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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

What happens before BF gets going? - mum-to-be BF question!

12 replies

smintysue · 12/02/2007 11:50

Hi all,

Sorry if this has already come up somewhere before.

My first baby is due in 3 weeks' time and I'm hoping to bf him. However, from everything I've heard and read, it often takes a while before you really learn how to latch baby on, or indeed before milk "production" really gets going etc.

So, my question is - what does baby eat in the mean time?! Let's say it takes at least week before I'm producing enough milk and baby is latching on and able to drink properly - what is baby surviving on in the mean time???

Sorry if this seems to be an unbelievabley stupid question, but since it occured to me I can't find any answers anywhere - you lot are my last hope :O

OP posts:

cupcakes · 12/02/2007 11:51

the baby drinks colustrum which is different from milk in the first few days. You know when your milk comes in as your breasts get larger and harder.

cupcakes · 12/02/2007 11:54

this might help

melsy · 12/02/2007 11:55

Ohh exciting sminty, your gonna be mushy with new baby soon !!!!!

Im no expert by any means at all , but they only need a teaspoon of colustrum at each feed , which at newborn stage could be every 1-2 hrs. You may or may not get longer stretches as the weeks go on. Its best to snuggle up in bed together all day and night the 1st few weeks and have food brought to u !!! Its just the best most loveliest thing!!! Wish Id know to do that with dd1 the 1st time round!

Donbean · 12/02/2007 11:57

BM should come in between 3_5 days i think, in the mean time a watery liquid called colostrum will come through. This is the REALY good stuff.
Babys always lose a bit of weight within the first week of birth, thats normal so dont worry about that.
The MW will help you because there is a definite technique to it but once you get started its lovely.

melsy · 12/02/2007 11:58

ahhh so a tablespoon 1st feed. See not an expert me , was on the right track though!!!

MrsBadger · 12/02/2007 12:01

Kellymom is also a great resource - her page on the first few days is here .

Original poster

smintysue · 12/02/2007 12:09

Wow, you're fast!

Thanks for the tips and links - I'll be checking those out.

And yes, I'm very excited about first baby

Actually, need to check out the Mums Abroad threads as am actually living in Germany so would be good to find other new mums who've also given birth here...

OP posts:

shish · 12/02/2007 12:34

Sminty, don't worry. The MW's at the hospital will help you latch on. Remember, you baby has never done it either, so it's a learning curve for both of you. My milk took about a week to come through and I wasn't producing enough colostrum for ds, so we had to top him up with a little formula here and there until my supply was up. This didn't matter too much as I always put him on the breast first - then, would you beleive it, he rejected the bottle!!

You'll be fine.. Enjoy it

maewest · 12/02/2007 12:41

Don't worry, your baby is unlikely to starve . One of my friends who had a baby at about the same time struggled to get started. Her boy just wouldn't latch on for the first 2 weeks. Luckily she had support from midwives and breast feeding counsellor. She persevered with the bf and expressed milk for the first 2 weeks which was fed to the baby by spoon (they kind of lap it like a cat). She is now still going strong with the bf at 7 months.

Good luck with your new baby, would second the suggestion to just stay in bed and feed whilst other people bring you food, lovely

abracadabra · 12/02/2007 13:43

I had the same experience as Shish - baby starving hungry before my milk came in, midwives recommended formula. I was really upset because I'd read all the books that say never let them give your baby formula - was convinced i would not be able to breastfeed. However it was fine - three top ups, then my milk came in and 9 mths later still bfing happily! Wish I'd known it was nothing to get stressed about.

DizzyBint · 12/02/2007 13:49

will you be having your baby in hospital? if you know which one then maybe ask them what sort of breast feeding support is available, if they have volunteer counsellors on the post natal ward etc.

lemonaid · 12/02/2007 13:56

I didn't know when my milk came in, because DS was feeding so much that I never had the "larger and harder" thing that I'd heard so much about. I just thought one day as I leaked "oh look, it seems to be milk rather than colostrum now". I've seen several other people say the same thing. Most babies with most mothers will be fine with no topping-up, just latching them on for a good suck very frequently to stimulate milk production.

Newborn babies only have teeny tiny stomachs and colostrum is really good stuff, so not having milk for the first few days isn't an issue in most cases -- they are getting everything they need.

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