Brestfeeding Quesitons...

I was just wondering when everyone's milk first started to come in you're brests?  Also I'm very nervous about having my first baby and being able to provied enough milk for him/her.  Have any of you not been able to provied for their baby?  Ugh this is just a few of my questions.  My friend who had her baby last year said that she could only brestfeed for two months.  All I want is anyone's input on brestfeeding!

[babydreams9]

My milk came in 3 days after my c-section. The average is 2-5 days. More than likely, you will have no problems providing plenty of milk for your baby. What is required is a LOT of nursing, particularly during the first few weeks of baby's life but for sure during the first 8 weeks while your supply is being established. Supplementing with formula (or anything else; even over-using a pacifier) means baby will spend less time at your breast, which will tell your body not to make as much, leading to an inadequate supply. Even in the first few days when baby is only getting colustrum from your breasts, it is important to nurse, nurse, nurse. It is a lifetyle - it is time consuming. But it is amazing and worth every minute!! YOU have everything your baby needs. Thats the way it's designed to work, and unless there is some medical reason or otherwise, it'll work for you too. Avoid bottles and pacifiers during the first month if you can. This will avoid nipple confusion for baby, and provide more stimulation for you so that you can produce more milk. Focus on getting a good latch - that is the key, and usually the cause of most breastfeeding problems. Your baby probably will not come out of the womb knowing how to get the most milk from your breast - it is a learning experience for both of you. A proper latch occurs when baby has figured out how to get the most milk from you, and your nipples will not hurt. If you have issues in the beginning, reach out!! Consult a lactation consultant at your local hospital, or get in touch with your local La Leche League. I did both, and I am eternally grateful for the help they provided me. My son is nearly 20 weeks now and breastfeeding is going great.

Small problems quickly turn into bigger ones when not dealt with immediately. Example: not nursing enough at the beginning (even before milk comes in) = engorgment = pumping and giving bottles = nipple confusion = bad latch = poor milk supply = supplementing with formula = milk supply continues to decrease, baby begins to prefer the bottle and refuse the breast = early wearning/stopping breastfeeding........ Thats just one scenario.

Ask questions and dont get discouraged. The decision to breastfeed is an incredible one, and you can do it!! :)

[tiredbuthappy]

hi! Welcome to our community... these are all great questions and doubts many of us  had while pregnant.

I think my milk came in 2 or 3 days after delivery. i was able to provide enough milk for my baby, but my baby was unable to nurse. it was very frustrating and upsetting, but i was able to pump milk and give it to her in a bottle.

While there are some people who genuinely do not have a good supply, for most people it is possible to have enough milk. The key is proper nursing technique and not supplementing with formula in the beginning. As soon as you start to use formula, the baby nurses less and your supply goes down due to less stimulation. Another reason is improper latch or weak suck. A lactation consultant can help a person try to overcome these issues. Getting enough rest and proper nutrition help too.

Basically, women are programmed to produce enough milk for their babies. Under ideal situations, you should have enough milk. I think part of the key to increasing your chances of being successful is to do your best to make the situation as ideal as possible for nursing. That can be very hard to accomplish- having a newborn is exhausting and the temptation to give a bottle is strong. Like I said, there are some factors that are harder to control, like the baby's latch. Some women have to use a bottle because they go back to work. Sometimes it just takes a mom/baby pair longer to get the hang of things. However, you can still be optimistic. Plenty of women here were able to successfully breastfeed even when not all of these ideal factors were in place. Good luck!!

[johannaviles]

With my first it came 5 days after my c section...With my second, it was 3 days...
BTW, You are making a great decision on breastfeeding, you will give your baby the best gift ever!

[mlb1234]

mine took about a week after the c-section.