Understanding the Early Days of Breastfeeding

You may have heard stories from mothers describing their breastfeeding journey, often concluding with how they were unable to continue past the first week due to low milk supply. As a first-time mum who is pregnant and eager to breastfeed, these stories can be daunting and scary.

But here’s the truth: in those early days, sometimes up to five days postpartum, it is completely normal to produce low volumes of milk until your milk “comes in.” This varies depending on each mother’s unique circumstances.

Babies have incredibly tiny stomachs. So tiny, in fact, that even 0.5ml of colostrum—rich in nutrients and low in volume—is enough for one feed. And because their stomachs are so small, that 0.5ml will fill them up for a short time, after which they will naturally be hungry again. This leads to frequent and often feeding in those first few days of life.

Don’t get me wrong, it can be tiring and feel never-ending. As the days go by, your baby may become more and more fussy. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, I promise!

After a few days of on-and-off feeding, just when you might be thinking about throwing in the towel, something amazing happens: your milk starts “coming in.”

All that hard work and perseverance pays off. Up until this point, your baby has been working hard to stimulate your breasts, slowly but surely moving colostrum through them and sending signals to your body to produce more milk. This process takes time and patience.

Your baby doesn’t really know what patience is yet (and probably won’t for a few years—it’s a skill, after all). But your baby follows their primal instincts and reflexes, all designed to ensure they can bring in your milk. They have reflexes to root, to suck, to swallow, and to cry. Their body does this instinctively to ensure their survival.

That new born fussiness is a trademark phase but doesn’t last forever. Once you get through it, the reward is oh so worth it. Your baby will have helped establish a strong milk supply, and you will have laid the foundation for a successful breastfeeding journey.

Remember, every drop of colostrum and every moment spent breastfeeding is a step towards an established milk supply. Hang in there, mama—you’ve got this!