After giving birth, you may wonder when your breast milk will come in after giving birth? Or maybe you are worried that you won’t be able to produce enough breast milk for your baby?
Basically, breastfeeding is a learning process for both mother and baby. Mother and baby may not be able to master breastfeeding from the first day of trying it. Mother needs to learn good breastfeeding techniques and baby attachment so that the breastfeeding process can run smoothly.
Well, here are some things you need to know if you are confused about when your breast milk will come out after giving birth.
When Will Breast Milk Come In?
Source: Freepik
Quoting the page What to Expect, there are three different stages of breast milk, namely:
1. Colostrum
Colostrum actually starts being produced when you are pregnant. Most women start producing colostrum around week 14 to 16 of pregnancy, and some mothers may also experience colostrum ‘leaking’ in the second or third trimester.
The body will only produce a small amount of colostrum after giving birth so you may not notice it.
Colostrum contains antibodies and white blood cells to help protect babies from infection and disease during the first few days of life.
Colostrum contains a high concentration of carotenoids, giving it its distinctive golden yellow color (although it can sometimes be clear). Its thick, sticky consistency coats your baby’s intestines to help protect their sensitive stomach lining.
In addition, colostrum also acts as a laxative to help newborns expel meconium or the first stool from their digestive system.
With frequent and effective milk expression through breastfeeding or pumping, your milk supply will increase and colostrum will change to transitional milk over the next few days.
2. Transitional Breast Milk
After the baby is born, hormonal changes and the baby’s sucking increase blood flow to the breasts. Increased blood flow increases the volume of breast milk and changes its composition twice during the first month of the baby’s life.
First, there is a change from colostrum to transitional milk that occurs 2-5 days after giving birth. Transitional milk has a softer texture, is higher in protein, and is similar to whole milk. Transitional milk is whiter in color and is usually more abundant than colostrum.
In addition, transitional breast milk also contains more calories and is richer in fat content to help meet the needs of rapidly growing newborns.
3. Mature Milk
About 10-14 days after giving birth, your breast milk will change again into what is known as ‘mature’ breast milk and it will continue to be like this.
Breast milk that is ‘mature’ is divided into two, namelyforemilk(which came out first) andhindmilk(which came out later).
ForemilkThe texture is lighter and similar to skim milk. For some people, maybeforemilkthe color is bluish white.
As the breastfeeding process continues, the breast milk will become thicker and its texture will be softer when expressed.hindmilkgo out.Hindmilkhas a higher fat content thanforemilkor transition milk.
If you have had children before, your breast milk may come in faster than the first time. Reporting fromHealthline, there is a study that found that mammalian mammary glands have a ‘memory’ when breast milk has been produced before so that breast milk for the second or subsequent child will appear more easily and quickly.
Signs That Breast Milk Will Come Out
Source: Freepik
About 2 to 4 days after giving birth, you may notice your breasts becoming fuller or larger, even swollen. Don’t worry, this is a sign that transitional milk is being produced.
When breast milk volume increases, there will be an increase in blood flow to the breasts which will make the breasts swell and feel hard.
Breast milk production will vary according to the baby’s needs. Each time the baby nurses, the body gets a signal to produce more milk for the next feeding.
The amount of breast milk produced will increase or decrease depending on how often the baby breastfeeds. Keep in mind that breast size does not affect milk production.
Over time, as breast milk changes into mature or expressed breast milk,mature milk, the breasts will become softer again. This is normal and not a sign of decreased milk production. Continue breastfeeding your baby to stimulate more milk production.
Why Doesn’t My Breast Milk Come Out in Large Quantities Immediately?
Source: Freepik
Breast milk production will adapt to the baby’s growth and will change in volume, consistency, and composition during the first few weeks of the baby’s life.
For example, when a baby is born, their stomach is only the size of a cherry, so they only need about 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of milk at each feeding.
By the time babies are one week old, their stomachs are the size of an egg, and they eat about 44 to 59 ml at each feed.
There is no need to worry when your breast milk seems to be low because your body knows exactly how much breast milk your baby needs and produces it accordingly.
If your milk doesn’t come out after giving birth, for example within 2-3 days, there’s no need to worry or stress. Your body may need a few extra days because the birth process and postpartum body condition are different for each person.
Here are some reasons for the delay in increasing breast milk production:
- Premature baby
- Giving birth via caesarean section
- Certain medical conditions such as diabetes or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
- Mother is overweight or obese
- Infection or disease accompanied by fever
- Bed resttoo long during pregnancy
- Certain thyroid conditions
- Unable to breastfeed during the first few hours after delivery
- Severe stress
If on the 4th to 5th day after giving birth you suspect that there is still no breast milk being produced, then you should consult a doctor or lactation consultant to get the right treatment.
Signs of a Baby Lacking Breast Milk
If you are worried that your baby is not getting enough breast milk, look for signs that your baby is not getting enough breast milk, such as the following:
- The baby appears dehydrated (there is a soft spot that can be felt on the head or sunken eyes, and the skin has lost elasticity).
- Babies rarely urinate or defecate. At least babies should urinate 6 to 8 times a day after 5 days old.
- The baby continues to cry while being breastfed and after being breastfed (does not calm down).
- After 10 days of age, the baby’s weight does not return to its birth weight or does not increase.
- The baby appears lethargic or unresponsive.
If your baby shows signs of insufficient breast milk, contact your pediatrician immediately.
As the baby grows older, the breasts will be able to produce more milk than the baby needs. This ‘extra’ milk can be pumped and stored for emergencies, for example if the mother is sick and cannot breastfeed directly, needs to travel without the baby, work, and so on.
Factors Causing Slow Breast Milk Production
Source: Freepik
If your transitional milk seems to be delayed or not coming in, there may be several possible causes, such as:
Excretion of too little breast milk
In most cases, delayed milk production is caused by infrequent or ineffective milk expression in the first few days after delivery.
This may be due to improper attachment so that the baby has difficulty breastfeeding effectively, or if the mother is not breastfeeding or pumping often enough.
Mothers can increase breast milk volume by ensuring that babies have a good latch when they breastfeed, breastfeeding frequently whenever the baby needs it, and ensuring that breastfeeding takes place for the right amount of time.
In the first few days after birth, breastfeeding usually takes quite a long time, maybe about 20 minutes per breast. As the baby becomes more proficient at learning to breastfeed, breastfeeding time will be shorter.
Mother’s Medical Condition
In some cases, delayed milk supply may be due to hormonal imbalance, breast hypoplasia, or other chronic problems that can cause low milk supply such as maternal obesity and pregnancy-induced high blood pressure.
If breast milk does not come out on the fourth or fifth day after birth, you can try to optimize breastfeeding management.
Make sure your breasts are emptied frequently until they are completely empty. Skin-to-skin contact with your baby can also help stimulate milk production. Be sure to monitor your baby’s weight to ensure they are getting enough milk.
If your baby loses more than 7% of their birth weight, they should be evaluated by a medical professional. If your baby is not getting enough breast milk, you may be advised to try supplementing with formula or donor breast milk .
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Thus, it is known that when breast milk will come out after giving birth will certainly vary between mothers because each has a different condition. Do not give up immediately if breast milk does not come out immediately after giving birth. Continue to stimulate breast milk production by offering breast milk to the baby or using a breast pump. Hopefully this information is useful, yes!
Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia
