What is it like having your milk come through?

[coldandflu]

I had a planned c section and think I went into shock.

I'm planning on having another and want to breast feed.

What is it like to have the milk come through?

I think my issue is I have big large breasts and wasn't put in a comfortable position with a feeding pillow and told to always bring baby up to nipple and encourage feeding.

I tried pumping but I wasmt producing anything. I didn't eat or drink properly, I'm usually a big eater but felt I went into shock.

My mum was supposed to help me because she bf us easily but it just diddnt seem to work for me

To this day I still get upset over it. I feel less of a mother and so jealous of other bf mums

I also tried with my hands to squeeze but nothing came out, or very little,

I could not get on with pumping, miniscule amounts came out after lots of effort.

But I could breastfeed my babies fine - they seemed to know what to do because quite honestly, I didn't.

If you can relax and eat/drink normally and keep putting the baby to the breast it just seems to eventually start flowing (for me anyway).

Just try again with the new baby @coldandflu but don't put too much pressure on yourself. Being a good mum is more than just breast feeding or bottle feeding and you're not less of a mum if you don't breast feed.

As someone who has had csections and doesn’t produce much milk keep repeating a fed baby is a happy baby.

Don’t feel bad. You tried your best and did what you could. Personally I felt a physical response to my babies crying, it was like a rush or tingle in the boob area as the milk came in. With both of mine I did get help and sought it out if feeding wasn’t going quite right. At the time there seemed to be a number of breastfeeding consultants, some were provided by the council at the place where the HVs were based and you could go along to their drop ins. Some where so experienced they could just take one look at you feeding the baby and knew what was going wrong straight away. Maybe as a practical step research what is available in your area, your midwife should have info. Or Google. Then if it starts to go wrong again you know who to see.

ps I had two planned csections and my milk came in fine

oh yes I had forgotten the tingle in the boob but I got that too before the "let down" of milk. My "babies" are all grown up now!

I didn't try my best. I should have tried harder. I didn't do any research. My child had formula which is awful. I had to relay on going to a centre for help and make an appointment.... I was also staying with my mum and just found it so hard to get out. I was very anxious and upset.

Please don’t worry about what comes out with a pump or your hands. There is no comparison with what your baby will get - they are far more efficient! I was shit at pumping - 2oz max all through babyhood, but fed both exclusively for months then supplementary until they were over 2

Your milk will very likely not come in until day 4/5 and that is fine. The stupidly sized bottles in hospitals don’t help with indicating size of feed - loads is thrown away

Your baby’s tummy is the size of a hazelnut. All they need for first few days is colostrum

When your milk does come in, the let down feeling is weird! Just go with it

use whatever position feels ok - cradling, rugby ball, lying down, sitting up - no rights or wrongs

Relax and see how you go. Ask for help - around half of women need assistance learning to bf. Yes it’s natural, but so is walking and talking and we learn those!

Enjoy your baby - however you feed x

This! I didn’t put my dd to the breast all that much until my milk came in tbh as had plenty of colostrum that I had got in the last few weeks of my pregnancy. Woke up day 3 PP with absolutely huge rock solid leaky breasts & went from there. I pumped right away and got a freezer stash on the go which has seen me well on many occasions. We bottle fed DD1 & bf DD2 and honestly, feel equally as bonded so don’t put too much pressure on yourself 😘

After a C-section it can take up to a week. I just kept putting my baby on my breast until eventually it started flowing. There’s a distinct feeling as the milk comes in. But it’s not an instant thing and takes days to get going properly. And for me it took weeks to establish really good breastfeeding with a big enough supply. It does take some sticking at in my experience. And honestly I only know one other mum who found it easy and instant.

I had 2 c sections one emergency and one planned. Breastfed successfully both babies. This time after my elective I just fed alot from day one, I didn't notice any major shift of my milk coming in to be honest. I'd say baby fed ALOT in the first week and that is completely normal. I have big breasts and found lying down helped. Drank tons of liquids and ate loads. You can do it! Good luck!

Mine never got hard

I was never shown how to do it laying down

Being formula fed isn't awful ... honestly you are being too hard on yourself.

It's a very stressful, difficult time having a baby and you did your best.

The centre was there to help people. Hope things are easier for you second time around.

breastfed for 2 years, don’t want to with this one, formula is fine

Hi OP. I had an emergency section and my milk took quite a few days to come in, and then it took a few weeks of supplementary feeding with a bottle before I felt that supply was properly established and I let the bottles go. I remember being ravenously hungry and incredibly thirsty during some of that time.

Please don't be hard on yourself. Your baby was fed!

I was devastated at the time and also felt 'less than', and honestly years on all that matters is that we're both here and healthy.

Put them on the boob as often as possible during the first week especially. Sends the signals and “places the order’.
Be comfortable.
Eat and drink really well.
Sniff kiss and cuddle baby. Release the happy hormones to stimulate production.

MOTHERS MILK or Hot Tea Mama Milk’s Up did wonders for my supply.

FORMULA IS ABSOLUTELY FINE DONT LISTEN TO NONSENSE.

Not much really, my milk didn’t come in until eight weeks after a difficult birth. My breasts went from being no bigger than normal and a bit droopy until then (even during pregnancy) to feeling very full and heavy.

Never experience a let down feeling either. Or had the rock hard boobs!

I don’t think that happens for everyone

It takes several days, trust the process. Put baby to boob and do lots of skin to skin.

My milk took days to fully come through after a very relaxed home birth with my third child. No idea why it took longer than with my first two but my IM reassured me it would. And it did. Breastfed her for almost four years ❤️

If you and baby are ok that's good.
I had tiny boobs before children so there was a marked difference when milk came in, if you already have big boobs maybe you won't notice so much.

just in case, this is what worked for me....
step 1: squeeze the nipple (from the areola, quite firmly) to get a drop out.
step 2: bring your nipple to baby's nose🙂- they should reflexively open their mouth.
step 3:bring baby up so their open mouth covers your nipple and they latch on over the whole shebang (nipple and areola).
step4: to break the latch use your little finger gently in the corner of baby's mouth, don't try and pull a latched baby straight off your nork!

Be prepared for very sore norks for a few days before they toughen up. You can get creams and nipple shields if necessary. NB some preemies don't immediately have a latch reflex, but when they try to latch on to your cheek when near your face, or when you stroke their cheek with the back your hand they turn towards it with open mouth, that's part of the reflex, take your time,
When your milk reflex comes in you'll need nipple pads, you may get pain & leakage when baby cries or you get emotional, and watch out when the cold air hits you when getting out the shower.

Lots of love and luck.

I also found my Avent manual breast pump 'drew' better than the electric one in the hospital when expressing.

For at least three weeks I had to bite my finger in an attempt to distract myself from the pain for the first twenty seconds or so of each feed. It felt like smashed glass was flowing through my boobs. Then the pain went one day and would only come back when I was on my period.

DH went on a new father’s course which gave advice on breastfeeding. When I was coming around from my general he was holding DD helping her latch. Something to do with put their nose to your nipple but I can’t quite remember the rest.

For some it just doesn’t happen. My breasts never changed shape or size, during pregnancy or the 8m I tried feeding. Never leaked, never felt hard or tingly. I tried everything and nothing worked sadly. Thank god for formula as my child would have starved. Please don’t be hard on yourself, a fed baby is a happy and thriving baby. I gave myself such a hard time about it I felt like I could never fully enjoy my baby. Throwing the pump away was the best decision I ever made, it was like a weight had been lifted!!