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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Still waiting for milk to come in - did yours take a while? Do people always get engorged?

28 replies

theborrower · 04/07/2014 20:39

This is my other thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/breast_and_bottle_feeding/2123068-Day-3-wobble-resorted-to-formula-because-my-nipples-are-mashed-itll-be-ok-right?msgid=48087461#48087461

Just wondering - how long did it take for your milk to come in? Apologies if this thread has been done millions of times before, but I'd be interested to hear if yours took longer and if you had engorgement or not.

OP posts:

Watercolourfootballs · 04/07/2014 20:52

Mine took 6/7 days to come in after a c-section. My two (twins) were fine on just collostrum but I was very pleased when it finally came in.

Watercolourfootballs · 04/07/2014 20:53

Oh sorry, no wasn't engorged.

Nigglenaggle · 04/07/2014 20:53

From my experience, if you don't get a primary engorgment after a couple of days, something is going wrong.... The midwife also was of this opinion.

Original poster

theborrower · 04/07/2014 20:55

nigglenaggle oh no, please don't tell me that

OP posts:

Pidgy · 04/07/2014 20:58

Mine took 2-3 days with both (can't fully remember the exact times but was DEFINITELY in by day 3 . I was engorged both times but very pleased it came in quite fast as both children seemed more satisfied, happy and my nipples could have a break.

Pidgy · 04/07/2014 21:14

Just read your other thread.
What colour is your baby's poo? If it's mustard colour that would suggest your milk has come in.
For me it was very obvious as they were very engorged but a friend said it wasn't obvious for her.

And seriously, do not worry about that one formula feed.
I second the comment about dummys. I used one with both of mine from day 3, or used by little finger for them to suck. They were both just wanting to suck for comfort and it was v painful. For me the dummy helped my nipples recover. I fed DS until just before his 1st birthday and DD is nearly 6 months now and ebf.

fairgroundsnack · 04/07/2014 21:18

Agree with Pidgy. Has baby done a yellow poo?

With DC1 milk didn't come in until day 5 but he had a tongue tie and wasn't really feeding properly. With DC2 it came in day 3.

Have read your other thread - go and see an experienced BF counsellor at a Baby Cafe or similar. Although they always do great when being observed!! Don't worry about having given a tiny amount of formula.

middlings · 04/07/2014 21:20

I know someone whose milk didn't come in until day six, vaginal, normal birth with minimal pain relief and no major tear. I was always told five days. Took that with no engorgement with DD1. Everything about DD2 was speedier. It came in, with gusto on day two.

scarlettsmummy2 · 04/07/2014 21:22

I wasn't even aware my milk had come in with my second baby! I thought their was a problem but the midwife squeezed my nipple on third day in the hospital and it shot out! I had loads but no engorgement and never any leaking from either boob unlike the first time. I breast fed for nine months and no formula feeds at all during that time, so plenty of milk.

scarlettsmummy2 · 04/07/2014 21:23

There was a problem! Silly me.

Hollycopter · 04/07/2014 21:23

I think it was about 5 or 6 days for me before I felt engorged, I had lost a lot of blood and a midwife said that could affect it and I wasn't actually bf, just expressing because DS couldn't feed because of a tongue tie.

PrincessTheresaofLiechtenstein · 04/07/2014 21:32

No no no engorgement is not inevitable, I bf both mine and didn't get any sign that my milk was changing over from colostrum to mature milk. I was told by midwives this was good as I was obviously feeding frequently enough! Talk this over with someone on a BF helpline or something to check things are going well.

PrincessTheresaofLiechtenstein · 04/07/2014 21:44

It may help to know that a lot of 'engorgement' is only partially milk and there is actually a lot of blood and other fluids that have built up in the breasts following birth. I think this can be even more pronounced if you were given IV fluids during labour.

Showy · 04/07/2014 21:51

No engorgement with my second. Seamless transition on day 3. No problems at all. He fed well and didn't lose an ounce.

lrb1982 · 04/07/2014 22:02

Ds3 is 9 days old and I'm convinced my milk didn't come in until day 5 or 6 with hardly any engorgement or emotion. Whereas with my first two it was about day 3 and I spent about 24 hours sobbing inconsolably. If little one is weeing more and poos are yellow it is probably in.

crikeybadger · 04/07/2014 22:44

Something is not going wrong if you don't get engorged, where does that come from?

I've read your other thread and you mentioned you had problems with your other child and that they had a tongue tie, that's right wasn't it? Tongue tie is often hereditary so even though the midwife says there isn't one it may be worth getting the infant feeding specialist to have a look. You only need to look at past threads on here to see how frequently they are missed. You also talk of the baby slipping down the nipple which can also be an indicator of tongue tie I believe.

Keeping your baby skin to skin for as much of the time as possible can help to bring your milk in.

Original poster

theborrower · 05/07/2014 09:53

Thanks for replies.

No, she doesn't have yellow poos yet, they're still in the stage after the sticky muconium (changing, but still dark and looking bit sticky). There are wees but still stained with these urate crystals.

Re the tongue tie - that really worries me, because it was such a source of stress with DD1, I had lost the will to carry on/ PND by the time it got fixed.

Unfortunately all the local BF clinics are cancelled this week - had hoped to attend one yesterday - which is just my usual crap luck, I'm guessing because of the start of the school holidays. There may be one on Tuesday but will need to double check on the day.

Will try and update other thread too.

OP posts:

beccajoh · 05/07/2014 10:03

Call the postnatal ward if you're worried, or the community midwives.

Original poster

theborrower · 05/07/2014 10:15

Community midwife is coming again today, she will get weighed again today, and her slight jaundice checked too

OP posts:

mrsmugoo · 05/07/2014 12:20

I knew my milk was in because I was a sobbing emotional wreck!

DinoSnores · 05/07/2014 12:33

My milk didn't come in until about day 5 or 6 after an uncomplicated home birth. I've never really felt engorged and I EBF DS for 16 months and DD for 14 months (both times stopping because I was pregnant again and had hyperemesis and just couldn't face it, otherwise it might have been longer).

DS did have a tongue tie which made feeding much more difficult initially which was missed by the HV and the GP sadly. When I made it to the ENT surgeon after the LLL ladies told me to go back, he said DS had a 75% tongue tie.

The breastfeeding helplines will all be on this weekend so do give them a ring. They are very used to (as I discovered!) crying women on the phone!

Mmmbacon · 05/07/2014 12:46

Day 5 to 6 here, wasn't engorged and went in to ebf to 6 months and bf to 18 months,

Have you heard of laid back breastfeeding? Google it and try it out, skin to skin is very important do take to bed for a few hours and leave baby snuggle on your chest,

If tt is a issue find a specialist, from my experience, groups and councellors are useless as they dint have the skill to know what to look for unless they specialise in tt,

try to relax, you are doing a great job, the first few says are the hardest with all the are they getting enough worries,

Just remember what goes in must come out, your job is to look after baby, so as much as possible have someone else do all the other jobs, our if all else fails, just keep the room you feed and spend the most time in clean, so at least when you are sitting feeding you are looking at a clean room and not at what jobs need doing,

crikeybadger · 05/07/2014 19:50

How did you get in with the mw today?

Sorry, didn't mean to worry you about the tongue tie....it may not be tied of course, but if it is, you can deal with it sooner hopefully. Is there a specialist breastfeeding person you can call upon?

Original poster

theborrower · 05/07/2014 22:57

Big update -
Feeding wise - midwife thought I needed to give my poor nipples a rest, and if do, to express frequently while DH feeds formula, then back to it. I said that I was considering switching to formula, so we discussed that too. I'm really conscious of my last experience and avoiding PND, I don't want to get trapped in the cycle of bf, top up, express.

But then... We were sent to the local sick kids hospital a&e because she's had a few fits, or what we think may have been. We did mention the first to our midwife who said it may have been just milk, but she had two more last night, I was pretty sure they were something else. I don't know why we didn't call anyone, I guess because she seemed ok after and because what midwife said. Anyway, when I told the midwife today she called someone who told us to go to hospital. Everything checked out ok, which is good, but we had big chat with doctor up there who said they may or not have been feeding issue related, it's hard to know. She looked at my feeding log and said that was way too much than to be expected, she's obviously not getting enough from me, considering the amount of time on the breast but still Unsatisfied . So, we've to keep an eye out, if it happens again to record it and get to hospital.

Soooo ... DH and I had big chat. We've switched to FF. If my boobs recover quickly, I can offer again and maybe try bf twice a day, as I did with DD1 - was not major source of food but was nice cuddle time etc. Doc also said if milk comes in then why not try again. I know I should express to keep up supply but ...

I'm ok with this decision. I'll see if I still feel same way in morning, but I just want to be well, and keep her well.

OP posts:

Original poster

theborrower · 06/07/2014 08:08

This morning we BFd - a good feed one side, not so good on the other side (sore, misshapen nipple, scabby) and a formula top up next time she wanted fed. Nappies are now looking much better. Today's plan is FF with a BF early evening - this is what I did with DD1, so might see how mixed feeding works this time too.

OP posts:

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