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Home › Articles › Breastfeeding Basics › Waiting for Your Milk

Waiting for Your Milk

Why Your Baby Won't Starve

By Brenda Nixon

Pages:  1  2  3  

By the third or fourth day, your breasts will produce mature milk, which will increase in volume and begin to appear thinner and lighter in color. The nourishing mature milk has higher proportions of carbohydrate and fat. "Babies are designed to need to breastfeed 8 to 12 times in the first few weeks," says Cable. "Breastmilk is produced in response to demand. The greater the demand, the greater the supply."

Putting an End to Paranoia
Frequent breastfeeding also helps prevent engorgement. "Engorgement is neither 'normal' nor desirable," says Dr. Ballard. "It occurs when milk is being produced, but is not being removed frequently enough from the breast."

Your baby will survive and thrive even as his nutritional needs change. "A mother's milk supply changes in direct response to her baby's," says Cable. And each mom's milk is special; some have velvety white, while others have pale yellow, and a few moms' milk appears bluish.

Many people believe that the size or shape of your breasts affects the milk supply, but that simply isn't true. "Breasts come in all different shapes and sizes, and so do babies' mouths," says Cable.

Some moms fret that their baby is hungry after nursing. If this is the case, it's usually due to the baby latching on improperly and therefore unable to get all the milk. Reports say up to 50 percent of women believe their milk supply will be inadequate for their baby's needs. However, only 1 to 2 percent is truly unable to produce enough milk. If your newborn loses 10 percent of his birth weight, then you'll have a valid concern. "There are some women who cannot make enough milk despite their best, sometimes heroic efforts," says Cable. Often these moms report feeling heartbroken and disappointed with their body. Relieve your angst by consulting an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in your area. An IBCLC will take a full history and assessment of both you and your newborn to determine if there is reason for concern and/or how to have a good breastfeeding relationship. "Mothers have amazing instincts that serve a purpose," says Cable. "They can alert us to potential problems."


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