the milk IS in !!!

Let's get rid of the phrase "when your milk comes in"! On the day your baby is born, your milk IS in!!! This is the first milk, the colostrum, nicknamed Liquid Gold because of its valuable properties, that your body has ready for your newborn immediately after birth.Within the first hour, given a chance, the newborn will latch on and begin feeding at mom's breast. Because a newborn's stomach is really tiny, the size of a shooter marble, it can only hold a few drops of milk at a time. The first milk is produced by the body in tiny quantities, because breastfeeding is a brilliant system that constantly mirrors mother's supply to baby's need. As the baby grows, it makes sense that the stomach increases gradually in size, reaching roughly the size of an egg by day 10. And mom's milk supply, if she's responding to baby's feeding cues, will gradually increase in volume right along with it. Around day 2-4, there is a bit of an increase, and mom's milk increases a bit too, this is the "transition milk". If baby doesn't have a chance to latch as often as needed, usually 10-12 times in 24 hours, this is when many moms experience engorgement. With frequent, on demand feeds, typically by day 10 she will have "mature milk", being produced in just the right amount to satisfy her baby. I can't blame moms for worrying about their baby "starving" in the first few days and running for formula to supplement her milk, if they keep hearing about "waiting for the milk to come in"! It sounds like it's not there yet!!! And not understanding how very often a healthy newborn demands to eat, it's easy to see how moms reach the conclusion that they don't have enough milk. On the day that baby is born, THE MILK IS IN!!!!!!

#colostrum #milksupply