Breastfeeding is considered the best way to feed newborns. This period is different for everyone, but if you behave incorrectly, you may encounter a shortage of breast milk. Some people wonder when lactation is established. We will try to give an answer to a similar question below. The information presented to you will certainly help citizens understand breastfeeding and its establishment. What should every girl know? What data is useful in practice?
Stages of development
How much lactation is established? Unfortunately, the answer is mixed. All women have a different period of formation of breastfeeding and its establishment. It depends on both the preparation and the individual characteristics of the body.
In general, the formation of lactation can be divided into three stages:
- elementary;
- direct formation;
- mature lactation.
All these periods have their own characteristics. And they last in different ways. Every woman should know about this, especially considering that breast milk production can be affected.
First stage
When is lactation established? Increasingly, women are asking a similar question. Artificial mixtures cannot be compared with breast milk in its composition. And so most expectant mothers are fighting for breastfeeding. Lactation with him is one. But when does the process of preparing the body for feeding the baby start?
How much lactation is established? Usually the initial stage of preparation of the body occurs shortly before childbirth. About 12 weeks before birth, a woman begins to secrete colostrum from the mammary glands. This is a clear sign of preparing the body for breastfeeding. Lactation has begun its formation!
Stages of lactation
When is lactation established? Completely this process, according to reviews, can be adjusted for a long time. At the initial stage, the girl is faced with the release of colostrum from the mammary glands. Sometimes this phenomenon does not occur. There is no need to fear such a situation.
The active phase of preparation for breastfeeding begins after childbirth. It is conditionally divided into the following stages:
- Launch. A similar stage begins immediately after the birth of the child. The body is undergoing rapid changes, allowing milk to begin to be actively produced.
- Milk production. This period of time is accompanied by active tides of milk. Most often, the phase begins 35-40 hours after birth. Up to this point, the child can be fed colostrum. It is quite nutritious and healthy. It is enough to feed a newborn.
- Transition to ripe milk. This is an important stage of lactation. During it, colostrum is completely replaced by full-fledged breast milk.
When is lactation established after childbirth? As soon as all of the above steps are over, you will have to prepare for the establishment of breastfeeding. This is the period of the complete formation of lactation. It can cause some discomfort that you just have to go through.
Body adaptation
When is lactation established in primiparous? Usually, after replacing colostrum with mature breast milk, the adaptation stage of breastfeeding begins. It lasts differently. When will lactation after childbirth be established?
On average, addiction to breastfeeding a child lasts from 4 to 6-8 weeks. By the 3-4th month of life, lactation should be fully established. Nevertheless, some women expect this moment for more than six months, according to reviews.
During adaptation to breastfeeding, the body learns to understand the needs of the baby. Milk flushes first occur spontaneously, then - as needed. It can be said on demand.
What does it mean? The more a child eats milk, the more actively it will be produced.
Mature lactation
How much lactation after childbirth is established? Unfortunately, no one can give an unambiguous answer to this question. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the body. Therefore, we will try to study the average data.
Mature lactation begins around the 3rd month of a newborn’s life when breastfeeding. The stage ends in different ways for everyone. Usually, the complete completion of milk production occurs 3-4 years after birth without external intervention.
Moreover, during mature lactation, lactational crises can be observed. You do not need to be afraid of them. This is a normal occurrence, but not every woman is faced with it.
About lactation crises
When lactation is established, we found out. On average, this process begins 3 months before and is downloaded 3-4 months after birth. Further, a woman can safely breastfeed her baby without any discomfort. This period is called mature or established lactation.
Lactation crisis is a period of a decrease in the amount of breast milk due to natural factors. After some time, lactation will be established. The duration of the crisis is about a week.
Is it necessary to feed the child at this moment with a mixture or give complementary foods? No. Such actions can lead to a gradual decrease in the amount of milk produced on an ongoing basis. So lactation can come to naught.
How to determine maturity
How to understand that lactation is established? Finding an answer to a similar question is extremely important. The fact is that mature lactation is quite easily determined. The main thing is to understand how it manifests itself.
As already mentioned, with mature lactation, the production of breast milk is established. When feeding a baby, a woman will no longer feel discomfort. Moreover, the chest will appear soft and empty. These are sure signs of established lactation.
How then will the child eat up? With mature breastfeeding, milk begins to be produced by directly feeding the baby and in the quantities in which it is necessary.
Women say that milk flashes after breastfeeding will not be accompanied by dizziness or fever.
How to speed up the process
We found out when lactation is established. As it was emphasized earlier, each woman faces a different period of formation of breastfeeding. After giving birth, it takes an average of about 4 months.
You can accelerate the formation of mature lactation and not lose breast milk. How to do it? Here are tips to help you get the job done:
- properly apply the baby to the chest when feeding;
- give the baby a breast on demand, and not on schedule;
- avoid stress and anxiety;
- Do not overwork;
- establish nutrition - you need to change it to a healthy diet;
- eat more dill, anise and fennel;
- drink a lot (from 2 liters per day);
- eat foods enriched with animal proteins.
All this helps to cope with the establishment of breastfeeding. Some recommend drinking special medications and tea to increase lactation. Unfortunately, such techniques do not help everyone, but it's worth a try!
Important: starting the use of any drugs during breastfeeding and its establishment is necessary only after consulting a doctor. The advice of loved ones, friends and acquaintances can only do harm.
About involution
We found out when lactation is established. It can last 1 year and 5 years. It all depends on mom and baby. Most often, women abandon breastfeeding by the year of the child's life.
Natural involution (cessation of breast milk production) occurs 2.5-4 years after birth. It is characterized by the absence of hot flashes during prolonged breaks in feeding. What is happening at this moment? The amount of breast milk decreases sharply, and its composition resembles colostrum.
2-3 days after direct involution, the ducts of the mammary glands narrow and then completely close. After another 30-40 days, milk production in full is stopped. Glandular tissue develops into fatty tissue.
Thus, lactation stops. Doctors recommend waiting for natural involution. This will help to avoid problems in the future, especially if the girl is still planning to give birth and breastfeed. Use special drugs to stop lactation is not necessary. They can lead to irreversible consequences, and reviews about them are unfavorable.
Diseases and Breastfeeding
Signs of established lactation were presented to our attention. And how to behave if a girl becomes ill during the period of breastfeeding? Should I stop feeding the baby?
Not if mom doesn't want to lose milk. In maternal illness, antibodies to the disease usually appear in breast milk. This helps not to infect the baby and strengthen his immunity.
The cessation of breastfeeding in the disease today is rare. Even antibiotics can often be chosen so that they are compatible with administration during the lactation period.
Conclusion
How much lactation is established, when it disappears, and how to establish breastfeeding, we found out. All of these tips will surely help both primiparous and experienced mothers.
Breastfeeding is an important period in the life of a mother and baby. Today, GV consultants help establish and establish lactation. They often contribute to finding a way out of any problematic situation associated with the lactation period.