How long after birth does your milk come in?

Question

I'm really excited about breastfeeding, I think its the best thing you can give your child. I also have some concerns..What if my milk doesn't come in on time? I don't wanna feel like I'm starving my baby. Thanks for your advice

Answer 1

I struggled with both of my children to get breastmilk (which is no the norm) If this is your first child, you may have to work a little harder at it (but you may not) The first day, sometimes even the first couple of days, you might only have colostrum. That's okay. Proper latching on and a good suction fromt the baby are the keys to helping your milk production succeed. If you are haveing your baby in a hospital, use the staff to help you the first time. If you are having the baby at home, use your midwife to help you get started. La Leche has lots of good advice, info, and even local supporters who will come to your home and help you give your breastfeeding experience the best possible beginning. If you feel you are struggling, or you are concerned after the first few days call them, get help. Don't let it worry you, though. Worrying abou it actually can cause the flow to slow down. Instead go into it with confidence. Use that excitement to your adavntage. Your baby won't starve. There are plenty of options out there if you should find you have trouble. La Leche can guide you there also for pumps, supplemental breastfeeding attachments, etc. But don't even think about those unless you have to. Hopefully, you wont have to. I wish you the best of luck. Use the hospital staff (if you're having your baby there) or midwife. Use La Leche, or other local groups if you know of any. Don't worry. It is a wonderful experience, and well worth the effort for both you and your baby. There are so many "assistants" and options out there too, that help if your milk isn't coming in fast enough you will still have a very good chance of succeeding, just don't give up.

Answer 2

I'm so excited for you and all moms who are eager to breast feed their babies. Your breast milk should come in within the first couple of days or so, but most important will be the colostrum ("The thin yellowish fluid secreted by the mammary glands at the time of parturition that is rich in antibodies and minerals, and precedes the production of true milk".) This is important for the baby and really is all that is needed and it will only be a few drops. Don't worry about starving your baby the first few days. It's natural for breastfed babies to loose weight in the beginning until the milk comes in. They are still getting adjusted the their new world. In the hospital you will have a lactation consultant and many caring people who will help you through all your concerns. Most of all relax! It's natural and it's the best thing you can do for your baby! Good job for doing the best thing for your newborn! Good luck and enjoy!

Answer 3

3-7 days

Your milk will come in, you won't starve your baby. I'm assumeing you are still pregnant? Now is a great time to go to a LLL meeting! Yes--BEFORE you have your baby! go to http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html to find a local LLL near you in the US

If you have any questions or concerns email me at [e-mail] I'd be happy to help

in today's society, breastfeeding is often thought of as unnecessary. Young mothers are mistakenly led to believe that formula does very well as a replacement for breastmilk. It emphatically does not! Nothing can duplicate the properties of breastmilk, no matter how many vitamins, minerals and supplements are added to what is basically a chemical formulation.


About 70 percent of mothers start breastfeeding immediately after birth, but less than 20 percent of those moms are breastfeeding exclusively six months later. I believe this is because, like me with my 1st child, they are uneducated, uninformed and lack the proper support to build a good supply and a strong nursing relationship with their child.

Answer 4

Your milk comes in once you give birth. It is clear at first. From what I have been told about breastfeeding from doctors, that is the most important milk you can give to your baby. After that it will be a supply vs. demand type of relationship. The more your baby eats the more breast milk you will make. You will produce exactly what the baby will need so don't worry about it and definitely DO NOT SUPPLEMENT! That will change the amount of milk you produce. Good luck and it is a very rewarding experience.

Answer 5

Your baby doesn't need much at first. If your milk isn't in by the end of the fourth day, call the doctor. I didn't even know when my milk came in, so I was concerned, but since I am large breasted, I just didn't realize. Your baby has stocked up enough nutrients in the womb to keep him going for a while. He will lose some weight, but that's normal. I would highly recommend asking to see a nursing consultant at the hospital or in your pediatrician's office, because sometimes it's very difficult to get started. Once you get going, thogh, I think this is the most wonderful experience a woman can have. Good luck, and I congratulate you for making such a wise coice for you and your child.

Answer 6

the actual milk comes in 2-3 days after birth. The milky stuff before that is called Colostrum. You might start leaking this stuff a few weeks before the birth. Even if you don't intend on breastfeeding,you should nurse while in the hospital because the colostrum is the best stuff to give the baby for their immune system.

Answer 7

The human body works perfectly. Your breast already contain a milk substance called colostrum, which is rich in sugar and high in antibodies which your lil bundle of joy needs most. Begin feeding the baby as though your milk is already in. With the nipple stimulation it releases hormones to the brain signaling to produce more, so by day 3 after birth you boobs will feel like they have tripled in size. A word of advice (from a mother of 4 nursed kids) If (when) you find yourself engorged, the quickest way to give yourself releif is not with a breast pump. They way I did it was the suck and spit method. [yes i do mean you suck it out, and spit it] Provides immediate relief and it wont hurt you. The hand expression method works it just takes longer. Do not feed baby the milk you have spit , obviously. Hope I have helped. Breast feeding is the best. I personally think moms who nurse get more sleep than moms who don't.

Answer 8

You'll produce plenty of colostrum in the first few days. Yes, your newborn may lose some of it's original birth weight, but this is normal. Your milk should come in anywhere from 2 days to a week after you give birth. You'll know when it comes!

If the doctors at the hospital are concerned about the amount of weight your child is losing, they may suggest supplementing with formula until your milk comes in.

Good luck!

Answer 9

The milk comes in about three-four days after birth, until then, you produce colostrum which aids your babies first bowel movements, and you start proucing this anytime from your twentieth week of pregnancy. There is no reason for you to not produce milk, unless there is a medical cause that you don't know about yet. Don't worry, your baby won't starve, even if you get one like mine who drove me to tears because she slept all the time instead of feeding- she made up for it since though.

You have made a great choice, it's the best thing to do for your baby, and I want to congratulate you on making this decision!

If you find it difficult, contact La Leche League, it might be hard to start with but stick with it!

Answer 10

it's different for everyone, but you won't have to worry about your baby starving, since you will be producing lots of collustrum before your milk comes in (this is very good for the baby). also, it isn't necessary that the baby will need a feeding right after birth, you'll have plenty of time. talk with your ob-gyn on your next visit and ask if there's a nursing specialist in the hospital that can talk to you about your concerns, they're pretty common. just remember that the more you stick to your feeding/pumping schedule, the more success you'll have with it. congrats and best of luck!