Colostrum Powder

??s about lack of milk, breastfeeding, etc...?

some ding a ling got my other account suspended- so i have to start all over! anyway, with my first pregnancy (my son was a preemie) i never had milk, but i began leaking colostrum type of fluid well before my son was delivered. i didn't have milk, i tried pumping, supplements both prescription and homeopathic, seeing a lactation consultant, and trying the sns (?) thinga magiggy. today i am 24 weeks pregnant, and have noticed i'm starting to leak quite a bit of the same colstrum type fluid as with my first pregnancy, my breast have not grown any again same as my first.... so i was wondering if i were to start pumping now, or something, would i have milk at birth? i know each pregnancy is different, but i was told that it is a good likelihood that i won't have milk (by both the doctor and a lactation consultant)-- i'm not going to get my panties in a wad if i can't breastfeed, but is there anything i can do now to try to get milk? by the way-- how much is it normal to leak before delivery? just wondering since there seems to be quite a bit leaking out.

Public Comments

1. It is normal to leak enough to soak through a bra and shirt. In my experience, most mothers who have difficulty with milk production with 1st child, have problems with all children. Pumping is not good, what your baby needs most is the colostrum.
2. Leakign is quite normal, really expected before you have the baby. I find it odd you didnt' make milk if you are leaking so much. And breast size doesn't matter, even if your breasts didn't increase in size and you are leaking then you should be able to make milk. I don't know if pumping before the baby is born is a good idea, because the first milk you give your baby, the colustrom is going to give your baby a great boost for he or she when she is born. And you'll keep giving them colostrom for about a few days maybe a week and then your milk will come in. First milk is very very sweet, runny almost clear (babies love this stuff and will suck it down and sometimes refuse to drink the 2nd milk) 2nd milk holds all the nutrients baby needs and is more sustating for little ones. It looks more like milk. I'd try to breastfeed after your baby is born, keep trying to and don't stress about it cause that can cause milk not to let down. I let down (when the milk flows) in the oddest placest. Any baby that started to cry or I thought about my baby, POW Milk flowed. Nothing you do now will change the fact if later you won't make enough milk. I'd just wait it out and see. My g.f couldn't make enough milk, she'd make a little but never enough to feed her kids. Some people can't seem to be able to do it. GOOD LUCK!
3. pumping before you give birth would be confusing to your body. Prolactin can cause contractions - which would be unhealthy for the baby. Bodies can be coerced into producing milk early, but it's generally a natural process that is induced by delivery Too much stimulation early on could mean problems for your unborn child - so go easy on that idea. You either will or won't make milk - it doesn't sound like pumping is going to make it happen. You can always seek out a specialist in medicine and see if there are any hormonal fixes. Second opinions are always good.
4. I produced milk, but not enough. We had to supplement with formula for a little while after each feeding. Then the doc put me on some sort of birth control and it caused me to produce more milk. We were then able to stop supplementing. I think that was around 5 or 6 months after the birth. I ended up bf'ing her until she was about 2 years 3 months old, so I think we did well. Be optomistic, you never know how it will go!
5. the only experience I have with this is that I was not able to breastfeed due to lack of milk. after a week, I tried pumping and was only getting 8oz a day and that was being on medication to help bring the milk in (domperidone) I never even leaked prior to birth, I did after my daughter was born, and I actually went DOWN a bra size while pregnant. I am prepared for this to happen again when I have another child. I would just let nature take it's course and wait until baby is born to find out if you will produce.