07/27/2022
Yes! Your milk doesn’t “come in”, it’s already there! It will transition to mature milk, but colostrum is exactly what your baby needs. Even if it takes a minute for the transition to happen, colostrum is still all your baby needs.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Colostrum is milk.
Now that I’ve gotten your attention, I just wanted to throw out a reminder that colostrum is the first milk for your baby when you breastfeed. At around 3-5 days postpartum, your milk will start the process of transitioning from colostrum to mature milk. From day 3-5 til day 10-14, your thick, yellow, sticky colostrum will thin out and move to the white color associated with breastmilk. After about 14 days postpartum, you’ll have what it considered “mature milk”, and your supply will begin to become established, which is a process that will take a few weeks.
Put the baby to the breast as much as possible. There’s a reason for the saying “when in doubt, whip it out”. Doing this will help your body to meet your baby’s demands. It’s also worth noting that there are several growth spurts in the first 3 months, and baby cluster feeding (wanting to be on the breast most of the day to eat, acting like they’re starving 30 minutes after they’ve eaten, etc) does not mean you’ve lost your supply (barring IGT or true low supply). Neither does your breasts feeling softer to the touch and not as engorged. This is very normal when your supply has regulated.
If you have any concerns about your baby and/or your breastfeeding journey, please seek out the nearest IBCLC and make an appointment. ✨
