I have to get on my soap box today and post a few important facts about breastfeeding in general. Colostrum is the first substance that is present in a pregnant womans breast when she is 20 weeks. Colostrum is very protective for your new baby. The colostrum coats the mouth, esophagus, the stomach and the intestines which prevents germs from being able to penetrate the baby’s system. Colostrum changes into transitional milk somewhere between 2-5 days in the life of your baby.
The catalyst that gets the body to make breast milk is the placenta leaving the body. When the placenta leaves the body, prolactin, the hormone that makes the milk spikes in a new mother’s blood stream for 2 weeks. At the 2 week mark the milk making system becomes supply and demand. The best chance to set the bar for a healthy milk supply is in the first 2 weeks of life. A brand new baby is a mother’s new pump but if the baby is too sleepy or having a hard time with the latch this can take a few days to work through. My advice is to pump your breasts every 3 hours in order to maximize the effect of elevated prolactin levels during the first 2 weeks after birth.
Literature says don’t pump for the first month which is such an injustice that needs to change for so many women!