One of the biggest concerns of women who have just become mothers has to do with the rise in milk after childbirth . When and how it will occur, if it hurts or not and how to make the best of this moment of breastfeeding.
It is called both rising and falling milk , both forms are valid, although by the way they are misnamed, since the milk does not rise or fall from either side, but when the baby sucks the nipple stimulates the hormones prolactin and oxytocin, responsible of breast milk production.
It is a key moment of breastfeeding in which the lack of information can confuse the mother, so stay tuned that we tell you everything.
When does the milk rise?
The rise in milk occurs between 30 and 72 hours after delivery . In primiparous mothers (they have been mothers for the first time) it usually occurs later, while in multiparous mothers (who have already been mothers before), earlier.
One of the false myths of breastfeeding is that with a caesarean section the rise in milk takes longer. Regardless of the type of delivery , whether vaginal or cesarean, it is a physiological process that starts when the placenta leaves.
After the baby is born and the placenta is delivered, progesterone levels decrease and prolactin levels increase, the hormone responsible for the production of breast milk. The mother already produces colostrum in her breasts and little by little the milk will “rise”. This first liquid is very important for the baby for its nutritional and immune benefits.
Does the rise in milk hurt?
The increase in the volume of milk generated by the mother causes a vascularization of the breasts . This first milk production is characterized by an increase in the size of the breast, a feeling of swelling, an increase in temperature and sensitivity in the areolas.
Pain is a very subjective thing. There are women who do not feel pain, or feel slight pressure on their breasts, while others feel engorged breasts with considerable pain. It is even common for the body temperature to rise a few tenths or have chills.
What in part determines whether the rise in milk will be painful or not is how breastfeeding has been established from the moment the baby is born. If it is placed on the breast as soon as it is born, it sucks on demand, what it can and what it wants, several times a day, the raising process will be less uncomfortable and painful.
In well-established lactations from the beginning, the change from no milk to milk is usually not so drastic.
To calm the pain produced by the rise in milk, you can resort to a pain reliever, but in general the use of medications is unnecessary. The engorgement will last a maximum of two days and should not be confused with mastitis, which is a blocked duct or a possible infection in the chest, which may require medication.
Can the milk rise not be noticed?
As I mentioned before, if the baby is attached to the breast from the moment of birth, on demand and at all hours, the process has been very gradual and the rise in milk may not be noticeable .
Not noticing it doesn’t mean you don’t have enough milk to feed your baby. With very rare exceptions, all women are capable of breastfeeding.
Is it possible that there is no increase in milk after delivery?
It is very rare that after delivery the physiological mechanisms that trigger the production of breast milk are not generated or failed. Even so, there is 1% of women who do not secrete milk postpartum. This disorder is known as agalactia , the total absence of milk secretion.
But be careful. Do not confuse an absence of discharge with a child crying. The association is usually made: the baby cries – he is hungry – I have no milk. It is not like this.
Good practices are very important from the beginning, such as:
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Place the baby at the breast as soon as it is born , in the delivery room itself, and not be separated from it. In that first moment the baby is very receptive, it is the moment of the affective imprint between the mother and the baby, fundamental for the establishment of breastfeeding.
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The fact that the increase in milk occurs between the second and fourth days after delivery does not mean that during the first days there is not enough milk to feed your baby. Before milk, the mother’s breast secretes colostrum, the baby’s first food that provides him with everything he needs nutritionally speaking.
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Let the baby suck when he wants , the more times the better. Let him do it as long as necessary, without schedules and make sure that he latches on well (the baby should cover the areola with his mouth).
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Do not use a pacifier or bottles that could mistake the baby for nipples for the first few days.
With these guidelines, the rise in milk after delivery should be a normal and perfectly bearable physiological process. Think that it is the arrival of the substance that will feed your baby for as long as you decide. There is nothing better for him than breast milk.
In Babies and more | Unexpected rises in milk
