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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Waiting for milk to come in

60 replies

igggi · 19/05/2012 07:31

Sorry if this topic has been asked a million times, in hospital with only ny phone and could really use quick, MN advice!
Have spent a second night feeding newborn ds2 throughout the night - literally hour after hour. Knackered and nipples chewed to death! Midwives talking about him feeding so much as my milk isn't in yet, have been offered a formula top-up as well.
So questions are - how long till this magic milk arrives? (Ds born Wed pm). Should I accept top-up? Can I have reconstructive surgery on mangled nipples or will they heal themselves?
TIA

OP posts:
Pascha · 19/05/2012 07:34

Sometime today is my bet. 3 days is pretty usual. Nipples will recover, use lansinoh or similar and let them air dry. Congratulations Smile

stripeyZ · 19/05/2012 07:40

Mine came on on day four so should be anytime soon. Feels like it's never going to happen though. If you start crying uncontrollably you'll know it's in it's way Smile

My nips were super sore for the first 10 days. Lansinoh is amazing stuff. I found air drying them to be the key to recovery.

Congrats on your LO!

maples · 19/05/2012 07:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lagoonhaze · 19/05/2012 07:45

Hopefully today - possibly tomorrow? Try and resist the formula as it may affect the natural process. It's seems your DS knows what he's doing- congratulations!

lilbreeze · 19/05/2012 07:48

will be soon! It's pure agony isn't it? Sad

Congratulations though!!! Grin

rubyslippers · 19/05/2012 07:50

My milk came in on day 3 - hang on in there

The difference will be amazing. Night 2 with DD was just how you describe

Original poster
igggi · 19/05/2012 07:52

Thank you for all those quick replies - lovely Smile
Watching the other women & babies around me getting a good night's sleep has been a bit disheartening (they are all using some form of mixed feeding) so keen to know ds isn't suffering if I just get him to wait. Will persevere!

OP posts:
pinkypig · 19/05/2012 08:01

igggi I had my 4th baby on sunday evening and my milk just came in yesterday, so 5 days is not much fun but is not unusual. 2-5 is 'normal' I think.

lucidlady · 19/05/2012 08:02

Mine was day 3 and I remember the nipples. I honestly thought mine were going to fall off! Lansinoh was a true nipple saver for me too. It did take about 10 days for the nipple pain to die down.

Congratulations on your baby - you're doing a fab job with the feeding so just hang in there. Grin

AnitaBlake · 19/05/2012 08:16

as others have said 2-5 days is perfectly normal. please try not to worry love. Midwives can be so impatient! It will come in, just when you and your newborn are ready xxxx

marshmallowpies · 19/05/2012 08:21

My night 2 was exactly the same...I thought it would never end!

Still get very sore nipples 3 weeks on, not during feeding so much as afterwards, they really ache & sting. Keep slapping the Lansinoh on, I guess...

seeingstars · 19/05/2012 08:23

Congratulations. As the others have said. Please resist topping up unless you are planning to change to formula, it can be a slippery slope! Smile

shuckleberryfinn · 19/05/2012 08:24

Has someone professional checked your latch OP? Your colostrum is loaded with all sorts of yummy goodness for your baby and while it is normal for a newborn to feed frequently it might be worth checking.

Longdistance · 19/05/2012 08:27

Many Congratulations!
Keep going, the reason why ur lo is feeding so much, is a good sign of the milk coming very very soon. Just keep feeding, and using Lansinoh.
If you have time, do go see a bf councillor. We had them at the local Surestart centre. Kept me going, and could gossip with the other mums :) They can check the latch better, and see if there is a problem x

Mama1980 · 19/05/2012 08:32

Congratulations Smile 2-5 days i think is normal so hang on in there. Your Nipples will recover slowly use lots of cream. Congrats again x

loopydoo · 19/05/2012 08:32

Hi, I am a bf peer helper and help some very new mums who have very similar worried to you but preserve, it will be so much easier once your milk comes in.

Try to resist formula as it will mean your supply is inhibited and new born tummies much prefer natural mummy milk.

Your baby's tummy is so very tiny at the moment (about the size of his own fist) so all he needs are very small amounts little and often. Just keep feeding him on demand and that will help your supply come in.

Lots of skin to skin contact will help too. He will love to smell you and get to know you. Him feeding all the time is fine but I would double check he isn't tongue tied. Feeding constantly can be completely natural or it can be a sign that he can't attach properly due to tt.

The fact you have sore nipples more than likely means he isnt quite attached correctly so ask for some help with different positions and ask the midwives for the leaflet Off to the Best Start, which they should have on the ward somewhere.

Once your milk comes in, your baby will take more milk and hopefully sleep in between. If he doesnt, get him checked for tongue tie.

loopydoo · 19/05/2012 08:33

That should have said persevere but sill iPad changed it!

BertieBotts · 19/05/2012 08:35

Can you pop him in bed with you? You might get more sleep that way. Some midwives are more relaxed than others about it - mine tucked the sheet around DS so he wouldn't fall out! :)

Yes your nipples will heal and yes your milk will come in. As someone above said, look out for the 3-day blues. When everything feels terrible and you're wondering what the hell you've done and you're in floods of tears, it's coming Grin I suggest you text someone to come and be with you today and bring emergency chocolate.

Is he getting a really good mouthful of breast, opening his mouth wide? Is his ear at a right angle to the line of his back (head right back)? This can be easier to achieve by feeding lying down. Line up his nose with your nipple and then bring his body in close to yours. He should feel the nipple brush his nose and open his mouth for it. If he looks too high up pull him down a little bit by his body. Resist the temptation to bring the breast to him, bring him to the breast - these will all help with positioning.

Even if the positioning isn't quite right, he won't be at the stage of needing top ups. They are perfectly fine with surprisingly little when they are tiny, because colostrum is only in small amounts and they're designed to just have that.

Another thing which seems obvious but isn't always, is make sure his body is turned towards you, he shouldn't have to turn his head to feed. Tummy to mummy and nose to nipple...

There are breastfeeding helplines you can call if you are worried or feel really stuck.

Chocchip88 · 19/05/2012 08:54

Congratulations!
Even though your milk is not in he will still be getting colostrum which is perfect at this stage.
When I had DS he was born Tuesday am and my milk came in Sat am, possibly a coincidence that this was timed with my release from hospital!

Original poster
igggi · 19/05/2012 10:57

More great advice. Very effective too in not making me feel quite so alone! I would agree his latch is variable, when everything is calm and I'm not tired etc I put the effort into that; when it's 3am and it's the third feed in an hour, I'm probably less effective at this.. Will keep trying though.

Is getting hard, 'full' boobs the sign of milk arriving? (Pokes hopefully at breasts).

OP posts:
lilbreeze · 19/05/2012 11:06

rock hard boobs and wet patches in your clothes are the unmissable signs Grin

Did you bf ds1?

Original poster
igggi · 19/05/2012 12:55

So much to look forward to, Lilbreeze!
Yes ds1 was bf till he was 2 - what I have a complete blank about are the early days with him. I know for the first 5 days he wasn't interested and was fed expressed bm, so that's probably why it all seems so foreign with ds2.

Have just been told he's lost 9.1% of birth rate, so ok to go home though not great - only drinking colostrum though so not likely to gain loads, I'd have thought?

OP posts:
lilbreeze · 19/05/2012 15:29

ah you're an old pro then Wink

I know what you mean though - I'm currently feeding dd3 (5 days old) and going through the same old problems - surely I must have learnt something from the last two times?!

nickelbabe · 19/05/2012 15:39

it can take up to a week for your mil to come in.

he probably doesn't need to be fed as often as they are supposing - colostrum is very very rich, so you really don't need that much to be gooood stuff.

it's very very rare for your milk not to come in.

the WHO says it's fine for babies to lose up to 12% of their birth weight before you need to worry - and that measurement is after a week - ie, they shouldn't really be worrying about that yet.
of course he'll lose a bit until the proper milk comes in - not because the colostrum's no good, but because it's not as voluminous.

if you're worried about latch, then please make them check for tonguetie (and don' be fobbed off - if they look like they're not sure, ask to see the infant feeding specialist.)

and yes, firm boobs is the sign you're looking for :)

nickelbabe · 19/05/2012 15:39

not your mil - your milk!