Your breastmilk supply grows quickly in the first days. Here's what to expect.
Most mums notice a sudden boost in milk somewhere between 2 and 5 days after birth.
As your milk volume grows, colostrum is replaced by mature breastmilk, which looks thin and bluish-white. People often call this your milk ‘coming in’.
What happens to your breasts?
After a few days, you might find your breasts feel fuller and heavier. Inside your breasts, milk, blood and other fluids fill the breast tissue to kick-start milk production. Mums can experience this very differently. For some, it’s sudden and dramatic and for others, it may be a gradual change that is hardly noticeable. This process is related to hormones changing in your body after birth.
Feeding early and often helps your breasts make more milk and builds a strong supply. Your baby will lose less weight and be less likely to be jaundiced. It also helps you meet your baby’s growing needs.
My breasts are too full!
You may find that your breasts settle down gradually over a few days as you keep breastfeeding. You’ll also notice your baby starts to have more wet and dirty nappies now. But some mums experience hard, swollen, and very tender breasts at this time. Their babies may have trouble attaching, and their nipples can get sore. Milk might not flow well as the tissue in the breasts puts pressure on the milk ducts. This is sometimes called engorgement, and there are ways to help.
What if my milk takes longer to come in?
Sometimes, milk takes longer to increase. Reasons might include:
- Being a first-time mum
- Exhausting or traumatic birth
- Separation from your baby after birth
- Pain medications or caesarean birth
- Retained placenta (needs removal)
- Health conditions affecting hormones
- Being very overweight.
What can I do to help my supply?
Keep your baby close. Hold them skin-to-skin as much as possible to help them look for a breastfeed more often.
Let your baby feed often and for as long as they like.
Offer your baby a breastfeed whenever they seem quiet and alert.
- Keep watching your baby’s nappies to make sure they’re doing wees and poos.
- Ask for help to learn how to know if your baby is well attached and removing milk effectively.
- Get help early if you have concerns. Reach out to an ABA breastfeeding counsellor, midwife, or lactation consultant.
© Australian Breastfeeding Association January 2026
Your guide for making milk in the first 72 hours with your newborn. Free for Virtual Village members.
The first 72 hours - eModule
