When Does Breast Milk Come In After Birth?

You’re in your final weeks of pregnancy (or maybe you’ve just given birth) and you’re wondering when your milk will come in. Your baby is suddenly depending on you, everything hurts, and now you’re stressing about breast milk.

So, when does breast milk come in after birth? The answer is actually before you even give birth.

With that being said, the way you approach the first few days after giving birth is crucial. There are important steps to take to bring in a full milk supply for your baby. In this post, we’ll discuss when your breast milk “comes in”, what you can expect in those first few days, and what you can do if it’s delayed.

Understanding Breast Milk Production

Let’s start by addressing a common myth, that you don’t have any breast milk until after your baby is born. This is false!

COLOSTRUM: THE FIRST MILK

Your body begins producing colostrum around the 16th week of pregnancy to prepare for your baby’s arrival. This colostrum will be what your baby consumes when they are first born and will continue until your milk transitions. That transition of milk is what we are referring to when we talk about your milk “coming in”.

Colostrum can be thick, sticky, and range in colors. It can range from clear to white to yellow/gold. This is where it gets its name, “liquid gold” (and also because of all of the benefits it can provide babies). You will likely only see drops to a few milliliters for the first 24-48 hours.

Despite its small volume, colostrum is highly concentrated with antibodies and nutrients, and provides newborns with vital immunity and digestive support.

Check out this post if you want to learn more about prenatal colostrum collection and its benefits!

TRANSITIONAL MILK: THE BRIDGE TO MATURE MILK

After your baby is born, you will enter different stages of breast milk production postpartum. After the delivery of your baby (and removal of the placenta), your estrogen and progesterone levels will fall rapidly, and prolactin will increase as your baby begins suckling. Transitional milk marks the shift from colostrum to mature milk.

Between days 2-5 postpartum, you should begin to see transitional milk. This milk will increase in volume compared to the first two days and may change color to clear or white. This phase usually lasts until the end of the first week or so.

During this period, the milk gradually changes in composition, increasing in volume and fat content.

MATURE MILK: ESTABLISHING YOUR MILK SUPPLY

Mature milk is the final phase of milk production, and what your milk will stay until weaning or a subsequent pregnancy.

This stage provides all the necessary nutrients for your baby’s growth and development. The composition of mature milk continues to evolve throughout the breastfeeding journey to meet your baby’s changing needs.

Your milk supply will continue to regulate up until about 12 weeks postpartum. It is crucial at this time to be frequently and effectively removing milk from the breasts to create a full milk supply.

How Many Days After Delivery does Milk Come In?

It typically takes about 2-5 days after giving birth for you to see an increase in volume in your breast milk. Since we know your breast milk is already there (aka colostrum), we are looking for that increase in volume to sustain baby’s nutritional and hydration needs.

SIGNS YOUR MILK IS COMING IN

Unless you’re hand expressing or pumping, you may not know how to tell if your milk is transitioning and increasing in volume. Here are a few things to look out for.

• Increased swelling of the breasts (engorgement)
• Adequate amount of pee & poop diapers from baby
• Increased number of swallows from baby during feedings
• Breast fullness
• Breast milk leakage

VARIABLES THAT INFLUENCE THE TIMING OF MILK COMING IN

There are a few variables that can affect the timing of when your milk “comes in” or transitions. These factors can cause late onset of milk production and may require additional effort or support for these new moms.

We often see a later onset of transitional milk in mothers who delivered by c-section. With c-sections, latching or expressing milk directly after delivering baby may take longer due to birth medications and/or interventions. It can also be due to the baby and the placenta not passing through the birth canal and triggering the hormone shift for lactation.

So, how long does it take for milk to come in after a c-section? This transition may happen closer to 5-6 days, vs. 3-4 days with a vaginal birth. It is important to continue removing milk every 2-3 hours during this time to promote milk transition from colostrum to mature milk.

Other variables that can influence the timing of your milk coming in include:

• First-time moms
• Medical interventions (vaginal or c-section)
• Retained placental fragments
• Diabetes

What to Do if Your Breast Milk Hasn’t Come In

If you’re 5 days postpartum and your breast milk hasn’t transitioned, it may be time to reach out for help. A lactation consultant can help determine if baby is effectively removing milk and determine the cause for delayed milk.

Ideally, we’d like to see you prenatally before your baby is born to teach you exactly what to do to set yourself up for a successful start to breastfeeding. We can teach you what to do in these instances if you notice things aren’t progressing like they should.

As baby’s stomach grows in their first few days of life, we want to see your breast milk volume increasing as well. If you notice baby isn’t having enough wet or dirty diapers, not gaining weight adequately, or not swallowing milk when nursing, get a breastfeeding consultation asap.

Want to learn even more about exactly how to have a successful start to breastfeeding? My prenatal breastfeeding guide, Bump to Breast, prepares you for everything you need to know about breastfeeding before (and after) your baby is born.

Tips to Help Your Milk Come In

From the very beginning, we want to be frequently and effectively removing milk from the breasts. This can be done from baby latching, hand expression, or pumping.

You’ll also want to be skin-to-skin with baby as much as possible. This gets those hormones flowing that help with breastfeeding.

Giving birth is tough work (no matter how you deliver), so prioritize resting, staying hydrated, and consuming enough calories.

If you’re 5 days postpartum and you notice your milk hasn’t “come in”, we’ll need to start adding extra measures to encourage milk production. This includes techniques like hand expressing or pumping after latching baby to the breast.

As exhausting as it may be, you’ll need to remove milk at night. Even if your baby is sleeping longer stretches at night, you’ll either need to wake them to feed (depending on weight gain/your pediatrician’s approval) or pump.

Prolactin is the hormone that drives milk supply. These levels peak between the hours of 12-6 AM, meaning you’ll get the most breast milk at this time and send more milk-making signals to your brain.

Ensure your baby has a good latch, or if you’re pumping, that you’re using the proper flange size and pump settings. Removing milk effectively is just as important as removing it frequently. The more breast milk removed, the more signals sent to your brain that your baby needs this milk.

I hope this has answered your question of when breast milk comes in after birth, and given you some additional tips for bringing in a full milk supply!

Want even more support? My comprehensive prenatal breastfeeding guide, Bump to Breast, goes over all of this and so much more. We discuss latching, pumping, common breastfeeding struggles, all about your baby’s first week of life — everything you need to know about breastfeeding before (and after) your baby arrives!