What to expect the first 24 hours of breastfeeding

Fun fact, your breasts have had breast milk in them since 16 weeks of pregnancy, but it takes 3-5 days for mature milk to come in after you give birth. While you wait for your mature milk to come in, your baby will get plenty of colostrum, a nutrient rich substance that is packed with antibodies! 

How to prepare for breastfeeding

Make sure you have a good milk supply to start by practicing skin-to-skin contact with the baby after delivery. This gives your baby an opportunity to feed within an hour of birth, leads to effective breastfeeding and an increased likelihood of breastfeeding 1–4 months after birth compared to infants who were swaddled in blankets! 

If you can’t do skin-to-skin or your baby is transferred to the NICU, hand express, which is when you compress your milk ducts with your thumb and forefinger to express milk, or pump within the first 1-6 hours after delivery.

Is my baby just getting fussy, or not getting enough milk?

Lots of parents worry that their baby won’t get enough to eat while they wait for their mature milk to come in. Here are a few signs your baby is getting enough milk: 

• Baby is eating at least 8-12 times in 24 hours
• Adequate urine and stool output (6-7 wet diapers and 1-4 dirty diapers by 7 days of life)
• Weight gain

These are all good signs that baby is nourished. However, signs that might warrant further evaluation if your baby isn’t meeting the above criteria include:

• A fussy baby who frequently feeds 
• Breasts that don’t leak milk 
• Did not experience engorged breasts 

To ensure you have something nourishing and tasty to eat after birth, pack a few Nunona Mama Ball sleeves in your hospital bag as they are a convenient and tasty snack, providing at least 10% of your daily macronutrient requirements per serving. Try Cashew Confetti in celebration of you becoming a mom - because the birth of a baby is also the birth of a mother!