but cannot be duplicated successfully. It's the best food for your baby.

Be prepared to nurse your baby a lot, which means your nipples will be sore. Right now, start tugging at them and rubbing a rough washcloth over the areolas to toughen the skin. Go to the drugstore and get nipple cream to soothe cracked skin.

Also, contact La Leche League http://www.lalecheleague.org/nb.html for personal help. There should be a contact group in your city, and someone will be more than happy to help you keep nursing your baby if you have concerns or problems

Don't depend on nursing as birth control, btw. Many women mistakenly think that as long as they're nursing they cannot get pregnant. You shouldn't use oral contraceptives while nursing, or many other over-the-counter medications as everything you consume will go into your milk. Check with your doctor if you need to take some kind of medication or supplement.

My dentist prescribed fluoride tablets for me to take both while pregnant and while nursing. After they were weaned, I gave them the tiny tablets until my sons' permanent teeth erupted. The tablets were very cheap, and as a consequence my sons' teeth are extremely strong. There is a trace amount of fluoride in many community's water supplies, but not in our well water.

Enjoy nursing your baby. It's a very special time!

Answer 3

completely prevalent. a brilliant number of the failings you're doing surely will income you greater as quickly as you have started the exertions technique; and could not inevitably placed you into exertions if infant and your physique do not think of they are waiting. Your due date is surely a versatile window of two weeks in the previous to 2 weeks after. the traditional first time being pregnant is 40-one weeks 5 days. you at the instant are not technically considered "late" even by using scientific standards (besides the fact that many practitioners will say you're and bring about you after 40-one weeks) until after 40 two weeks, which may well be approximately 3 weeks away yet. the reason for the ability is because of the fact which you could ovulate any time throughout your cycle - so until you have been monitoring ovulation over a number of months and understand for specific you basically had intercourse on some specific days for the duration of the completed cycle, you will have conceived as many as 2 weeks in the previous or later than the "scientific properly-known" of day 14 of a 21 day cycle. no rely while it happens, good success and congrats - infant would be right here quickly!

Answer 4

Lactating actually means feeding a baby. You, probably, mean, producing milk? Well, you may already be producing colostrum (a.k.a. premilk). If you press around your nipple, thick yellowish drop will appear - that's collostrum. It will be your baby's food for the first 3-4 days of his/her life. On the 3rd or 4th day after giving birth you will start making milk instead of colostrum.

Check out the links below, they will give you a lot of information!

Answer 5

Nah, a few days after the baby is born. After the baby is born you will produce a high caloric substance that isn't quite milk. It will be a great first step for your baby. Your milk comes in 3-7 days later.

Too much breast stimulation can cause early delivery so at this point, just relax.

Answer 6

You should have begun to produce what is called colostrum or premilk in the nineteenth or twentieth week of pregancy, though most women do not notice this change unless thier nipples are squeezed or it leaks on sexual arousal. After the baby is born and begins to nurse, drinking this premilk, it will stimulate the breasts to begin producing milk. In two to three days after birth, your milk should come in. You normally notice the difference because your breasts will become swollen and will leak when squeezed, aroused, or soaked in hot water.

Answer 7

You might get a bit of colostrum before you give birth and definitely afterwards. But my son was born on a Tuesday night and I didn't really get that "full" achy feeling in my breasts until about Friday morning (so about 2 1/2 to 3 days after I gave birth) It was a shock to wake up about two cup sizes bigger and practically leaking. lol

Answer 8

With my first I did not lactate until after birth. That first day really they don't it (right after birth) The hospital had me try right after giving birth to stimulate the milk production, the colostum came in right away I guess and my milk came in two days after birth and I looked like I had to melons attached to me. It is said milk comes in two to three days after birth.

Answer 9

trust me dear, when you're milk comes in you definetly will know :).
Some women start producing colostrum in the last months of thei pregnancies, leaking a lil bit or even a lot.
After you have your lil' one your body will produce more of it, It won't look like how you may expect it, it'll be somewhat gold yellowish, but its veryyy veryy good for your baby, (warning, it can stain your bras)
after a day or two it'll start to get lighter and lighter until it looks like milk. Sometimes it comes in gradually, and sometimes full force, where your let down is so strong that it can actualy spray out, and until your body adjusts to your baby needs, your breast may be a bit painful.
i found that ice packs helped. Hot showers helped but I didnt know that that actually helps produce MORE milk! lol

best of luck to you hun!

Answer 10

You may start leaking colostrum before you give birth but your milk doesn't usually come in until 2-3 days after you give birth.