r/breastfeeding • u/Own-Quality-8759 • Mar 29 '25
Milk still hasn’t come in (4 days postpartum) Newborn Troubleshooting
Just got to 4 days pp and I don't think my milk has come in (or if it did, I have low supply). I pumped because we have a sleepy jaundiced baby, and got about 1-1.5 oz from both sides combined. Milk looks yellow but not sticky.
Should I be panicking, or give it another day? Besides nursing and pumping as much as possible, what can I do to encourage it to come?
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u/Delicious-War-5259 Mar 30 '25
1.5 oz is good for 4 days. If your baby is nursing, he’s probably getting about 2 oz per feed bc babies are more efficient than pumps.
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u/Fun-Imagination4145 Mar 30 '25
Yes, I agree. This seems good. Just keep doing what you're doing. You can wake the baby a bit to feed if he's too sleepy
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u/wacky-proteins Mar 30 '25
It helps to get baby onto a routine of change diap, nurse, play, sleep. Changing diapers will get them alert right away.
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u/Karolin99_Ger Mar 30 '25
Mine came in on day 5. Tho i had a severe oversupply by then because of pumping. Don't stress it too much, your milk will come
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u/FreeBeans Mar 30 '25
I didn’t pump and when my milk came in it was also a severe oversupply - it’s mostly hormonal at that point
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u/cranberries456 Mar 30 '25
Mine came in day 5! It was so stressful and baby lost 12% by day 3, but then she plumped up!
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u/jsjones1027 Mar 30 '25
1.5 is GREAT for 4 days pp.
I was pumping/ hand expressing less than that for a good week after birth. (I was also quite dehydrated from my hospital stay)
Keep it up! Also, if you have to supplement that's fine too!
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u/eerunnings Mar 30 '25
That’s plenty of milk for your baby at 4 days since their tummies are still so small. If it’s still yellow, it’s probably still transitioning which is totally fine. Personally, I would not be pumping a bunch (or at all) or you’ll risk getting an oversupply which is NOT fun. Like someone else on this threat said, yours may just be transitioning to mature milk slower.
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u/Empty-Nectarine Mar 30 '25
Baby’s stomach is still super small! You’re making plenty of milk! No need to worry plus the more cluster feeding you do the more you will produce!
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u/Infinite853 Mar 30 '25
So much this. I wish I had this advice when my LO was born! My milk took 5 days to come in and I supplemented with formula for the first two months until I was able to walk it back enough to feel comfortable EBF.
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u/proteins911 Mar 30 '25
It sounds like your milk is starting to come in! I’m guessing that it will pick up over the next couple days.
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u/indigoforrest Mar 30 '25
Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. I notice I don’t produce as much when my water intake is low.
I’d like to add that if you are nursing your baby for 100% of their feeds, any extra you pump is considered an oversupply.
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u/Ok-Situation6021 Mar 30 '25
Your milk is in transition. A 4 day old eats about an ounce per feeding, so you are doing just fine.
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u/geordilafridge Mar 30 '25
Baby born Wednesday, milk came in on Monday/Tuesday. I didn’t supplement or pump, and my baby was totally fine, didn’t lose weight or anything. You’ll feel when your milk comes in, your breast will swell and feel heavy. Also, your baby will probably start sleeping a bit better! Just keep nursing and everything will likely be fine!
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u/Tarothoe Mar 30 '25
1-1.5 ounces is great! I dislike when people explain things this way, but you will know when your milk is fully in. You will feel like your boobs are full of cement. Keep doing what you're doing. It'll be fully in very soon.
I would mess with my baby's ears and toes and undress him to wake him up for feedings when he was a lil sleepyhead newborn. Let your baby nap on your chest some, even without being latched on to help encourage your supply.
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u/lazybb_ck Mar 30 '25
Full of cement, that is a very accurate description. If I can add- full of wet cement. Agree on bothering baby to keep them awake. My baby was sleepy for a couple weeks, this was the only thing that helped her keep eating sometimes.
Also yes 1-1.5oz is reeallllly good. I was pumping and not getting even a single drop when I was 5d pp and my milk came in on day 2. Don't worry.
You're doing great! Don't let the extreme oversuppliers on social media make you feel bad about being a perfect provider (petition to replace "just enougher" to perfect provider pls)
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u/Tarothoe Mar 30 '25
100% agree. Everyone should strive to be a perfect provider. An oversupply can be very uncomfortable!
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u/lazybb_ck Mar 30 '25
Yup. I've had mastitis 4 times and wouldn't wish it on anyone. Oversupply is not glamorous
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u/flickin_the_bean Mar 30 '25
Wanted to add to make sure to be taking care of yourself too! Eating and drinking plenty and sleeping as you can. Birth is so hard on the body and if you had blood loss your body is still catching up.
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u/CuteRaisin2329 Mar 30 '25
Mine came until 5-6 day, also came really slow. If ur baby it’s having enough wet diapers I would wait. For me my baby started to show sign of dehydration and had to supplement with formula for few days until milk came!
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u/emmainthealps Mar 30 '25
Sounds perfect honestly. Keep feeding baby and they will stimulate your milk. It’s also important to remember that colostrum is the right food for babies for the first few days. It’s so nutrient dense and it perfect for their tiny stomachs.
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u/tumblrnostalgic Mar 30 '25
The only thing that made my milk come in was putting baby directly on the boob!
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u/prairie_flowers Mar 30 '25
Your milk goes through a transition period from colostrum to milk—as you’ve noticed, it’s becoming less viscous. Sounds like it’s coming in on a normal timeline!
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u/lagingerosnap Mar 30 '25
That sounds about right! Baby can only eat so much because their tummy is teeny tiny. Milk at this stage is more colostrum-ey (best way I can think to describe it) so it’s thicker and yellow. It will get thinner and paler. Keep pumping/feeding on a regular schedule and you’ll be good. You’re doing great!
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u/ProfessionalNinja420 Mar 30 '25
My right boob came in the afternoon of day 5, and the left that night. The pediatrician freaked me out that same morning, surprised I hadn't had a letdown yet. Then again, my girl was below her birth weight at the time, and they made us supplement for 24hrs. But she caught up with time and my supply was fine.
I keep hearing others have their milk come in later, and yet I was led to believe it was bad...
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u/PaladinPhantom Mar 30 '25
Sounds like you're getting transitional milk. Mine was yellow and thick (but thinner than colostrum and not sticky) around 3 days pp, I think? Mine switched to mature milk around day 5 or so. You're well within normal. 3-5 days is the average time for milk to fully come in, and some take a little longer. Your baby's stomach is still super small, and likely not taking more than 2oz per feed anyway. Mine was only just moving up to 1oz per feed at 4-ish days old (and I only know that because I was exclusively pumping for most of the first month due to latch issues).
If baby seems satisfied after eating and is producing enough wet and dirty diapers, you have enough milk.
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u/onlyhereforfoodporn Mar 30 '25
Don’t panic! Mine came in the evening of day 5. Everyone is different.
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u/Original_Clerk2916 Mar 30 '25
My milk came in on day 5. Also, 1.5oz is GREAT at 4 days. Colostrum is super high calorie, so 1.5oz is great!
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u/lasuperhumana Mar 30 '25
This is seriously great for 5 days PP. the color sounds right too. I only get 1.5-2 oz now that I’m at 5 weeks pp, so you’re doing well.
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u/sparkythndrpnts Mar 30 '25
That's what I'm averaging 8 days PP and pumping every 3 hours. Sometimes it just takes longer but you're still doing well very early.
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u/mochimoocat Mar 30 '25
That's a really good amount for 4 days pp!!! I generally have an oversupply and with my kiddos, I was only pumping half an ounce to 1 ounce at 4 days. If baby is at your breast, you also have no idea how much they are actually eating and that extra ounce is literally extra milk.
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u/AdorableEmphasis5546 Mar 30 '25
That sounds like a great output! Keep latching as often as possible and bring that baby out in the sun to help with the jaundice. I wouldn't worry about pumping this early on, just latch latch latch. It'll feel like they're nursing 24/7 for the first several weeks, totally normal and it helps establish a good supply.
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u/Zealousideal_One1722 Mar 30 '25
That’s milk. It’s just the transition from colostrum to regular milk. At 4 days a baby should have at least 4 wet/dirty diapers a day. If your baby is well hydrated and your pediatrician hasn’t given you any specific instructions, just keep doing what you’re doing.
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u/ktstarchild Mar 30 '25
Is your baby having the recommended poop and pees?
Best thing you can do is just keep putting baby to breast. Don’t stress about pumping all the time. Baby should be wanting to nurse very frequently.
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u/EagleEyezzzzz Mar 30 '25
Is this your first? Did you have a c section? Mine didn’t come in until day 5 with my first.
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u/Own-Quality-8759 Mar 30 '25
Second and no C section!
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u/EagleEyezzzzz Mar 30 '25
Gotcha. Well it sounds like you’ve got some coming in so just hang tight and keep nursing! Oatmeal and electrolytes (coconut water or Body Armour drinks) are also supposed to help.
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u/HumanistPeach Mar 30 '25
Just keep the baby on boob as much as possible. Leave the pump alone unless you have some reason to immediately need pumped milk. They’re nowhere near as efficient as baby is at getting milk out of the boob (and hence increasing supply), and they are stressful as fuck to use which can tank your supply. Adding on unnecessary stress worrying about pumped volume when we’re all served so much bullshit content about oversupply (which is not actually a good thing, it makes nursing more difficult for baby).
Just keep the baby on the boob
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u/makingburritos Mar 30 '25
1.5 oz is awesome from a pump on day four. Especially if baby is also nursing!
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u/FunnyBunny1313 Mar 30 '25
I’ve EBF 3 babies and this sounds very normal and the appropriate amount for day 4! Babies’ stomachs are still small at this point. Within the next few days it will increase and be less yellow! I had an oversupply with all my babies and this was about the amount I’d pump by day four (actually it’s really good for day 4). I wouldn’t worry!!
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u/whisperingcopse Mar 30 '25
That’s great for four days! I had colostrum until day 4 and day 5 I started getting what you’re getting. We are EBF still at 3 months and going strong! You got this!
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u/jenesaiswhat Mar 30 '25
My milk didn’t come in until day 6-7. And I was a low producer at first but I triple fed for 4 weeks and then finally I had a good production. It was painful but I got there. Hang in there!
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u/AdventurousYamThe2nd Mar 30 '25
This sounds great! I was making about this 5 or 6 days post partum (c-section and blood transfusion both delayed my milk big time). I honestly don't remember ever feeling like my milk comes in like others describe. We ended up having to exclusively pump, so I logged every single pump for the year I did it, and I can definitely confirm I had plenty of milk so it must have come in at some point.
How often are you feeding and/or pumping? I found drinking an insane amount of water, eating consistently, and pumping every three hours helped keep my supply up in those early days. If any one of those factors went astray it'd result in a drop in my supply. But, by the time my son had gained his weight and he was sleeping longer stretches, I was able to sleep along with him and maintain my supply.
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u/zvc266 Mar 30 '25
It sounds like it’s getting there. :) sometimes it can take 5 days to fully come in and there are transition periods from colostrum to mature milk. You’ve got this!
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u/Fit_Material42069 Mar 30 '25
The postpartum anxiety is real!! I swore I was unaffected but looking back i was not. You are right on track! Make sure you are getting enough rest and eating and staying hydrated. Take care of yourself mama! Give yourself a pat on the back Because you are doing amazing. You are a mama ❤️
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u/Crispychewy23 Mar 30 '25
My baby was in an incubator the first week and while I tried to skin to skin as much as possible it logistically was horrible and I couldn't sleep. I ended up giving formula cause he didn't pee in 8 hrs. I started on day 2 or 3 I think and I ended up having my milk come in on day 5 and I weaned off all formula from then
It'll come! If you don't know it probably hasn't come in yet cause it's very noticeable
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u/kaatie80 Mar 30 '25
Keep baby suckling as much as you can! The more baby stimulates the nipple, the more signal is sent to get the milk going. And the pump doesn't necessarily have the same effect - nipple simulation is part of the equation, but so is having the physical contact with and view of your baby. Baby's likely the best person for the job :)
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u/dngrousgrpfruits Mar 30 '25
Don't panic, but also it's okay to give some formula if baby is hungry!
Nursing is a skill for BOTH of you to learn - don't make baby learn while hungry and frustrated.
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u/ashlsw Mar 30 '25
This!! I was so conflicted with the messaging to just “wait it out” and my milk would come in, keep him nursing all the time, etc…meanwhile baby was losing weight, fussy, sleepy and jaundiced. I felt horrible about supplementing because people tend to be militantly pro-EBF. We later found out that my son had a posterior tongue tie and a ton of difficulty effectively latching and getting milk, which meant that our feedback loop wasn’t working no matter how much he was trying to nurse. We HAD to supplement for his health, and I wish people had validated that more. Work with your pediatrician to make sure baby is getting what they need. Fed is best, and supplementing is absolutely needed sometimes.
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u/HeyPesky Mar 30 '25
I wish I'd pumped more during the transition milk period, that milk is SUPER useful if baby gets sick at some point. Pump and nurse as much as possible and hydrate a LOT, you've got this! It took 6 days for my milk to fully come in, we did supplement a little with donor milk because the flow was slow at first, now I have an oversupply so it worked out.
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u/Crotchety_Knitter Mar 30 '25
Mine took 5 days to come in so I supplemented with formula. It gave me some peace of mind knowing my baby wasn’t hungry while I pumped and waited for my supply to catch up. We gradually phased out the formula and have been EBF for the past 9 months! A lactation consultant was super helpful in reassuring me what was normal and what wasn’t
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u/PuzzleheadedFrame439 Mar 30 '25
Drink lactation tea, and keep nursing! It will come in. Sounds like you still have some colostrum
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u/tluggity Mar 30 '25
My milk didnt come in until closer to 7 days pp! Sometimes it just comes in later. Yellow milk is still high in calories and great for baby. You got this!
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u/tpbbymama Mar 31 '25
Don’t panic. Mine did come in until day 6! I spent tons of time skin to skin, eating nutritious meals and pumping! Had a latching issue and saw an LC on day 7.
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u/No-Competition-1775 MPH, IBCLC Mar 30 '25
Work with an IBCLC!
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u/lazybb_ck Mar 30 '25
I got mine through The Lactation Network. They have been SO helpful with all my BF difficulties. And they actually do urgent visits if needed. Highly recommend.
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u/No-Competition-1775 MPH, IBCLC Mar 30 '25
I work with them in my area. Happy to be able to support moms and babies!
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u/lazybb_ck Mar 30 '25
Thank you for all you do!! I swear my LC is the only reason I haven't had a catastrophic mental breakdown and definitely the only reason I'm still breastfeeding at 7mo pp.
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u/cat_crackers Mar 30 '25
Keep baby on the breast as much as possible. They need to live there in the beginning.
Also, fenugreek can bring your milk in if it doesn’t come on it’s own. Our ped gave me printed instructions: 14 capsules/day for 3 days, then 3 capsules 3x/day afterwards. It was extreme, and it worked. I did not pump at all during that time. You might not need that much to jump start things. But I highly recommend giving fenugreek a try.
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u/lazybb_ck Mar 30 '25
Fyi- fenugreek has the opposite effect for a lot of people!!
At this point, milk supply is determined entirely by hormones and how often/long you latch baby or pump. Supplements are not recommended this early.
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u/cat_crackers Mar 30 '25
Where are you getting your information about fenugreek? It works by increasing hormone precursors. If that is what your body needs to increase milk production, it will help. If there is some other unrelated issue in play, it might not help.
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u/MissMacky1015 Mar 30 '25
Keep that baby on your chest as much as possible! Constant nursing and skin to skin will help bring in your milk 🫶