Any mother is worried that after the birth of the crumbs, she would produce the proper amount of milk. But often it is absent when the baby was born, which leads the woman to panic. If no milk after childbirth, do not immediately panic, as it appears in every woman in different ways.

When the milk comes

Many mothers do not know when milk comes after childbirth. They panic if he is not there 10 minutes after the baby is born. Complex processes are taking place in the body, it is hard for him to get used to the fact that the baby is no longer inside, so colostrum is released from the chest. It appears in a small amount, but it is enough for the child not to be hungry. Therefore, you do not need to run to pharmacies for lactation teas or other means.

After the endured childbirth, it is worth expecting the appearance of milk for 3 days. If a woman begins to use any products for lactation, then her breasts will swell, which is why the condition will not be the best.

Doctors advise expressing milk after the birth of the crumbs. In this way, the breast will be unloaded, and in the future the amount of this valuable product will increase. This is an important procedure as the newborn cannot drink all the milk. If you do not get rid of it, it burns out, and decreases in quantity.

Why is there no milk

The first milk after childbirth will appear only on the 3rd day. Initially, colostrum is released. But this is a useful product, since a lot of protein, enzymes, and minerals are concentrated in its composition. By eating colostrum, the baby quickly becomes full. This product contains a minimum amount of fat, so the work of the baby's stomach is facilitated.

After 3-5 days, milk should begin to stand out from the breast, which contains more fat and less protein. Often a woman's body temperature rises during this period. Within a week, the body produces mature milk.

But there are situations when this product is little or not at all. This is due to improper breastfeeding. Mommy should express excess milk, otherwise its amount will decrease in the future. This procedure is performed after each feeding manually or using a breast pump. If you do this systematically, then milk production will improve.

But not all women are helped by this procedure, they continue to complain about the lack of food for the crumbs. And some mothers are faced with the fact that milk has disappeared after childbirth. In these situations, it is worth taking additional measures.

What to do if there is no milk

To provoke the appearance of milk after the birth of a baby, doctors advise following these rules:

1. Mom should apply the newborn to the mammary glands. This procedure is performed alternately for each breast.
2. After childbirth, it is worth drinking at least 2 liters of fluid per day. This includes water, decoctions, teas.
3. You can not take a break in feeding at night. In the period from 2 to 4 hours, important hormones are produced in the body that increase lactation.
4. A young mother should eat right. All products that are consumed must contain useful substances. Deficiency of vitamins and minerals leads to lack of milk.
5. It is required to adhere to the rules of attaching the baby to the breast. He should be comfortable: both the body and the head are turned to the mother. When a woman feeds a newborn, there should be no pain.

If the fair sex has just given birth to a child, she should not worry about the lack of milk, as it does not appear immediately. In order for its amount to be enough for a crumb in the future, you need to follow simple rules.

Breast milk is the most valuable product for a newborn baby. Only with natural feeding, the baby can get all the necessary substances that will ensure his proper development and good health. However, many young mothers may experience a shortage or lack of milk in the early days. Why there is no milk or it is not enough, and what needs to be done, we will ask breastfeeding consultants.

Expert opinion

It is not uncommon for breastfeeding professionals to deal with new mothers' concerns about not having enough milk. Women come to the consultation with one question, what to do if there is no milk after childbirth. Usually this question arises in women who first became a mother. Women most often panic in vain, because the process of establishing lactation takes a certain time, and in the first days after childbirth, there is still no milk in the mammary glands. It appears later.

It seems to women that they have too little milk, that the child is not full, but nature took care of this. The female body produces milk exactly as much as the child eats in one feeding. When the baby will eat more, and milk will be produced so much that he is full.

The first days after the birth of a child

In the first 3-5 days, many women do not produce milk at all. During this period, colostrum is secreted from the mammary glands. This transparent slightly yellowish liquid contains all the substances necessary for a newborn baby. The composition of colostrum is so invaluable that it is these first drops of nutrition that can form the immunity of the crumbs and prepare its digestive system for the subsequent feeding with milk.

However, the process of establishing lactation may be slightly delayed. If there is still no milk 5 days after giving birth, you can help your body a little. In this case, the first and often the most effective method is frequent attachment of the baby to the breast.

The more often you breastfeed your baby, the more milk will be produced.

If, despite frequent application, little milk is produced, you need to reconsider your lifestyle. A young mother should rest as much as possible and eat right. Previously, experts advised pumping the breast after each feeding. Today, doctors try to avoid this practice. Pumping interferes with the establishment of proper lactation. If you start expressing your breasts, this can lead to increased milk production, and there is a good chance that you will have to do this procedure for a long time. In addition, with manual pumping, it is very easy to damage the mammary glands, which threatens the development of the inflammatory process.

After giving birth, young mothers often face the problem of lack of milk, but before sounding the alarm, you need to calm down (the worries will not benefit either the mother or the baby), because there is most likely no reason to panic, since the process of establishing lactation takes a certain time.

The first days after childbirth - the period of colostrum

Breast milk is a valuable product for a newborn baby, because with it he receives all the necessary substances for his further proper growth and development, as well as for maintaining his immunity, which, in turn, will provide him with good health. However, a woman immediately after childbirth does not and cannot have milk, but there is a more valuable product at this stage of restructuring her body - colostrum, which begins to be secreted in the mammary glands at the end of pregnancy and the first 3-5 days after childbirth.

Colostrum is a thick, viscous, sticky, with a salty taste and a specific odor, a yellow liquid with a high protein content and less fat, lactose and water compared to milk. It contains immunoglobulins and antitoxins that protect the newborn, and also normalizes the activity of the digestive tract of the crumbs (the laxative properties of colostrum help the child easily get rid of the original dark stool - meconium), thereby preparing him for new "external" nutritional conditions. In addition, colostrum prevents the appearance of physiological jaundice in a newborn.

Colostrum has a great energy value, because the nutrient density in it is several times higher than in mature milk, and therefore just a few drops of this nutrient liquid are enough for the baby to get enough, because his stomach is still quite small (its volume is approximately 10 ml, but by the 3rd day of the baby's life, its volume increases to 25 ml).

The period of colostrum production is also a kind of transitional period for a woman from the stage of pregnancy to the stage of feeding. Childbirth demanded a lot of strength from mother and child, and therefore both now need time to recover - they need to get a good night's sleep. And while milk has not yet begun to be produced in full, there is time to train the correct feeding of the baby. As practice shows, not every young mother can do this, and even more so her baby (he also needs to learn how to suck properly in order to stimulate the production of milk in his mother’s breast, and if he does this inefficiently, then such sucking can lead to engorgement and cracking of the nipples). It can be said that the fate of lactation and the health of the mammary glands of the mother depends on the correctness of the ongoing feeding process.

The appearance of milk

During the period of colostrum production (as soon as the digestive system and kidneys of the crumbs are ready to accept a new type of food for them and remove decay products), the so-called “transitional” and then “mature” milk begins to be produced in the mammary glands of a woman. Moreover, the volume of milk produced will grow as the appetite of the crumbs increases: the more he sucks, the more he will stay.

"Responsible" for the production of milk are the hormones prolactin and oxytocin. They help a woman recover after childbirth and establish the process of lactation, and the newborn itself is a stimulator of milk production, because applying crumbs to the breast causes a woman to contract the uterus (this is the work of oxytocin), which, in turn, gives a signal for the production of prolactin and the appearance of milk in chest. And the more often you put the crumbs to the breast, the more often there will be an exchange of signals between hormones and milk will begin to be produced faster.

However, many mothers (especially primiparas) are concerned about the question: is there enough milk for the baby, is he full? This is easy to check, and if necessary, lactation can be stimulated.

Is the baby getting enough milk?

Nature made sure that the woman who gave birth produced as much milk as the child could eat in one feeding. As his appetite increases, so does the volume of milk produced. And yet, young mothers are concerned about the question of whether the newborn is full.

The main guideline in this matter is the state of the child himself (and not the opinion of grandmothers or aunts). However, for mothers, there are other signs of satiety of her child:

• the baby gains weight at least 120 g per week;
• the weight gain of the crumbs per month is at least 500 g;
• the number of wet diapers during the day is at least 7-8 pieces (for each feeding - one wet diaper).

If your baby is not gaining weight well, rarely "signs" diapers, then you need to stimulate lactation, and this can be done in many ways.

How to feed properly so that milk appears?

Our mothers and grandmothers adhered to the feeding system by the hour, but studies have shown that in order to successfully establish the lactation process, it is important to feed the crumbs not at regular intervals, but on demand. And the more often the baby will suckle the breast in the first days after birth, the better milk will be produced in the future.

However, you should pay attention to some "nuances" of the feeding process:

1. Try not to miss the first days of colostrum feeding, because together with this valuable product of the mother's body, you are laying the foundation for the future health of the child.
2. Breast milk for the baby is both food and drink, so there is no need to supplement and supplement the baby.
3. It is worth paying attention to how you attach the crumbs to the chest. Due to improper attachment, the baby can only suck on the nipple and at the same time not stimulate the mammary gland, and this, in turn, will lead to the fact that the baby will be hungry, and the mother's nipples will harden and crack. With proper attachment, the child should capture not only the nipple, but also the breast halo in such a way that the nipple is immersed in his mouth to a depth of 2-3 cm and reaches the middle of his tongue. During feeding, make sure that the baby can breathe freely with his nose (without blocking his breath, buried in his mother's chest) - this will allow him not to swallow air while eating.
4. At each feeding, change the breast: alternately apply it to one, then to the other (even if it’s not “handy” for you).
5. Wear a bra that is loose and comfortable enough to avoid "leaks" during milk flushes.
6. So that the feeding process does not exhaust the mother, a woman needs to learn how to relax during feeding. To do this, you need to find a position that is comfortable for mom, in which she can take a nap while the baby eats. For example, this can be done while lying on your side, or in the armpit position. Some women practice feeding the baby, lying on their back and putting the baby on their chest: they say that this additionally stimulates milk production.
7. Do not avoid night feedings, because it is at night (from 2 to 6 a.m.) that a woman’s body actively produces hormones that are responsible for milk production.
8. In pursuit of increasing the fat content of milk, on the advice of grandmothers and older friends, young mothers begin to consume fatty broths, homemade milk, and eat all this with walnuts. You don't need to do this at all. A lactating woman should drink plenty of fluids (at least 2 liters per day), but it is necessary to monitor what exactly she drinks? The ideal drink would be warm, weak teas with milk, homemade compotes, fruit drinks that are neutral in taste. At the same time, try not to eat foods that can cause allergies in crumbs (for example, honey or too fatty milk).

What will help increase lactation?

If 5 days after the birth, milk has not yet appeared, then the lactation process can be stimulated, and this can be done in different ways:

1. Breastfeed as often as possible. If he is naughty, then it is better to give him a breast than a pacifier or a pacifier.
2. Reconsider your lifestyle: try to rest more and fully, eat right (at least 3 full meals - this is not counting snacks). Include foods that stimulate milk production in your diet.
3. Try to be outdoors and not be nervous. Emotional mood also affects lactation.
4. Try to "squeeze" the milk - with a breast pump or manually, but you need to do it correctly, starting with stroking the breast, and then gently pressing towards the nipples.
5. You can increase lactation with the help of herbal infusions (decoction of fennel, dill, lemon balm, mint, rosehip) or by drinking green tea with milk. In pharmacies, you can buy special lactogenic teas (for example, HIPP).
6. Talk to your doctor about the use of dietary supplements that stimulate lactation. The most popular among them are "Laktogon" (based on the extract of spicy plants) and "Apilak" (based on beekeeping products), "Lactatosan".

In addition, there are vitamin and mineral complexes for nursing mothers (for example, Gendevit, Vitrum Prenatal, Complivit Mom, Centrum).

Some powdered milk formulas stimulate the production of milk, and these include Femilak, Milky Way, Olympic, Dumil Mom +.

When choosing a remedy, be attentive to its composition (it may be that some of the components do not suit you or your baby), and also familiarize yourself with possible contraindications and side effects of drugs.

The main task of the mother after childbirth is to act in the interests of the baby: he must receive full natural nutrition, invented for him by nature. If milk is sorely lacking, then it is necessary to make every effort to stimulate lactation, otherwise consult a doctor on the selection of milk formula.

Special for - Kira Danet

When asked about what to feed a newborn, we answer without hesitation: “breast milk”. However, not everyone can answer the question of when milk comes after childbirth. To fill in the gaps in knowledge or dispel doubts, if any, it is enough to study the information in detail.

I suggest you do this today! In this post, also look for information on how lactation after cesarean is carried out and whether it can be influenced at all.

What do you think, on what day after delivery does a woman get breast milk? I am sure that there will be a lot of answers, which for the most part will be based on experience, meanwhile, medicine is adamant: normally, the nutrient fluid for the crumbs is released only on the 3rd day. Before that, there is colostrum in the breast, so no one will remain hungry.

At the same time, do not forget that each organism is individual, and even more so if it belongs to a woman. The production of breast milk is largely influenced by hormone synthesis, but there are a number of other factors that can change the course of events. This is about:

• type of delivery (natural childbirth or caesarean);
• the time the baby was born (full-term or premature);
• previous experience of a woman (what kind of childbirth);
• medicines she received at the time of delivery.

First of all, breast milk can come by the end of the second day. Then the first white-yellowish drops appear on the linen, the number of which is steadily growing by leaps and bounds. How quickly does milk flow to the breast? Rapidly and within a day, the mammary gland significantly increases in size, swelling and becoming dense. In the case of excess milk, a change in the shape of the nipple and even an increase in temperature may occur.

It is worth noting that in primiparas, the process of milk production is slightly slowed down. It can come on the 3rd, and on the 5th day. In some cases, breast milk may not come at all (do not be surprised, the phenomenon is observed in 3% of women). But, despite the speed, the chest is usually poured sharply, suddenly.

The process is faster in multiparous. And this is not surprising, because their body is ready for change. This time, the breasts do not fill up so much, and this happens on the 3rd day at most, although exceptions are always possible.

After a caesarean section, which was carried out on time, milk appears somewhere on the 4th day. Only the stimulation of labor (when an emergency delivery, premature birth is carried out) can delay the time of its arrival, but even in this case, lactation will only be delayed by 1 to 3 days.

Interestingly, after the birth of a child due to a caesarean section in which drugs were used, the production of breast milk may be delayed by 4-6 days. This is explained by a slower restructuring of the body. But in general, the maximum, how much the baby can wait for food - 7 - 8 days.

Note! It doesn't matter what day the milk came. If a woman follows all the recommendations of a specialist regarding the stimulation of lactation, she will have plenty of it.

What does the child eat before and does he have enough

We have already figured out how many days breast milk comes. It remains to dwell on what has happened before. And before that, colostrum is produced in the body of a woman. This is a special yellowish liquid, droplets of which can be seen on underwear and during pregnancy.

Normally, colostrum synthesis begins at the end of the first or beginning of the second trimester. In this case, the mammary gland increases in size, and its sensitivity increases. An experienced specialist will also tell you that at such moments, the tubules, ducts, through which first colostrum and then breast milk will flow to the baby, will also increase.

In the first days after childbirth, colostrum is not so much. But how to understand if his baby is enough? It turns out that for this it is enough to know its physiology. So, imagine: the ventricle of a newborn holds about 7 ml of fluid. At the same time, his intestines are only preparing for full-fledged work, but so far they cannot even digest regular breast milk.

As a result, the baby is easily saturated with those breast drops that nature has provided for him. The main thing is to attach it to the chest immediately after birth. At his first meal, he will master no more than 1 tsp. colostrum. But it will also allow him to provide his body with the substances necessary to maintain strong immunity.

Moreover, such food exactly minimizes the risk of an allergic reaction, which cannot be said about the mixture. And these are not just words, but the results of research conducted by scientists. Keep this in mind when thinking about what to eat for your baby after birth.

By the way, do not worry about weight loss in newborns on the first day. It does not depend on when the breast milk came and what the baby eats before. These are natural changes that occur in his body at the time of adaptation to the environment and must be accepted.

How to speed up milk production

What to do to get milk faster? To this question, breastfeeding experts have several answers at once. But, first of all, they explain the mechanism of its appearance, thanks to which you can deal with problems with lactation on your own.

• For the process of developing "nutrition" for the newborn, 2 hormones are immediately responsible - prolactin and oxytocin. Nature itself raises their level in the blood, but you can additionally help her by putting the baby to the chest more often. Simply because active sucking promotes their synthesis.
• Prolactin is released more easily and quickly into the blood at night. Therefore, do not neglect night feedings. Deny yourself the pleasure of sleeping in exchange for another satiation of the child. At one point, when it arrives in sufficient quantities, you will say to yourself: "Thank you."
• In order not to give the impression that there is little milk in one breast, it is necessary to alternately apply crumbs to each of them. Moreover, it is necessary to alternate the mammary glands in strict sequence: first one, then the other. This will develop the milk ducts of each of them and.

What else needs to be done to make milk come faster? Establish a drinking regimen. Lack of fluid in the body can adversely affect the lactation process, meanwhile, you should not overdo it either. Approximately on the 3rd - 5th day, when milk should come to replace colostrum, it is necessary to remove an extra glass of tea from the diet. Otherwise, there will be a feeling of fullness in the chest. It will seem to turn to stone, creating discomfort and discomfort.

How to understand that milk has come and what to do with breasts

Often, primiparous women literally exhaust doctors in the maternity hospital with questions about why milk does not come. Imagine their surprise when experts say that lactation has already begun. Say it's impossible? It turns out that in practice this happens all the time.

Good for those women who have symptoms of milk production on the face. This is when there is so much of it that it literally squirts like a fountain with minimal pressure on the chest. As a rule, in this case it comes abruptly, suddenly. In parallel, a woman notes the following signs:

• firmness and breast enlargement at least 2 times;
• soreness in the mammary gland;
• the allocation of veins on its surface;
• whitish or yellowish marks on linen.

It's from pleasant. As for the unpleasant, it can also. The reasons for this phenomenon are banal: hormonal changes provoked an increase in blood circulation, which ended with a sharp rush of milk. The newborn cannot yet cope with it, as a result, it stagnates and lactostasis appears, or even mastitis.

How to prevent them? There are several options you need:

And most importantly, you need to regularly probe the mammary gland for the presence of lumps.

It is difficult to describe the sensations that a woman experiences with the arrival of milk, although she does not notice it, meanwhile, it is enough to watch the child to make sure that it appears. It turns out after this:

• The regurgitation of the crumbs turns yellow.
• The amount of his urine is increasing.
• Discharge from the chest becomes pale white or clear.
• Weight after feeding increases.

If it didn't come?

Worried about not getting milk? What do you not know? Then listen to the advice of experts and:

• replace nipples and bottles with breasts - lactation is stimulated in the process of sucking;
• make sure you get enough rest;
• drink more liquids - warm compotes, fruit drinks, tea with milk, tea to increase lactation.

What else to do to get milk? Learn how to apply to the breast correctly to facilitate the sucking process.

The best food for a baby, not only tasty and natural, but also as healthy as possible.

This is a complex of vitamins, minerals and nutrients necessary for the development and growth of the child. Is it worth it to refuse your baby this for the sake of a beautiful breast, because many women do not want to carry out lactation, worrying that the breast will lose its shape and elasticity.

Mother's milk is not just food, as some mothers think, opting for infant formulas “enriched” with useful substances, it is a thread that connects a mother and her baby on a psycho-emotional level.

There are also situations when a mother, knowing about all the usefulness of breast milk, really wants to enjoy the moment of her unity with the child during feeding, but the milk does not come. How to be in such cases, how to establish lactation?

Most often, the woman herself becomes the culprit of what she has. There are a number of factors that negatively affect a woman's body and lead to the impossibility of lactation:

• long-term use of certain medications;
• long history of smoking;
• too fast weight loss.

Diuretic pills, drugs for narrowing blood vessels, antihistamines - negatively affect lactation. If a woman takes one of the above groups of medicines for treatment, and it is not possible to cancel their intake for health reasons, the obstetrician must be informed about this.

If the hormone estrogen is included in the contraceptive drugs, their intake causes a lack of milk. Every woman who plans to become a mother and breastfeed in the future should be aware of this danger in order to choose other means of contraception.

An equally common reason for the lack of breast milk after childbirth is smoking. If a woman is addicted to tobacco products, this does not mean that she will not be lactating, but the risks of such a bad habit increase significantly.

When a woman is worried that she gained a lot during pregnancy and resorts to radical methods - strict diets and excessive physical activity immediately after childbirth, despite the warnings of doctors, the likelihood that she will lose lactation is very high.

It often happens that milk comes after childbirth, but after that the child is naughty, nervous, constantly asking for more food. This phenomenon signals that the mother’s milk is not enough. Determining whether a woman has enough milk is simple. This will tell the state and behavior of the child.

First of all, the baby must be regularly weighed, if the weight gain was less than 500 g per month, then the child does not eat enough.

The amount of milk in the mother's breast will also tell the baby's diaper. If the baby urinates less than 6-8 times a day, milk is not enough.

But the indicator of weight gain is purely individual and often indicates the characteristics of the body of a newborn, so it is necessary to pay attention to the emotional state of the child. The reason for the lack of milk in the mother is:

• emotional and physical overwork;
• improper feeding technique;
• diseases of the mammary glands;
• long pauses in feeding (mother refuses to feed a newborn at night, teaches baby food early).

A common reason for little or no breast milk production is the use of special breastfeeding pads. They are used by women, fearing the appearance of cracks in the nipples.

According to clinical studies, such devices are recommended for use with very small, sometimes inverted nipples in the mother, when the child cannot properly capture them with her mouth. With the right technique for attaching the baby and maintaining hygiene, the likelihood of cracked nipples is minimal.

How to increase the amount of milk?

In situations where the lack of milk or its insufficient production is not the result of various severe pathologies and diseases, its quantity and stay can be corrected. There are a number of simple recommendations on how to increase the intensity of breast milk production:

• refusal to use nipple covers;
• drink large amounts of liquid;
• constant contact with the child;
• good mood and emotional comfort of the mother.

The more often a mother puts her baby to her breast, even if she does not have enough milk, the higher the likelihood that sufficient production will soon begin, because at these moments the body produces the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for milk production.

The guarantee that the milk will arrive on time. You should not go on a diet immediately after giving birth with thoughts of getting rid of the weight gained during pregnancy as soon as possible. It has been scientifically proven that breastfeeding women recover much faster after childbirth and return to shape.

In the absence of milk or its insufficient quantity, due to a lack of vitamin and mineral elements in the body, a woman is recommended to take special medicines based on herbal ingredients - teas, dietary supplements, vitamin complexes. That's just the doctor should prescribe them after examining the patient, since most of the funds have a number of contraindications for this period.

An important stage of motherhood. In addition to the incredible benefits of mother's milk for a child, which cannot be replaced by any infant formula, lactation helps to establish and strengthen the close emotional connection between a mother and her baby. In order to avoid problems with feeding, it is necessary to adjust your lifestyle before pregnancy, give up bad habits, follow the diet and diet.

The process is also useful for the mother, it has been proven that women who breastfeed are less likely to have diseases of the mammary glands and organs of the reproductive system, and their weight after childbirth goes away much faster.