Breast feeding: Milk wont come in for a few days? How will my baby survive??

Question

If my milk wont come in for a few days after I give birth... Will my baby just be extremely malnourished!?

I really don't like the idea of the alternatives to bottles, [cup feeding, spoon feeding, eye dropper or syringe, finger-feeding, ect.], but I aldo don't wan't my baby to have nipple confusion, and don't want to give him a bottle..

I only recently decided to breast feed when my baby is born [24 weeks pregnant now] and I don't know much about it.. But I'm getting scared I won't do it right and if anyone has any information I may not know or tips I would really appreciate it...

I don't want to starve my baby! Can I *only* breast feed, or do I have to give my baby supplements?

I will have a cesarean [c-section] 2 weeks in advance [yes, it is necessarry due to certain complications and the only safe delivery],

Is this considered premature?

Does that mean I will need supplements??

Answer 1

your body will produce colostrum this will nourish the baby for the first day or so. don't worry, your body is designed to do this! yes you only need to breast feed even before the milk comes in!
i suggest you speak with a lactation specialist at your local hospital where you will deliver, they will offer you tons of information and support!


EDIT: no 2 weeks early is not preemie! in fact 37 weeks is consdiered full term. i had twins 6 weeks early by c section and my milk came in fine (i could not nurse cuz they spent 2 weeks in the NICU and never learned to nurse, but i was able to pump for them!)

Answer 2

Your baby will do fine. There really will be enough colostrum. Your body will be providing exactly what your baby needs. You cannot provide perfect food for another woman's baby, and your baby cannot get his perfect food from her- it only comes from you! This relationship is so awesome that it defies understanding and many well-meaning medical professionals can't wrap their head around it, but it's true! Nature has trumped science again! Do not allow hospital staff to give the baby formula or water supplements in the first few days. It will interfere with your milk coming in and will not prevent jaundice or help your baby in any way. Have your nurse write "exclusively breastfed" on your crib card so there is no confusion. Keep the baby in your room and nurse as often as the baby will- this helps to build your supply up. I always needed to eat A LOT the first couple of weeks- wait a while for a weight loss plan. Also, before your baby arrives, find a good support person who will answer your questions night or day. If you have good support in the beginning while you are learning to breastfeed it is much easier. Your baby will also lose up to 10% of his/her birth weight the first few days. This is supposed to happen and does not mean your baby is starving. The weight should be regained by their 2 week checkup, so do not worry about this. Feel free to e-mail me if I can help further.

Answer 3

It is not premature, but because your body may not have been ready to go into labor, your milk may take a bit longer to come in.

Nursing as frequently as the baby will allow and latching the baby immediatly after birth will help.

A newborns stomach is about the size of a pea. You will have colostrum in the begining, and 1 oz of colostrum contains about the same amount of calories as 16 oz of formula. Colostrum is ussually plenty for a newborn baby for up to a week or more.

I mentioned the alternative feeding methods earlier in case something happend where you had to be seperated from your babe after birth.

*If* supplementation becomes nessisary in the first weeks after birth, you would want to use an SNS while nursing. That is an IF. It shouldn't be, but just read up on it beforehand, most doctors will just reccomend a bottle which can really sabatoge a new nursing relationship.

Most babies lose weight in the first weeks after birth. Losing more than 10% of birth weight is generally accepted as a reason to supplement... but you have to take into account that you will be on an IV and the extra fluids will add water weight to your babe and that will come off quickly.

If i were you, i would get in touch with the local LLL and find a GOOD independant lactation consultant. Meet with her beforehand and have her address your concerns. She can come to the birth and you will have someone to call with concerns afterward. I would also reccomend you take the baby to her for the first couple of appointments. Most peds are idiots when it comes to breastfeeding.

If you are okay sharing, why do you need a c-sec? I can understand if you arent... but there are very few reasons to sched an early c-sec, and im rather curious :)

Answer 4

You absolutely do not have to supplement a newborn. Your milk will arrive at about 30-40 hours following birth. In the meantime, you will make a very nutritious colostrum that is like liquid gold for babies. Most breastfed babies lose a little weight during those first few days, but unless your child is born underweight and not healthy they will be fine. If you show hesitation at the hospital, then the nurses will be happy to provide your child with formula supplements and may even slip a little in without telling you. Decide at the beginning that you are going to breastfeed exclusively or supplement and make sure the nurses understand your wishes. My daughter was born at 6.9 pounds and went home at 6.0 but gained it quickly back within just a few days. It's perfectly normal and she was not starving or my pediatrician would have stepped in. I told the hospital pediatrician that unless there was a compelling medical reason to supplement, that I would be breastfeeding only. You need to breastfeed every two hours during the day at at least every three at night until the baby passes their original birth weight, then you can let the baby decide how often.

I suggest reading as much as you can about breastfeeding (great link below), look for Yahoo groups that offer breastfeeding support and maybe even participate in your local LLL meeting for information. Good luck!

Answer 5

First of all, relax. How awesome that you've decided to provide the very best for your baby! Now is the time to do a little research so that you will know what to expect. It's very smart of you to be thinking ahead like this. Lots of women don't think ahead and then give up very quickly simply because they had expectations about breastfeeding that didn't come true (like the milk coming in right away).

You're right; it will take about 3-7 days for your full milk supply to come in. I've even known a few women whose milk supply took a full 2 weeks to come in! But during that time, you will be providing a different substance for your baby called "colostrum". Colostrum looks different from regular milk (yellowish) and because your baby's stomach will be very tiny (only about the size of a marble), you will not produce a LOT of colostrum. Lots of women mistakenly think that they just don't have enough milk during this time. That's not true! Your baby won't starve, and your body will provide exactly what your baby needs, without supplementation. Just nurse your baby as often as s/he wants. This is the time to enjoy your baby. Practice getting a good latch while you are in the hospital and have the use of the lactation consultants there to help you. I recommending having them help you at every single feed until you are sure that you can recognize a good latch. Here is a fantastic website that sums up what colostrum is: http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/colostrum.html
It is very short but informative and I highly recommend you take the time to read it.

Also, here is some information about c-sections and breastfeeding: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/concerns/c-section.html

It would be a great idea to take a look around the kellymom website to learn about what to expect. Here's a great place to get started:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/index.html
And here are some common breastfeeding myths that would be helpful to know about:
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/11some_bf_myths.html

Feel free to email me at [e-mail] if you have any more questions. Good luck and congratulations!

Answer 6

Absolutely only breast feed. When a baby is first born his stomach is only the size of a marble. It doesn't take a lot to fill it. Your baby will eat colostrum until your milk comes in. We survived for thousands and thousands of years before formula because of breast milk. It is true that in extremely rare cases a woman doesn't produce enough milk. When formula first came out many women were made to believe that they were starving their babies, but this was just a tact of the formula companies to make money.

Breastfeeding is the best thing for your baby, but it doesn't always come easy. It is a good idea to take a breastfeeding class or go to breastfeeding support meetings before your baby is born so that you can learn more about it and learn from the experiences of other women. There are also lots of great books on breastfeeding. Check out the sources below.

Answer 7

breastfeeding is a normal thing and there fore the breast knows when it will produce and what -keep breastfeeding because it will be healthier for the baby.
The baby will be find. You donot need to worry about it. The breast will produce a clear liquid that has antibodies and other things that will feed the baby. When the baby was in you that clear fluid was with him with be what is like when your breast put out at first then it will state beging milk but the antibodies will still be also in the milk when it comes. Have fun!

Answer 8

you dont need supplements.. baby lives off of the colostrum your breasts make at the beginning, and thats actually the MOST important part of the milk you can give them. yuo do NOT need to supplement these few days (unless your baby is already underweight or preemie) and yes they do lose a little bit of weight but thats OK and normal. babies are in "shut down" mode after birth, they really do nothing but sleep for most of the first 3-4 days anyway.. they are recovering from the "experience" of birth, which is rather traumatic to them. its really a good idea NOT to supplement unless absoultely necessary, b/c it confuses the baby and since bottles are easier to get milk out of, many babies will choose that over the breast.

Answer 9

The milk doesn't come in for a few days, but your breasts will be producing a clear liquid that has the nutrients your baby needs before the milk comes along.
Relax. Your baby will not starve and you do not have to bottle-feed.

Answer 10

38 weeks is not considered premature. Breastfeeding is an excellent choice, and you should be proud of yourself for making it. Babies tend not to need very many nutrients the first few days. But, your body makes colostrum, which is filled with good stuff for your baby. The best time to start breastfeeding is right after the baby is born because they tend to be very awake. Good luck and congrats!