Breastmilk coming in late the second time?

[Adaline'sMama]

Is it possible? I feel like my boobs should know how to do it this time, so I shouldnt have a problem. But, you know, Ive never had a second kid before, so I have no clue how it will be.

With DD, milk didnt come until day # 5 after I sat down and had a beer. Colostrum was pretty much gone by early morning of day # 3, so we had 2.5 days of freaking out and having everyone except my ped tell me to give her formula.

Well, this time I am keeping more people at bay to limit comments, I am going to relax and have a beer and get a massage sooner, and Im going to start Mothers Milk supplement by Motherlove immediately.

What else can I do to make sure we get this nursing relationship started off a little faster than last time? Any other tips and tricks for getting milk to come in?

[PatioGardener]

Skin to skin as much as possible.

If baby is early or a reluctant nurser, some moms find it helpful to hand express after each feed.

nak

[foreverinbluejeans]

The beer didn't do it. It was just coincidence.

Breastfeed within the first hour after birth. Room-in. No bottles or pacifiers. Nurse frequently at least 8-12 times every 24 hours. You don't need teas, massages, alcohol, or pumps. It's normal for milk to come in on day 5 with your first. It may be day 5 with this baby. It doesn't matter. Babies are born with stored fluid to hold them over until mature milk comes in and they are fine until day 5.

With your first baby you grow extra milk glands. Your milk will probably come in quicker with this baby.

If you have an epidural all of the fluids from the IVs can delay your milk coming in and make it seem like your baby is loosing more weight. Babies gain water weight from those huge bags of IVs from the epidurals and when they loose that water weight it makes it seem like they are loosing too much weight after birth. They have only recently figured this out.

Don't worry and enjoy your new baby.

[Adaline'sMama]

Last time we did:
Constant skin to skin
Rooming in
Nursing 20+ times in 24 hours
No bottles
No pacifiers
Me sitting in a chair nursing constantly for five days.
Oh, and no iv fluids, no epidural, no drugs or any sort.


DD screamed for three days and then was all of the sudden silent and happy when my milk came in, so while it is completely normal, it is also really freaking stressful and if I can get ANY tips or advice on how to make it come in faster this time, Ill take it.


And its just your opinion about the beer. A lot of women swear by it, and if nothing else it helps you relax which can trigger a let down. It doesnt matter what you say, or what forum you post in, you are just always offensive and obnoxious. And never helpful. I dont need the obvious answers about how to breastfeed. Ive done it once, and I too have read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.

[PatioGardener]

So i've heard 2 versions from 2nd time moms who had their milk come after 4 days or later. 1) milk comes in faster the 2nd time, and 2) same time lag as with the first baby.

Most moms from first version of events changed things up the 2nd time - roomed in, more skin to skin, no bottles or schedule etc. That makes me think (I have no evidence for this, it's just a thought) that this first group mostly had a barrier to delay milk coming in that they could remove the 2nd time around.

The second group "did it all right" the first time, and repeated it for the second time. This makes me think that they are maybe somehow different - something physiological or biochemical or structural that just means milk takes longer to come in, and they make colostrum longer.

Given my (anecdotal) experiences, if I were you I'd want to be prepared for the 2nd time too! The big difference this time is that you know your milk might take 5 days, and that your first baby was fine with that. Also, the only think I would add to what you have listed below would be hand expressing after feeds. And I would suggest side-lying nursing if at all possible. Helps SO much with fatigue!

Good luck! (Isn't the postpartum massage lovely! I wish I had done it sooner too!)

Originally Posted by Adaline'sMama 

Last time we did:
Constant skin to skin
Rooming in
Nursing 20+ times in 24 hours
No bottles
No pacifiers
Me sitting in a chair nursing constantly for five days.
Oh, and no iv fluids, no epidural, no drugs or any sort.

[Megan73]

I second the suggestion of hand expression after feeds. It's a much more efficient way to get the colostrum that gets "lost" in the pump. You can hand express into a standard plastic spoon and feed baby until your milk comes in.