Breast feeding, milk supply takes a few days

[SophieRules]

From what I’ve been reading and some friends experience it can take a few days for your milk supply to come in for a lot of women. Seems surprising body doesn’t prep the milk sooner. In these cases I presume you used formuls until then? But then I know that can cause issues with then trying to get the to breast feed. Just wondering what mums experiences have been with delayed milk supplies.

No you don’t need formula.You produce colostrum and that’s all baby needs for the first few days, it’s very high calorie and nourishing for them and they’re absolutely fine on that until the mature milk comes in. You can often harvest some in syringes while you’re pregnant if you want to, but it’s not essential.

Nature definitely didn’t evolve us to not be able to feed our babies for the first 2-5 days, formula has only really existed for 70 years .

It can take 3-5 days but you have colostrum which is all baby needs. Their stomachs are tiny and colostrum is very nutrient dense.

People mistake normal newborn behaviour for them being hungry and panic and give formula. The breast then isn’t stimulated enough which delays/hinders milk production and they get into a vicious cycle which is hard to get out of.

No, your breasts make colostrum before your milk comes in. Colostrum is super calorific and newborns’ have miniscule stomachs, so normally it works out ok for the 3 or so days it takes for colostrum to become milk. Some women might find it helpful to throw in a little bit of formula to top up a hungry baby if it takes a little longer (say 4 or 5 days) for their colostrum to change to milk. The quantities are really small per feed for the first few days - like 30-60mL small.

La Leche League are a great resource for all things breastfeeding. Here's their page on Colostrum

New born babies tummies are tiny and before you produce mature milk you produce small amounts of colostrum which is full of antibiodies and all the nutrition your baby needs for the first few days.
It's true that some mums experience delayed milk coming, which can often happen with a c-section (but certainly not always). Then baby may need topping up with formula but otherwise it shouldn't be needed.

The best way to stimulate your milk coming in is to feed baby as often as possible. Making sure your latch is good, you shouldn't have pain when feeding but some mums do experience a strong letdown sensation which can feel painful at first.

Thank you

It also depends on the type of birth you have as to how quickly milk comes in. I think there’s unnecessary pressure from midwives weighing babies at each of the checks in the days following birth to not have too much of a drop in weight and therefore won’t also allow for the delay in milk coming in

Babies aren't supposed to get milk straight away, they get colostrum. It has everything they need for the first few days.

Please just be aware that if your baby is born pre term (even if only 34-36 weeks), low birth weight, jaundiced they might need more than just colostrum especially if latch is poor or you take longer for milk to come in, some of these babies just don't have the energy to get the colostrum and cue the milk in like other babies so don't freak out if the midwife suggests top ups in the early days, you can still end up breastfeeding fine if you have good support and advice.

To echo what everyone else has said, you produce tiny amounts but it’s enough until the supply kicks in.

I personally found having a rich diet really helped and keeping hydrated.