When will my milk come in after my baby is born?
- jaimiezaki
- Sep 30
- 7 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
When Will My Milk Come In? Understanding Colostrum, Milk Supply, and Delays
If you’re a new mom wondering “when will my milk come in?”, you’re not alone. Many moms worry that their milk isn’t coming fast enough, but the truth is your colostrum is already your first milk—and your milk supply naturally increases in volume over the first few days.
In this episode of The Breastfeeding With Confidence Podcast, Jaimie, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and mom of five, explains what’s normal, what can delay milk supply, and practical ways to support your breastfeeding journey.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Jaimie covers:
Colostrum is your first milk and why it’s perfectly designed for your newborn
Reframing the question from “coming in” to milk increasing in volume
The typical timeline: milk volume often increases around day 3–5 postpartum
Factors that can delay milk volume, including birth interventions, separation from baby, and stress
How early supplementation or formula can delay your body’s milk production
Tips to support your supply naturally, including frequent nursing, skin-to-skin, and pumping if separated
Understanding Colostrum and Milk Volume
Your first milk, colostrum, is packed with antibodies and nutrients for your baby’s tiny tummy. Instead of waiting for “milk to come in,” it’s more accurate to think of your supply gradually increasing in volume over the first few days.
Normal Breastmilk Production Timeline vs Delays
Most moms notice milk volume increases around day 3–5, but it can take longer if:
Birth involved interventions (IV fluids, C-section, medication)
There’s separation from your baby after birth
Early formula supplementation occurs instead of frequent breastfeeding
Maternal factors like stress or certain medical conditions are present
Supporting Your Milk Supply
To encourage milk production and reduce delays:
Practice frequent skin-to-skin contact
Nurse on demand, especially in the first 48 hours
Pump or hand express if you’re separated from your baby
Avoid unnecessary early supplementation unless medically advised
Seek help early if you notice low supply or latching challenges
Encouragement for Moms
Your body is already making milk—starting with colostrum—and your supply will increase naturally. If it feels slower than expected, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Small adjustments and support can make a big difference.
00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
00:45 – Colostrum is Your First Milk
02:00 – Reframing “Coming In” vs Increasing in Volume
03:30 – Normal Timeline for Milk Supply (3–5 Days)
05:00 – Factors That Can Delay Milk Volume
06:30 – Early Supplementation & Its Impact
07:30 – Tips to Support Your Milk Supply
08:30 – Encouragement & Final Thoughts
09:00 – CTA to Resource Library
Topics Covered
When does milk come in after birth
Colostrum vs mature milk
Delayed milk supply
How to increase milk supply early
Milk coming in timeline
Breastfeeding tips first week
Confident Mama Breastfeeding Academy
Avoid Mistakes that Sabotage Breastfeeding
Transcript:
Hey Mama Bear. Welcome to the Breastfeeding With Confidence podcast. Do you dream of bonding with your baby through exclusive breastfeeding, but worry about breastfeeding pain or low milk supply? Maybe you're struggling with breastfeeding and no one seems to have any answers. I'm Jamie Doula, international Board certified lactation consultant, and Mom of five, and I have been where you are after working through painful latches, milk supply worries, and postpartum depression, and.
Supporting countless mothers through their breastfeeding journeys for over eight years. I'm here to tell you breastfeeding doesn't have to be perfect to be positive. Each week I'll share breastfeeding tips to help you prevent and overcome unexpected breastfeeding challenges so you can actually enjoy bonding with your baby.
If you are ready to shut out the toxic whispers of the world, embrace your God-given intuition and release your inner fierce Mama bear. Grab some coffee or your favorite herbal tea and let's dive in.
Today we are tackling one of the most common questions I hear from new moms, and that is. When will my milk come in? If you have asked yourself this as a pregnant mom, wondering how long it'll take for your milk to come in, you are not alone. And if you are maybe pregnant with your second or third, and you're thinking, wow, my milk took a really long time to come in with my first baby, and I'm worried it's gonna happen again, this episode is for you.
All right, so first things first. Colostrum is your first milk. All right. Your milk is already in colostrum is your baby's first milk. It is thick, golden, and super concentrated with antibodies and nutrients, and for some reason, a lot of people think colostrum doesn't count, but it is so important for your baby to get colostrum.
It is tailor made for your newborn's tiny tummy and their early needs and. Your milk is designed to increase as your baby's needs increase. Your milk volume is designed to increase as your baby's needs increased. So when do most moms notice that increase? Typically, this happens around day three to five postpartum.
You might notice your breasts start feeling fuller, heavier, warmer. That's usually a sign that your milk supply is shifting gears from colostrum production to that larger volume transitional milk. Now, for some moms, that will be a slow transition for other moms, it might feel like a train just pulled into the station and started unloading the milk everywhere.
Um, both experiences are common are within the spectrum of normal. Now, your personal experience is going to be so closely related to so many different things, your health, your birth experience, how breastfeeding is getting started. So for some moms that transition can take a little longer and some common things that can.
Contributes to a delay in that milk volume increase include birth interventions, right? Like a c-section, um, certain medications. But we've talked a lot about how IV fluids can impact birth, and that is one that, . It. It's not so much that the IV fluids necessarily delay the milk coming in as much as there can be a lot of inflammation in your body, but also that extra fluid can create engorgement that can make it really hard for your baby to latch and make it really hard for your baby to remove milk.
And if your baby's not latching and removing milk, it's not telling your body to make milk. So it might be a little delayed if your baby's not able to signal your body to make milk. If you are separated from your baby after birth, you have delayed skin to skin, um, a NICU stay super stressful or traumatic birth, if you lost a lot of blood during birth, that is a huge one.
If you have medical conditions like diabetes, thyroid conditions, PCOS, all of that can contribute to your milk supply, taking a little longer to build up and come in strong. . Honestly, one of the biggest ones I think is most common that I see most often is that is preventable, that is fully preventable, is early, unnecessary supplementation.
If your baby is being supplemented early without a good reason and without a good plan that supports breastfeeding, , that is going to be the biggest thing. That can make your milk take longer, and it is the most preventable. So if you combine that with other things like NICU stays or , blood loss or stress and traumatic birth, , medical issues, if you combine those two things together, that can really create a perfect storm.
So you really wanna make sure that you know how to go into this advocating for supporting your milk supply. And then you kind of know when it's really necessary to supplement and when it's not. If you want to encourage your milk volume to increase as smoothly as possible, lots of skin to skin contact, frequent nursing, , if separation is necessary, hand expression, pumping, managing your stress levels, which I know sounds so easy to say, but it's not as easy to do.
And honestly, getting help early. Do not wait to get help if things are not going as expected. Your milk is already there in the form of colostrum, and it will naturally increase in volume. And if it's not, if it feels like it's taking too long, that's not a sign that you are failing. It does not mean you are broken.
It just means that you and your body and your baby all might need a little extra support. So if you wanna feel more confident about what's normal and what's not, and how to support your supply from day one, make sure to check out the breastfeeding resource library. Inside you will find guides and tools that take all the guesswork out of breastfeeding to help you start strong and avoid unnecessary formula in the hospital.
You can find it@littlebearlactation.com slash library and use code podcast 50 to save. Big thanks for hanging out with me today, mama. I will see you in the next episode.
Alright, mama bear. That is a wrap for today. If this episode helps you feel a little more confident or a little more prepared for breastfeeding, can I ask you a quick favor? Go ahead and leave me a review. It helps other moms find this podcast and join us in this amazing community of fierce and confident Mama bears.
And hey, if you know a friend who could use some encouragement or real talk about pregnancy, breastfeeding, and all things motherhood, share this episode with her. You've got this Mama Bear Trust your instincts, stay fierce, and I'll catch you in the next episode.
Jaimie Zaki is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and mom of 5! Jaimie has volunteered as a La Leche League Leader, worked as a nurse, doula, and birth photographer, and is the host of the Breastfeeding With Confidence Podcast and founder of the Confident MamaBear Society. Jaimie provides holistic breastfeeding advice for pregnant & new moms, helping them overcome unexpected latching trouble and milk supply issues. She empowers mothers to make informed decisions from a place of confidence and intuition.
Breastfeeding Resources Available:
