Breastmilk is powerful! It changes day by day, feeding to feeding, hour to hour all to meet the dynamic nutritional needs of your baby! But the journey of breastmilk starts all the way back at week 16 of pregnancy.
Breastmilk stages change through the early days of lactation.
COLOSTRUM: In a process called lactogenesis 1, your body starts to make colostrum or newborn milk midway through pregnancy. This is being made until about 2 days postpartum. Colostrum is thick, sticky and golden, and made in small amounts. A mom hand expressing in the first few days after birth normally sees only a few drops of this liquid gold at a time.
TRANSITIONAL MILK: Between days 3 and 5 postpartum, milk starts to become more voluminous, thinner, and more translucent. It can look more creamy in color. This is the time a lot of women say their milk “comes in.”
MATURE MILK: From about day 5 postpartum on, mature milk is produced. This is usually thin and starts to increase quickly in volume. One of my favorite fun facts: it can take on different hues, green, blue, orange depending on what’s going on in the nursing mother’s body. Things like different medications, illness or what you eat can change the color. This will be the kind of milk you produce all the way until you’re ready to wean.
The days of these stages can vary depending on your delivery (vaginal vs surgical) and a few other factors. The most important tool to build your supply in these early postpartum days is frequent milk removal, ideally every 2-3 hours. The more milk that is removed from the breast, the more the body will signal to make.
So the next time you’re breastfeeding, be sure to reminisce on the amazing journey you’ve had through these stages!
We are here for you at any stage of your infant feeding journey! Book a visit with Wisco Lactation on our website. We offer home & office visit in SE Wisconsin and NE Illinois. We also offer virtual visits worldwide.