How the body produces breast milk
…in pregnancy
From around six months of pregnancy, mums’ breasts start producing colostrum, a thin and watery liquid. Some women find their breasts leak a bit during pregnancy. This is nothing to worry about and is perfectly normal. Suggest they keep some breast pads handy, just in case.
…1 or 2 days after giving birth
Immediately after her baby’s birth, women’s breasts will continue to produce colostrum. It will take between two to four days for her milk to ‘come in’.
Colostrum is a thin and watery liquid that is full of protein and antibodies, and will help her baby pass meconium. Mum should be reassured that it’s okay if her baby only feeds a little at a time. As long as she feeds baby whenever it shows signs of wanting to suckle (‘on demand’), it’ll stimulate her breasts to start producing milk.
…2 or 4 days after giving birth
Mum’s breasts will become fuller as her milk comes in. Mature breast milk is thicker and more milky coloured than colostrum, and comes in two parts:
- ‘Foremilk’ comes first. This is watery to satisfy baby’s thirst
- ‘Hindmilk’ comes second. This is rich in fat to satisfy their hunger
It’s important that mum allows her baby to feed for as long as they want – so they get enough to satisfy both their hunger and their thirst.