How does it work?
Maternal hormonal changes shortly after birth, stimulate the production of the first breastmilk, the so-called colostrum. The amount of colostrum is small, but more than enough for the first days after birth. In the beginning, the baby drinks only drinks small (drops) during each feeding. This doesn’t seem like much, but a newborn baby’s stomach is only as big as a small marble. As the milk production increases, the stomach will also gradually be stretched. In addition to the small stomach contents, newborn babies also have extra fat reserves between their organs. So you do not have to worry about lack of nutrition.The first 24 hours after childbirth are very important for the initiation of the production of breastfeeding. Frequent stimulation by latching on, is therefore very important.
Between the 2nd and 4th day after the delivery, the production of breast milk really picks up. And that is precisely when your baby get a bigger apatite. So nature has arranged it well. Frequent latching in the first days stimulates a faster increase in milk production. Women who have breastfed before, often have a higher and faster milk production.
Once breastfeeding has started, it works as a supply and demand system. When your baby is latched on, hormones are released that stimulate milk production and milk release. The more often a mother breastfeeds, the more milk the breast produces. The emptier the breast is after a feeding, the faster your body receives a signal to restore milk production. In short, the needs of your child determine the milk production.If the tension of your breasts decreases, this does not indicate you production is inadequate. It indicates that the supply and demand system is aligned and that you no longer have overproduction.