Whipped milk: when does breast milk arrive at the breast for your baby's breastfeeding?
The milk supply consists in the start of the production of breast milk by the breast for breastfeeding of the newborn. The times with which the milk supply occurs can change from mother to mother, but generally settle between 3 and 4 days after delivery, presenting with specific symptoms. Let's find out together everything there is to know about the milky way, how to understand when it arrives and what to do if it is late.
Breast milk: from colostrum to real milk production
The milky rise does not arrive immediately after giving birth, but you have to wait a few days. A few hours after the happy event, however, the breast produces the so-called "colostrum", a kind of yellowish milk, with a creamy consistency: this thick liquid is low in fat, but rich in sugars, proteins, vitamin A and antibodies needed by your baby. The newborn really only needs a few drops of colostrum sucked from the breast: it has such a high quantity of nutrients that it will be enough! In addition, the colostrum will allow your baby to pass the first few stools and the excess bilirubin that causes jaundice.
The milk froth, in which the actual milk is produced, passes through a first production of the so-called "transition milk" and a second of "mature milk": mature breast milk will have less protein and mineral salts than colostrum, but it will be richer in fat. A few days after delivery, therefore, the yellowish liquid will become whiter and opaque, while the consistency will become more liquid: here is the milky whipping! But what generates it?
The milk supply is given by the "increase in the" hormone "prolactin", which is stimulated in the mother by the same sucking action of the newborn, thus allowing the passage of breast milk from the glandular tissue of the breast to the milk ducts. Isn't it sweet for your baby to "ask" your body for milk while breastfeeding?
See also
Understanding when the milk comes in: the symptoms
Milk whipping, in which the nutrient-rich mature milk finally reaches the mother's breast, then occurs between three and four days after delivery, although this amount of time can vary from mother to mother. In some cases, moreover, the milk supply can arrive immediately abundant, while in others it will be more gradual. It is therefore difficult to determine exactly when it arrives!
The symptoms with which the milk supply occurs can also be different from woman to woman. Among the most common symptoms are the increase in volume and swelling of the breast, accompanied by a feeling of heat and tension and, at times, even a little pain, the appearance of blue veins on the surface of the mother's breast; an annoying tingling sensation inside the breast; chills. Much of these symptoms can be relieved by the newborn: the moment your baby empties the breast during breastfeeding, it will give you relief.
How to stimulate the milk supply
If the milk does not come automatically, there are some useful methods for the mother to be able to stimulate her. How to stimulate the milk flow? First of all, it is important to attach your baby to the breast as soon as possible: as we have seen, the milk flow is stimulated by the baby's sucking and the sooner this occurs, the sooner the breast milk will arrive! Usually the newborn is attached to the mother's breast a few hours after birth to create a very important first contact and start the milk production process.
To stimulate the milk supply it will not only be useful to attach your baby to the breast as soon as possible, but also to do it frequently, because the sucking can lead to the production of prolactin. In some cases it is also possible to help yourself with a breast pump. It will be important, then, to rest between one feed and the other as well as remembering to drink plenty of water and take care of your diet by avoiding too many calories.
Always take care of breast hygiene after breastfeeding and massage your nipples with sweet almond oil to avoid the formation of cracks in the breast or any engorgement of the breast. Finally, avoid being anxious and worrying too much: a state of agitation could further delay the arrival of the milk surge.
What if the milky rise does not arrive?
Let's repeat it once again: the milky whipping does not arrive at the same time for everyone! Each mother has her own story. The delay in the arrival of milk may be due to several factors: it occurs frequently if the birth was long and tiring and a state of agitation and stress persists in the new mother; if there was a caesarean section or heavy bleeding after childbirth; if you have severe emotional stress; if he immediately started smoking again ...
What to do, then, if the milk does not come? Stay with your baby! The physical contact between you, between your skin, her lips and the mother's breast, will only stimulate the production of milk in the breast. Similarly, you can help yourself with a breast pump. The milky way will come soon: don't panic!
What if the breasts hurt when the milk comes in?
In some cases, a mother can experience severe pain in the breast when the milk comes in. One of the main causes of this pain can be the presence of breast engorgement: breast engorgement occurs when the infant cannot suck milk from the mother's breast while breastfeeding.
What to do in case of breast engorgement? First of all you have to try to breastfeed often, so that the engorgement can "melt" independently. They can help with the undertaking of hot water compresses at the base of the breast, which help to thin the breast milk. You can also help with your hands. On the other hand, the use of a breast pump is prohibited in the event of engorgement!
