How long til your milk came in? What to do with newborn til it does?

[Miffster]

Hiya

Am 8 weeks away from having first baby. Intending to BF. No sign of colostrum appearing yet, whereas some other women at my stage have started leaking so am wondering

a) when did your colostrum start to appear? Last weeks of pregnancy? (if so, can you remember when?) Straight after birth?
b) When did your milk come in?
c) Are all the tales about milk coming in and engorgement being painful and hormones making you horribly weepy true?

Am worried that it make take several days for me to be able to feed my newborn son - in which case, what do I do whilst I wait for the milk to turn up?

He may be late and come at Christmas, when shops are mostly shut, and midwives/ BF counsellors and help thin on ground so it would be good to have some kind of emergency plan in reserve.

Should I get some emergency made-up feed and a bottle just in case? Am worrying about him screaming the place down and being hungry, poor little thing.

Am planning a HB by the way, so 'hang around in hospital til feeding is established' probably won't apply as a solution.

Cheers for your thoughts

a) when did your colostrum start to appear? Last weeks of pregnancy? (if so, can you remember when?) Straight after birth? I was there when I delivered both DDs - I had a noticable amount before DD2 but never noticed with DD1 just assumed (correctly) that it would be there.

b) When did your milk come in? Day 2 with DD1 and day 3 with DD2

c) Are all the tales about milk coming in and engorgement being painful and hormones making you horribly weepy true? Everyone has a the baby blues days even if they are not BF. Engorgement can be slightly painful but is not agonising - if you keep feeding when your baby asks you will keep the engorgment down and help regulate your supply.

Thanks for reply...that's reassuring...do you think it would be a good idea to have an emergency carton of FF in case my milk doesn't come in for a while?

My first baby arrived on Xmas day, midwives still came round and were available to call on after the birth, I didn't have any formula in the house and assumed I would be able to get some in an emergency (maybe foolish!) but I didn't need it.

In my case, I think it was about day 4 with both DCs (both emergency CS). They were a bit hungry and hard to settle on day 4 just before it came in but not scream the house down-like. While waiting for it to turn up I just fed, fed, fed anyway, which was exhausting but seemed to satisfy them, even if only temporary.

I didn't particularly get the baby blues I don't think, though I was a bit weepy, mostly through exhaustion, it was worst at this point!! And in my case engorgement wasn't desperately painful, but it definitely is for some people.

My boobs started leaking at around 30wks. It took 3 days after birth for the milk to come in fully. Before that point you have to try and get baby to latch on as much as possible. Which isn't all that easy cos babies sleep loads when just born. Baby will suck to stimulate colostrum/milk production.
For your peace of mind I'd have a bottle and some ready made formula in the house just in case the baby is very hungry and not satisfied with colostrum. But do be sure that he's had lots of sucking time on boos as this is the was to bring in milk fast.
Contact your local La Leche League leader or NCT breast feeding councellor so that you have an expert to speak to with any questions.
A great book is The Womenly Art of Breastfeeding.

I think I leaked a bit of colostrum from about 6 months pg, but leaking is not always a sign of supply - some women never leak and bf without problems.

As I understand it, colostrum is v concentrated and even a small amount will be enough to feed your baby. Both times my milk came in about 48-72 hrs after birth, you can help this along by offering the breast frequently.

Engorgement/weepyness - I did get weepy both times on day 3, and this did coincide with my milk coming in. One thing that helped was a nice warm bath and gentle hand expressing in the water to take the pressure off.

One thing I would say about HB and postnatal support is that you need to be persistent if you want bf support. After my first baby was born at home, we had about 3 home visits in the first week, which really wasn't enough and we unfortunately ended up in hospital as he was jaundiced. Happily we got the bf sorted out and it was pretty much plain sailing from then. My second was born 2 days before Christmas (also at home) and I was much more vigilant about jaundice/sleepiness - basically I offered the breast everytime she moved or squeaked!

No, the colostrum is what they need in the first few days - that is what it is designed for :)

But to answer your questions:

1. Not sure - it was there when I gave birth.
2. Day 2 or 3 with all three babies
3. What bluberry said.

Even if it takes four of five days for your milk to come in properly, that should be enough to sustain your LO.

Make sure you have the bf helpines numbers to hand just in case you run in to problems.

Not everyone leaks milk or gets engorged so if you don't get this, don't assume you don't have milk.

Not sure if you've come across this from kellymom, but it's pretty helpful.

Just keep feeding, feeding, feeding, and your milk will come in :) It can take a few days - think mine was day 3, I can't quite remember, its a bit of a blur now! - but baby will be fine. The colostrum is designed to meet their early needs. A baby's stomach when they are first born is smaller than a marble, so they need little and often.

FWIW I don't remember leaking during pregnancy apart from twice (during sex ) in the last few weeks. But my milk supply has been great, and we're still going at eleven months. So please don't worry - leaking during pregnancy has no corolation between successful breastfeeding and not :)

Day three is a shit day regardless of how you are feeling - though actually BFing mothers tend to get off a bit easier because of the levels of oxitosin (I can't spell, sorry!) ie, the love hormone. Engorgement does hurt - but if you just keep feeding, maybe express a tiny bit off the top to make things easier for you both, have your latch checked etc, you should be fine.

I wouldn't get in any formula.

Hope the birth goes okay :)

1. I didn't get any leaking at all, but colostrum was there when baby needed it

2. Day 2 or 3

3. I don't remember any engorgement or weepiness

Ds1 was born near xmas and I did have trouble establishing bf and getting help due to the holidays - however I don't think having formula around is particularly helpful. Better to try to line up some support in case you need it. You probably will be able to get formula if you really need it and if you don't the temptation to give a bit of formula when your baby is asking for the breast for the gazillionth time in three hours will just be too strong - and ff at the early stages can really interfere with getting your supply established.

I leaked colostrum only in the last weeks with dc3 but it arrived after the birth with dc1 and 2. Milk came in on day 4 with dc1 and day 2 with dc2 and 3. I had no formula in for dc1 but ended up needing it after 3 weeks. I had formula in with dc2 and never used it. I didn't bother with dc3. Basically I found that offering plenty of boob - at least 2-3 hourly in the day and 4 hourly at night brought the milk in. It's rare for milk to take a long time if baby is getting plenty of skin to skin and boob time unless the birth is traumatic. Fingers crossed all will be well with your hb which will set you up well for bf.

I never leaked during pregnancy at all
I was able to feed all 3DC straight away, they were happy to suck until the milk came in. I had no engorgement at all and no discomfort but enough milk. With DC 2 and3 I don't even remember when the milk came

Thanks very much everyone.
I think the plan is, assuming the HB goes well, to get into bed with the baby and get my boobs out for a week and do chuff all else apart from drink tea and eat and jump into the bath every now and then whilst DH cuddles baby. That is my dream, and my plan.

But I am at the 3rd trimester worrying stage, and I think it would be comforting to know I had an emergency supply of made up food just in case it takes 5 days or something for me to let down milk.

Am also worrying now that establishing supply will be painful. Sorry if TMI but I have VERY sensitive breasts and nipples - during pregnancy they have frequently been very painful - and even when not PG they tend to go hard at the slightest breeze, or when running, even in a sports bra, or they feel really painful on a cold day.

So I am a bit scared of having a newborn baby sucking away all hours for a week and not much happening. I am even wondering whether I could use something to harden them up - when I used to dance a lot, we used surgical spirit rubbed on our feet to stop them being blistered and bleeding, would that work to toughen up my nipples, do you think?

I know the baby sucks on the breast, not just the nipple, but even so. I am going OW at the thought.

But I really want to BF. FF and bottle prepping seems such a faff, and I would far rather become a happy BF-er as quick as possible, and BF for as long as I can.

Sorry for long post.
Am flapping a bit.

I have never leaked pre-birth. Have also had two sections. But no problems BFing - the second time not even any discomfort. Milk came in day 3ish, prior to that I just let them latch on as often as they wanted to and let them suckle suckle suckle.

a) when did your colostrum start to appear? Last weeks of pregnancy? (if so, can you remember when?) Straight after birth?
I never leaked any milk/colostrum with any of my three during pregnancy - despite going on to have an ample supply. In fact, even after they arrived nothing came out when I tried to hand express - not until the milk came in properly. The babies still did well though so they were obviously getting something!

b) When did your milk come in?
I think around 3 or 4 days with number 1. Earlier with the other 2 - 2 or 3 days maybe?

c) Are all the tales about milk coming in and engorgement being painful and hormones making you horribly weepy true?
Yes for number 1. I took paracetemol and used savoy cabbage leaves in my bra - both helped! Weepiness passed after a couple of days. Didn't have any of that with the other 2 though.

Am worried that it make take several days for me to be able to feed my newborn son - in which case, what do I do whilst I wait for the milk to turn up?
You will be able to feed him straight away - he'll just be getting the colostrum at first but that's really all he needs! His tummy will be the size of a walnut so he doesn't need a huge amount. He'll also be pretty sleepy at first and possibly not very interested in feeding.

I always had a bottle and a couple of cartons of formula on stand by - never needed to use them but I felt better knowing they were there if need be.

I think it's pretty normal to be nervous about something you haven't done before, but your plan to babymoon sounds really good. Just have the bf helplines on standby if you need them.

a) Last weeks of pregnancy but only when I squeezed to check because everyone else in my antenatal class seemed to have some - no leaking as such!
b) When did your milk come in? - about day 4 or 5. I had difficulty establishing feeding and gave two formula feeds whilst waiting for my milk to come in properly which felt like the right thing to do at the time.
c) Are all the tales about milk coming in and engorgement being painful and hormones making you horribly weepy true? - It was like that for me as I was struggling a bit anyway (nipples bleeding etc).

On Day 17 I went to see the breastfeeding counsellor who helped me to establish a much better latch and I went on to bf DS for 16 months.

My advice would be to not worry about the lack of colostrum - everyone is different, get as much support as you can and, if it helps you to feel at ease, get some formula so it is there if you feel you need it.

I didn't leak at all before birth, didn't see any colostrum until after the baby was born.

My ds was born 1am Friday morning, milk came in Monday night. He didn't need anything but colostrum in between, I just stuck a boob in his mouth every time he cried He was badly jaundiced, but never needed formula, doctor just told me to keep feeding every 2-3 hours.

When my milk came in it was uncomfortable, but not painful, and I wasn't particularly weepy.

There's no need to prepare your nipples as such, but I know what you mean about sensitive breasts / nipples. Buy some Lansinoh - its about £10 a tube but so worth it.

"I think the plan is, assuming the HB goes well, to get into bed with the baby and get my boobs out for a week and do chuff all else apart from drink tea and eat and jump into the bath every now and then whilst DH cuddles baby. That is my dream, and my plan."

Yes, absolutely to this! Your DH/family/friends should expect to do everything else, your only jobs in the first week or so should be feeding the baby, feeding yourself (but NOT cooking!) and sleeping. My DH did almost all the nappy changing, and all house stuff in the first few days and it helped me so much.

As for your questions, I never leaked during pregnancy (and very very rarely afterwards) but bf successfully for about a year, so don't let that worry you.

The colostrum was there at birth.

Milk came in on day 3. DD was perfectly happy before then with just colostrum. I felt a little engorged but not too bad and not particularly weepy.

As for your nipples- use Lansinoh. It is expensive, but wonderful stuff. You don't need to wash it off before a feed, just put it on after every feed and as often as you want in between. I never had any soreness at all.

I leaked from about 18 weeks onward

Milk came in around 3-4 days

No weepiness here, but I had a rotten pregnancy and was on a high for about 6 months after the birth.

I had an EMCS.

Best thing you can do is let the baby latch on as often as possible, to encourage your milk to come in and get the baby (and you) used to feeding (though it takes a few weeks to really get it down). I know it seems weird that they aren't really eating much for the first 3-5 days, but colostrum is very calorific, and those days are for the baby to clear their system of all the amniotic fluid they've swallowed whilst on the inside.

Personally, I refused to have any formula around, I didn't want to be tempted. I did have a breast pump and bottle though, just on the chance that we had a problem with his latch.

And don't worry about toughening up your nipples. It's an old wives tale. I'm not saying it will be comfortable and easy to start. It got loads better, and I could definitely tell the difference between a good latch and bad latch within about 2 days. Good latch might make you gasp, bad latch makes you yell loudly enough to worry the people in the next room

I also have very sensitive nipples btw, but actually never really found breastfeeding painful - sore for the first few days certainly, but no cracking or bleeding or pain. Get some lansinoh though - I used it after every feed at first.

Thank you SO much everyone, you are wonderfully reassuring!

Am feeling much less panicky.
Will start to investigate local BF groups (how do I find them? Just google 'breastfeeding' and my postcode area?)

OP, that sounds like a fantastic plan to take to your bed- plenty of skin to skin and feed whenever your LO makes the slightest squeak.

It's not recommended that you 'toughen up' your nipples beforehand anymore. You probably should invest in some Lansinoh cream to put on once you start feeding though. It works brilliantly if you get sore nipples.

Try not to flap- just take each feed at a time and you'll be fine.

Good luck with the HB too.

bah x posts- too slow again!

Never leaked prior to birth.
Lansinoh.
Needed to express some colostrum to give DS, feeding commenced really on day 2/3.
Realistically the shops are shut for about half an hour on Xmas day, it will not be hard to buy formula. Seems a bit pessimistic though.
Had really hard time at the start myself, inlaws going on about giving him some milk etc, very glad I didn't have any around - a few difficult days, then fed happily for 2 years.