Does your milk take longer to come in after a bleed?

[Arimeh]

I lost 800ml of blood after birth.

Bubs is 2 days old now and is really trying my determination to keep bfeeding.

She's been up since 1am last night and is feeding all the time - I can tell when she's not getting anything because she starts chomping down on me - and that's when I take her off because it's so painful. Then 10 minutes later she will want another feed. So I'm pretty exhausted (not to mention teary) at the moment.

How long until my milk comes in? Her attachment is pretty good, it just changes when the colostrum has gone. Is there anything I can do to help it come in quicker? I'm on liquid iron supplements and also my friend made a batch of lactation biscuits for me.

Any advice? The thought of giving her a bottle to make her stop crying for food has already crossed my mind this morning, and I wanted to succeed just once at this breastfeeding gig.

[Little Chicken]

Mine took about 5 days to come in after I had a PPH of around 1100 with my first and a little bit less with ly second. A LC that saw me for a home visit with my first said that a bleed can delay your milk coming in as your body needs to replace it's volume first then make milk. I found the first week for both exhausting as both of mine did the same thing as your little one is doing. Give it time, it will come.

[feeb]

Hugs Hun yes mill can take longer to come in after a bleed, drinking lots of water and putting her to breast will help, milk generally in days 3-5 . Hang in there Hun keep munching the cookies. You could also try fenugreek or blessed thistle or alfalfa tabs from health food shop.

[Beach Mama]

You are doing ACE babe, she is 2 days old remember and you are both still learning about each other. I found feeding 3 hourly on the dot helped alot to bring in mine faster. With Izzy it took 5 days - with J I was determined not to have to wait that long, so I was religious with feeding 3 hourly ( or 2 during the day) and then 3 hourly at night. I also expressed in between feeds - at around the halfway point. It wasn't a lot but we hand pumped and syringed it to him when he was hungry, I remember being so excited to get 1 mL. It was bloody hard work but my milk came in on the afternoon of day 3. Keep up your fluids hun and keep offering and you will be fine.

I may be unpopular saying this but can I also say that if you have to give a tiny top up once or twice of formula to get you through, it does not make you a breastfeeding failure. It means you are doing what you need to do to get through and breastfeed successfully for both of you. You may decide you don't need to or want to, or your milk may come in faster than you are expecting which is great. xoxoxox

[krystals]

Mine took a few days to come in after a loss of over a litre. I think it was day 4. Keep at it Mumma, drink lots of water, and remember the tears are hormonal as well!!! You're both still learning, it'll come xx

[~clover~]

It took mine 3 days this time & i worried coz my engorgement only lasted a few days, not weeks like with all the others
it will happen x

[Sterla]

Hang in there .

[Arimeh]

Thanks everyone.

She also hasn't done a wee yet - has done poos but no wees. Is that normal?

[Barb Glare]

Hi,
the night of day 2 is the tough one. Your milk wouldn't be expected to be in yet - but your baby knows just what to do: feed all the time. It won't always be like this. Your milk will most likely come in in the next day or so.

[Olive]

darl.
i lost 1.5lt, DD2 was born wed night and my milk came in on the sat/sun, the midwives were really surprised it came in so quickly having had a PPH.

[MummaSue]

Hi,
the night of day 2 is the tough one. Your milk wouldn't be expected to be in yet - but your baby knows just what to do: feed all the time. It won't always be like this. Your milk will most likely come in in the next day or so.

What Barb said. I didn't have a bleed and my milk came in on day 3. Bubby is feeding loads to get your milk going.

[Feijoa Mum]

How is your iron levels? Mine were very low during my pregnancy and then even more so after I had a bleed. I lost just over a litre and it took a good 4-5 days for mine to come in.
I still didnt gorge up like I had done with the boys but DH was awesome with making sure I drunk heaps and took iron supplements (I took spiralina tablets with vit c as well) and fenugreek tablets to help.
He was like a walking pharmacist in those first weeks.

You are doing so well and I know it is damn hard when there doesnt seem to be anything there. If you want to give her a top up then do it. It does not mean that you have given up or failed.
I was stubborn and was scared like you that I would completely stop if I gave in to a bottle but if anything it made me more determined to breastfeed.
Now nearly 13 months later she is still breastfed and wont take a bottle

[~Raven~]

The bleed could be a reason but it also could be because it's your 4th bub too. By the time I had my 4th (after which I also had a 1.5lt PPH), my milk came in a lot "quieter" than my others. By that I mean that my breasts weren't as hard or as big as they had been before so I was kinda worried. With my 3rd I was also less engorged than the first 2 bubbas too.

[Jennifer13]

Go Mel!!!! Hopefully you've had a good run of bfing her today. You can do it! Sounds like this bubba might know what she's doing.

[Melbournemumma]

I may be unpopular saying this but can I also say that if you have to give a tiny top up once or twice of formula to get you through, it does not make you a breastfeeding failure. It means you are doing what you need to do to get through and breastfeed successfully for both of you. You may decide you don't need to or want to, or your milk may come in faster than you are expecting which is great. xoxoxox

I second this. I gave Noah formula top ups twice I think. He was just so hungry and just needed a little extra. you will get through this

[sloane]

i didn't have blood loss & my milk didn't come until day 3 so you're still well within 'normal'

you're doing an awesome job & the constant feeds are so draining (literally & figuratively!). we used a few formula top ups after my milk came but i was too engorged for DS to feed properly. it doesn't necessarily help BFing & for some people makes it diff to ever establish properly but i BF until 20 months so it is possible to use a few in the early days.

[Heaven]

Mel, I know it's really tiring when they feed so often but it's totally normal. DD2 is still feeding 2hrly or more during the day. But with all that feeding your milk should be in soon Hang in there! You sound like you really want to do this and you can! I have no doubt.

[courts&munchkins]

I haven't had a bleed but my milk takes 4-5 days to come in regardless. Day 2 is the worst, all of my babies have been so unhappy then, really really hungry. The boys I topped up with formula. Dd I just let feed for like 8hrs straight whilst guzzling down water myself. It was hell but she brought it in on day 3 that way. Good luck hun, these first few days will be over soon.

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