What stage does the milk arrive?

[Katherine]

Something really wierd happened last night. My nipples have been really tender the last few days and as I was in the bath I gave them a gentle rub. Anyway next thing little white spots appeared. I was really baffled. It looks like my milk has arrived!...... but I'm only 6 weeks pg! Its over 20 months since I stopped BF so it can't be left over from last time. Surely the milk arrives much later in a pg? I'm sure it was right at the end last time.

Katherine - I occasionally had little white spots on my nips quite early in pregnancy. Don't know what it is, but it's not milk as that comes after the baby is born (don't you remember suddenly having enormous achy boobs after a couple of days?) - before that the baby feeds from colostrum, of which there doesn't seem to be very much. Pregancy does weird things...

You can still have "some" milk months after you stop BF... and anyway your hormones are working hard now so I would not be surprise with what you experienced.

I was producing milk throughout my pregnancy starting in the early months (first baby too) it was so bad that I was wearing breast pads by the time I was six months pregnant and I remember being at work, heard this little baby cry and that was it, I was soaked I had to explain to my male boss what had happened, went home and changed my top. How embarrasing

Katherine - this was the first sign to me that I was pg (after already having bf one child) even before doing the pg test. So it sounds quite feasible to me. Congratulations on your pregnancy, by the way - maybe you should start a "Second quarter of 2003 babies" thread!

Yes, I too was leaking from about 3 months pregnant.. And I also recall having tiny spots of 'milk' way before I had a child. I leaked like a burst pipe whilst breastfeeding - don't know if it is all connected.

Katherine - good sign of a healthy pregnancy - hormones raging. You will probably find it will settle down a bit.

mears, sorry, I know you are a midwife, but I take issue on milk arriving early as a sign of a healthy pregnancy.

Surely its just one of those things that happen to some people and not to others?

You are quite right Enid - it happens to some not others. Just trying to reassure Katherine that it is not abnormal. However, no breast changes at all can indicate all is not well. The hormones are produced by a healthy pregnancy. In a blighted ovum, there changes don't happen. Unfortunately I do have experience of that personally as well as professionally