If you're planning on breastfeeding, it's normal to be unsure what to expect when it comes to actually nursing your newborn for the first time. Some new moms don’t realize that while they can start breastfeeding their child right away, it takes a few days for their milk to fully "come in."
Here are signs that your milk is on its way, plus tips and tricks to avoid engorgement and other challenges that some breastfeeding moms experience when their milk first comes in after giving birth.
When will my milk come in?
Your breast milk arrives in three different stages — and production actually starts before you even give birth!
Stage 1: Colostrum
Timing: Day one
Most women can begin breastfeeding immediately after giving birth, but the milky fluid that you produce in these early days is technically called colostrum. Colostrum is the first "milk" that your body produces and is packed with antibodies and white blood cells to help protect your baby from infections and illnesses during her first few days of life.
Colostrum contains a high concentration of carotenoids, which give it its signature golden yellow color (although sometimes it can be clear), and its thick, sticky consistency coats your baby’s intestinal system to help protect the sensitive and permeable lining of her stomach. Colostrum also acts as a laxative to help newborns pass the meconium, or first poop, from their system.
You actually start making colostrum while you're still pregnant — most women begin producing colostrum around week 14 to 16 of pregnancy, and some might notice leaking colostrum in the second or third trimesters.
Your body only produces tiny amounts of colostrum after giving birth. With frequent and effective milk removal through nursing or pumping, your supply will increase, and your colostrum will change to transitional milk over the next few days.
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Stage 2: Transitional milk
Timing: Three or four days postpartum
When new moms wonder when their milk will "come in," they're usually referring to transitional milk. Transitional milk appears between colostrum and mature milk, usually around the third or fourth day after giving birth.
Transitional milk takes on a more whitish color and is usually more abundant than colostrum. Transitional milk also contains more calories and is richer in fat content to help meet the needs of your rapidly growing newborn.
Some signs that your transitional milk is coming in include:
- Breast engorgement
- Tightened skin on the breasts and areolas
- Leaking milk
- Increase in milk supply
Stage 3: Mature milk
Timing: Between day 10 and 14 postpartum
After a few weeks, your transitional milk will become what's known as mature milk, which is thin and white (though sometimes bluish), and resembles watery skim milk. Mature milk contains all of the fat and nutrients your baby needs.
Why might breast milk production not increase right away?
If your transitional milk seems like it's delayed, there could be a few possible causes. In most cases, delayed milk increase is due to infrequent or ineffective milk removal in the first few days after giving birth. This might be due to an improper latch, a baby who is having trouble nursing effectively, or if you're not nursing or pumping frequently enough.
In some cases, delayed milk increase might be due to hormonal imbalances, breast hypoplasia or another chronic issue that may contribute to low milk supply, such as maternal obesity and pregnancy-induced high blood pressure.
If you are experiencing low or no milk production beyond three to five days postpartum, talk to your OB/GYN or board-certified lactation consultant to identify the cause.
How to manage engorgement when your milk comes in
Engorgement — when your breasts swell and become hard and tender — is a normal and expected part of your breastfeeding journey, but this stage can be uncomfortable. In the first few days after giving birth, breast engorgement is caused by your transitional milk coming in, which can result in breasts becoming overly full (though it can also happen later on, such as if you wait too long between nursing or pumping sessions).
To relieve painful and uncomfortable breast engorgement when your milk comes in, try these strategies, which differ depending on whether or not you're hoping to breastfeed:
If you're planning on breastfeeding or pumping:
- Nurse often and on demand. In the early days, as you're still establishing your supply, that will be at least every two to three hours.
- Hand express or pump. If you express too much, that might make engorgement worse, so do just enough to help relieve discomfort.
- Apply a warm compress. This helps encourage letdown. You might also find it helpful to gently massage your breasts.
- Try cabbage leaves. Placing chilled, clean, green cabbage leaves on each breast can help soothe the discomfort caused by engorgement.
If you're not planning on breastfeeding or pumping:
- Bind your breasts and avoid nipple stimulation. An ace bandage can help bind your breasts and provide relief.
- Ease discomfort. Ice packs, bags of frozen vegetables, cabbage leaves and a pain reliever like acetaminophen or ibuprofen may help.
- Only pump if you need to. If you're very uncomfortable, try hand expressing to ease engorgement, but pumping too much could increase your supply and prolong your symptoms.
Although some engorgement is normal (and should usually ease up within two or three days), contact your practitioner or a board-certified lactation consultant if it lasts longer and you're experiencing painful breastfeeding or your baby is struggling to get a good latch.
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